Driving through water-won't start now

[zamboknee]

I drove through some 6 to 8 inches of standing water last night with plumes of water shooting up the side of my '02 SR5. That was cool until my engine just died. Was motoring along and then the engine just shut off.
Any idea what this could be? TELL ME the 4Runners have some sort of 'oh uh, we better shut down before this gets really bad' type of system.

Some specifics:
the engine won't turn
the electrical system still works for everything just starter won't turn over

Hope that helps you to help me.
ugh.

 

[wolfgang]

Hope you didn't hydro-lock the engine! This happens when water enters the air intake and fills up one or more pistons with water. Should the engine start (or you repeatedly try to turn it over) - this quickly bends/breaks stuff -- like piston rods and pistons (also valves, pistons and timing belts). It often completely destroys the engine! Remove air cleaner and check for water in it then remove all the spark plugs and have someone turn engine over and see if water shoots out one of the plug holes. If so keep cranking till no more blows out. I'd change the oil too. Keep fingers crossed once spark plugs are replaced that you don't get any weird noises! Guess could also be that you drowned the starter (shorting it out).

 

[zamboknee]

I pulled the plugs out and started cranking. Water came shooting out. I let it sit overnight and tried cranking again but nothing. The starter just clicks so I have a charger hooked up to it and it's charging now.
We'll see what happens.
Thanks for the posting.

 

[zamboknee]

so the charging didn't work. I went and bought a new battery hooked it up and nothing still. After reading the Haynes manual for it, I pulled the plugs, put it in neutral and tried turning the crankshaft with a socket wrench. Crankshaft would NOT turn clockwise nor counterclockwise.
My automotive friend seems to think that it's not looking good (bent rod, etc.) but the only caveat there is that he's more of a hot rod tech-guy and not too caught up on the japanese, later model cars.
Any more suggestions? Or is my next move to call the insurance company and get it towed to a shop? ugh.

 

[wolfgang]

Did you have it in neutral when you had the ratchet/breaker bar on engine trying to turn it over? Can ya give starter a wrap with a hammer? If neither of those work then something internal is bent and you are looking at new short block probably.

If you have an aftermarket air intake - immediately remove it and any signs of it ever being there. Replace it with the stock unit. At least you might have a chance that yota factory power train warrenty would cover or your insurance if you have full coverage. IMHO Doubtful either would cover if its due to aftermarket intake. I wouldn't offer up that you were making waves in 6-8" of water either - was just from normal rain on the road surface.

GOOD LUCK - let us know how it works out.

 

[zamboknee]

Transmission was in neutral, plugs removed. BARELY tapped on the starter with a hammer due to confined space. Should I give it a good couple whacks from below with the hammer?

 

[Uneek]

If water got into the combustion chambers, it's also possible that rust has formed and seizing the piston rings to the cylinder walls.

 

[whiterunner95]

dam dude that sucks. good luck with it

 

[nc211]

I'm a bit suprised that 6 to 8 inches of water could cause hydrolock of the engine. I'm not saying it's impossible, but the ground clearence of the truck should have more then enough to go through that amount of water. When you hit the water, did you push a bunch of it over your hood or something like that? Or is your 4runner lowered or something? Maybe it's me, but I just don't see how a few inches of water could be enough to get up that high into your air intake, make through the low points of the air chamber, through your filter and into the engine, enough to hydrolock it. If this is true, then boy did I ever get lucky with my old 94' 4 door Jimmy 4x4 back in the day, because I use to do more than this on numerous occasions. And that was a GM product, not nearly as well built as a Toyota, or with the same clearence either.

 

[zamboknee]

I wasn't moving very slowly through the water though.
Regardless, I think it's fixed. Got a new battery in there, new plugs, wires, air filter. Let it sit a couple days, hooked up the battery with jumpers to wife's car for a fast idle jump and it got back up and running. Seems to be idling a little slower than usual but I'm gonna monitor it for the next couple days and see if it works out the kinks (eg. extra bit of water).
Big whew on this one.

 

[CJ3Flyr]

I wasn't moving very slowly through the water though.
Regardless, I think it's fixed. Got a new battery in there, new plugs, wires, air filter. Let it sit a couple days, hooked up the battery with jumpers to wife's car for a fast idle jump and it got back up and running. Seems to be idling a little slower than usual but I'm gonna monitor it for the next couple days and see if it works out the kinks (eg. extra bit of water).
Big whew on this one.

Change the oil, YESTERDAY! Good luck, I hope it works out...

:cheers:

 

[greasefingers]

I would pull the starter and connect a set of jumper cables to it to see if the starter motor works. If so then you are F

 

[zamboknee]

After blowing all the water out, I put new battery, plugs, and wires in. Got it running but was not idling very well and sometimes stalling out. After taking it to this place and that place finally grabbed a wad of cash and took it to the local Toyota dealer.
Turns out that I had the wrong plugs in there. Despite the big sticker on the fan shroud saying 'No single element plugs' I had them in the engine. Had NO idea that you couldn't put single element plugs in there. And neither did the last service shop I took it to for a tune-up a year ago. So I've been running all this time with the wrong spark plugs.
Anyway. They put the right plugs in there and it runs like a champ.
All is fixed. Thanks for all the suggestions.