Car & Bike Hydrolock engine - options?

D

Dhrubo

Disciple
Hi,

I have a xylo which got stalled while wading through a water logged street. It seems that water has entered the engine and caused hydrostatic lock. Now, I have taken the car to the service center and they are saying the only option is to open the engine and the minimum expenditure is 65k INR. Just wanted to understand if there are any options before opening the engine. I mean if they open and see there are no mechanical damage, the only thing to do would be to release the locked water :noob alert:. Is there a way to release the water without opening the engine and gauge the damage? The service adviser says this is not possible.
If anybody has faced this before, can you explain how this was solved? Also is a insurance claim possible?

Regards.
P.S: Can any kind soul also put this query up in tbhp? I do not have a membership there. Thanks in advance.
 
You can remove the spark plugs and crank the engine to push out the water. You will need to change your engine oil too.

But most of the time the con-rods are damaged, especially if you attempted to restart the car after it stalled.
 
Thanks for the suggestion. I had the same line of thinking but completely missed the point that diesel engines do not have spark plugs. The SA is adamant that there's no other way than opening the engine. I have registered a claim and the insurance surveyor is making a visit today. Hope that the claim is passed.
 
Dhrubo said:
I had the same line of thinking but completely missed the point that diesel engines do not have spark plugs.
Click to expand...
Diesel engines have glow plugs. Or you could unplug the fuel injectors.
Opening the engine is the preferred method and will let them check for damage, replace gaskets, etc. But 65k just to disassemble the engine seems overpriced. For 65k, you should be able to get the engine rebuilt.
 
Firstly, if its damage due to water logging, I doubt the insurance is going to cover it.

Do check a local mechanic too - just in case.

Tagging @Superbad maybe he could help!
 
Unless your insurance explicitly covers hydrolock situations, insurance will simply wash their hands off this. Once an engine is hydrolocked, the only way is an engine rebuild.
 
Insurance will most certainly wash their hands off.

Hydrolock comes under a category called avoidable incidents, i.e., if a car was waterlogged, it should have been towed to the workshop and insected. Instead the owner has attempted to start it and its thus wilful negligence.

Hydrolocked engine will need new connecting rods, pistons? valves, gaskets etc.
 
In all probability, the damage took place when the car entered the water. OP could not have done anything about it once the engine had stalled because the damage had already taken place. All he could have done is not entered the water itself.
 
Agreed that it could have been avoided. But the car stalled mid way and no attempt was made to start it thereafter. The water level wasn't too much, less than half a tyre. Surprisingly cars with substantially lower ground clearance (not sure though about water wading capabilities) like altos and indicas passed the stretch with ease. Anyway as posted above insurance has denied to pay the charges since I did not have a additional engine protector cover. Looks like it will be a costly affair :(
 
You might have entered the water at high speed which might have caused the wave to have enough height so as to reach the engine air filter opening. Long shot would be to take the photo of the street with a small car in the water as a reference and ask mahindra for a compensation stating poor design. You may or may partially get engined repair charges waived.
 
Yea, probably would have been best. But unfortunately I wasn't at the wheels. My elder brother was being chauffeured around and as per him the vehicle was at crawling speeds. Pictures are a good idea but I did not think about it at that time. Anyway seems to be bad luck and a lesson learned. Bumper to bumper insurance from now on for me.
 
bumper to bumper would be good for 2 claims only .
also its been said after 3 years or so , one does not get the entire amount covered in insurance. and that many companies do not offer bumper to bumper cover after 3 years or so.
 
What a frigging scam insurance is ..... avoidable accident lol ..... sigh.[DOUBLEPOST=1377867264][/DOUBLEPOST]What a frigging scam insurance is ..... avoidable accident lol ..... sigh , I highly suggest asking around more talking to a few mechanics and see what the scene is. its not that easy to damage engine parts I think using a oil flusher and all that and oil change and then the engine will work fine, but what do I know best ask on a auto forum maybe , and google it research more im sure this is some sorta scam.

edit : Just went throught this Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrolock I think with the right mechanic this wont be too bad , oil change and worst case a gasket change maybe though i doubt again gaskets fail so easily.

Edit again : oh but man finding a honest mechanic is like finding gold .... but yea talk to a few people.
 
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