Ok, I just bought a 94 Z28 M6 with 16,000 original documented miles. The car has NEVER been driven in the rain and still sits on the original tires. Here is the problem...I drove the car home 300 miles and it drove excellent. When I got home i gently hosed off the engine trying to avoid the opti. Well I must of got some water on it and the car stuttered and was hard to start. I let it sit for 2 days started ok but seemed to crank for 3-4 seconds before firing up. Last night I tried to start the car and I hear the starter grinding, checked the battery and it was dead. Checked the starter and the casing is cracked. I am replacing the starter and battery and need to know why this happened and did I fry the opti? Also, I keep reading about starter shims but I mine didn't have any?

Please help! Very frustrated and disappointed.

 

I would never ever EVER hose down an LT1 engine, or rather anything that has electrical wires running across it. However it is possible you ruined your opti.

Opti failure can cause the car not to start since it is related to the ignition, usually though they just run really rough.

- Z28wannab

 

Yes, I realize that I should not do this. However, there is no way I sprayed more water in that short period then the average person would encounter have within 2-3 rainfalls and consequent driving. This car has never been in the rain so it has never been wet before.

 

Can't explain why the casing would be cracked - seems odd. I don't have any shims on mine either. The battery could have been on its last leg.

I wash my engine bay down all the time and have never had a problem, in 11 years, with the opti (or anything else for that matter)

See how it starts and runs after replacing the battery and starter - it should be OK.

 

Wow! a '94 with 16K on it. I thought my'95 with 19K was unique. Never seen rain also. I wasted an opti going thru carwashes before I got wise.

 

you probably grounded out the battery from the power wire and killed the battery. check your alternator too for chits and giggles since you gotta bring the battery in as well. i did the same thing once when i was in a rush to put in a new thermostat spilled some coolant.