89 Camry in high water - any damage?

The one thing you're really concerned with is 'hydraulic lock', or the cylinders full of water. Good way to blow an engine. Did it seem *REALLY* hard to start, make any loud noises, etc? If so the engine may be toast.

Other than that, let it dry out as best as you can, clean out the distributor if it got wet, or just do a 'tune up' (plugs, wires, cap, rotor, etc). Also, (And some will yell at me for this), WD40 is sold as a 'drying agent' so you may want to spray the electrical parts with it, sparingly. A good dry out is the best thing. Oh, and change the oil. (You didn't mention if you looked at it and if it had water in it...will appear 'milky'.

You really should have inspected everything and checked for water in the fluids, air filter & box before you attempted to start it. If you sucked water into the engine, you killed the engine.

18" shouldn't have let water into the check oil stick tube or the cylinders. But I would remove plugs (good time to replace them with NGK one) and turn it over a few times (if water comes out pistons -- oops!). If dry replace plgs and wires and check distributor --- water in it? If so remove and empty and then hit with hairdryer and replace rotor and cap. Gas smell means its flooded --- no spark. I'd change oil and trans/diferential fluids too.

Mike Mason wrote: || We got a ton of rain last night around 3:00 am. Water in the street || got about 18" deep and flooded the 89 Camry (w/ 200k miles) which was || parked on the street. It won't start and run...coughs and || groans...dash lights flashing...wierd gasoline smell. Anybody got a || clue what to do next? Should I let it sit a few days to dry out? || What do you think has happened to it? Will it ever be the same?

Why wasn't that vehicle properly garaged?

Because some of us don't have garages.

I Drove my 91 truck into abut 22in of water and I let it sit for about 2 days then i tried to start it. it pumped out a ton of water then it started i change the plugs and it runs fine still