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Dave, if you're reading this, I'd appreciate some more inputs to the questions below. Anyone else's would also be appreciated as well. Thanks!
So after a week of dealing back and forth between two dealerships to see which one has a better chance of helping me out with Honda. I'm forced back to the first dealership because they're more confident. Anyway, I lost $200 so far just for them to look at my car.
Here's what the 2nd dealership told me about their guess. They think that my CAI sucked up water. But when the car "broke" down, it was dry for days, and the car has never gone through a puddle of water.
Here are my questions: would they be right? Would water cause a burnt spark plug and clanking sound? I thought if the CAI has sucked up water, it would simply cause a catastrophe and not just a burnt plug in cylinder #1 and clanking sound from the bottom-end. Am I right on that?
The reason the 2nd dealership thought this because they didn't know about the burnt spark plug for it was already replaced by the 1st dealership. Would they be right about the water scenerio?
I'm going to have to authorize them to do a complete tear-down to find the problem, and pray that Honda would be kind enough to cover it. If not, that tear-down alone will cost $800, then the repair itself will cost thousands more. Please input your educated opinions. Thanks!
Oh, one more thing, do you think Honda would warrant it for me? The car has just run out of warranty at 37K miles, and has never been abused by me. What do you think?
This is the first time you mentioned about having a CAI. Can we assume it is the AEM type of intake? If so, you do not have to drive through any water. Have you had the car parked outside in a heavy rainfall? This has bee well documented that water will collect heavily in the first part of the intake tube waiting to be ingested as soon as you start the engine.
So, can we assume that after they found the damaged spark plug and replaced it, that the car still makes these sounds? Yes, a hydrolock or a partial hydrolock (engine sucking in water) will cause all sorts of damage, including a damaged plug and/or damaged bearing and/or damaged connecting rod or any number of other issues.
Not beng there to listen to what kind of noise you are experiencing is very hard to tell you what the real possibilities are. Can you get another experienced "car guy" close to you to have a good look?
If I were you, I'd want to get an INDEPENDENT mechanic (non-Honda) to take a look at the car. From what XViper said, hydro-lock sounds like a real possibility, and if that's the case, Honda is unlikely to cover the repairs, since the damage was caused by the aftermarket intake.
XViper, you said:
Can we assume it is the AEM type of intake? If so, you do not have to drive through any water. Have you had the car parked outside in a heavy rainfall? This has bee well documented that water will collect heavily in the first part of the intake tube waiting to be ingested as soon as you start the engine.
How can water get into the AEM lower tube in heavy rain when the car is parked? My AEM CAI air cleaner stays dry even when I wash the car. What is the point of entry? (I'm obviously concerned about this.)
RED MX5, these sorts of CAIs (like AEM and Injen) do NOT come with any kind of shield. You "can" buy the optional by-pass valve but this defeats the whole purpose of the intake and loses what the intake would normally gain.
These shields you see are all home-made. Some guys do a more professional looking piece and some guys just use a large juice or milk jug to make the filter "umbrella".
That hole you've seen in my posts (this one):
Is only the main one. There are others in that general area where water can get in and fall onto the filter. You will never be able to plug them all. Your best bet is the "umbrella" mod.
Originally posted by RED MX5
As long as rain isn't wetting the filter, and I'm not going puddle-diving, is there any reason to be concerned?
It has been found that driving in a rainfall or even driving through a puddle of water (as long as it is not deeper than the filter) is not your concern. Neither is washing the car. These scenarios provide the least chance of getting water into the end of the intake tube. It is leaving the car PARKED outside for a long time in a heavy rainfall that is the BIGGEST concern when the filter is not shielded.
03-25-2004, 09:09 PM
But when the car "broke" down, it was dry for days, and the car has never gone through a puddle of water.
Please input your educated opinions. Thanks!
