I got my car stuck yesterday in a large puddle due to heavy rains and the "river" was 2" below the bottom of my door and i was stuck in the middle
of an intersection. Honk here Flashing beams there HONK HONK here and this happened for about 45mins until the tow truck (my insurance company sent it) arrived. The guy hooked up the car (got very wet) and left.

I am absolutely sure this is my problem. I believe my optispark got really REALLY wet because as soon as i hit that Large body of running water my
car shut off. I tried to turn it and it only did one click and stopped
.
I just called out of work after trying to start the car. Now it makes a heavy
stronger click but the car still wont start.
.
DESCRIPTION OF CLICK:
The "Click" is not the same one that i have experienced like when a battery is dead. When i turn the key over and attempt to start all gauges come on and the battery level is fine. I turn the key and it makes deep heavy click and sounds like the starter wants to engage but nothing happens
.
What should i do??? What kind of damage have i done to my car?

 

First thing you should do right now is to pull the spark plugs.. Its possible you might have come close to hydrolocking it. pulling the spark plugs and cranking the car over will clear the cylindars of any water.

 

I dont think the body of water was deep enough to get up to the spark plugs. What is Hydroblocking>?

 

I think its your starter that went not the opti. Regardless if the opti is good or bad, if you have a good bettery charge then the starter should be able to spin the engine.

 

Hydrolock. It is from sucking up water into the engine. It would be effectively seized, because the water cannot compress like air can. You definitely want to check that first. If you keep hitting the starter, it is going to break if it is stopping because it cannot turn the engine. Pull all the plugs and try to rotate the engine by hand before trying it again with the starter.

 

The water does not need to be up to your spark plugs, just up to the bottom of your airbox. Your engine sucks the water up through the intake.......just ask BIGEVIL

 

Take your battery out and get it tested (I go to Sears and they test it for free). It may have gotten ruined when the starter wires were under water (shorted the batt). If battery tests out ok then check the starter next. good luck!

 

you guys think it might just crank up all of a sudden????

 

Your going to break something major if you keep trying to crank it.

It may be hydrolocked

 

should i check the oil dipstick for any water marks

 

By the way I have a cold air intake

 

before you do anything, listen to shoebox and rooster, pull some of the easiest plugs to get too, if not all of your plugs and see if water comes out.
dont risk breaking things by trying to trun the motor over with the plugs in place, bent rods and other carnage can happen. then you will be looking at way more money to spend then you need too

pull your plugs!

 

I pulled the dipstick and no signs of water in the oil....
I removed the elbow to the throttle body and there is signs of water around the throttlebody and elbow...i think i am screwed...

 

Take the accy belt off and put a socket on the balancer. Pull a plug and see if water comes out. If not, try to turn the engine over with the balancer by putting a socket and long breaker bar on it and turning it. If everything turns over, then its your battery or most likely starter.

The hard rains hit LA county too, there was some minor flooding, luckly I didn't have to drive through those flooded areas.

 

you have officialy hyrdo locked it water will not compress. you could have already bent a rod or ruined your motor but the only way to tell is it pull the plugs and get that **** out asap!!! make sure its all out and back to normal before you do anything else even check the intake for water. its important that you do not keep cranking it. that 'snap' is most likely your starter binding up because your motor will not spin with water in it.

let me geuss your CAI is an open element? can i ask why you risked going though that Lake with an open element filter?

CAI+WATER= disaster

i hope its ok keep us posted.