What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
Car won't start after driving through flood water - what could the problem be?
I recently drove my BMW 1 Series through a flooded ford. The car now doesn't want to start and I get a *click* noise when I press the start button. Any idea what could be wrong?
Asked on 3 January 2020 by Tim
Answered by
Honest John
If water got into the combustion chambers then the engine is probably suffering from 'hydraulic lock' where the pushrods are bent because the pistons cannot compress the water in the combustion chambers. If you are lucky the fault is nothing more than swamped electrics. The 'click' is the relay between the battery and the starter motor opening because tbe battery cannot turn the starter motor.
Similar questions
Having driven through some epic puddles and sections of flooded roads over the last few months how do electric cars perform in these situations? Are the motors and connections fully waterproofed?
If I was unfortunate and got caught in a flood that was say two feet deep, what would happen in an electric car. Would a battery short cause electrocution of occupants or cause a fire? How safe would...
Will an electric car get through floods as well as a petrol or diesel car?