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IoWesty
Samba Member
Joined: February 17, 2014
Posts: 181
Location: Iowa
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 Posted: Wed Feb 19, 2014 7:33 am Post subject: Engine Stall after car wash |
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My engine sputters and sometimes stalls after I go through a car wash and have the under caraige sprayed. What can be the cause?
Last edited by IoWesty on Wed Feb 19, 2014 10:09 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Syncro Jael
Samba Member
Joined: December 19, 2013
Posts: 2204
Location: Utah
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| Posted: Wed Feb 19, 2014 7:45 am Post subject: |
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Water getting on the distributor will cause those symptoms. If I am cleaning an engine off you can take a baggy and elastic band to cover your distributor cap. Also get some Die Electric grease and put on all the distributor, coil, and wiring connections. This might help also.
_________________
1987 Syncro Westfalia Hightop - NAHT
Subaru EJ25 Forged Frankenmotor, Triple Knob.
Jael = (Mountain Goat) |
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2PLY
Samba Member
Joined: November 09, 2008
Posts: 46
Location: Maple Valley, WA
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| Posted: Wed Feb 19, 2014 7:54 am Post subject: Re: Engine Stall afte car wash |
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| IoWesty wrote: |
| My engine sputters and sometimes stalls after i go through a car wash and have the under carage sprayed. What can be the cause? |
My 87 Syncro used to have the same problem. Would also act up in heavy rain at high speeds and any time I washed the engine.
One day I crossed a stream at a concrete spillway with fast water about 6 inches deep and flowing from my right to left. As I reached the other side, the engine stalled and would not run well enough to continue for about 10 minutes.
Coming back through the same stream in the opposite direction caused no problem.
Because of the stream crossing, I narrowed the problem down to something getting wet near the inside left rear wheel and on the engine side. Looking down there from ground level, I discovered a wire looping low and then back up with a taped over section at the low point. Turns out that it was the O2 Sensor wire to one of the cheaper O2 Sensors that you splice into the old factory wire. That splice was getting wet and had some corrosion.
I replaced the O2 Sensor with the more expensive one that came complete with the sealed wire all the way to a new connector. About $150 compared to $35 for the spliced version.
Problem solved and never returned.
_________________
Working on a Van, Down by the River..
87 Syncro Westy - 2007 Subaru 2.5L Dove Blue
91 Syncro Westy - Stock engine, Orly Blue
(Soon to receive the TDi from my wrecked 90 Syncro Westy) |
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insyncro
Banned
Joined: March 07, 2002
Posts: 15086
Location: New York
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| Posted: Wed Feb 19, 2014 8:53 am Post subject: |
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Yes, as the Mtn goat already posted dielectric grease in all connections.
Fluid Film is an excellent spray that will keep water out and not hurt rubber or plastic parts like WD40. |
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mrshrimp
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2013
Posts: 373
Location: Portland
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| Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 1:16 am Post subject: |
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What the safest way to clean an engine? I know there is a thread already but it was all over the place. Engine running? Best cleaner? Spray bottle or hose? What needs to be covered besides the distributor? What else can I screw up?
-Keith |
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Syncro Jael
Samba Member
Joined: December 19, 2013
Posts: 2204
Location: Utah
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| Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 7:37 am Post subject: |
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| mrshrimp wrote: |
What the safest way to clean an engine? I know there is a thread already but it was all over the place. Engine running? Best cleaner? Spray bottle or hose? What needs to be covered besides the distributor? What else can I screw up?
-Keith |
Cover the distributor cap. Have the engine warm, spray with an engine degreaser, cover exposed interior, then spray it off with pressure or just a hose with a pressure tip. Just make sure all your vacuum lines are intact and the engine is not HOT. I never spray directly on the alternator or distributor.
I have never had an issue doing this and the engine bay is nicer when it is clean. If it doesn't start you have water shorting out your ignition system. Wipe the wires down and check for water on the distributor cap.
A clean engine is a happy and cooler engine. 
_________________
1987 Syncro Westfalia Hightop - NAHT
Subaru EJ25 Forged Frankenmotor, Triple Knob.
Jael = (Mountain Goat) |
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