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[JesterRT]

Well, I've probably just killed the car.    

Recently did a walk for charity (Pennine Way) and finished yesterday.  15 days of dragging myself across the hills and made it into Kirk Yetholm in the borders, met up with the family and then got in the car to go home.  Followed a string of other cars through a fairly deep puddle at reallllly low speed (7/8 inches of water) got to the other side and just started to pull uphill when everything stopped.
Spent from 2.30pm till 3.30am getting home via the AA on the back of a recovery wagon - not fun when the 8 month old screamed for half of it.  Everyone I've spoken to so far reckons it's sucked in water, which will be the end of the engine.

Anyone got any idea if it's likely to be salvagable?  Could be the end of my miggy ownership  

Going to try the key soon and see if it starts.  My only thoughts were to pop the glow plugs out, crank the engine and see if it blew water out that way.
Either way, got to be in work on Tuesday, so will be sorting something out in the next couple of days.  I'd hate to lose the car (first car I'd ever bothered tinkering with - even if it wasn't big stuff).

[Agemo]

Well done on the walk mate. OK, 7 or 8 inches of water is nothing, I can't see how any water could get into your engine. Did the AA bloke give an opinion? I agree with you about the glowplugs, I would imagine that if there was water in the engine, and it had "hydraulicked" then there would be some sign.
I assume you have a standard air filter in place, I would imagine any water getting to the airbox would be stopped by this filter, and the engine would be starved of air for a short time, enough time for the engine to stop. Did you hear any strange noises?
Best of luck, personally I am optomistic.

[philhoward]

If it hydraulic'd, then the engine would have stopped VERY suddenly - tends to lock wheels (if a manual).  If it was something else, then it would just died.  Either way, you would have felt the jerk.

I'd say pop the glow plugs out and turn it by hand - the starter will be too quick.

[JonArgraig]

Water is possible but I would of expected it to die instantly.

I drove threw this level of floods 4 times this weekend and I'm sure the petrol and and diesel air intake is mounted the same

http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/jonargraig/?action=view&current=DSCF0021.flv

I would take the air filter off first - look to see if its piss wet threw or if its been pushed back by water flow

[Omegatoy]

hmm gonna reserve judgement on this for a mo, how lng had the car been running when you went in the water?

[Lazydocker]

Sounds more like water in the electrics than anything else IMHO

[JesterRT]

OK - Had the bonnet up now.

Air filter soaked - absolutely sopping wet (and filthy - but that was due a change).

Air box is pretty wet, and I've had the big plastic bit with Turbo written across the top off too, and poured about 50ml of water out of that.

Turn the key and it's like the starter engages but just can't turn the engine.

Glow plugs - now I've got the engine cover off I just can't see how to get the plugs out.  I presume it's fuel lines, injectors and glow plugs all wrapped up in one sort of unit.  I'm worried about undoing anything there because I think the fuel line will be pressurised (and I'll get soaked in diesel, as well as everything under the bonnet).  Not sure how to proceed really...



Car was running A1 before it went through the water, and the level of water I went through was probably a couple inches higher than the vid from JonArgaig.  I just couldn't believe how everything else went straight through, including all the tiny cars you'd expect to die.  Even an Alfa came through    and an Astra towing a caravan  

[jonathanh]

sounds like it is hydro locked.  All is not lost, a mate did that to his passat and it survived.  I guess the slow engine speed may help.

that's about where my expertise with diesels ends I'm afraid....

[Seth]

Try turning the engine by hand, use a socket/bar etc. on the crank pulley.
If it suddenly locks-up, then you've got water in the cylinders.
To remove the glow-plugs, you'll need to remove the inlet manifold, which, by what you've said already, probably has water in it too.

When the glow-plugs have been removed, again turn the engine a couple of revolutions by hand. If you're lucky, it'll turn-over freely.
If it turns okay, I'd then spin it over with the starter motor, before reassembly.
Due to this engine having indirect-injection, glow-plug removal is your best option, as this is the lowest point for drainage available to you.

Good luck fella, and let us know how you get on.
  

[feeutfo]

on a petrol you d be suprised how much abuse it can take from water. But i have no idea about diesels ,sorry. If it is locked with water in the combustion chamber dont start it obviously you "could" lift the head off altogether. Seen it happen on a single cylinder bike. Big halo of water round the head when he hit the starter.
  I would imagine you would have to get all the plugs out crank it on the starter to to fire the water not the plug holes then change the oil as its likely to have seeped through the rings.  Then re build it(no idea if the glow plugs will be damaged by water) and see what youve got. If it still dont start do a paper clip test and see what codes you have. May be water in the crank sensor electrics?? I presume diesels have one? I would wait and get a second opinion from a td owner tho tbh.

[hotel21]

As the diesel has such a substantially higher compression ratio, you really will need to remove the glow plus and hand crank it through a couple of complete turns to expell as much as possible before using the starter.  

Have seen it where even with the glow plugs out on some engines that serious damage can still result due to the turning torque of the starter versus the inability of the glow plug hole to clear a full cylinder of incompressible water quickly enough....

[Pitchfork]

The same thing happened to me in July 2006. The air intake is low down & water was sucked into the engine & it was hydrolocked.
Because you were at a slow speed you may not have bent conrods or valves.
All is not lost, you need to remove the soggy air filter, remove the injectors & crank the motor over for a while. Water & fuel will blow out of the injectors (it's messy). replace the injectors & try to fire it up. It will splutter & produce copious amounts of filth from the exhaust, & assuming that there is no mechanical damage run without banging & clunking. Put in a new air filter & take it for a very gentle drive, get it up to temperature then if all seen well give it some welly & watch the car behind disapear in cloud of water vapour & soot.
Mine is fine now so good luck

[JesterRT]

Thanks for the advice - I'm slightly more optimistic now, and will get the spanners out again in the morning.

I've never taken the injectors out before - what should I be careful of, watch out for?

I presume that I basically need to undo the nut nearest the block which the fuel lines feed into?  How pressurised is the fuel system?  Plenty rags on hand, or is there a better way to deal with it?

Anyway - here's hoping tomorrow is a better day.

Nearly had another miggy this morning - but the thing was sold before I got there - good job, maybe  :-/

[philhoward]

Not sure if there's anything odd about the BMW TD engine, but other TD's i've disassembled have just required the pipe nuts slackening - 1/8 to 1/4 of a turn, then a gentle tap with the spanner which break the seal - but it will leak out, so a rag around the nut will help immensely.  Then slacken the other end.  Don't remove the pipes unless you have to for access to other things; just undo the pump end then try and swing them clear of the injectors.  Helps with reducing dirt ingress and remembering where they came from!

The pipes may contain upto 100 bar of pressure - but as there's not a lot of volume, it will dissipate quickly (hence rags).

Not sure about how deep the injectors are recessed in the head; whether or not you can get a ring spanner on them (might not get a socket on them due to the leakoff pipe stubs) - but you can get injector sockets (rather like lambda ones - splits up the sides) from any half decent tool shop - even Halfrauds!

[Omegatoy]

Not sure if there's anything odd about the BMW TD engine, but other TD's i've disassembled have just required the pipe nuts slackening - 1/8 to 1/4 of a turn, then a gentle tap with the spanner which break the seal - but it will leak out, so a rag around the nut will help immensely.  Then slacken the other end.  Don't remove the pipes unless you have to for access to other things; just undo the pump end then try and swing them clear of the injectors.  Helps with reducing dirt ingress and remembering where they came from!

The pipes may contain upto 100 bar of pressure - but as there's not a lot of volume, it will dissipate quickly (hence rags).

Not sure about how deep the injectors are recessed in the head; whether or not you can get a ring spanner on them (might not get a socket on them due to the leakoff pipe stubs) - but you can get injector sockets (rather like lambda ones - splits up the sides) from any half decent tool shop - even Halfrauds!

to put it b;untly the injectors are rather tight and deeply recessed, unfortunately I Have managed to break 2 of TB cheap chinese injector sockets up to now!! I doubt if you wil get them out easily, go for glow plugs out and turn engine by hand but ihave a feeling engine will have bent conrods or similar/ depending on engine speed when it happened,