Popcharger got wet, stalled, now won't start
 

Ok so just like the title says...I was washing my car tonight and i must have inadvertently got my popcharger wet. By Inadvertently I mean I was trying to pressure washer a leaf out between my hood and fender, ironically it was right above the popcharger (yes I tend to not think about what I'm doing). So after I washed it I started it up fine and pulled it out of the car wash bay. I was hand drying it when I heard it shut off. So I went in and it smelled real bad inside (almost like overheating) so I turned it off. I opened the hood and felt the popcharger pretty damp. Now the car won't start. It will crank and crank but won't turn over. Here's the weird part though. After I stop cranking it, leave the key in the on position, I can hear the fan going on. Seems like the car is in some kind of "safe mode" where it won't start on purpose. I never heard of hydrolocking on a popcharger but could the filter being damp cause this? If so, what's the next move? I have the neg terminal disconnected right now and I'm going to let the ECU reset overnight. Thanks for any help in advance.

Check your spark plugs, see if theres any water there. Good chance you may of hydrolocked or got the MAF wet. I suggest pulling apart your intake to see any water left before turning your engine on

Hairdryer your MAF and let the popcharger filter dry before trying to start it again.

do you have any CEL's cuz i had a similar problem from epic amounts of rain here a couple weeks ago, it cranked and cranked but wouldnt start along with the fan noise. i let it sit for the night came back and all was well thats when i had the codes read, TPS got wet evidently and went all crazy but i guess it dried out.

Its just a wet MAF, simple

Well it's morning now and the car still won't start. It will just crank and crank but won't turn over. Is my MAF toast then or is it just not fully dry? Never experienced a wet MAF before. I'm going to try to put the stock airbox on to see if that works and try to pinpoint this.

try push starting it

why were u powerwashing it :(

Did you dry off the maf? Did you make sure the PC, filter was completely dry?
-If not, why haven't you?

yup, pulled it all apart and it seemed dry...

I had a similar problem about two weeks ago. I got a new CF hood where the vents are directly over my intake.

I got an 03 Nismo with an AAM intake.
Rimmed up with a killers system.

I took it through the auto carwash and had it blow-dried. I was pulling out of the wash and there were some fly honeys at the bus stop so I revved my engine to make the girlies moist and wanting. My engine bogged down like crazy, seemingly stopping itself at or around 3000 rpms. It sounded terrible too so I pulled over and popped the hood.

Dabbed up the excess water and let it sit for about 10 minutes, then everything was good to go, but it scared the hell out of me. I have hydrolocked one of my earlier cars and its no fun.

lmfao :bowrofl:

if your car doesn't start, don't try fixing it yourself, you can cause more problems, have a tech look at it and inspect it. tow it to a reputable mechanic, do it the right way.

Hydrolocked an engine from a wet filter?

Agreed. Or a wet sensor/connector

Epic toolage. How did you hydrolock your previous car?

Don't try fixing it? Isn't this why we are enthusiasts? To fix it ourselves?
Funny stuff. Take your wet car to the dealership so they can fix it for you. (just noticed you work at a dealership! ONLY THE DEALERSHIP CAN FIX YOUR CAR!!)

This thread is full of fail.


Not trying to be a dick but c'mon guys. Something got wet, nothing hydrolocked. I am however surprised by how sensitive the Z is.

A few years ago I had a prelude SI that wasn't running too well. A friend and I decided to steam clean the inside of the engine by pouring water in the intake while it was running. This can potentially destroy and engine or clean some of the built up carbon. Hilarity ensued as we rev-ed it to 3k and started pouring water in. It was not a little bit of water, we went through about 4 gallons in a matter of 5 minutes. White smoke poured out the tail pipe. After all was said and done we did it to his 80's Nissan pickup. Had good results, nothing happened to the engine.

When an engine hydrolocks it stops moving, hence the "lock". Your engine was turning over just fine. Don't freak yourself out, something got wet, the MAF, a sensor or harness. I hydro'd my SR when I first tried to start it. Turns out of one the injectors was stuck open and filled one cylinder with fuel, it would not turn over because of the fuel in the cylinder. It takes alot of water all at once to hydro an engine. I don't understand how people "hydrolock" their cars when they hit a puddle. More than likely they just got something wet which killed the car. Like in your case OP.

Sorry if this turned into a rant, people are too dramatic these days.