99 Alero thru puddle ignition won't turn

[tekhak321]

OK I know it wasnt the brightest thing to do but I was trying to get home today from work during a flood and my car ran thru a puddle and stalled out, I had it pushed by the Police to the nearest parking lot, the Ignition will not turn over, the car battery is fine and all lights come on. When I turn the key it just whines, it's not even trying to turn over...I am afraid it is hydrolocked...but I have no idea where to start fixing it from. If it is hydrolocked please let me know what I can do to fix it or even where I can begin to troubleshoot.

Thanks Marcus.

[DVSNCYNIKL]

It's not hydrolocked. What you've done is get the ignition wet. Just make sure it's some place safe and let the ignition dry. It should start up afterwards. If not, you may have gotten water somewhere it shouldn't be, but I'm sure it's just a wet ignition. Cars tend to have them near the bottom of the engine.

[tekhak321]

How long should it take to dry?

[tekhak321]

Originally Posted by DVSNCYNIKL

It's not hydrolocked. What you've done is get the ignition wet. Just make sure it's some place safe and let the ignition dry. It should start up afterwards. If not, you may have gotten water somewhere it shouldn't be, but I'm sure it's just a wet ignition. Cars tend to have them near the bottom of the engine.

OK so here is the deal, I think the problem could be worse then I thought, I checked the air filter and the tubing from the intake manifold, and there was water in the tubing, I am assuming of course there is water in the engine itself. Please let me know what measures I can take to drain the water/oil and if this will do anything at all..

THe starter might still be wet but I have no idea.

[Decipha]

check the oil dipstick if theirs no water showing on the dipstick and the level is where it should be than your fine, as for removing the water from the engine... take off the intake housing around the filter and replace the filter, try to dry up everything as much as you can and reinstall it, spray a little starter fluid in the 'butterfly' don't need much and be careful none drips on the exhaust!!! tis fire starter (I know) keep trying to crank if if all fails remove each plug one at a time and squirt a little gas in each port then replace the plug... should start first time, the water will blow itself out the tailpipe, just as long as you don't have any in your fuel tank your fine

[maxwedge]

Originally Posted by tekhak321

OK so here is the deal, I think the problem could be worse then I thought, I checked the air filter and the tubing from the intake manifold, and there was water in the tubing, I am assuming of course there is water in the engine itself. Please let me know what measures I can take to drain the water/oil and if this will do anything at all..

THe starter might still be wet but I have no idea.

Do not attempt to start this engine until you remove all the plugs and spin the engine over to purge any water, as mentioned clean the intake and replace the filter, I would also change the oil and filter to be on the safe side.

[tekhak321]

Originally Posted by maxwedge

Do not attempt to start this engine until you remove all the plugs and spin the engine over to purge any water, as mentioned clean the intake and replace the filter, I would also change the oil and filter to be on the safe side.

So today i didnt get to change the spark plugs but I drained the water from the oil, the water drained first so we drained it untill water stopped and oil came out, we will probally drain everything....

The spark plugs are definatly wet, most of the engine is wet, at the intake there is a pool of water I think stuck in there.

Someone told me that if it was hydrolocked the timing belt would be destroyed, we checked the timing belt and it is in place.... I belive the car stalled out because of the muffler being drowned, then when I tried to start it it sucked in water.

I was stuck in the middle of this flood, so I am quite sure I started the car more then a few times, however I have always gotten the same whine that seems to be coming from the right side of the under the engine. I think that the starter is fried. When the key is turned NOTHING MOVES, just a loud electronic tick, followed by a whine.

thanks again for all of your help.

Marcus