weizen

Curious if anyone has insight for me? I took my 85.5 through an automatic car wash, while I was in there it just died, I had to push it out, and after a short while it restarted, but ran like hell! I used contact cleaner on the distributer cap followed by wd-40, did this to all plug wires also. This helped a little, but now at about 2500 rpm's it begins to backfire? I had the timing belt replaced about a year ago, and am praying it didn't slip! Suggestions, words of encouragement???

slevy951

How about checking the connection to the TPS and flywheel sensors......

Dan in Pasadena

Before ou get too worried, look for standing water around the spark plugs. THisi s the most common problem associated with car washing/running wrong thereafter. Try removing the plug wires and using compressed air to dry around each plug.

jim968

The timing belt _won't_ slip from getting wet.. it's a synchronous belt... "cog" belt... it has teeth that engage teeth on the sprockets, much like a chain. Same for the balance shaft belt.

As suggested, look for water around the plugs, and in the electrical connectors. Also, consider the age of your cap & wires. It may be time to replace them before a damp night causes similar problems.

Jim, who once got a "check engine" light while bleeding the cooling system!!! (#1 knock sensor plug had coolant in it.)

weizen

Thanks to all for your suggestions! I was going through some older posts, and found something interesting! I did get about a glass of water on the passenger side floorboard, should have mentioned that previously! Sounds like this may be the culprit?

Es3L

what is on the passanger side floorboard that can get messed up because when it rains here in vegas, the floor gets wet and the car just will click and click sometimes but never start

TomH

Sounds to me like you sucked water into the air filter and possibly motor, but usually if the water gets that far you are in real trouble. Was the car running the whole time it went through the wash?

Es3L, the onboard computer is located under the carpet of the passenger side. If you weren't aware computers and water don't mix

RPG951S

Uh... water on the passenger floorboard can be a very bad thing. The engine computer lives under a wooden panel under the passenger floorboard.

If your computer has gotten/is getting wet, you should fix the problem right away!
Water and electronics don't mix!

Find out where the water is coming from, I bet it's from a hole underneath the battery...

Good Luck!

Raagi

jim968

Guys... your DME unit (engine control computer) is in the passenger's side footwell... _Not_ a good place to have water!

Typical failure is for the bottom of the battery tray (US location) to corrode thru & allow water (or battery acid) to leak down into that area. Should be fixed ASAP, or sooner.

Other possible sources of water here are a plugged cowl drain, or sunroof drain tubes.

Peel the carpet on the passenger's side floor back from the top front (the slanted part, all the way at the front of the footwell); the DME is under the board you'll find behind the carpet. This area should be bone dry. Find & fix the leaks!

Jim, sometimes bearer of less-than good tidings...

weizen

The car was running halfway through the wash Then died. I checked and no water got into the air filter. My hatch seal is badly worn and thats where the water came from... the rear seat was down, with the luggage cover extended, water came in and gravity took it's course! Water on the floorboard! Can the DME be dried or do you think it is shot?

Bolkboy7

Personally I do not take my car through car washes. They often leave scratch marks on the cars. They aren't reliable and don't do a good job. Peace!
-Lee

Tabor

I took my car through a "brushless" car wash once. My sunroof and rear hatch leaked from the high pressure jets. I may do it again once I get my seals sorted out.

Roy LaZelle

Water on the floor board is a bad sign. Pull the battery and check under it for places that water could get through (holes). I didn't take my car out in the rain until I had it fixed..... Shouldn't quite the problem in Vegas that it was for me in Seattle. Yes DME's can be dried out, which is what was done to the one in my car. Also check that the DME grounds (in the plug) are grounding .... that was the lingering problem in my car. --Roy--

scular

I remember reading in my owners manual something about pampering your Porsche by washing it by hand only. Maybe it just got mad at you for taking it to that torture chamber.

eworkley

Best bet for dring out the DME is to remove it. Pry back all the cover retaining tabs...remove the cover and use CLEAN, DRY low pressure air (computer compressed air in cans). Reassemble cover, bend tabs and reinstall in car. (Dont touch the boards, especially you ladies with silk panties!

eworkley
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