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AEM CAI - hydrolock this morning!!

GreaseLightning

GreaseLightning

Messages
259
I have an AEM CAI fitted and on this very wet morning I hit a major puddle and suffered hydrolock!
This happened just as I was pulling off a dual carriageway onto a sliproad. I managed to pull between the two roads onto the diagonal white lines, but obviously I didn't want to hang around there for too long. I managed to restart the engine after some persuasion. I drove home again. By the end of the drive the engine felt ok. It did seem to be lacking a bit in responsiveness, but I didn't want to test this too much for obvious reasons!
What should I do now? It is just a case of waiting for the filter to dry out and things will return to normal, or should I be now getting the engine checked out by Honda?
 
If it really hydrolocked i doubt you'd be driving around in it.... :wink:
 
it was probably just struggling to breathe if it hydrolocked you'd be screwed just take it easy and let it dry out
 
If the engine is running OK now then I expect you will be fine.

When it is dry and warm give it a good run, the airflow will be appreciated by the filter.

If the CEL light comes on then worry, if not then all is well. :D
 
Hmm I am still not unsure that i suffered some kind of partial hydrolock wich contributed to me blowing my engine. I drove through a deep pool of water before christmas in my AEM fitted car. The car did not conk out, but would not rev past 3k and even then hesitated quite a lot. I pulled into a nearby petrol station and waited for 15 mins and then set off for work again. It was still sluggish. It may have been just a lot of water on the filter that was cousing the issues.

A couple of days later Nick was driving it and he also thought it did not feel right, very slow. I had booked it into Abbey to be looked at (and was allready booked in to have a small pully put on and boost upgrade), however it never made it.

On the way home something siezed and a conrod snapped. it may have been coincedence, may have been a combination of 90k miles, charger, water and what not, or just 'one of those things'. I certainly do not thrash my motor, never have.

I am wishing that after it had happened i got a compression test. i am wondering if you could do that, just to be sure.

oh and my CEL did come on...3 seconds before the engine blew :eek:
 
If I thought my filter was wet I would be straight under the bonnet and disconnect the pipe from the throttle body.

It's not the best solution as the air will be unfiltered but it's better than sucking in a load of water
 
G, from what you have said it does sound like you may have hydrolocked the engine and done some damage which resulted in the broken conrod. I once hydrolocked my fiesta (the engine stalled in the middle of a flood leaving me stranded!), it was never the same again and I soon got rid of it before it failed completely.
 
Indeed, as I mentioned in a Liams thread in members cars above I think I may be going back to the OEM system, with a K&N filter in. I know the weather will not allways be like this, probably...but I do not know If I want to risk it anymore. I'll leave the AEM to our Cali cousins :D

I know I will have to go get a remap. I was thinking of going mugen but then I remembered how it lost power on Hovblacks car, and GruppM is too much for the gains for me.

Still if I run the OEM for a bit I may see how it goes and if it is too noticably down on power (which tbh I doubt) I may save up for the GruppM.
 
Had the water problem happen to me last friday, best thing to do is get the spark plugs out and check if they are wet. Also do the same with the CEL plastic thingy that sticks up in the engine bay and the top of the pipe.

I did both of these and the spark plugs were dry, but the sensor wasn't. I took the filter off and dryed it off and then re-oiled it. Also sprayed some dry bits in the pipe to get rid of the excess water and left it over night to dry.

Bare in mind mine conked out and wouldnt start at all, I had smoke pooring out the rear of the car the one time it started having gone through the large area of water. I would say that I did turn the engine off straight away when I felt the car going lumpy.

At the moment its perfectly fine, it is a worry as G says but I think next time we have a down pour like we did last week I just wont drive the car. I would love to be able to afford a Gruppe M but I cant so the AEM stays.

Hope your cars ok mate, but try and do those checks if you can
 
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Ben I think I will put the OEm on as I said, but plan on going to the darkside and saving up for the GruppM...da da dah!
 
G said:
Ben I think I will put the OEm on as I said, but plan on going to the darkside and saving up for the GruppM...da da dah!
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Cool, now that will sound good. It nice that Nat has one so I get to listen to both on a daily basis.

GreaseLightning - glad your car is ok mate, hope the checks bring back nothing but a clean bill of health
 
Yeah, I will be reverting to the stock airbox at the end of the month. I'll get it done when I get K Pro fitted at CPL :D

I will be returning may more times to get other mods, so am not that concerned about getting it mapped for K Pro, then again later down the line.
 
In the last couple of days I have seen Gruppe Ms going for £300 including a modded scuttle panel, Its worth changing over especially with all these AEM horror storys and the flood chaos!
 
^ You say that, but aren't there risks with the Gruppe M scoop being where it is. A mate recently purchased one and he said in the instructions there was a warning about driving in rain/snow.
 
GreaseLightning said:
^ You say that, but aren't there risks with the Gruppe M scoop being where it is. A mate recently purchased one and he said in the instructions there was a warning about driving in rain/snow.
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There are drainage holes in the scoop.. The AEM is located right in the wheel arch. I am not cussing the system I think it works great - I had two of them when I owned EP3s. I just think with the recent flood chaos the AEM is the wrong choice of filter for the UK.
 
dotty said:
There are drainage holes in the scoop.. The AEM is located right in the wheel arch. I am not cussing the system I think it works great - I had two of them when I owned EP3s. I just think with the recent flood chaos the AEM is the wrong choice of filter for the UK.
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Tru dat, call me paranoid...
 
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