What Is A Hydrolocked Engine, And How Do You Fix It?
Photo by PRABHAKAR SALAVE from Pexels (What Is A Hydrolocked Engine, And How Do You Fix It?)
Car engines rely on a wide range of different fluids to operate effectively. Those include various fluids, oils, and fuels like diesel or petrol. One fluid that should never be in your engine is water, as it can cause a hydrolocked engine.
A hydrolocked engine is one that has too much water in its cylinders, causing the pistons and other parts to seize immediately. That condition typically happens during floods and when water enters the engine’s through the air intake or filter. You can repair a hydrolocked engine, though it will take considerable time and effort if the damage is severe.
Keep reading as we dive into the problem of a hydrolocked engine. In this article, you’ll discover why it happens, how to fix it, and how to prevent it from happening to you.
What Does It Mean To Have A Hydrolocked Engine?
The word ‘hydrolocked’ comes from the term ‘hydrostatic lock’. As you might already guess, it’s a condition that involves water, which is undoubtedly bad news for any vehicle engine.
When your engine becomes hydrolocked, that means too much water has found its way into the engine cylinders. Unfortunately, pistons can’t compress water the same way it compresses air and fuel.
So, the water inside the engine will stop pistons from moving. As a result, the engine will seize, and your vehicle becomes completely immobilised.
Water isn’t the only fluid that can cause that hydrolocked state. Other fluids that will cause the same result when they get into the engine cylinders include coolant and oil.
Remember: engine cylinders are only meant to work with the mixture of air and fuel and nothing else. Therefore, any other fluid that gets into the engine cylinders will cause a hydrostatic lock.
How Does An Engine Become Hydrolocked?
One of the most common reasons an engine suffers from a hydrostatic lock is during a flood. Unfortunately, this is a situation that many Malaysians are familiar with, particularly after the major floods recently in several parts of the country.
When high water levels submerge your car, there’s no doubt that water will fill each of its cylinders and cause a hydrolocked state.
However, other causes behind hydro locking from water include:
Driving during severe storms.
Going through extremely deep puddles.
Still, it’s important to remember that other fluids can also cause hydrolocking, such as oil and coolant. These fluids can find their way into the cylinders if a worn-out head gasket or engine block forms a significant crack.
What Engine Damage Can Hydrolocking Cause?
Hydrolocking can cause lots of damage to your car engine.
For starters, it’s easy to understand that water doesn’t mix well with any mechanical car part. That’s a hundred times worse when water meets the inside of a car engine. If left for too long, water will cause metal parts to corrode a lot faster than usual.
However, hydrolocking will cause the most severe damage while the engine is running. Simply put, your engine has plenty of moving parts, large and small. When those moving parts suddenly stop due to a hydrolock, that’s when most of the damage is done.
Types of damage your engine will experience due to hydrolocking include:
Worn-out bearings.
Broken crankshaft.
Connecting rods that bend or break.
A crack in the cylinder head or cylinder wall.
Connecting rods or pistons that get ejected from the sudden stall.
As you can see, there’s enough costly damage to worry about if a parked car gets hydrolocked. However, the damage is several times worse if the engine runs when the hydrolocking takes place.
How Do You Know If Your Engine Is Hydrolocked?
You can look out for several tell-tale signs to know if your engine is suffering from a hydrolock.
Suppose the engine is already running when it becomes hydrolocked, perhaps when you drive through deep water. In that case, you’ll experience symptoms like:
A sudden engine stall.
Unusual engine sputtering.
Knocking and thumping noises.
The engine fails to start again.
Still, hydrolocking can happen even when the car engine isn’t on, like during a flood. You’ll find that the engine won’t start at all when that happens. Plus, the engine will likely make a knocking or thumping noise as you turn the ignition.
Can You Repair A Hydrolocked Engine?
Yes, it is possible to repair an engine that suffers from a hydrostatic lock. However, the process can be costly and time-consuming. That will depend on the extent of the damage.
For instance, if the damage is minor, you can restore the engine with a new set of spark plugs and a change of fluids and oils.
However, an engine that suffered from severe hydrolocking will require more in-depth repairs. Here are some of the steps that you or your mechanic will likely have to go through:
Draining all water.
Dismantling the engine piece by piece.
Close inspection of all engine internal parts.
Replacement of all bent, broken, or otherwise damaged parts.
Pressure testing to ensure the cylinders are still in good shape.
Inspection for cracks in the engine block.
As you might imagine, repairing a severely water locked engine will take a lot of time and effort. Plus, you’ll also be paying a lot for new parts and for labour charges.
That’s why it’s worthwhile learning how to avoid hydrolocking your car engine.
How To Avoid Hydrolocking An Engine
Sometimes, hydrolocking is impossible to avoid. That’s certainly true if your area is hit by flash floods and you cannot get the vehicle to higher ground in time.
However, you should take steps in situations where hydrolocking is avoidable.
Those steps include:
Keep water away from your car’s air filter or intake opening, like when you’re washing the vehicle.
Don’t drive through deep water or puddles. If you’re unsure, always err on the side of caution.
If you suspect water has found its way into the engine, get a mechanic to check it immediately. Don’t wait for hydrolocking symptoms to arise.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some frequently asked questions (FAQs) about engine hydrolocking:
Is A Hydrolocked Engine Repairable?
Yes, you can repair an engine that suffers from a hydrostatic lock. Less severe hydrolocking will only require minimal effort to fix. However, severe damage will involve a lot of time and effort to inspect and replace damaged parts.
How Do You Prevent Hydrolock?
You can prevent hydrolocking by not driving through deep waters or puddles. Besides that, prevent water from entering the engine intake or air filter, especially if you’re doing aftermarket modifications on those parts.
Is A Hydrolocked Engine Covered By Insurance?
Your insurance coverage depends on the policy that you’ve chosen. However, auto insurance typically covers hydrolocking if it happens because of flooding (assuming you have flood coverage). Insurance companies usually do not cover car problems caused by negligence or risky driving habits.