Hello just wanna start off by saying i am new to the jeep scene and know pretty much nothing about the things. I recently bought a 2000 Cherokee sport and tried to use it as a submarine. ( it didn't work} it hydro locked in a puddle and filled the cab halfway up with water. I got pulled out removed the plugs cranked it forever. put the plugs back in and it started back up after 30 seconds of cranking. I still need to flush the oil and get more water out of it and will stay posted on that. Also, before it locked up all the lights radio and other appliances worked just fine but now none of them do and I don't know why.
If you have any advice on what else I should do that would be greatly appreciated. I'm am only 17 and this was my dd and now I have no way to get to school.

 

Check....all....your....fuses.

 

Good! First thing then, stop 'learning' from the guys you hang out with. Why do I say that? This:



Congratulations! You just spun all your bearings around and around and around with water in the oil, and likely, some nice fine silt. Great way to ruin an engine!



Yeah, and a lot more than that.




Okay, this part is easy, but painful. What happens when you drop your phone in a pool? Nothing good. Electrical connections do not like water. You just submerged most of your electrical connections. The only surprise is that anything works. As has been said, check your fuses, for starters. Write off your radio and amp (if you have one). Speakers? Rots a ruck with those.

Who told you this stuff is waterproof????

If you are going to be a regular puddle jumper, get acquainted with electrical contact cleaner (CRC is a very good brand) and silicone dielectric grease. You are going to need a lot of both.





If this is your only means of transportation, stay out of water. You can't afford it. Most insurance companies will automatically total a car that has been submerged like yours. Water wreaks havoc with just about everything. The guys that go deep and often are probably not doing that with their DDs. They are either willing and able to tinker endlessly with their after-hours toy, or they have done a lot of prep work to make them able to handle it. You can't just take any vehicle and submerge it without doing a lot of bad things. Some of those things will show up immediately (like your electrical problems now), some will take months to show up (like the electrical problems you are going to have), and some may take years to show up (like the much-shortened life of your engine, transmission, and differentials). Lots of people never make the connection between the submersion that happened a few months or years ago, and the problems they are having now. Since they fixed a few immediate problems, they assume that those were the only problems they caused. They are wrong. They are also the majority of people, which is why you will encounter a lot of people who say, "I do it all the time and nothing bad happens!"

Which is why I made the comment about not learning from your peers.

 

Did you at least get some pictures of when you did that? Sounds like a good time.

 

There was a good thread recently titled "Daddy, Why is the jeep in the swimming pool?" Makes for good reading! LOL!

 

I hope this is not your daily driver.

The engine does not take well to water, obviously. Neither does the transmission. Transfer case. Axles. If it was more than just water, you can include the catalytic convertor (or convertors if it has California emissions with 2 precats and 4 o2 sensors). The junction box in the passenger side kick panel will have water in it (not just the fuses and relays, but the traces behind them). ANY electrical connection that was submerged needs tended to as NONE of them are waterproof. If the engine was submerged to the point where the TPS was submerged, the TPS is junk as they hate water with a passion. Dont forget the alternator. The carpets and seats will need cleaned, and dried completely inside and out or they will mold which can be hazardous to your health, and anyone else riding shotgun. Check the rear 1/4 panels. Chrysler put a bag of insulation in each one. They can, and do trap moisture. If that is is not taken care of, the electricals back there are at risk. I have seen them corrode because of it. All of this is the price you pay for playing submarine. Even with a snorkel, it is not without risk.

You have a lot of work ahead of you.

 

You need to get a giant Hefty bag and about 2500 pounds of uncooked rice. Fill the bag with the rice and throw the XJ in there for a couple days.

IIWM I would pull all the carpeting out because wherever there is padding it will NEVER dry otherwise.

I would think the computers would have shorted out, and am curious to know how the XJ was able to start. Are the PCBs coated so they can operate while wet? Is fresh water not a great conductor? With no PCM does the XJ run in open loop? Did it really hydrolock or just stall?

 

Actually, they are. I pulled apart the PCM in my 94, way back when, and found it's almost impossible to get the capacitors out to replace them, because the whole thing is encased in a rubbery translucent goo that defies all solvents. The connectors? Not so much.




Okay, I'll put my engineer's hat on here for a moment: Not great, but pretty good. However, absolutely pure water is a great insulator. Once you get some impurities in it, it starts to conduct. That's why salt water is such a great conductor - the salt ions do the actual conducting.

The reason water has a reputation of being a great conductor is that it's rarely pure.



That said, I think we may have scared the OP off. Too bad - he seems like a nice kid. Not his fault that he didn't know all this.

 

He changed his message icon from Exclamation (I thought) to Thumbs Down. That can't be good.

NM - doesn't look like that icon can be edited...

 

More than likely, he got answers he didn't like and went elsewhere. Couldn't face the truth. Sorry, but life is hard.

 

That said, I think we may have scared the OP off. Too bad - he seems like a nice kid. Not his fault that he didn't know all this.[/QUOTE

so what I’m learning from all this is don’t go wheeling with the girl your trying to hu with cause you drive places you can’t go.

Aside from that, To sum up everything all of you have said. I need re do all the wiring connections change app the fuses buy a new stereo and speakers. Pull the valve cover check all the push rods and connectors and whatever else is in there. Flush the oil as best I can. Check the bottem end to make sure I didn’t bend a rod or worse. Re scrub the entire interior ( literally did that last week Uugh I’m an idiot.) thanks for the quick responses I know I have a lot of work and time watching you tube videos ahead of me.

 

See? I thought you sounded like good stuff. Kudos on not giving up. Hard lesson, but you'll survive.

 

After Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast, there were a lot of cars sold that had been submerged in sea water that snuck past the monitors and people had major problems with the electrical systems. It seems the seawater got into the insulation of the wires at the connectors and eat at the metal. You shouldn't have that problem because yours wasn't submerged for long and it wasn't seawater. If you're diligent with your cleaning, you should be all right.

 

Yikes! I couldnt fathom why you would use your daily for a submarine! Nonetheless replace EVERY fluid and check every fuse and if possible lock it in a garage with a big fan blowing around in it with the windows open. I cant say what future issues will arise but they WILL show up. Let it sit for a week atleast then replace fuses. Water is very bad for cars and are waterproof to a point. Also pull your carpets out lol or you will have rusted floor boards. Oh also i would personally drain all the gas as well. being a 2000 pull the fuel line off after depressurizing the system via the little valve located on the fuel rain and put a giant container to catch the gas and jumper the fuel pump relay with a THICK paper clip (refer to a guide or video on how to jumper the relay) and lessons are hard lol gotta learn from them. I recently learned torque converters/transmission overheat easily myself this week lol. so live and learn. just dont do anything stupid with your daily! always have a backup vehicle.

 

Never in a million years could I fathom taking my daily driver XJ into water.....dude that girl better be the most beautiful girl on planet Earth hahaha.

There was a girl that I used to love. I would have gotten to the waters edge for her but wouldn't have went in.....that's a double joke......hahahaha