Washed car; won't start - something must have gotten wet
12-30-2008 | 07:06 AM
#16
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,093
Likes: 6
From: Mississauga, Canada
cracked coil packs are always a good bet for water based issues - but i'd expect rough idle and a CEL rather than nothing in that case.
Sounds like something more fundamental, effecting the ability to start at all...
WD40 sprayed on/around electrical connectors is always a good trick - WD stands for water displacement, and it does an amazing job!
Sounds like something more fundamental, effecting the ability to start at all...
WD40 sprayed on/around electrical connectors is always a good trick - WD stands for water displacement, and it does an amazing job!
and I thought WD stood for Welcoming Dirt.
(just kidding
)WD40 is great but it does attract a ton of dirt- not so good to spray all over
the engine bay, unless some wire is not contacting properly- it will not help
in a short, actually it could even cause one.
John
12-30-2008 | 06:29 PM
#20
Drifting
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 2,442
Likes: 3
From: Another Ex pat Brit in SoCal
As for attracting dirt - that rather depends on how you clean-up your engine!
As a method of displacing water from electrical connectors on cars, it's hard to beat for speed, and reliability.
Of course it won't mend a blown fuse - but hey, why did that fuse blow in the first place?
12-30-2008 | 06:46 PM
#21
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,073
Likes: 0
From: LA LA land
Just keep that WD-40 away from painted surfaces or anything that is glossy and you want to keep that way. And if the spray falls on the paint don't just wipe but wash thoroughly... Learned this the hard way and fortunately not on my P-car!
12-30-2008 | 07:42 PM
#22
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,422
Likes: 1
From: 91x15
Hooked up Durametics - no injectors are firing. Checked all the engine bay plugs I can find (really just the 2 big ones on the right side) - everything looks OK.
Check the fuses - #C2 is blown (fuel injection, O2 heaters and some other engine electronics). Replaced the fuse and she started right up!
Check the fuses - #C2 is blown (fuel injection, O2 heaters and some other engine electronics). Replaced the fuse and she started right up!
Now the question is WHY that fuse blew?
12-31-2008 | 12:08 AM
#23
Thread Starter
Rennlist Member
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 12,008
Likes: 95
From: Hyde Park, NY
Um... metal fatigue?
Could some connector have gotten wet and caused a short condition as soon as I applied power? That caused the fuse to blow, then the engine cranked and cranked without starting.
I've hosed down the engine compartment before without having a problem... but never have I hosed it down this thoroughly... I really wanted to get all of the salt out! I aimed that hose nozzle up and down and sideways in every nook and cranny I could find. I easily got 25% of the engine wet.
Could some connector have gotten wet and caused a short condition as soon as I applied power? That caused the fuse to blow, then the engine cranked and cranked without starting.
I've hosed down the engine compartment before without having a problem... but never have I hosed it down this thoroughly... I really wanted to get all of the salt out! I aimed that hose nozzle up and down and sideways in every nook and cranny I could find. I easily got 25% of the engine wet.
01-02-2009 | 10:17 AM
#24
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,093
Likes: 6
From: Mississauga, Canada
never seen WD40 cause a short - either on low voltage or on the high voltage side
As for attracting dirt - that rather depends on how you clean-up your engine!
As a method of displacing water from electrical connectors on cars, it's hard to beat for speed, and reliability.
Of course it won't mend a blown fuse - but hey, why did that fuse blow in the first place?
As for attracting dirt - that rather depends on how you clean-up your engine!
As a method of displacing water from electrical connectors on cars, it's hard to beat for speed, and reliability.
Of course it won't mend a blown fuse - but hey, why did that fuse blow in the first place?
a conductor, so it could complete a short circuit, IF the condition already exists.
01-02-2009 | 11:28 AM
#25
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 803
Likes: 5
From: Los Angeles / Montreal
Um... metal fatigue?
Could some connector have gotten wet and caused a short condition as soon as I applied power? That caused the fuse to blow, then the engine cranked and cranked without starting.
I've hosed down the engine compartment before without having a problem... but never have I hosed it down this thoroughly... I really wanted to get all of the salt out! I aimed that hose nozzle up and down and sideways in every nook and cranny I could find. I easily got 25% of the engine wet.
Could some connector have gotten wet and caused a short condition as soon as I applied power? That caused the fuse to blow, then the engine cranked and cranked without starting.
I've hosed down the engine compartment before without having a problem... but never have I hosed it down this thoroughly... I really wanted to get all of the salt out! I aimed that hose nozzle up and down and sideways in every nook and cranny I could find. I easily got 25% of the engine wet.
Fuses sometimes blow because they're old, but very rarely. I have had a lot of old cars and almost always find a short when there is a blown fuse.
Given the order of events, it's likely that washing the engine caused a short, however, it may or may not be water that caused the short. i.e. something may have moved or loosened during the act of washing, or from the water.
Retrace your steps, or just wait and see if it blows again.
