So my engine blew up....

[FirestormFRS]

Driving into a puddle over the hood means you sucked water into the engine. Likely bent every rod in the thing and it finally came apart.

Subaru will figure it out pretty quick if that is indeed what happened. People in the warranty rooms in the engine shop are smart cookies.

[h4nh]

Originally Posted by ZionsWrath

Yea it's definitely a big hole once you are easily putting 3+ fingers in it

Definately doesn't sound right if you're the first owner.

[kmbkk]

Originally Posted by alliedcam1

I had an issue during a nasty rain storm where I ended up in a puddle that put water up over my hood and caused the engine to stall out. It was fine after a couple hours though, and that was months before the engine gave.

Nah, that couldn't have had anything to do with the problem!

[pche]

Originally Posted by kmbkk

Nah, that couldn't have had anything to do with the problem!

Hope you're being sarcastic. This is a clear case of hydro lock, the OP is extremely lucky that he got a free engine. The Japanese engineers will figure that out real soon. And there will probably be a bulletin in the TechTip next month telling techs to check for water contaminated oil in crank case.

OP got lucky being the first one and the rod actually went through the block so all the oil probably drained out.

[kmbkk]

Originally Posted by pche

Hope you're being sarcastic. This is a clear case of hydro lock, the OP is extremely lucky that he got a free engine. The Japanese engineers will figure that out real soon. And there will probably be a bulletin in the TechTip next month telling techs to check for water contaminated oil in crank case.

OP got lucky being the first one and the rod actually went through the block so all the oil probably drained out.

Yep, sarcasm. It doesn't always come through on the internet.

[Rabble]

But if some water on the outside of the engine will crack the block then what happens when you're just driving around in rain/wind?

Seems like a design flaw if a non-hydrolock puddle causes engine failure.

[Dipstik-sportech]

It wasn't from the outside that caused the issue. He obvs took some into the engine and damaged it enough to cause the failure. My buddy did that to his 22re, drove it for 3 weeks before Rodney wanted out. The Tech's will find out and I wouldn't be surprised if they came after him for the bill or revoked the warranty on the replacement

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[hmong337]

So the car got dunked in a couple of feet of water?


...hydro lock much? ...yea not good for the engine.

[DJCarbine]

Originally Posted by Dipstik-sportech

It wasn't from the outside that caused the issue. He obvs took some into the engine and damaged it enough to cause the failure. My buddy did that to his 22re, drove it for 3 weeks before Rodney wanted out. The Tech's will find out and I wouldn't be surprised if they came after him for the bill or revoked the warranty on the replacement

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Went through a puddle (more like a LAKE) in a construction zone during a flash flood in an RSX.
Ingested water but started up once the plugs were dry enough to function.

Got lucky and the car lasted through added 16psi of boost for a few years until it got stolen.

Sometimes it only lasts a few weeks/days before something gives out due to the stress of trying to compress a fluid

[ftc~brz]

that sounds like a big hole, 3 fingers deep.

glad they swapped that for you, you're very lucky.

[Dephective]

My lane was flooded about 5 inches deep, my speed six barely cleared 3 inches, and the CAI was in the driver's side wheel well. I was doing a good 45mph. Motor shut off in the next intersection, torrential downpour, no tow truck was coming till rain stopped. Kept cranking until she fired up, figured the damage is already done, so might as well get out of the damn intersection. I just took it on the interstate and WOT at 20psi. took 2 days to stop studdering, but ran like a top after that for another year until I traded her in.
It was known not to boost until after 3k on those motors because you bend rods and it becomes a ticking time bomb. I don't condone doing that in the case of a hydrolocked motor, as things like this do happen. I was aware of the consequences and made my decision accordingly.

If your car ingested enough water to stall, the damage was done. Not saying that i was for sure going to cause a failure after that, but a failure did happen, therefore its almost certain that ingestion of water was the cause of failure, not hot aluminum cooling down causing thermal stress cracks. That aluminum isn't hot enough for that to happen. It would have to have repeated cycles ( countless) at those temperatures to weaken the metal. Nowhere near hot enough.

It's not just aluminum anyways, there are other alloys that are added for their different properties like heat tolerance, hardness, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, etc.

[ZionsWrath]

[kmbkk]

I had an 03 Si my son was driving a couple of years ago. It had a CAI in the wheel well and he decided to drive it though a very large puddle on a dirt road. It stalled in the puddle and wouldn't start. He hydro locked the engine, so I had to replace the engine, then sold the car. It was going to be his, but after that I said no. Looking back it was probably a rash decision to sell it but I wanted to make the point if he wasn't going to take care of something he'd lose it.

[xwd]

Was the car making any kind of other noises up to the failure? I'm sure the water incident had something to do with it. I doubt at this point Subaru is going to do anything, the engine could have been so trashed they don't know what caused the issue.

Some of you guys need to relax a bit. Recall? Subaru checking water in the oil? C'mon.

If you have comprehensive insurance they will often times cover a hydrolocked engine.