We’ve experienced heavy rainfall in central Texas, and unfortunately, my wife’s car got caught in a downpour, leading to it ending up in a water-filled ditch. Upon retrieval, I noticed her Accent had shut off. After removing the air intake hose, water poured out of the throttle body, prompting me to drain the intake. Subsequently, I inspected the cylinders to ensure they were free of water and reassembled everything. However, the car won’t start. A compression check revealed fluctuating readings in all cylinders, with no sustained compression. While the engine turns over quietly, I’m unsure of the next steps. Could the camshafts be misaligned? I haven’t verified this yet. Additionally, I find it odd that there are no unusual sounds indicating bent valves. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Hopefully it’s something fixable without needing major engine work. Good luck getting your wife’s car back on the road
Check for a hydrolocked engine, as water ingestion can cause significant internal damage.
Inspect camshaft timing and ensure it’s correctly aligned.
But if you don’t know what those are you can consider consulting a professional to assess for bent valves or deeper engine damage.