Well while the rest of the U.S. is suffering from El Paso type of temperatures we here in the desert are suffering with 80 degree heat and rain. Lots of rain if you ask me, up to 14 inches in a span of 6 days with 6 inches falling on one day, since last week it has not stopped raining. While this might sound good to some people, too much rain here in the desert is not a good thing. Check out the headlines:

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/news/2006-08-04-el-paso-flooding_x.htm

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/storms/2006-08-01-el-paso-floods_x.htm

Well some cities might have a good drainage system, but here when it rains, whether it is 10 minutes or 14 hours the roads always flood. On Monday morning I had to drive in streets that were flooded with 8-12 inches of water in the neighboring city of Juarez, Mexico with no problems at about 5 mph. On Monday afternoon I had to drive the Montero on 4 inches of flooded street in El Paso. Not much for a 4dr 1989 Montero, or so I thought. While I driving in this flooded streets at 10-15 mph my Montero just stalled. I was able to restart right away with no problems. But then it happened again on Tuesday while driving at 5-10 mph, , again I was able to restart the Montero, this time with more oomph from the starter. (This one was kind of embarrassing since two Jeep Wranglers were behind me. I forgot I had the transmission in Drive, and the Montero did not start until I realized my blunder <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" />. The Jeeps had to go around <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/angry.gif" alt="" />). Anyways my question is this, 1) what could have gotten wet that killed my engine 2) and what can I do to fix this? 3)What tips do you guys have for driving through water and what can I do to prepare my Montero for this type conditions.

Usually it's your ignition/electrical system.



Sell it and buy a diesel! (No ignition) <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

Seriously, use Dielectric grease on all your plug wires and electrical connections. Also prevents corrosion. Some people go to extreme lengths with silicone or building boxes/shields around their distributor. I find that too messy, and the grease works well.



See above. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Avoid driving through water. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Drive slowly, sometimes the fan will hit and spray water everywhere.

Carry a can of WD-40 or ignition drying spray. When you notice it cutting out, open the distributor and spray it down to remove the water. The "WD" in WD-40 stands for "Water Displacing."

Also watch for water getting near your air intake. That's very bad.

If the rubber o ring is old on the distributor cap, it can/will get dry rotted and crack and let water in. Just the other day, I was at the car wash pressure washing my truck, I sprayed the engine bay down. I got in and tried to start it, it ran for a couple seconds and died. Tried again same thing. I popped the hood and tried again. The coil was grounding out on its mount due to water, I could see the spark. I sprayed some wd40 and made sure the wire was tight and it fired right up, no problems.

My 89' Raider 3.0 was doing the same whenever I dipped er' in a mudhole. When wet, my coil was allowing spark to jump to ground right out of the cap where the coil wire connects. Apparently the bakelite (or whatever they call that stuff) they're made of degraded over time. Anyway, I replaced it and it runs like a top now. Water doesn't affect it at all. Try spraying some wd40 on it at night while running. Mine ignited immediately when I did this. Diagnosis complete... (oh, and keep a wet rag handy...) <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

Well guys, thanks for the tips. I will definitely check rubber o ring on the distributor cap. Although switching it to a diesel is not an option at this point, I will now carry a can of WD-40. I have not given it that much importance until now. And of course I will drive slowly through puddles of water. Lets just hope that the rains go away, but not completely.