WATER LOGGED ! need help

[ALERO81]

Hey I need some help here I have a 1999 Olds Alero v6 car runs good Yesterday we got a lot of rain here the most I have every seen anyway it was very hard to see where I was driving I was only going about 30 mile a hour anyway before I new it I was in a big puddle about 2 feet deep ( water almost covered tires) anyway car died half way threw the puddle (it was about 7 meters long) it would not start back up so I pushed it out of the water to a clear spot on the road the car still would not even turn over after I tried and tried to start it I finally got the car to start about 25 mins later it smoked like crazy for about 30 sec the smoked stopped and I drove the car home now today the car still drives fine but now when i press the gas all the way down the car will on rev up to 300 rpm its like there is no power ??
does it need more time to dry out
is there anything I should do to help dry it out
as I said the car now start fine but there is just no power ???

[Midgear]

Hey, I need some help here- I have a 99' Alero with the LA1 V6.

Yesterday we got alot of rain here, heaviest rain I have ever seen, and it was very hard to see where I was going. I was traveling about 30 MPH and I drove straight into a giant puddle around 2 feet deep (the water almost covering the tires.)

The car died about halfway through the puddle and I tried to start it back up but it wouldn't. So I pushed it out of the water to a dry area and tried to start it for about about 25 minutes.. once it started it smoked like crazy for a good 30 seconds and the smoke tapered off and I drove the car home.

Well, now today the car still drives fine, but now when I press the gas pedal to the floor the car will rev up to about 3000 RPM's but it wont accelerate.. like it has no power at all. Does it need more time to dry out? What can I do to help dry it out? It starts just fine now, but it doesnt have any power.

fixed your post to make it more understandable :lol:


Depending on how much water was entering your intake.. you may have bent a valve or something. especially trying to start the car in the middle of the water.. not a good idea. If there was water entering the intake, you have to realize that water cannot compress like air does.. our engines are designed to compress air.. not a liquid.

Does it idle just fine? Does it spudder when you mash the throttle? let us know!

[Vinalero]

...today the car still drives fine...

If you bent a valve, you would know. It's like you probly cleaned your combustion chambers with the water and were lucky enough that nothing plyed.

Any dummy lights are on now?

Start by checking the basic stuff : Spark plugs (with that much water in the chambers, maybe they were affected, but again you would notice at all rpm). Wires? Maybe your IAT was damaged or the MAF?

[Midgear]

doubt the MAF woulda been harmed.. I'd check the spark plugs first-

[Vtolds]

Change your oil, check your plugs and let it dry out a little bit.

[ALERO81]

I did not try to start the car in the puddle I pushed the car out into a dry spot
there is no lights on now and as I said the car runs fine the only thing it doing now is when you first start the car it revs really high and when driving the car there is no power
there is no spudder when I hit the gas
I will check the plug today after work and make sure there dry !

[Valley olds]

I would recomend you also change your oil like Vtolds said. If water is in your engine, you dont want it to be circulating inside affecting your engine's lubrication.

[ALERO81]

I would recomend you also change your oil like Vtolds said. If water is in your engine, you dont want it to be circulating inside affecting your engine's lubrication.

I agree
the car now is rev very high when you start is and now when you drive it
so my new question is there anyway to reset the car computer ??
Im starting to think that that is is the mas air flow ???
last question when I change gears from part to drive it slams in gear do you think this all linked ?

[Valley olds]

Ive head that a faulty IAT sensor can lead to the hard shifting. To reset the computer you disconnect the negative battery cable for, I believe, ten minutes.

[ALERO81]

Thanks Im trying that now

[Midgear]

If my battery disconnects at all my computer instantly resets.. I'm not sure about the 10 minute thing considering i've never tried it..

let us know what happens-

[ALERO81]

well it did reset my computer but I think I may have some big problems now
I drove the car around the block it is NOT revving high now but the transmission shift gears really hard now and it acts like the tranny is shot ???
it revs o 3000 rpm before it changes then when it does it really hard shift
this tranny was working fine until this happen any ideas ???????

[Nate's Alero]

IAT Sensor

[ALERO81]

IAT Sensor

WHAT IS THAT ? AND WHERE IS THAT

[Midgear]

IAT = Intake Air Temperature sensor

don't know its exact location right off the top of my head.. I believe its a little black sensor that's plugged into the intake somewhere near the throttle body.. it looks like it's got a little cage around the actual sensor when you pull it out and look at it-

[ALERO81]

Well after I have read up on the IAT I have found out that it sounds exactly what is going on with my car so that is something that Im going to check out with the Junk yard to see if that what it is
thanks

[Midgear]

a junkyard? how much is a new one?

[ALERO81]

not too sure what a new one will cost but a used one I can get free !
you think this is making the transmission shift hard ?

[Midgear]

for some reason I seriously doubt an air temperature sensor would make your transmission shift really hard.. just get the basics fixed and see what happens..

my transmission slammed into gears once when I was running on FUMES trying to get to the gas station.. once I put some gas in it.. it shifted normally- so I dont know

[Vtolds]

Resetting the computer is making the trans shift hard. It is relearning your driving style.

[ALERO81]

Resetting the computer is making the trans shift hard. It is relearning your driving style.

it was doing this before I reset the computer ?:(

[Vinalero]

IAT could make the shifting bad. One day, on my 3.8 Liters buick, it popped out of its socket (why, I dont know lol) the thing is my tranny was acting really wierd before I looked under the hood and put it back in.

[Midgear]

it was doing this before I reset the computer ?:(

wrong.. the transmission will shift very slow and smooth untill it picks up on your style of driving-

If it shifted hard when the PCM was reset.. I'd put a reset button on mine :lol:

[ALERO81]

wrong.. the transmission will shift very slow and smooth untill it picks up on your style of driving-

If it shifted hard when the PCM was reset.. I'd put a reset button on mine :lol:


OK but how long does that take ?
I went out for a drive today and no more hard shift but the shifting is still screwy it was driving great then out of the blue it started to rev high in 3 gear (around 4000rpm then it shift smooth into 4) do you think that it is still trying to learn

[GoldStar611]

now when i press the gas all the way down the car will on rev up to 300 rpm its like there is no power ??


My car was doing this number but the catalytic converter was going out. Might want to check that and the sensors nearby

[ALERO81]

I Just dont understand this
the transmission works fine some times and then other times it start doing strange thing can the tranny really be shot ?
is there anything I can do
Im bringing the car in on tues to get checked out

[Midgear]

mabey it messed up sensors somewhere in your exhaust.. im sure the shop can figure out what's wrong with it.

[ALERO81]

mabey it messed up sensors somewhere in your exhaust.. im sure the shop can figure out what's wrong with it.

Man I sure do hope so !

[Midgear]

when are you taking it in?

[ALERO81]

On tues

[Midgear]

woot.. If you have another car.. I'd let the alero sit and dry out till then-

[ALERO81]

Yeah .. I do have another car I hope that this transmission thing is not a big deal:haha:

[Midgear]

It shouldn't be.. I bet it's a sensor making the transmission act funny.. like I said- when I ran out of gas once, my transmission was slamming into gears.. but once I put gas in it.. it all went back to normal-

It'll be an easy fix :thumb:

[ALERO81]

Thanks Man !

[mainard]

new IAT sensor from GM cost me about 24$

[[ion] C2]

Catalytic converter.

[ALERO81]

Well they don't have time to look at it until thurs now as soon as I found out I will let everyone know

[ALERO81]

Just got word from the transmission shop they told me that it was looking like it was either the TPS sensor are the Torque sensor that was the codes he was pulling anyway! He then told me in order for him to find out for 100% he needed to remove the transmission ?????? crazy
Anyway Im going to try a different place on Friday and see what they say can some one please tell me where the sensor are so I can change them myself !!! if there is any picture that would be great !

[Midgear]

having to pull the entire transmission just to find out weather those codes mean anything or not? :lol:

sounds a little wierd-

[Headstrong2740]

for some reason I seriously doubt an air temperature sensor would make your transmission shift really hard.. just get the basics fixed and see what happens..

my transmission slammed into gears once when I was running on FUMES trying to get to the gas station.. once I put some gas in it.. it shifted normally- so I dont know


Nope its The IAT mine was bad (wire broke) and it did the same thing

If its still shifting hard after that you might want to look at your trans fluuid level and maybe do a flush on it.. also check the sensor that is mounted on the trans controled by your gear selector. That might have got pretty logged and be an issue.

Any lights on right now.. cause through out this you said no light and then its pulling codes... so im confused on that

[JOEY GLADSTONE]

your better off paying the $60 to replace the sensors first and see if it works rather then paying $1000 to pull the whole tranny out

[ALERO81]

your better off paying the $60 to replace the sensors first and see if it works rather then paying $1000 to pull the whole tranny out
Yeah for sure I'm not about to pull the tranny out with out checking the sensors
out first on Friday I'm taking the car to Mr Transmission my boss is good friends with the owner there so he is going to look at it for me
I was sure it was the IAT sensor but there was no codes that came up one there code reader

[ALERO81]

Nope its The IAT mine was bad (wire broke) and it did the same thing

If its still shifting hard after that you might want to look at your trans fluuid level and maybe do a flush on it.. also check the sensor that is mounted on the trans controled by your gear selector. That might have got pretty logged and be an issue.

Any lights on right now.. cause through out this you said no light and then its pulling codes... so im confused on that

I have a question for you now headstrong when your IAT sensor went bad was it shifting hard always ?? are just every now and then
the only lights I have on now is the check engine light !




STILL NEED TO KNOW WHERE THE IAT, MAF, SENSOR ARE

[Midgear]

STILL NEED TO KNOW WHERE THE IAT, MAF, SENSOR ARE

your MAF is the big chunk of metal sitting in your intake tubing path with a plug connected to it.. its held in place by your intake tubing and it is near the throttle body.. if you have stock intake.. it should be connected to the accordian shaped intake piece- so THROTTLE BODY > ACCORDIAN SHAPED INTAKE PIECE > MASS AIRFLOW SENSOR

the IAT is a little sensor on the BACK SIDE of the intake tubing.. it should be near the little vacuum hose that goes into the top of one of your intake pieces near the MAF.. look at this vacuum hose's position and follow it to the back side of the intake and you should see a little sensor plugged into the intake back there - its a little black sensor with a "cage" looking thing around it when you pluck it out-

let us know if you find them or not-

[jayson_waltz]

when the shift position sensor right on top of the tranny went out on mine, it did the same thing. but it should throw a code to tell you that. that deep of water probably got it underneath and might have eff'd it up

[ALERO81]

your MAF is the big chunk of metal sitting in your intake tubing path with a plug connected to it.. its held in place by your intake tubing and it is near the throttle body.. if you have stock intake.. it should be connected to the accordian shaped intake piece- so THROTTLE BODY > ACCORDIAN SHAPED INTAKE PIECE > MASS AIRFLOW SENSOR

the IAT is a little sensor on the BACK SIDE of the intake tubing.. it should be near the little vacuum hose that goes into the top of one of your intake pieces near the MAF.. look at this vacuum hose's position and follow it to the back side of the intake and you should see a little sensor plugged into the intake back there - its a little black sensor with a "cage" looking thing around it when you pluck it out-

let us know if you find them or not-


thanks first off I dont have a stock intake I think this is why I ran into all this trouble .....lol but I think I know what and where the MASS air flow sensor is now .
now when you say that the IAT is on the back side of the intake I dont know where you mean ?? do you mean past the throttle body ??

[Midgear]

^^^ negative.. it should be somewhere between your throttle body and mass airflow sensor..

ok.. pop your hood and stare at the intake right in front of the throttle body.. you'll see somewhere near the MAF is a vacuum hose leading into the TOP of the intake tube.. put your finger on it.

run your finger AROUND the back side of that intake tube (looking back there as you go) and you should see a sensor plugged in somewhere on the back side of that tube.

let us know what you find!

[ALERO81]

OK WELL THIS IS MY UPDATE

I took the car to Mr Transmission they then told me that they dont think that its the transmission the told me to change the TPS
anyway I asked them is I could see all the codes that came up and they gave them to me but I dont know what they mean can you guys help ?



Here are the codes
P0121 TPS SENSOR I THINK ??
P0730
P0742
P01106
P0108

There is alot of codes here after I asked why so many codes he told me often times when the TPS goes it mess up all kinds of other sensors

[Midgear]

hmm.. change the TPS (throttle position sensor) and see what happens..

[ALERO81]

hmm.. change the TPS (throttle position sensor) and see what happens..

First thing Im doing on Sat

[rustyballs_69]

P0121 is TPS
P0730 is incorrect gear ratio
P0742 is torque converter clutch system stuck on
P01106 is actual P1106 i believe. It is manifold absolute pressure sensor circuit intermittent high voltage
P0108 manifold absolute pressure sensor circuit, high input

[ALERO81]

P0121 is TPS
P0730 is incorrect gear ratio
P0742 is torque converter clutch system stuck on
P01106 is actual P1106 i believe. It is manifold absolute pressure sensor circuit intermittent high voltage
P0108 manifold absolute pressure sensor circuit, high input

Thanks rustyballs !
I tried something just now I unplugged my MAS sensor and drove it around the block to my shock the tranny shifted the same as when it acts up !
so thats good news it must be the MAS Im going to buy a new MAS sensor on sat will keep everyone updated


THANKS ALL !!!

[ALERO81]

well I changed the mas sensor and there was alot more power but then it went make to having no power and its still doing he same thing...........

[ALERO81]

She All Fixed Up Now !! Car Runs Like Brand New Thanks All For The Help It Was The Baro Sensor !! !


Thanks Again !!

[Midgear]

the hell is a baro sensor? :lol: