so after a heavy rain, i go to start my car 94 Z28 and it turns over normally but doesn't start. Turn the ignition key again and then it just makes a loud thump! and no crank.

i can hear the fuel pump whirring up, and when it stops, it just make 1 loud wham like a hammer strike or something. i have an LT4 starter

i searched and found the post about water leaking from the fake vents, i see a little water in the valley below the intake and some areas are wet like the top of the headers. i just used black RTV around the vents under the hood and letting it dry. but what should i do about the non cranking and noise? never happened before

 

Is it trying to turn over or not at all. I would try unhooking the plug to the coil and then turn it over. I had a problem with my opti where it would cause the motor to fight against the starter; even broke a starter. Also, try to turn the motor over by hand, with a socket on the hub bolt.

 

thanks, that sounds good. motor does not turn over at all, just the thump which may be the starter shooting out. i'll disconnect the battery and pull that coil wire and try to start it. if no go i'll lift the car on 4 jack stands and check things out

it sounds like the starter is broken but maybe after it dries out i can get it to work. it's an LT4 starter and only 2 yrs old. it does sound like something could be working against the starter

 

Is there any chance that water has gotten into a cylinder? Do you have a CAI that extends under the front bumper?

 

This is what I am thinking, he could have a hydro locked motor. Try to turn it over by hand from the hub bolt with a socket and ratchet; it should turn over without much force.

 

when it happen to me it was water, that cause me to brake a rod i would pull all the plug then turn engine over by hand.it might save your engine..

 

i do have a CAI, but the car was parked when it rained hard for about 24 hours, and water levels did not rise more than 1-2" on the ground as there's good drainage to the street. I found water dripping from those fake vents, and the valley on each side was wet, but no standing water that i could see (i dabd w/ paper towel). i'm not even sure how water can get into the cylinders that way.

interesting thing is it turned over normally on the first turn of the ignition, at least 5 or 6 times rrr rrrr rrr rrr etc. but no start. On the 2nd try it went thump! and nothing. then each time after (about 4 more times yesterday and once this morning, just 1 thump when i turn the ignition. and i can feel the vibration

if water comes down from the valley beneath the intake, would it turn 5 or 6 times before hydrolocking? or just until the starter broke. thanks for the suggestion on turning by hand, i should do that first, but pulling all the plugs is a pain. i'll try turning over by hand first, maybe i can clear it into the oil? then drain the oil into a container and see if there's water?

 

If it turned over 5 or 6 times, it shouldn't have had water in the cylinders

unless it sucked it in from???
needless to say I'm looking at the same problem





could you please explain this, mine recently broke a starter

 

there was no standing water yesterday when i tried to start it, and the CAI is a vertical drop. going home now to lift the car and try turning it, also drop the starter to check for damage

 

Here is the thread on my starter exploding https://www.camaroz28.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=780398 Just curious what spark plugs are you running; I was running ngk Iridium plugs.

 

Hope you figure it out.

 

update: checked the coil wire, some corrosion already forming on Accel coil that's only been in there 2 years, cleaned it. loosened belt and turned crank w/ ratchet. it turned fine a few cranks then stopped since plugs still in.

starter looks fine on outside and not loose. i'm going to buy an LT1 starter today and swap it. oh and also running NGK iridium IX55 i think. Also, someone suggested to me checking the dipstick for fuel smell on the oil or draining the oil into a container to check for water/fuel

 

Is anyone else running the NGK iridium IX55 with the opti. I am thinking they are causing a problem on the initial start up; I don't know how, but I think so. I never had a problem with my initial start up untill I installed NGK IX55 plugs. I never had this problem with my ngk v power copper plugs.

 

I've run those plugs and they aren't the problem....at least I can't see how they would be. They're the stock replacements.....same heat range, same gap, platinum. If anything they're better than the AC plugs with the pucks....

 

--- Good News! --- it was the starter

i think water got into it because when i loosened the two bolts, water came out of one of them on my hand, like a couple tbspoons. prob from those fake hoods vents dripping. I used more black RTV and sealed em up pretty good, incl the wider rectangular piece around it. now i know why my jet hot headers have rust on the flanges

i drove it for 30 min and it developed some chatter at idle, maybe the flywheel. there was some marks on it from the old starter whacking it. but later on the drive it seemed to go away, mostly

also that LT4 starter stripped the post on the power lead. i kept trying to get it off but ended up taking a dremel cutting wheel and cutting thru the nut to get it off. The LT1 starter that went in is longer and heavier but covers the starter hole on the flywheel shield better. the LT4 had a big gap at least 1.5" x .25" like it wasn't big enough to cover the circular opening

thanks to all for the help!