Wet Astro don't run.

[Munken]

I drove through a pretty big puddle of water today, and the van started to missfire and then the engine stopped. I tried to start it, but no ignition.
I tried a few times but nothing.

I guessed it was some kind of electrical/water issue, so I waiting for 15-20 minutes to let it dry. Then it started like nothing ever happend....

Has anyone encountered this and know what went wrong and what I can do to make it not happen again?

[Jasen]

Don't drive through the fjord, it's an Astro no a speed boat.
There's a number of things you could of soaked, coil, dist, MAF, PCM that prevented it from running until the water dripped out. Do you have your inner fender skirts in, one isn't folded up, tore out, letting water straight into the motor bay. You could apply dielectric grease to all your electrical plug seals as well as to the ends where the wires go into the plug or silicone that end of the plugs. Doesn't sound like you've pulled the dog house off yet and looked under the cap, you could also grease the rim of the dist. to help seal it to the dist. base. I did this to mine over the winter and it solved some head scratchers and the PO0300 I'd been wrestling with.

[Munken]

Thanks Jasen. Stockholm was almost like Venice today.
I will look at what you said.
Have to correct myself. The ignition worked and the starter was running, but the engine didn't start. (Sorry for bad English).

[Jasen]

I knew what you meant

10 years detailing cars and steaming engines, I've drown 1 or 2 cars

[RECox286]

Obviously this is a problem where some electrical component got wet, then when you waited, the heat of the engine dried

the water out, and of course, it started up once the water was gone. I would take the doghouse off, wait until dark as the

inside of a well diggers' boot, then with a spray bottle of water, engine running, selectively get things wet until you have

emulated the problem (engine dies) and then say to yourself: "Hummm, what got wet just before it died ?" Or if you see

sparks, go after that as the base problem.

Uncle Bob

[Munken]

Pulled the doghouse (the wrong way Jasen, I read your topic about that) with the seat in.
And flushed with water everywhere. Nothing happen, it runs as normal. So I flushed from the outside, still runs nice and smoth.

I checked the inner fender skirts. On driver side it was folded in over the upper A-arm, on the passenger side it was folded out, so I folded it back in. I guess I have to find a big puddle and do a full scale test.....

I think the inside of the doghouse was exceptionally clean.
I put the doghouse back in the "right way" Jasen, and with the passenger seat still in.

[Jasen]

With those fender skirts like that you could have just funneled water right up into the motor bay and soaked some part of the ignition. If you are going to keep forging across the fjords, get a Wrangler. I've plowed our 98 through lakes of standing water at speed, sending a wave over the top and blocking out all visibility and have never drown the motor.

[Munken]

Okey Jasen, I'll stop aquaplaning the fjords.......... but I got a lot of fish.

[RECox286]

Holy Mackeral, Batman !

Uncle Bob

[Jasen]

How are we supposed to help you sort out your problem when you leave important details out like, I was catching fish in my van out in the fjord and now it wont start

[chevymaher]

Maybe she just was sleepy. You know the saying rode hard and put to bed wet?

[Jasen]

I have to eat how many

[mervchapman]

Did you pull the air filter to see if it's wet or has evidence of water logging? If you were moving fast-ish it's likely the air intake tube that is halfway down the right side of the radiator sucked water through the Mass Airflow Sensor - that'd do it. You can re-duct the intake into a snorkel if you need fjord-ability. Be glad you didn't hydro-lock it if this is the case

Also check / change your rear differential oil as water can easily fill the vent tube if it was in deep water.

[mervchapman]

Wait! Rode hard and put to bed wet?!?

Isn't the saying about a HORSE being put back into STABLE wet? Hey chevymaher, I wanna hear what /who you were talking about !!

:0)

[Mr_Bowtie]

Thats a lot of fish...........whats the Van smell like now?

[Munken]

This is actually the third day in a row with this much fish each day.
I know what you thinking Nick , but this fish is called "Nors" here in Sweden, and it smells intensely cucumber.

[RECox286]

Hey Munkin, you must have a real good sense of humor, because this is one tough room ! (rim shot)

Snorkles, Fjords, Horses, and Transvestite Trucks...

Oh, well...keep smiling smelling surfing truck'n.

Uncle Bob

[Munken]

It happend again. But now when I turn on the ignition the warning lamps don't come on, (the brake, ABS, seatbelt etc).
Only the litle engine is lightning. This time I checked the airfilter, it was dry, only thing I found there was a dead bat.

I towed it to work and tried to dry everything with compressed air.
No fish this time, and still no start after 6 hours.



Some places looked like this in Västerås today.

[chevymaher]

If that is a picture of your astro under the bridge. I think we have found the problem.

[Munken]

No that's aTaxi at another part of town. My stalled here.