505 '87 ZDJL water damage from flood
amackay@osiristx.com
Mon, 30 Aug 1999 10:59:33 -0700
I'd appreciate some leads on a problem I'm having. Last Wednesday, the
drought in Baltimore, Maryland ended with a bang--4 to 8 inches of rain
in 2 hours. I unwisely was on the road in my dependable '87, and drove,
slowly, for a half-mile through water that was 8 to 16 inches deep. The
rear seat floor got a touch wet, trunk stayed dry.
Since then, it feels like the engine is way out of tune--hard starting,
rough idles and stalls, rough running, knocking on 93 octane gas,
hesitating at highway speeds.
Some details:
--Car has been running great, power and 23 mpg city. I did a major
tune-up 6 months ago (adjust valves, new plugs, wires, cap, rotor, air &
fuel filters) to pass the emissions tests with flying colors. Oil &
filter change 2 weeks ago.
--Onset of rough running was sudden. Dried the car out and went for
drives Saturday and Sunday but the problems remain.
--Nothing looks obviously wrong. Air filter is dry, crankcase oil on
dipstick looks good, wires and vacuum hoses look connected. Timing light
shows all four plugs sparking.
--Removed distributor as it's low down on the ZDJL. It looks fine.
--Fuel pump under LR seat was submerged, but it looks okay, buzzes as
before.
Have any list subscribers troubleshot a similar problem? Is there an
electrical or fuel component I should be focusing on, like a computer
module that could have gotten soaked, or a Jetronic-L component that's
particularly vulnerable to water damage?
Good thing I have our backup '84 505SW (240K) to drive in the meantime!
Thanks for any clues or solutions, Alastair Mackay.