# 98 Maxima Inhaled Water



## Kindfiend (Oct 13, 2004)

A friend of mine at work drove through a deep puddle on her way home. She said the car stalled when it went through the water, so I have every reason to believe that she got some water in the intake. Since then, her car will start and then die, or, if it runs, will act funny at about 3k rpm. My first thought when I heard this was the MAF sensor got wet and possibly damaged. Unfortunately, the I wasn't able to test the MAF with a multimeter, so I have no real information to tell her "yes, it's the MAF". She's going to take it to a mechanic tomorrow, but I would like to make sure the right part gets fixed. Since the car will run occasionally, I don't think she did any major damage like breaking a rod. What other things should I look out for in this situation? Thanks in advance.


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## Matt93SE (Sep 17, 2003)

change oil and all fluids (engine/tranny/steering)
change spark plugs.
check gas tank for contamination
check all sensors on the bottom half of the engine and the entire intake tract as well for water damage.

anything that looks other than brand new should be replaced.


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## JimN4BYO (Dec 8, 2004)

*Puddle Driving*



Kindfiend said:


> A friend of mine at work drove through a deep puddle on her way home. She said the car stalled when it went through the water, so I have every reason to believe that she got some water in the intake. Since then, her car will start and then die, or, if it runs, will act funny at about 3k rpm. My first thought when I heard this was the MAF sensor got wet and possibly damaged. Unfortunately, the I wasn't able to test the MAF with a multimeter, so I have no real information to tell her "yes, it's the MAF". She's going to take it to a mechanic tomorrow, but I would like to make sure the right part gets fixed. Since the car will run occasionally, I don't think she did any major damage like breaking a rod. What other things should I look out for in this situation? Thanks in advance.


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I read "a deep puddle" versus crossing a river or driving down a flooded road.
So, this is a "splash" problem?? Ignition probably. I ruled out fuel because it is almost a sealed system - and is pressurized from the fuel tank forward.
Certainly anything electronic can be impacted by water - but a spash-related stall sounds much more like it would impact the ignition system. If it acts like a cracked distributor cap on a damp day, then you might consider something as simple as removing the cap and drying it out with a hairdryer.
Also consider that water on the engine components can trickle over the plug wires, coil wire and the like. That will cause misfiring and the associated rough running. After drying out the distibutor cap, spray the (cool) ignition wires with WD-40 (that is what we do with waverunners/jet skies to keep water away). Yea, it will smoke a bit when started after spraying it - but it won't inhale.

Good luck - and you are a great guy for helping the lady!!


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## Imobejoas (Jul 4, 2003)

I'm a newb, so correct me if I'm wrong. Maxima's don't have distributor caps, they have individual coil packs.


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## Matt93SE (Sep 17, 2003)

correct..

the statement above was just a general "here's what you do in this situation" and not a "here's how to fix your Maxima in this situation" post..


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## JimN4BYO (Dec 8, 2004)

*Thanks Matt*



Matt93SE said:


> correct..
> 
> the statement above was just a general "here's what you do in this situation" and not a "here's how to fix your Maxima in this situation" post..


Matt is correct. I was attempting to describe a generic solution to a specific problem (not smart on my part). Specifically, on my wife's 96 Max, the computer signals the individual coils to fire (I guess). If the connectors that carry that ignition signal - or the HEI output wires between the coils and the spark plugs are damp or WET, then arcing can cause the symptoms described in this thread.

Main point that I (poorly) attempted to make is that the problem was most likely ignition (versus gas/oil/other). Also, that displacing the moisture (by heat or WD-40 or by just driving the car) would likely have a positive impact on the vehicle's performance.


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