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We have a 2000 Civic EX and today we were driving and hit a pretty thick patch of water and the car died immediately. In typical car dying fasion, the battery and oil light came on. Checked the throttle body and air intake tube and they were dry. The car will not start or run, and the starter just clicks. After the car died, all the lights started dimming and eventually just went out. Not even the hazard lights would work. Now that we've gotten it towed back home the lights work, but only about halfway bright. If I try to turn the key over, all the lights go completely out and nothing happens with the motor. When I release the key back to the resting position the lights come back on. We tried jumping the car off to no avail. Could I have ruined the starter? If so, how would this make the car die? Could I have ruined the alternator or battery? I've also read that I could have ruined the distributor, but everything under the hood looks mostly dry. Can anyone help?

Any answers would be greatly appreciated.

 
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Something new that we noticed. Sometimes the starter will click and sometimes it won't. When it won't, we usually hear a clicking noise in the passenger side dashboard. Wat?

 
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Remove the sparkplugs.
See if it will crank now.
Watch, see if it blows water out of the plug holes.

 
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Have you hit the starter? Have some one hit the starter while you crank it

 
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Check the throttle and see if any water got in it, I know you said air intake was clean but trust me water has a way of getting everywhere...like my ex...anyway I would also suggest checking your alternator and starter. Which sound like more plausible solutions, I have a Honda Civic EX 1998 and its lowered so I understand driving over water, do I ever drive over deep puddles? No never have or will. But I can offer good advice seeing as I help enough people out of one since people are dumb enought to do it all the time around where I love ( it floods in front of our apts, like 4-24 inches)so yeah I can offer some decent advice.

 
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Checking the carburetor on a fuel injected car? Sounds like legit advice lol.

Good luck, OP. Definitely sounds like a weird issue with the wiring of the starting system. I would have the alternator tested first, though clicking definitely sounds like maybe the starter was damaged from water somehow.

 
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**** was i high or something? Meant the throttle sorry for the mistake. WTF i feel retarted now.