Hello. I'm new to this site, but I've been googling my *** off trying to figure out what's wrong with my baby.

I own a 2000 Honda ex and its my little beater.
Well I was driving home when the sky decided to unleash hell.
My car don't like rain, well its the "puddles" I think it hates.
I bought the car with a after market cold air intake. My car is lowered so its not that far from the ground, and it has no guard.
I know, I know. Baby steps.
Anyways I normally do pretty good at avoiding the little pools of water but oh my god.
The road was literally flooded, not just one puddle, more like a pond in the road.
Water goes splashing and my car dies. Okay, nothing new. Just start it up and let it get all that wetness out of my intake right?
No. My car acted like my battery was dead. After about five minutes of keeping calm I tried to start it, battery was fine but you could just tell the car wasn't going to start.
So, I go into a fury of googling in a rain storm stuck in my car.
I don't know if I hydrolocked my engine or not. I removed all four plugs and they have water on it, little droplets.
So I turned the car over for about 20 seconds to get the water to shoot out of the plug holes. Well I don't have water thattt bad, I seen none shoot out. Even went and got oil and a filter and changed it.
Took my distributer cap off to see if it was wet. No go.
Nothing is working, it's my daily driver.
I get spark, my timing belt is fine, I get compression.
Hell I even sprayed starter fluid in my intake.
Any help would be great

 

What were your compression numbers?

 

Yes compression test with a gauge. Note that if there is still water in the cylinders you'll get false high numbers. Always unplug the harness plugs at the distributor before cranking engine with the spark wires disconnected. The Civic's coil is easily damaged by firing into an open circuit.

A damaged coil may still make sparks but not enough to fire inside the engine. When testing with a spark plug outside the engine (the other 3 connected) the spark should be bright white.

I'd also take the valve cover off and check for any valves that are really loose, that means they are bent. Also remove the upper timing cover so you can TDC the crank and check timing marks.

 

There's an easy fix.

Stock or aftermarket intake?

 

Aftermarket....

 

I didn't run the test persay, a guy was helping me yeaterday and did something with the plugs and wires, told me to turn it over and they shot out.
Said it was fine? Idk I think he's an idiot.

 

Correct.

 

Well it isn't hydrolocked if you don't hear a god awful knocking noise when you try to start it.

If you sprayed starting fluid into it and didn't have any change in its attempt to start the next step would be to replace the plugs and re test. It could have fouled the plugs when the water touched them.

 

+1 For fouled plugs.
And def should invest in the splash guard. It helps a little bit. But really only way to avoid it is to avoid water at all cost. Im sure it misfired before it cut off from water being on the plug wires and distributor area. Water and ignition system dont mix well. At 1$ a plug or more or less, you should just replace them anyway.

 

Install a splash guard, and post a pic of the intake.

 

You would know if it was hydro locked, it is an UGLY sound.

And although it may be able to crank if damage from a hydro lock would sound UGLY when you try and start it, you did not mention any ugly sound.

I would retest spark with an HEI spark tester, [$5-$10] at any auto parts store, [as mentioned, one plug at a time other plugs still plugged in].

Using a spark plug to test for spark is not accurate, [spark intensity] and there is much more chance of shorting out the coil if not done properly, the HEI spark tester accounts for the pressure that would normally be at the spark plug gap when cylinder is on it's compression stroke/park plug firing.

I would check the coil, or replace with known working one, [to eliminate it as the problem].

Also as mentioned a proper compression check needs to be done, a leak down test will point to things like blown HG, bent valves or tight vale lash, valves not closing properly/completely.

Because you will need to pull the VC to inspect valves, good time yo check the settings and adjust as needed, [it never hurts to do a valve adjustment] after confirming mechanical timing is correct, [I think you said it was, but confirm it anyway].

Although I do not believe your engine "hydro locked" damage can still be done, I would pull the injectors and check them, or have them checked/serviced, [or if you got money to blow, replace with new].


With plugs and injectors out, compressed air can be used to blow out the cylinders, even just left open, [24 hr] with a squirt of oil into each cylinder will dry them out and re-oil the cylinder walls, a lot of start attempts without starting can flush the cylinder walls, dropping compression.

Good luck. 94

 

Update.
So be and a buddy pulled my CV off to have a look, unhooked a few lines to my fuel rail and intake manifold.
Looked at my MAF sensor as well.
Water poured out of a vacuum line from the intake, and my sensor was wet. Is it possible for my engine to not start because of water chilling in my intake?
Like I said before I changed the oil and oil filter. But its been tinkered with so much before I got it home that I believe more water was sucked into the engine.
(My oil was chocolaty but not that bad) which was more than likely from the wet air filter.
We are seeing if water is puddled in the intake manifold before looking st the coil pack. My guy said it was getting spark fine.
***** annoying and I defiantly am getting a guard.

 

Haha

 

For daily driving where it rains it is probably best to avoid the CAI concept altogether and use a regular high-mounted intake.

 

There is no maf sensor, and you sucked up alot of water.

Let everything dry out, take the plugs out let the chamber air out, drain the oil let that air out. Give it a day and re assemble everything.