02 2.0 HDi low power after hitting flood. - deezell
My 406 110 Hdi has developed a fault following a largish splash through a big puddle of water. This is the third time in as many years this has happened (different driver each time). After hitting the puddle, the car refuses to rev past 1000-1200 RPM, putting out lots of smoky unburnt fuel if you try.

Each time the car was limped home at sub 1000 revs, and whatever was the problem, some electrical unit I suspect, it would dry it after a day or two at most. No water got into the air intake as the air filter was dry, so nothing to do with this. It ticked over fine each time, so i would start it and let it heat up for a while until it eventually dried out whatever was shorting. It seemed like all the injectors were being triggered instead of just the one so you would get a lot of vaporised diesel out of the exhaust if you tried to rev. Anyway, after the last time, it dried out after a day, but this time I have a permanent loss of torque and power overall and particularly in the lower revs.

The 110 has plenty of urgency normally, but now it seems like a 90 or even like there is no Turbo.

A Peugeot Service manager drove it and said the turbo was definitely kicking in, but did not think that the power was down, but I know it is also the fuel economy is down significantly in city driving, from about 43 MPG to 36. Long journeys with constant speed still produce 49 MPG plus.

Could the wetting and possible shorting of some sensor or control signals have caused a permanent change in the way the the common rail fire each injector? Its obviously delivering fuel, more than before, yet I have really low power in the lower revs. Overtaking is now a memory!! Tried the disconnect battery thing to reset ECU, all this got me was an "ENGINE IMMOBILISER FAULT", a tow trip to the garage and a 100 euros to reset. and its still the same.

Edited by Pugugly on 23/05/2008 at 19:58