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WOW! Amazing.

That poor engine.

Wow. Just wow. Sad to say I know a couple of men this stupid. If you're not taught basic mechanical knowledge, then you have no business being under the hood. I know people who have no clue how to add water to the radiator, but they usually have AAA and have the common sense to call for help or take it to a mechanic when there's a problem (yes, even to top off fluids).

On a side note, I wonder what was worse for this engine? We don't know how long the water was in the crankcase (and the supposition is that if she put the water in there, then maybe the cooling system ran dry), but would the water itself have caused much damage, or would the extra VOLUME of fluid in the crankcase have caused the damage? Since water is incompressible, and assuming she topped it off, I am amazed that the crank shaft could even turn.

I've heard of people T-ing into a PCV hose in an attempt to flush their cooling system. Didn't go quite as planned.
We get people who drive in and say that their low oil light's on. Whatever you do, don't open that hood and CHECK the oil level first, hmmm, maybe they even sell oil at the gas station?

I always put gauges on whatever I own. I Idiot lights are ok, but you can spot and upcoming failure just by the gauges. Then when you notice something is up on the gauges you can then inspect whats wrong and usually find the problem before it causes other damage. Of course to do this you have to know a bit about an engine and how its systems work and how they relate to each other. But god forbid the average idiot even be bother to know how to change a flat.

Wow, I don't know how that much fluid fit in there.

Easy if she filled it up to the top. There's lots of room in there.

Well, I would imagine what we have here is a "Hydrolock"...

The really sad part is that it was probably the thtemostat. She managed to turn $100 to $200 repai (part + labor + flush and fill) into having to get a new car. I doubt the cost to replace the engone would be worth it.

eGoCeNTRoNiX wrote:Well, I would imagine what we have here is a "Hydrolock"...

Only IF water got inside the cylinders (via intake) but I can't think it would've turned over fast enough to start with all that water around the crank, rods and undersides of the pistons.
If it did start and run, the bearings would be ruined in short order.

Engines hydrolock when people try driving through flooded roads and water gets sucked into the cylinders. Happens every time there's a big rain storm around here.

EvilHorace wrote:Only IF water got inside the cylinders (via intake) but I can't think it would've turned over fast enough to start with all that water around the crank, rods and undersides of the pistons.
If it did start and run, the bearings would be ruined in short order.

Engines hydrolock when people try driving through flooded roads and water gets sucked into the cylinders. Happens every time there's a big rain storm around here.

You're probably right.. I just thought that, depending on where the valves were when she was filling it up that at least one or two cylinders might have been filled with water.. lol

I remember as a kid using motor Honey in a ford with a 400 CID .THAT HAD A BAD RISK PIN.2 can in place of a Qt.of oil .didn't really help. But i felt better at the time.

I remember as a kid using motor Honey in a ford with a 400 CID .THAT HAD A BAD RISK PIN.2 can in place of a Qt.of oil .didn't really help. But i felt better at the time.