I'm getting royally screwed, I need some help

[elderlycoffee]

Long story short I drove through some not so high high water, It was maybe 2 and a half inches deep but the splash got my CAI filter wet so I shut my engine off almost immediately and coasted to the side

I had my car towed to my dealer and they are telling me I need a whole new engine.

Something just doesn't compute and I'm 100% positive they are ripping me off what can/should i do.

 

[numbnuts22715]

so you shut it off? it didnt shut off?
Are they trying to void your warranty as well for having the cai?

 

[mazdaspeedster3]

Yea, did it ever start again? You would have to suck some serious water to get Hydrolock. Also your insurance covers Hydrolock.

 

[43975]

If they are trying to void your warranty and are making you pay out of pocket, I would contact your Insurance Company, You may be able to file a claim that way instead, since it was a traffic related issue.

 

[mazdaspeedster3]

It is a comp claim... Same as your car rolling into a lake or stream.

 

[coololddude]

dealers luuuuuuv voiding warrantys. have to keep that in mind when modding. its now their decision.

 

[mazdaspeedster3]

If you do the insurance claim they will make them prove the Hydrolock and pay for it giving you back the warranty for at least another 12 months or 12k miles.

 

[15min5k]

Cai Ftl!!!

 

[mazdaspeedster3]

I will the ass and say it. You need a hell of a lot more water than a 2" puddle to get hydrolock. You have to suck up a lot of water. MOst of the time if you get water in your intake piping you will throw a CEL for the water covering the MAF. If you went through a puddle big enough that you shut the car down yourself and then had it towed in to the dealership without further investigation.... That tells a story in itself. Sorry to be the ass but you put it out there. I would have pull the plugs and cranked it over to get that water out, put the stock air box back on and driven it to the dealership. If it died on the way I would call them and tell them I am stuck on the highway come get it. If I made it, I would just say something isnt right with the motor... Fix it!

 

[Speed3Rookie]

I will the ass and say it. You need a hell of a lot more water than a 2" puddle to get hydrolock. You have to suck up a lot of water. MOst of the time if you get water in your intake piping you will throw a CEL for the water covering the MAF. If you went through a puddle big enough that you shut the car down yourself and then had it towed in to the dealership without further investigation.... That tells a story in itself. Sorry to be the ass but you put it out there. I would have pull the plugs and cranked it over to get that water out, put the stock air box back on and driven it to the dealership. If it died on the way I would call them and tell them I am stuck on the highway come get it. If I made it, I would just say something isnt right with the motor... Fix it!

+1.........

 

[08cosmic3]

There is NO WAY you can Hydrolock a Speed 3 with CAI. How many times have we read this? I guess his Speed 3 can't read. Sorry to hear about your car, hope the insurance covers it. If the CAI is mazdaspeed and the dealer installed it, then the insurance should cover it. I hope so.

 

[ericrapp]

It is under the Mazda green so should be covered. This is not right. Coffee old guy, did the car suck water or what?

 

[duy856]

if the dealer voids the warrenty, do they tell you its voided? or they just write it down

 

[15min5k]

Hydrolock isn't covered under warranty. Dude is screwed period. Should've gotten an SRI instead.

 

[dkswim]

even mscai is not covered under warenty on hydrolock

 

[FrequentFlyer]

HE SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER. There is no confirmation that the motor is even hydrolocked other than what the stealership is telling him. Like others have said, if you drove through 2 1/2" of water, that's not even enough water to submerge the bottom of your wheels, much less get through the underbody pan and submerge your filter. You'd have to drive through AT LEAST a 12-18" of water to do that. If anything, you may have sprayed the MAF sensor with some water and caused your engine to stumble or stall, but as you said, YOU shut down the motor, which leads me to believe there probably wasn't a problem to begin with. You were just taking a precaution. Me thinks you set yourself up for failure. I would go to the dealer and see if your car starts up, but if the dealer knows you're coming they can easily sabotage the car to make you think it's broken. If they don't let you touch the car, tell them you're filing an insurance claim. That'll change their minds.

 

[Huligan]

2 inches of water hydrolocked u? were u doing 80 mph?

 

[bombermanx]

actually, if you go through the puddle that is high enough to reach the filter, the bumper would have pushed the water aside creating a low point behind the area of water impact. Some water may get pass through vents, fog light, and what not, but if it's not the size of a lake, the filter is not even close to being submerged. Maybe some water splash from the wheel through the wheel well liner vent but that's it.

 

[mazdaspeedster3]

Short ram isnt going to stop hydrolock either, just makes it harder to get. I seriously hate these conversations because in the 20+ years of using CAI's I have never heard more people getting Hydrolock, never! You would have to be sitting in 3 feet of water and start your car, even then... That is an AWEFUL lot of water to suck up into your intake.

 

[ericrapp]

speedster you have not been running Cai s for twenty years. hahah But I have had them on my cars since 2001 and never had issue or heard of it occuring. Does not mean it does not happen just seems it would take some effort to do or Rally racing maybe