PHIL82

After finishing watching a video, I had to return the video's back to the local video store. Since my EA has all bald tyres on the front, I had no exception but to drive my girlfriends 3 cylinder daihatsu charade (1980 model in perfect cond) battling through the 'torrential' rain and driving through deep water puddles on the road, the engine shuddered and stopped and had to pull over to the side of the road. The engine refused to start up because of the build up of water in the engine from the rain with the tyres underneath splashing water onto the carburettor.

Since then... I had to wait 20 mins and then the engine started up and having to rev it very high constantly. I was really fed up with the charade so drove it back home and hopped back into my 'trustworthy' EA and it had to no problems splashing it's way into deep water puddles... the EA is just like a sharp sword that slices through water on the roads :D

So the reason to why the EA didn't stop is because it is fuel injected? The charade had a carby with no fuel injector.

It's a bit funny because my old 1985 Suzuki 4x4 could go through river crossings at approximately 1metre height of water. The suzuki could just run for 20 metres of deep water with water going in the engine but with the accelerator on hard and it's a carby engine. bit funny that....

Diesel and water do mix... petrol engines don't.

 

jamesk

carb or fuel injected, it wouldnt make any difference.
i dont know of any cars though that alllow water to be splashed up into the intake with a standard intake and im assuming you havnt cold air inducted the charade . you sure it was the water causing the problems ?
a fuel flood problem would cause the exact same thing.

shorsfall

It all depends on where the air intake is. If the Charade is sucking air from down low like behind the headlights then there is problems. On the Suzuki. My Sierra could also go in 1 metre deep water, but the air intake is up high behind the battery near the firewall.

daihat

Dont knock the mighty charade! I got a 92... is the only running car i have atm... and yea, the air intake is behind the headlights... im lookin to get a new twin cam fuel injected turbo intercooled motor for mine and still only 3 cylinder/1 litre :)

Zomwit

More likely scenario is that water got into the dizzy. By the time you tried to start it again the had dried up and you were right to go.
It has happened to me a couple of times in the LTD, although it didnt completely stall and still managed to get me where I was going.

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The Goodz

Diesel and water DO NOT mix. If water gets into a diesel engine, the engine is stuffed and you can't fix it. I think it's a reaction with the fuel, I'm not sure. In either case, when water gets into the cylinders, you get what is called hydraulic lock. The water is incompressible, so when the cylinder is on the compression stroke, it locks because it can't compress the water, and in turn ****s up your pistons, rings, conrods, etc. I have seen it happen countless times during water crossings. There is less chance of it happening in a fuel injected engine as less water could get through, but it's still possible. I suggest you get that engine checked out because I can tell you it ain't in perfect condition anymore.

This is why they have snorkels, for 4WDs anyway.

Alex

PHIL82

Hey daihat

My girls charade is a 1980 model, is there any way of avoiding water splashing into the air-intake behind the headlights? (Like some barrier?)

EA's have this kind of plastic barrier panel just under the engine compartment... what is this for? To stop water?