Water in Ford Escort Diesel turbo

[Manafon]

I have just got home after being towed out of a ford (Road that goes through a river). The car stopped in the middle an I reckon I have flooded the air filter, any suggestions ?

Please no jokes if you can help it

[almcd007]

How high was the water - to flood the air filter it needs to be as high as the bonnet and unless it was stood in the water - i.e. stream I'd doubt whether oyu have flooded the air filter. Leave it till the morning. Open the bonnet and look inside the air filter housing (it's usually in a plastic case too and quite secure !) And have a look inside.

What exactly happened as regards the engine - did it just die and the car stop ? If so try turning it over in the morning when most things would have dried up - diesel engines are reknowned for being very good at driving through water !!

[Manafon]

Water came up to cill when I stopped, however I was sending up as a bow wave as I went through and it was over the bonnet.

Car stopped dead as I was driving out the other side. Got a lift and a tow later, tried to start it but all I got was a small oil slick and what sounded like an air motor where my turbo is. It is now off road at the bottom of a hill till the morning.

[si the fire]

I had a similar experiance in a diesel fiesta, the result being what the garage described as being an hydraulic lock, he explained that because a diesel engines have high compression ratio's due to the nature of the way they work they suck in a lot of air, or in your case water, this then gets drawn into the cylinder and stops the piston from completing its stroke i.e locking the engine. What happened to me was that i managed to get it going again by means of a tow eventually, but by doing so forcing the water in the cylinder/s past the pistons and destroying the piston rings and cylinder bore. result a complete engine rebuild and a bill that was 4 figures long...hope this is not the case with you but be prepared..

[__LEE__]

you need to let the water out before trying to start the car, less damage that way.
remove the injectors then turn the engine over, once the pistons are dry... refit injectors.

[markja]

as lee said remove the injectors.turn the engine over by hand ,slowly first of all. use a socket/spanner on the crankshaft. then use the starter motor. don't get your head/face or any thing else near the injector holes when turning the engine as air/water comes out with a very high force!!!
the engine oil will probably need changing also. you don't want to lube your turbo with water do you?

by requesting no jokes you are limiting our responses you realize? mind you, your mates down the pub will make up for that!

[woodchopper]

My wife managed to drown her petrol fiesta last year by sucking a load of water into the cylinders - I took the plugs out and after drying everything out and replacing the starter motor everything worked pickety boo.
Was very happy to get rid of car a few weeks later though.

[philandlil]

i used to work on ford 1.8 diesels in my previous job the engine induction is below the bonnet line therefore very easy for the water to get in if you create abit of a bow wave when driving through water. We used to get 2 or 3 vans a year that ha driven through flood water and i'm affraid it destroys engines if you have induced water into the engine chances are its bent a con rod whih is a strip down job that will be very costly if its already hydrauliced turning it over won't help cos the damageis usually done instantly