Navy'sporsche

Last week, I parked my 99 996 at a friends house, clear skies. About 4 hours later when I left a major storm had come through and it was raining like hell. A roof drain without a downspout was spewing water onto the front of my car. Water was mainly going into the front compartment but a lot was flowing down the roof to the engine.

When I got in to drive off, my brake pedal was rock hard and copious amounts of white smoke came billowing from the exhaust. It couldn't rev without stumbling horribly.

Had it towed to the mechanic and by now the engine was hydro-locked. They removed the plugs and the words of my mech: "I've never seen this much water in an engine, every cylinder. Its in the intake, cylinders, fuel lines, vacuum lines"

BTW: The car is completely up to date on service, body drains cleared and everything at 60,000 (74,000 now).

Here is what happened: The front compartment became water logged (3-4 inches) and water was sucked into the booster. From the booster's vacuum line, water got sucked into the engine (?). Water got into the intake as well as the fuel lines (?) Basically water got in every which way.

They got the engine running and there's a horrible knock diagnosis: bent rod, maybe crank. NEW ENGINE. The mech needs to replace the booster, master cylinder, vacuum lines, and maybe fuel lines.

I am lucky because the insurance company stated emphatically that this issue is covered. However, BODY DRAINS ARE NO JOKE. I strongly believe that a heavy rain with clogged body drains could approximate this very situation and in that situation, I don't think you'd have a strong case with the insurance company.

Just thought I'd relay this story as a warning. Please go clear your drains right now!!!

MechanicalEng

OMG thats horrible... good that your insurance company will cover all the damage..

ivangene

what insurance do you have that will replace all these parts based on this story?

I mean its great, but I just dont think of it as an insurance claim.....good for you, I hope it works out.

jasper

That's totally an insurance claim Ed. I mean I'm no expert, but it's accidental damage plain and clear.

ivangene

I guess so.... I personally would never have thought of it though....

now I know where to park the car when she gets tired

pszikla

Real bummer!
Never would have thought that it would be possible for the motor to get water flooded in that way.
I've driven through super heavy rain for one hour once without even a stutter from the engine even though i thought that it was going to suck it in throught the intake in my case.
Glad you have a great insurance policy!!
Pete

Navy'sporsche

Im not an insurance expert by any means however, after contacting them there was no hesitation as to whether it was covered.

In my mind, its no different than if a brick fell off the house and smashed my windshield. They'll be able to verify the rain, verify the broken spout next time it rains, etc.

Furthermore, my shop stated that without a doubt the only casuse of this damage was rain water. I think the kicker here is that the drain spount was GUSHING water into the front of the car, down the roof over the engine, for nearly 3-4 hours.

Riad

Yikes!

fpena944

So my question is, what is the location of the drain plugs? I keep mine garaged but do drive in the rain so I'd hate to have anything remotely close happen to me.

rudy1024

+1... But I wouldn't say the second part out loud...

So... that was covered under Comprehensive Coverage??? (taking notes just in case - but we don't get a lot of rain in So Cal...)

Rudy

sbpsu354

I can see how the water made from the brake booster to the intake, if the power brakes on the 996 are like any other car I've owned and driven by vacuum from the intake. My question is how the water made it into the booster. It's been raining pretty hard the past few days in Co, and I'll be loking into the drains and the booster this evening. Thanks for the post!

Andy

Navy'sporsche

From my own inspection of Porsche diagrams, it looks like water gets past the boots on the master cylinder and into the booster that way. All the electronics and the booster in the sealed part under the front hood, not the shelf. However, when you have as much standing water as I did, it gets in there.

onefastviking

So I guess the P0446 isn't really an issue now.
BTW - a new AOS comes with the new motor.

Navy'sporsche

Haha, yeah.

ivangene

here are your drains... clear them!!