Washed Engine. Someone shoot me.

[echostats]

I guess I am an idiot. I take that back, I am an idiot. Sunday (2 days ago) I was washing my car and decided to pop the hood for a quick second and give it a spray. Yes, just so you don't have to ask, this is a power washer... I didn't give it any power but still WTF was I thinking?!

The car started fine but when I got to the road I knew I had messed something up. I got it home and it was idling TERRIBLE, shaking, sputtering... It has never sounded worse or anything like this. I shut the piece off and checked to see if I had knocked anything loose or anything noticable.

I got some towels and dabbed up some water, yes, water, that was sitting on my valve cover. When it was dry enough I pulled the wires, dried the wires, etc. I started it up after letting it sit for an hour or so and was running fine. I decided to run it down the road to see what would happen. About the time I get out of my driveway, the CEL comes on and the engine would bog. Bog to the point where I could barely make it up this hill to get home. When I say barely... I mean I was seconds away from giving up and backing down the hill. It was just NOT going anywhere. It has no power and sucked balls.

I got it home, again and took it to the barn to spray it with an air compressor to get any excess water off. I sprayed the coil pack, the wire/coil connectors, inside the cylinders, everything I could think of. I cleared the CEL and I let it sit for another hour and then drove it. RAN PERFECT! Just as good as always! BUT! The RPM on the tach would not read and the SAFC would not read the RPMs either. The AFC would read the throttle MOST of the time but then I wasn't real sure if it was right. This whole time, the car was running perfect, so I thought. I finally got worried enough to bring it back home.

Tonight I took it out, seemed to be PERFECT again. AFC was reading the RPM but the tach still wouldn't. I get a little ways down the main road when it start to bog at about WOT and at the same time the I get a CEL. I let off and pull it into a lot for whatever reason. At this point I have no idea what to do, I drive it home and it's in the garage until I can get some ideas from you guys for things to check.

My personal opinion is that it could be the MAS but I am no genius. I need some of you guys opinions. What should I check?

I give you permission to flame me for spraying my engine with a power washer. Dumbest thing I've ever done.

(sorry for the long post, hope none of the wisemen fell asleep reading it before they could help me fix my problem )

 

[diablos991]

First step is to pull that code and find out what it is.
Checker does if for free. Or you could use a logger.

 

[echostats]

Yea, a trip to autozone is planned for tomorrow. I guess I am just wanting to get some ideas of what is ahead. Thanks for the quick response

 

[DarkSwatCobra]

good luck bro..and we all make mistakes...

 

[burtreynolds]

I would take the MAF sensor out of the car and let it sit out in the sun and dry thoroughly. Check your codes as others have said and go from there.

 

[echostats]

that's a good idea. I will do that tonight dude. Funny thing is, it's my second maf. The other one died on me and after worrying myself crazy I decided to swap it and it fixed everything.

I will try that tonight, thank you burtreynolds.

 

[Phippsp]

I know exacly what you did I guarntee you got water in the intake. This is if you didn't cover up your air filters. And you got water into them and drove it without letting it dry. Cause if you drove after you just washed the engine and didn't cover up ## air filters you just sucked water into ## engine. I use to power spray my engine all the time and use degresser on it to clean it it works well. But you HALF to cover the air filter I've done it before believe me but I just let it sit for awhile and then it ran fine. Good luck.

 

[echostats]

I know exacly what you did I guarntee you got water in the intake. This is if you didn't cover up your air filters. And you got water into them and drove it without letting it dry. Cause if you drove after you just washed the engine and didn't cover up ## air filters you just sucked water into ## engine. I use to power spray my engine all the time and use degresser on it to clean it it works well. But you HALF to cover the air filter I've done it before believe me but I just let it sit for awhile and then it ran fine. Good luck.

Yea dude, hence the reason I should shoot myself. I didn't cover up anything and yes I probably freakin sprayed the air filter... . Anyhow, I ran the engine several times since then, wouldn't the water have dried up by now? boiled up probably and evaporated...?

 

[Arrow_Runner]

Yea dude, hence the reason I should shoot myself. I didn't cover up anything and yes I probably freakin sprayed the air filter... . Anyhow, I ran the engine several times since then, wouldn't the water have dried up by now? boiled up probably and evaporated...?

I would think the water should be gone. I've actually heard of people spraying water into their intake while the car is running to clean up the carbon. I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S A GOOD IDEA,I'M JUST TYPING IN CAPS!

The code will point you in the right direction, good luck!

 

[burntheblobs]

Power washing the engine bay is FINE. I've done it many times. I have heard of the CAS going bad after a power wash sometimes and that it should be covered up. Your engine is fine from water if you have already been driving it. Any water is already worked out or is working itself out. It is VERY hard to hydrolock an engine. A lot harder than people think. You're not an idiot.

 

[danny_l_2005]

Did you check your spark plug wells for water?

 

[echostats]

Power washing the engine bay is FINE. I've done it many times. I have heard of the CAS going bad after a power wash sometimes and that it should be covered up. Your engine is fine from water if you have already been driving it. Any water is already worked out or is working itself out. It is VERY hard to hydrolock an engine. A lot harder than people think. You're not an idiot.

This man right here is my friend. Not only did he give me some words of wisdom, he said some kind words to make me feel better. Thanks dude. I will look into the CAS idea. I am especially glad to reconfirm that I could not have hydrolocked my engine by doing what I did. Obviously, I didn't hydrolock it this time, but for future reference it's good to know it's not all that easy to do. (I've talked to several people who have told me the same thing).

Thanks again for your help!

 

[echostats]

Did you check your spark plug wells for water?

I did take the plug wires off and spray air down the wells to get any water out but, since I have driven it for an hour or so since the water spraying I am pretty sure all the water would be dried up.

I did what one of you guys said and dried out the MAS but, for some reason my clutch pedal needed adjusting, so much so that I couldn't even get into gear. No clue what that's all about but the gf was over and I was kind of rushed. Going to adjust it tomorrow and see what happens when I get it out on the road with my fully dried MAS. (I did notice it was moist in the MAS)

 

[echostats]

I would think the water should be gone. I've actually heard of people spraying water into their intake while the car is running to clean up the carbon. I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S A GOOD IDEA,I'M JUST TYPING IN CAPS!

The code will point you in the right direction, good luck!

That's crazy. I wonder how much good there is to doing something like that.

 

[diablos991]

That's crazy. I wonder how much good there is to doing something like that.

Search up water injection. There are lots of good threads about it.

 

[echostats]

Alright so I got my car out tonight and it ran PERFECT! I drove around for like 20min and all of a sudden it was like cutting out, like the afc wasn't set right. I know it's right so I wasn't about to change anything. I noticed that when it would start to cut out the AFC wasn't reading the Rev... I did the math and it makes sense that if the afc doesn't read the rev, it wouldn't make the appropriate fuel adjustments and that is why the correction % wasn't changing at all. I messed with the wire on the afc a little and it started to read to Rev again and the car ran perfect again.

Thinking this was my only problem, I went to meet up with some guys. I shut my car off to hang out... sit there for like 30min and we all get ready to leave. I start it up and it's already acting up again. Idling around 550 (instead of 750-800) and chuggin and shaking. I knew it was wrong but I revved it and put it in gear. It had no power and felt like it was misfiring like crazy.

To make a real long story short I pull over but don't really do anything to it. My buddy was looking everything over but didn't really change anything. Started it, RAN PERFECT. I drove it home to get the oldsmobile.

What do you think my problem could be?

misfiring. rpm tach doesn't read. afc rpm reads sometimes. problems all off and on.

CAS? MAS? You tell me wisemen!

 

[VanIsleDSM]

I'll bet it's your CAS at fault, on older cars especially the seals dry up and water gets in there... and washing your engine isn't stupid at all, a pressure washer and some degreaser is the best way to do it... spraying your air filter also doesn't do anything detrimental (I've never tried hosing on it for 5mins but you get the idea) here's some tips:

cover up your CAS with a bag and a rubber band

wash your engine inly when it's COOL, steam created has much more potential to screw up your electrical parts by condensing inside them than the water does

always check your sparkplug wells for water

leave your hood open for 15min (at least) after washing/before starting.

 

[echostats]

I'll bet it's your CAS at fault, on older cars especially the seals dry up and water gets in there... and washing your engine isn't stupid at all, a pressure washer and some degreaser is the best way to do it... spraying your air filter also doesn't do anything detrimental (I've never tried hosing on it for 5mins but you get the idea) here's some tips:

cover up your CAS with a bag and a rubber band

wash your engine inly when it's COOL, steam created has much more potential to screw up your electrical parts by condensing inside them than the water does

always check your sparkplug wells for water

leave your hood open for 15min (at least) after washing/before starting.

Thank you very much for the tips and the input. I am going to replace the CAS this weekend and we will see if that is the problem. As for the tips, thank you and I will be sure to cover up the CAS and the MAS when I wash my engine again. Also, I didn't leave the hood up.. I was washing it at a car wash thing and actually, besides wiping down my seats washing the engine was the last thing I did before I pulled away. So yea, I learned my lesson.

 

[echostats]

I wanted to give this thread some closure.

I ordered the CAS and it came in today, I put it on in 5min tops, reset the CEL and the beast ran like a charm. After many restarts, etc I am confident I have fixed the problem. Thank you all for your input and support.

For those of you searching and reading this thread, msg me anytime and I will be glad to help.