Rep Power: 0

Details as to leading up to the event are the same as anyone else with a CAI. Anyways my car died but I had enough momentum (I was going about 50mph) to pull into a parking lot and have my ride towed home. First things first I pulled out the spark plugs to let the cylinders dry out. I'm working systematically to make sure the easiest things to fix (electrical) are okay before moving on to the harder (mechanical). I tried jumping and boosting the battery in an attempt to get the engine to turn but it just clicks. I want to get this working so I can check compression across all cylinders to make sure nothing catastrophic happened internally.
I have a 2005 LX Automatic. All the lights come on but when I go to crank the engine it will first be silent like it's trying to do something, then just clicks. I appreciate the help!

 
Rep Power: 192

Have you tried to crank the motor by hand (via crank pulley bolt) to see if it's totally locked up? It's easy to do, remove the LF tire, there's a plastic shielding there with a hole in it, put an extension with an 19mm socket on the end through the hole and it should line up with the crank pulley bolt. Only move the engine counter-clockwise. Make sure the key isn't in so the car won't start up on ya with the tool attached.

It doesn't take too much to rotate the motor, I've done it by hand by grabbing the crank pulley and turning. If it's hard or doesn't want to rotate at all your motor is screwed. If it turns without much effort then tap the starter a couple times with a wrench and try to start the car again.

Did you try to jump it the old fashioned way with another car or did you only use the booster?

If you think you hydrolocked drain the oil and see how much water is in there, it would take quite a bit to ruin the motor.

 
Rep Power: 0

I've gained access to the crank pulley, and of course with my luck it's not moving. Part of this may be that it did sit idle for a few months with nothing done to it (work and go to school full time). I'm at the point where I can A) Go old school, put a little marvel oil in the combustion chambers and crank the motor by boosting and check compression B) Rebuild the engine C) Part out my beloved Civic. Any pro-tips?

 
Rep Power: 517

You could use a dowel down each cylinder to sort of gauge the height of each piston. #1 and #4 should be exactly the same height, and #2 and #3 should be exactly the same height. If either pair has ANY height difference, you have bent a rod.

Also see how much water is still sitting on top of the pistons.

Sitting with water in the cylinders has probably rusted the rings and cylinder walls, in addition to having bent rods from the hydrolock.


Drop a good used engine in it.

 
Rep Power: 296

Sounds like a bent rod or valve to me. The rod in the pistons Idea is a good one. I was going to screw driver but same thing. That will let you know if its a rod. You can take the valve cover off and look at the position of the valve but you kinda have to know what your looking at to tell if there is a bent valve cause of the cam lobe duration. I wish you the best of luck......

Just remember that a good low milage used motor is around 400 and they are not that hard to change out on a weekend if you know what your doing, hell even if you dont a book will get you where you need to be and its good practice.

Fingers crossed for some rust and a bad Battery.

 
Rep Power: 517

Since when has a hydrolock ever bent any valves?

 
Rep Power: 296

Honestly I've never known anyone with a 4cyl hydrolock a motor. A co worker had a turbo mustang and he drove his **** in a flood through some water and it locked hit motor up and he had a bent rod and bent valve. Just saying.

 
Rep Power: 517

I've fixed or replaced many hydrolocked engines over the last 25+ years.

Ok, I'll backpedal a little bit.
I could understand cold shock causing hot valves to warp.
But I have never seen it, myself.
The engines that I have actually fixed had no valve issues after replacing the bent rods.

I could also see bent valves from over-revving the engine just prior to or upon hitting the deep water and realizing you just got into deep doodoo. Floor it and pray that it makes it to the other side.

It's usually pointless to go any further than the bent rods because the engine just gets replaced in the majority of the situations.

 
Rep Power: 0

Just out of curiosity which CAI did you have and how far off the ground was it