Driven through flood water

[brads]

Hi drove through flood water last week, didn't realise how deep it was . Car starts fine but water has mixed with the oil. Possibly hydo-locked and ideas?

Cheers

 

[S3Alex]

Hi drove through flood water last week, didn't realise how deep it was . Car starts fine but water has mixed with the oil. Possibly hydo-locked and ideas? Cheers

If it starts,it isn't hydro-locked,but it's clearly damaged,and needs attention immediately...don't drive it further,as you may only make things worse.....get it to a decent garage immediately and get it looked at.

 

[Dazza0685]

Agreed with S3alex . get it inspected asap as it could be fairly serious.

 

[paddy]

I dont get this ? whats the question ? how can it poss be hydro locked if it starts fine ? Is the level up on the dip stick ?
How deep was the water and did you get a bow wave up to intake hight ( top of grill) ?

 

[Khufu]

Is the emulsion on the dip/expansion bottle stick or just the cap? I'd get some engine flush into it and get the oil changed ASAP. As said, it wouldnt start if hydro locked and you would know if that happened!

Also got to watch going through flood water, the cold water can shatter the hot contents of your CAT.

 

[paddy]

cold water can shatter the hot contents of your CAT.

Is that why cats hate water ?

 

[brads]

The car cut out just out of the water, I think the water went to the intake level. There is water eveident in the filler cap area and filler neck. Also on the dipstick. Just wondered how the water could be evident in the oil without bending anything? ps there was no water in the oil prior to the flood water damage.

 

[S3Alex]

The car cut out just out of the water, I think the water went to the intake level. There is water eveident in the filler cap area and filler neck. Also on the dipstick. Just wondered how the water could be evident in the oil without bending anything? ps there was no water in the oil prior to the flood water damage.

Point is,irrespctive of how the water got in there,it shouldn't be there,and whether it's something as simple as water ingress without any engine damge,you don't know how it's got in there,and if the water level went high enough to end up on the filler cap,then it went pretty high.....it needs someone to give it a decent look over.

 

[paddy]

First thing is an oil change but unfortunately i would want to see a flushing oil through it first to mix up all the emulsified oil before its drained. Its no great shakes just more money. Change the filter as well.

 

[brads]

Point is,irrespctive of how the water got in there,it shouldn't be there,and whether it's something as simple as water ingress without any engine damge,you don't know how it's got in there,and if the water level went high enough to end up on the filler cap,then it went pretty high.....it needs someone to give it a decent look over.

Will do thanks just thought I would get some advice first, as I am unsure how the water would get into a sealed unit. Unless it is coolant caused by the floodwater somehow.

Thanks

 

[audicruiser]

Will do thanks just thought I would get some advice first, as I am unsure how the water would get into a sealed unit. Unless it is coolant caused by the floodwater somehow.

Thanks

It's not sealed though if you sucked it in through the air intake....

 

[brads]

It's not sealed though if you sucked it in through the air intake....

then would it not hydro-lock?

 

[fangio]

And if you sucked it in the air intake, it would either lock up or blow it out of the exhaust as steam, depending how much got in. Can't see how it could get from the inlet to the oil unless you have no piston rings?

Might have got in through a breather....

 

[NHN]

Do as Paddy & Ewan advise imho, empty the oil leave it to drain fully, flush engine maybe with some cheap syn oil, then refill to level with good stuff, check it then to see if anythings apparent, sounds like water got in via a breather pipe, if I get a chance I'll go have a nosey at an S3 8P I'm working on atm, to see what pipes it could of got into to mix with.

Could check the intake piping to the IC, disconnect & check for water in them, maybe some in the IC itself, you never know.

 

[brads]

Thanks for the replies, the car is at Audi now. They are a bit confused how it could get into the oil but we will wait and see.


Thanks

 

[Khufu]

The water can get sucked in through the exhaust too, think about the 4 stroke cycle. This will be could why there is some in the engine but its not hydro-locked like you would get if it got sucked in through the intake.

 

[Ash187]

the car is at Audi now. They are a bit confused

good luck!

 

[fangio]

The water can get sucked in through the exhaust too, think about the 4 stroke cycle. This will be could why there is some in the engine but its not hydro-locked like you would get if it got sucked in through the intake.

No suction in the exhaust, mate! Inlet, compression, ignition, exhaust.

 

[Khufu]

on later thinking it couldn't get far enough back up the exhaust to get even past the CAT.