I had my car die in heavy rain yesterday. Last time it did this to me I just unplugged the MAF sensor and it started back up. This time it didn't restart. How would I go about diagnosing this? I had to have it towed all the way to my dad's shop. Would wet wires for the CPS do this?

Here is what is odd. I had been driving in the rain for an hour prior to this at highway speeds. Once it started really pouring the water was pooling on the road and had to slow down and then POP! it stopped. Luckily I was able to coast into a gas station and park under the awning. What could be possible culprits?

I have some wire chaffeing on the CPS sensor wires, but they are taped up. Would getting these wet cause it to just stop? Or is it the OPTI getting wet? If it was a wet MAF it should have started with the MAF disconnected.

When it dies wet will it store codes? This really bothers me as I can't have a car that I can't drive in the rain! I live in TX and it rains almost every afternoon here in Kerrville.

 

Does anyone have an idea of what to check or how to diagnose this? I would really appreciate any input.

Thanks.

 

Opti got drowned?

 

Something got wet. Likely candidates are the electronic components that are low on the front of the engine. The CKP sensor would not be one of those possibilities, though. The crank sensor is just there to monitor for misfires. It doesn't do anything else. Look at what's on the front/lower part of the engine - Optispark, plug wires, coil wires, etc. Any of these getting seriously wet may cause a no start condition. Pull all the wires and the harness connectors off the Opti. Inspect all the wire ends and the Opti wire towers for dampness and/or corrosion. Look carefully at the Opti harness connector. Corroded or damaged pins will make is susceptible to water intrusion and no start. If all the lower stuff is fine, move up to the coil and IC module.

Since you have had a past problem with the MAF sensor, pull the harness connector and check it. It would take water hitting the fans to put moisture up high enough to incapacitate the MAF sensor, though.

Since you have a CAI, is it possible the water level was high enough to allow water to enter the air filter and make its way to the internals of the MAF sensor?

 

Similar thing happened to me. It dried up before I could figure out what it was.

 

What code is it throwing?

 

Found my problem. I have the vented opti and apparently whoever changed the block before threw away the second vacume line off the opti. The one that runs from the hole in the opti to the air intake. So I was getting vacume and nowhere for it to go so it would siphon in water from the other opening. How freakin nice huh?

We found water in the cap and dried it out and put it back on and it started right up and ran fine. So we sprayed the hell out of it with ignition sealer spray all around the cap. Plus we ran another line with a new fitting into the hole. Tonight will be the big test as its about to rain 2 inches and I have to drive home.

It's rained damn near every night since I moved to Kerrville. Kinda stressfull when you drive a car that dies when it gets wet.