Last night when I was driving back from the movies it was raining really bad and the water on the streets was rising. My car (96 accord ex) has a cold air intake and while driving some water got into it and my car turned off. After waiting about 15 minutes and taking off the intake the car started up again, but there was a clicking sound coming from my engine. Someone told me today that some water got into the engine mixed with gasoline and bent the valve. Is that what happened here? Is it hard to fix it myself?

 

I suggest a second opinion.

 

First off, don't drive through a lake like a f-ing idiot when it's flooding. I have seen so many people blow engines doing this it isn't funny and usually I refuse to help them because if they are that terminally stupid future contact with them is not advantageous.

Check your fluids to make sure they aren't polluted. A good flush can save the rest of the engine. If you have metal in anything, you've found your problem.

Take a screwdriver to your ear and your accessories, check them one by one.

Checking valve stems is easy; pop the valve cover and start pulling one by one. Make sure you tension to the proper spec when you reassemble and use a feeler gauge to set the proper distances

Otherwise, that clicking can come from anywhere, even the distributor, and until you check with a long screwdriver you won't know.

 

Sounds like you bent one or more of the valves. Why would you drive through a puddle with a cold air intake? That was dumb wasnt it?

 

Compression test will tell you bro.

Do a oil change to see if it'll go away ASAP!

 

First off, Chicago just had some of the worst floods that night in years. Driving that night and not seeing crap through the windows made it almost impossible to avoid the puddles which weren't that high to begin with, I was just unlucky so don't bash me.

Thanks for your help bobinator5000. Checked the fluids then my accessories with a broomstick Next the valves.