
Morning all,
Well, after spending 5 hours trying to get from Witney to Swindon on Friday night, I gave up and headed for the in-laws, instead, about 10 miles from
where I was sat. All was OK, apart from the last village before I got to them, which was under about 2 feet of water for a good 600 metres.
I started through it OK, the car was pulling through it, I was keeping the engine running (it wasn't the first flood I'd been through that
day!) until some b'stard came the other way much too fast. They caused a nice wave which slopped over my bonnet, and stalled the engine. Trying
to get it restarted, it wasn't very keen, though it was turning over. so, I bumped it on the starter for a while, got up an incline and managed
to get it started again. Went about another 200 metres, another wave caused by a range rover, who I swore at, and another stall. Bumped it along on
the starter again, came to a local stood in the middle of the road, who said they'd give me a push.
After letting it drain out for 20 minutes or so, it was persuaded to start, combined with lots of white smoke from the exhaust, which I presume was
water being burned off. My question is, what do I need to do to the car given that it's had quite a severe dunking? it sounds pretty clattery
now, and still (white) smoking on start-up. It's now much more hesitant around the turbo pick-up range (about 2000 rpm), unless you've got
your foot right down. I was thinking about an oil / filter / airfilter change, is there anything else that might have got knackered?
Thanks,
Vince
It's a 53-plate Mondeo TDCi
sorry mate it sounds like its probably bent a rod or 2
check the air filter, if its wet then it will have taken in water and hydrauliced on it.
seen loads over the last few weeks of all makes and models due to the flooding 
I honestly hope its not for your sake but it does sound likely
Rich
Yup, my dad did the same to his brand new company 5 series a few years back and required a new engine. Lots of modern cars seem to have the air intake
very low down making floods a no no.
Fingers-crossed it is not as serious for you. 
Petrol or diseasel ?
If petrol could be running rough due to damp igition if you are very lucky. Diesel, then I'd have
to agree with bigrich.
TDCi so diesel.
Thanks for the replies chaps. I'll check the filter out and see what it's like. Looks like the damp carpets might be the least of my
worries....
Reckon I can get an insurance job on it? Don't like to think what a replacement engine would cost, esp. as it probably wouldn't be me
fitting it?
I wonder if I could get two R1 engines in there, one front wheels, one rear......
Thanks,
Vince
I'd flush and replace the oil and filter and replace the air filter and see how it runs, nothing to lose 
quote:
Originally posted by nick205
I'd flush and replace the oil and filter and replace the air filter and see how it runs, nothing to lose![]()
Might want to drain the fuel as well??
Could try turning it over by hand and see how it feels??
Going to need the sump off to look at a rod (unless it's really bad). Probably worth the filter+oil change (just ditch the filter for testing).
The white smoke is probably just water in the exhaust, it's the clattering and poor running which are the worries.
Worth talking to the insurance, though they will try hard to avoid paying, especially with all the other claims that will be coming in.
The fact you'd have been fine (probably) if you'd not been swamped plays in your favour, but their view will likely be you shouldn't
have been in water that deep in the first place. 
Why do you have to say you were driving?
Couldn't it have been parked! 
what is it exactly that bends the rods?
Sorry to hear about the car mate! That is a bugger. Could you just change the rods rather than the whole engine or will there be damage elsewhere?
Water gets into the combusion chamber and unlike air cannot be compressed.
So when the piston comes up.....the water stops it half way.
Is there anyway to run a compression test on a diesel?
Knowing them engines id get it in a garage and put it through the insurance.
It does sound like its sucked in abit of water.
A change of filters and oil may cure it but if it goes to the insurance after this they may tell you to sod off.
quote:
Originally posted by scottc
Water gets into the combusion chamber and unlike air cannot be compressed.
So when the piston comes up.....the water stops it half way.
Is there anyway to run a compression test on a diesel?
quote:
Originally posted by scottc
Is there anyway to run a compression test on a diesel?
except for the much higher compression I assume??
quote:
Originally posted by scottc
except for the much higher compression I assume??
quote:
Originally posted by cadebytiger
what is it exactly that bends the rods?
Sorry to hear about the car mate! That is a bugger. Could you just change the rods rather than the whole engine or will there be damage elsewhere?
Chap at work had exactly the same experience - even down to the knob coming the other way causing the wave over the bonnet.
Had it fixed already - 1 bent rod. £700 engine rebuild and is in the process of getting it thru the insurance (Churchill).
Give your insurance a ring - see what they say.
Martin