value?

Really? Water inside the cylinders? Water that doesn't compress? Wouldn't that force the head off or wreck the crank - that kind of thing? Were there REALLY loud noises coming from the engine bay/bits coming out of the side of the block?

Are you sure that you haven't just drowned the electrics? That could be pretty deadly for a car of that age, too, of course. Personally, I'd just dry it out and try turning the engine over.

Somebody here will know how to remove the plugs.

Then crank it - having left the battery on charge for a day or so.

Wait for the cylinders to be emptied of water then squirt in a few mL of oil into each cylinder, and crank some more.

Re-fit the plugs crank again. If it starts, drive it about to warm it properly and boil off any water in the crankcase, then sell it quick. If not, it's only cost you the effort of removing and refitting the plugs.

If you're lucky, the water will have stopped the engine by shorting the electrics. As the engine cools, water will be drawn in. As long as you haven't committed the cardinal sin of dragging it out and trying to start it, the engine might be OK.

If you have tried cranking it, engine damage might be terminal.

As others have suggested, it must be worth pulling the plugs, spinning it over, then trying to get it started.

Chris

Flooded cars are automatic scrappers for insurance purposes. The health and safety aspects precludes them being re-sold (might be full of sewage etc).

spares only yes. And buy a freelander! Or a defender.

Yup 10" of water does not sound like it should be that serious.

have you seen where some french cars put the air inlet?

It happend to a SEAT of mine some years ago. The air intake was at bumper level! Luckily the engine was cold and the water just flooded the engine which stopped instantly. Engine was drained, fresh oil in the sump , and all was well.

Yes, but where's this one placed?

And buy a freelander! Or a defender.

Why do you hate the OP so much? ;-)

Rav 4.

Chris

Down low on the left of the car.

these guys had to cease operating 2 or 3 months ago so may well be open to offers on some of their second-hand vehicles which would laugh at 10' of water - albeit no so good on narrow country lanes :)

If a scrappie offers £75 for it then it is almost certainly easily repairable.

Your call, but if it is only worth about £200 as p/e then I would consider the offer from the scrappie as time is still money.

The alternative would be to pay a mechanic to give it a once over, and if it looked good then change the oil and filter and anything else that was damaged. If labour is about £60 an hour and materials are going to be another £40 then you may be gambling £100+ to revive a £200+ car.

Depends on your financial situation and appetitie for risk.

Cheers

Dave R

after unbolting some covers and unbolting the coils and getting them disconnected (not easy) and pulled off the plugs (not easy) you can use the special (just for that engine) plug spanner to undo the plugs.

Many modern cars are a pain to change plugs on, some even needing removal of the intake manifold!!

as Peter Hill says: A puddle Hoover.

A mate of mine killed one of the little Pug vans that way in the Gloucester floods a few years ago. I got the Polo home OK.

IIRC my old Fourtrak with a pretty high air intake was designed with an air filter which wouldn't collapse if you did flood it. In fact there was a little drain hole in the bottom of the housing so that it would drain after you got towed out.

Drowned my BMW Diesel about 4 years ago - very high air intake and tortuous intake route but it still hydrolocked the cylinders (came round a corner to a very flooded road and created a Tsunami of a bow wave.)

Got recovered home, pulled injectors, emptied intercooler, removed air filter, sucked out what I could, span it on the starter to eject the rest, put it back together, tested it, changed the oil & filters and am still driving it 40k+ miles later. If anything it ran better after having the insides hosed out.

Nothing to lose but a little time if you can DIY.

The electrics function. Trunging to turn the engine over results in a grunt from the starter motor but it does not turn the engine

My father drove one on D-Day. I remember his tales of training on country lanes somewhere in deepest Wales,

That was an offer based on taking it straight to the crusher, the scrappie himself suggested it would be worth a bit more as parts.

It was due for MOT/service next month anyway. It cost me less than 3,000 six years ago, it's been reliable for the 45k miles I've done including the annual long run to Italy. But I need more ground clearance and boot space, and although LHD was desirable when ¾ of the mileage was in europe and much of the rest in London, it's more an impediment now.

So, financially it's just bringing forward a plan by a few months.