# driving through wheel deep water



## Nikon1234 (Nov 25, 2012)

Hi. Everyone:

Today I drove 2012 cruze eco manual through 20 feet long 1.5-2 feet deep water:wub:. When I realized the deep water, because of the resistance, I almost stopped. At first I thought the car was daed. Then I realized that It was still running. I hit the gas and drove the car slowly out of the water. Oh, the part of the 1.5-2 feet deep water was only around 5-10 feet. It was a gradule slope. I now can speed up as normal. The car does drive well.

My question is, did I do any damage to the car. I bought the car last December, it is still under warrenty.

thanks.

Dan


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

You never wanna drive threw any water deeper than your front bumper. You probably hydrolocked your motor. Take your spark plugs out there probably burnt, idk if you should turn it over with the plugs out or not with these car to see if you still have water in piston. Then take it to the dealer if there's water.

Will not be covered under warranty if you hydrolocked your motor due to you driving threw water.
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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

Well, if it still runs you didn't hydrolock it......this occurs if the air filter inlet becomes submerged....the engine inhales a big gulp of non compressable water.....Stick a fork in it, it's done......I think you dodged a bullit...a big expensive one.

Rob


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

Id still replace the plugs and just check for water.

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## OnlyTaurus (Mar 20, 2012)

Take your plugs out, removed the fuel injector fuse, and turn over your engine to get the rest of the crap, if any, out of the cylinders. It'll take 15-20 minutes.

In the meantime, take your air filter out and let it dry outside of your engine.

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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

Check the air filter for water and pull the dipstick to see if the oil is milky with water. If the car drives and sounds normal, it's more than likely just fine. Did your car have the shield hack up recall done to it? 


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## Nikon1234 (Nov 25, 2012)

Hi. Every one:

Thanks for the quick reply. 

I took the air filter out. It is dry. I also took a look at the oil dip stick, it is not milky.


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## Nikon1234 (Nov 25, 2012)

It seems to me that the water did not enter engine through air inlet. What other parts could let the water into engine. Also, is there a manual out there to show repairing the car, like Haynes manual?

Below are some pics.

Thanks again for everyone to reply.

Dan


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## Nikon1234 (Nov 25, 2012)

pics.


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

It looks like you dodged a bullet. 

The other points that water could get in would be the intercooler and turbo housing. Since the car is running fine, I doubt water got into the engine. 

In conclusion, don't do it again, and you got very lucky.


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## bci26401 (Jun 25, 2012)

I've always wondered why someone would drive their car through knee deep water Oo
Answer please..and don't tell me u didnt realize it was that deep!


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## OnlyTaurus (Mar 20, 2012)

You got very lucky, lol

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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Deep water, deep snow, when we came back from Orlando, was 8" of snow in our driveway, only made it a quarter of the way up. Was dead tired after that long inspection at airports and spending hours waiting in line.

My wife's only comment was, maybe we should have purchased an SUV instead. Had to get that snow thrower out, but maybe we should have gotten an SUV instead. 

Will never forget that day driving south on the Eden's Expressway north of Chicago after a huge rain storm. At an underpass, I stopped. Guy behind me was cussing like crazy, giving me the finger, then shot around me. Only to end up in about three feet of water. Couldn't help but to get out and laugh like an idiot at him. Could tell from the distance between that underpass and the water, should be around 13 feet, looked more like ten feet, so knew it was deep. 

You can't expect Chevy to cover this under warranty. Still wonder if that VW actually floats. If it does, carry a paddle.


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## Dale_K (Jul 16, 2011)

I don't know if the OP's car is an automatic or manual but there is a slight possibility that water got higher than the trans vent. Jeeps mount their vents really high but I don't know about a Cruze. If it is a manual trans I think I'd change the gear oil. I'm not sure what to do for an automatic. I don't even know if a Cruze auto has a dipstick for the trans but if there is you'd want to pull it and look at the fluid.


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## iKermit (Dec 13, 2010)

My stomach turned when i read this.

OP Please, don't ever do that. I went through a deep puddle 6 months ago, and i got hydrolocked. It was probably as deep as yours, and my car just died...

Biggest headache i have ever gone through, now everytime i see a flooded area, i avoid it, and i switched my intake to SRI just in case. Please becareful!


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## NBrehm (Jun 27, 2011)

Like stated above, you lucked out. Never EVER drive into water when you don't know how deep it is


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

I wonder if the reason OP didn't drown his car is because in the stock engine all the "openings" are high in the engine compartment. The air intake and user swappable filters are all on the top side of the engine. The only "low" openings such as the oil pan drain are normally sealed. iKermit, didn't you have a CAI with a low air intake on your drowned Cruze?

I do agree with the other posters that you got very lucky, however.


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

This is why I run sri I know how he didn't get any water in because the inlet to the stock intake is right behind the bowtie up front. Beware if you run CAI thua can happen and will be way worse.

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## iKermit (Dec 13, 2010)

obermd said:


> I wonder if the reason OP didn't drown his car is because in the stock engine all the "openings" are high in the engine compartment. The air intake and user swappable filters are all on the top side of the engine. The only "low" openings such as the oil pan drain are normally sealed. iKermit, didn't you have a CAI with a low air intake on your drowned Cruze?
> 
> I do agree with the other posters that you got very lucky, however.


Yeah i had the CAI. If i had the SRI i know for a fact i would be fine.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

H3LLON3ARTH said:


> This is why I run sri I know how he didn't get any water in because the inlet to the stock intake is right behind the bowtie up front. Beware if you run CAI thua can happen and will be way worse.
> 
> Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App


Drive slow - the bow wave won't come up that high. Also, slow driving will allow the grill to slow down any water that goes through it enough to drain down directly behind the grill. There is a gap behind the grill and before the actual stock air intake. Also, if I remember correctly, the stock air intake is sloped to drain out of the intake (air has to go up to get to the filter).

Still - if you don't know how deep it is, don't dive in - walk in first.


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## bci26401 (Jun 25, 2012)

iKermit said:


> Yeah i had the CAI. If i had the SRI i know for a fact i would be fine.


Lmoa! You had a CAI and drove into water u didn't know how deep it was. I'm sorry but u deserved that scare!


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## Nikon1234 (Nov 25, 2012)

Hi. Guys:

Thanks for everyone 's jumping in. Yes, I repeat after your guys, I am really, really lucky for not killing my beloved car. The place is the exit of my daughter's day care center, it was a small incline of the drive way. I did not use that exit on the daily basis, plus it is Austin, TX, a drought place. I did not realized I was in the deep water until my car was almost stopped because of the resistance of the water. At that moment my heart was sunk and I thought that the car was dead, I was figuring how I could transport two girls (my only daughter and a friend's daughter) out to the dry places. Because at that time the water line was highter than the wheels. If I had opened the door, the water would have gushed into the car interior. Then I realized that the car was still running, it almost stopped because of the resistance of high water, ~1.5 feet. I then drove very slowly out of the water, ~10 feet. I did breathed a reliefe when I was out of the water. I drove normally back to home.

After having dinner, I checked the air filter according to one member's suggestion. I also looked the battery, it appeared dry. I did all these yesterday night.

This morning, I drove the car to sent my daughter to her school, only around one mile away from my home. And then I took a quick drove of my car for around 5 miles, it acted normal. It might be psychologically that I felt the acceleration lag, comparing with Honda Civic I had before. When I was driving Civic, if I gave the gas, I felt the power output immidiately. But now for Cruze, when I gave gas HARD, I felt the acceleration after maybe half second. Before the high water incident, I alway gentle to the car, never gave the hard gas. I do not know how the car respond when hard gas is given. 

I am still worrying of the car. Beside the engine, is there any other places I should be looking at? What about transmission? My car is 2012 Cruze eco manual. I bought it last December. Also where can I find the car repaire manual, like Haynes? If in any case, this car is totaled. Could I get the replacement from insurance? I have comprehensive insurance from Geico. I checked the definition of the comprehensive insurance and it includes FLOOD. But I am not sure if that flood fits my situation.

Again, thanks for everyone's help. I promise you that I will never drive into deep water again.


Dan


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

Depending on what gear and RPM you're at when you gun it, there'll be a split second of lag as the turbo spools up. Like give it gas, wait a moment, and then power comes on strong. That's normal for the Eco/LT/LTZ. Chevy did a great job of minimizing lag, but it is a reality of a small turbocharged engine. 

If you're really worried and slightly handy, I'd change the transmission fluid too. That's a fairly easy job, and costs about $20-30 for the right fluid.


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## Nikon1234 (Nov 25, 2012)

Hi. Sciphi:

Thanks for your quick education on turbo. 

Anyone knows where I could get a repair manual for 2012 cruze eco 6 spd?

Dan


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## iKermit (Dec 13, 2010)

bci26401 said:


> Lmoa! You had a CAI and drove into water u didn't know how deep it was. I'm sorry but u deserved that scare!


It wasn't a scare. It hydrolocked. 

Thanks for that by the way lol I went through higher floods and was fine, so i was too confident.


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

IIRC there is a Helm service manual available for $200. That is THE book on the Cruze, and how to troubleshoot/replace all the parts in it. AllData might have limited access for cheaper. I do not believe that Haynes has made a manual for the Cruze yet, since it's so new.


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## kikiwilliams (Oct 24, 2019)

hi good day iwas driving my chevy cruze 2019 when flood waters came up into the road and it shut off dont know what to do and how it happen


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

kikiwilliams said:


> hi good day iwas driving my chevy cruze 2019 when flood waters came up into the road and it shut off dont know what to do and how it happen


I'd have it towed to a mechanic. Very possible that you hydro-locked the engine. That can be a really bad thing. Hopefully it was something less damaging.


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