'97 Civic EX, with a B18C1. Turbocharged (gerrit), cat-back exhaust and such.

I drove through a fairly deep puddle, didn't see it coming as one of my headlights is out and it was pretty dark. I was in 3rd gear at pretty low RPM's, and the puddle slowed me down so much that the car stalled.

I started it up again, the motor turned a couple times first, for like half a second, before it started. On the way home it kept backfiring, and I didn't want to push it or anything but it wasn't giving me a ton of power when I wanted to accelerate.

Don't think there's any way water could have gotten into the gas tank, it was sealed tight. Maybe into the turbo? I do not believe that it hydrolocked, because it kept going and didn't smoke or die or anything... I left it in the driveway, I'm hoping drying out a bit will help but I'm not really sure what to look for when I wake up. Help!

 

Unburned fuel is igniting in the hot exhaust system (=backfire). Check the plug wires and open the distributor to check for moister that is causing misfire.

 

Thank you for the quick reply - I appreciate it! I see your forum rank is 'noob helper' and I admit it!

I'll take a look when it's light out tomorrow, can't find my flashlight. It would make sense if that was the problem I guess. I hope nothing got clogged up with water that can't simply be drained...

 

While you are at it, you may as well pull the intake off and check for water in the filter and the intake manifold.

 

My friend son's drove through a puddle and it suck up water through the aftermarket intake. His engine is toast, bent valves and oil spewing from the bottom of the motor.

 

Opened up the hood today, the air filter on the turbo (which resides right under the hood by the left headlight) was damp. Water splashed up kinda high, which I realized when some dripped out of the hood when I lifted it. Left the hood up for 3 hours hoping it would dry a bit (pretty cold, around 30 deg. F, a bit windy) and it was still a little damp when I drove it home.

On my way home, it was fine for the first 5 minutes of driving. The turbo sounds as if it's spooling up and chattering down normally. Then it started all of a sudden doing it again, and it lost some power. Why would it be fine for 5 minutes, does that give you guys any clue what it might be?

 

Opening the hood will not dry out the air filter, wires, or distributor. You need to replace the air filter, open the distributor, and disconnect the plug wires. Use compressed air to thoroughly dry everything that is wet.

 

Ok, I'll do that, yeah.

Doesn't it make you wonder though that the car is fine for the first 5 minutes or so of driving, then does it?? I mean, what the heck... why the delay

 

Everything is dry and it's still doing it, on and off. Took a 10 minute trip and it was fine, then 10 minutes later went to drive home and it started doing it again. Found out that it's gotta be that one or two cylinders aren't firing, hence the drop in RPM at idle when this is happening, and it also explains the loss of power.

I already replaced the spark plugs and removed all of the water from the two boots that were a little wet.

What would it be then, the distributor? Coil?