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How do you fix a hydrolocked engine?

I drove my car on a road with a lot of deep potholes after heavy rain, and now it’s acting weird. I asked my dad and he said the engine might be hydrolocked. How can I fix a hydrolocked engine?

avatar
Payton Ternus · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
You can fix a hydrolocked engine yourself if it’s a fairly minor case and you’re familiar with
car maintenance
, otherwise you should have a mechanic take a look.
If too much water enters your car’s engine, it can become hydrolocked. The pistons may stop moving all at once, resulting in knocking or crashing sounds in the engine followed by shutting down.
To fix a hydrolocked engine yourself, follow these steps:
  • Remove the spark plugs
  • Start the engine
  • Keep the car in park and rev the engine
  • Wait for water to spew out of the cylinders
  • Replace spark plugs
  • Wipe down cylinder walls to get rid of extra moisture
If there is a lot of water damage, there may be nothing else to do but salvage what you can and replace the rest of the engine. This can cost anywhere from $3,000-$8,000.
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