Greetings members.

I'm a total n00b - first time on the forums. I've had a 2003 350z - bog standard other then discs/pads - that has been my trusted steed for the last 11 years. It's never failed me and other then annoyances (3 x window motors, 2 x stereo replacements) it's been bulletproof.

I don't know if you caught the news but NorCal has been slammed for the last 2 days in 'Stormageddon' - the wettest single storm since 1998. Anyway, the Z's been fine - been riding it to work same as I have for 10+ years (only 95k on it though) until this morning.

It fired up just fine, but the tach is dead/crazy (jumps to 2k, stops, drops to 0, then again every 20s or so), the ABS light and E-Brake light are both on, turn signals don't work and headlights stay on but cut out intermittently. I bailed on driving to work as I didn't want the wipers to quit on me halfway up a waterlogged freeway.

So... I'm assuming this is water in the electrics as it's just been raining so hard and the Z's my only transport.

Am I ****ed? Has anyone ever heard of these symptoms? Engine runs fine - mechanically it's not missing a beat, so maybe it just needs to dry (don't know how to do that seeing as it's still pissing down.

Help?

 

I'd guess that since it's been raining so hard AND possibly you have an accumulation of leaves under the hood cowl blocking the drainage, water may have found its way to your fuse box, just ahead of the battery under the inspection cover.

If you have a garage or somewhere covered, get under there and inspect the area for water/moisture. If necessary, remove fuses one by one (just to avoid mixing 'em up), dry the contacts with paper towels. Use some electrical contact cleaner (which will displace water and remove any minute corrosion the moisture might create) in the fuse slots themselves and let each one dry (takes only a few seconds) before re-inserting the fuses.

If that doesn't fix the problem, well, dunno for sure then but at least there's a moral in the story.... regularly clean out the leaves under the cowl.

I live on the DRIER end of the bay (San Jose) and we got 3.5" of rain yesterday.... can only imagine what's going on in Marin!

 

IPDM must be dried and I'd also check behind the PS kickpanel in the footwell. If the carpet is wet, or the electronics back there are damp, they must also be dried carefully.