<>NTX WS6<>

Alright, got off work last Friday, car was pretty dusty from the week, so on my way home I thought to give it a wash but seeing as it was bout 120* outside i opted for the automated one near my house instead of the usual job in my driveway. Car has been running perfect all summer not a single hick-up. So I pull in, turn the car off and listen to the radio as the wash does its thing. When its done, I start it up and try to pull out, dies. Restart and it barely idles. Get it on the street and I cant even get out of first gear it is running so bad,stalling, sputtering, jumping. I lemp it around the corner to my house and leave it over night. Next morning it wont run unless I keep my foot on the gas the entire time, as soon as i let up it dies. It isnt throwing a single code so I have nothing to go by. Only modes are Kooks LTs with offroad-y. had the rear O2's tuned out along with AIR. Any insight or experience with this sort of problem would be appreciated.

Cliffs-
-Car ran perfect
-Went through car wash
-Now wont idle or idles rough around 400 to 600
-No SES or codes

babbage1109

iTrader: (11)

proooobably just needs to dry out. pop the hood stick a fan pointed at the engine bay and give it time

Element

iTrader: (5)

Likely just wet sensors that need some time to try out. Might pull the air filter and make sure the MAF looks good and dry.

97' Formula

iTrader: (4)

it might have sprayed water on your starter and caused a wire to arc out or something cause i've heard of the same problems on ppls cars that the posi on the starter wire cam loose so might wanna check down there first cause its def an electrical issue and i also have an auto wash at my work and i knew it sprayed underneath

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

YUP.....you probably got the PCM and/or some parts of the wiring harness got swamped with water. Some of those car washes also have water that jets upward and spamks the 02 sensor wires and all up into the engine bay.

There's probably a post on here once a week like this, and from people who clean their engine bays and rinse it too much with a hose.

You'll just need to wait it out, it will dry though.

Do you have over charging of the alternator, thats a typical symptom?

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<>NTX WS6<>

As for drying out, thats why I let it sit over night back on Friday. its now Tuesday and its still crapping out. Although will run now if you keep your foot on the gas but upon starup it will still either die or jump around 3-400 rpm. Even when i'm coasting to a stop, when i put it in neutral, it falls to 3-400 like it wants to die but then when I come to a complete stop the idle will return to normal. Still no codes too..

-Brand new O2's BTW

Regulator

iTrader: (7)

You'd be surprised how long it can take for the sensors/wires to dry out on their own. I had a similar issue and it was due to water getting into the wiring of an o2 extension, 4-5 days in the middle of the summer and it was still giving me problems.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

That is along time. But water can get in deep especially when its sprayed under pressure.

Well, then, all you can do is take all the spark plug wires off, make sure they are dry.

Make a visual inspection of the two pin rows on top of the PCM. Simply loosen the two screws, or maybe its one, can't remember, (I think there's a bolt for each top) it won't come all the way out......then rock the tops side-to-side till it works its way off. Make sure there's no water sitting in the pin rows. Also, make sure there's no water in the two plug tops you pull off.

Check inside the two fuse boxes under the hood...if there's any signs of standing water or that there was water in there. Pop all the fuses out and dry it out with a hair dryer or let it sit like that opened up till its bone dry.

Then, you need to check to see if you have any rips or tears in your 02 sensor wires. Water is a killer if it gets into them and it will cause your symptoms.

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