Puddle Trouble...

[SupStacey]

Hello!

I'm a long-time reader of these forums, but have only just signed up for an account.

 

We have a 2000 W plate Skoda Felicia Fun in matt black - it's the love of both me and my partners lives.

(To be fair... it's his, and i've just passed my test and have had the luxury of this being my first, joint, car!)

 

So anyway...

 

As with the horrendous weather conditions, we drove through a puddle the other day. Not deep, but obviously too fast. Cue: the car juddering, struggling to accelerate and eventually cutting out in a country lane towards yate.

After breaking down and waiting for the AA to come out, we managed to get it going again and slowly get to out destination, which was 2 minutes away.

 

We left the car running for a good hour to try and dry out anything that was wet, which seems to have done the job.

This weekend, we're off to euro car parts to buy some new spark plugs, ht leads etc.

 

My question(s)!

 

Is there anything else that will need changing, after having an unhappy wet engine? I'm not sure whether it's the wet or the cold, but sometimes when we start it up in the morning it idles low. not enough to stall, but we hold the revs up a little for a minute or so and then its fine.

 

We've also noticed a new noise that exhaust has started making, which sounds like it's fallen off and is dragging along the road, then stop again. It only seems to be whilst moving in gear, but not accelerating?

 

It seems to be coming from the centerbox, so we think, and also makes a rattling noise when revving it, too.

 

We love our little brum brum and don't want it to die!!! :(

[mannyo]

Air filter, it could be soaked in water.

[dohnjoe]

did that puddle produce only a big splash like passing through a gentle slope hole? or was it also a loud bang like hitting hard a steep hole? if the latter I'd be more worried about the shock, not the water. about the exhaust noise: we can only guess, look under the car and see what is loose/broken.

[TeflonTom]

Is it actually running again now? I wouldn't bother wasting money on new spark plugs or ht leads if it is, it will dry out in time, just avoid puddles..

the rattling noise could just be a loose or missing exhaust mounting which is allowing the exhaust system to move about and knock against something.

[SupStacey]

It is running again, although had some white on the inside of the oil cap, and is still a little juddery at times, especially when starting it up from cold.

The last time we changed them was around a year and a half ago, and my partner has never had it serviced in the 3 years we've owned it (shock horror!!!)

As it's gone over 100k recently, and as i'm a newbie driver, i'm just being over cautious i think.

 

Good shout on the mounting idea... didn't even think that it might be something as simple as that. We'll get it jacked up on the weekend (needs a new back tyre anyway) and take a look! Thanks

[TeflonTom]

wd40 can work wonders, if you feel confident then you could take off the distributor cap and spray some in there, it will drive out any moisture, it's damp/moisture that will stop the engine from sparking properly. and this is what would cause juddering and/or a missfire and couid also contribute to a low idle speed.

 

a little bit of white on the oil cap is normal especially at this time of year when it's super wet, it's just condensation.

[SupStacey]

Sorry dohnjoe missed your reply earlier!

There was no nasty bump, just a little flooded across the road and didn't notice it until last minute so it did splash up.

Our fun does have a few little quirks that we are gradually getting fixed, and had some welding done on the exhaust at mot in November so we'll check that first. I wonder if the welding wasn't as good as we'd hoped...

we don't have time or enough light to look at it tonight, so will update with our findings soon!

I'm planning on doing a service on it soon anyway, so might as well do it at the same time.

Next step: suspension, and clutch....

It's all roadworthy, but wanting to fix a few things before they finally give way. Especially the clutch... Learning in a band new diesel and going to this almost makes my partner cry... Not that I ride the clutch on purpose of course!

[dohnjoe]

I see there's another fun owner having similar issue when driving over puddles.

Is this a design problem?

if it is only from dizzy cap getting wet, we have a very effective solution in Russia: a rubber glove over dizzy + rubber rings..

5 fingers, 5 ignition wires.

all from the kitchen department.

not very pretty, but you can do any offroad after that.

[SupStacey]

After closer inspection it appears to be a loose clip on the exhaust... we hope! Once we get a chance to get the thing up in the air then we'll be able to fix it and hopefully solve the problem.

 

I've also bought a few service parts too which we'll be fitting, and hopefully that will solve the low idling upon start up, too.

I'll get him to to the distributor trick with WD40, i don't think i could do that myself...

 

Have also noticed the windscreen appears to be letting in some water, as driver side carpets are wet. boo.

 

Here's another question (might be related to windscreen leak) does anyone else find in the cold wet weather that condensation builds up on the sunroof? Driving along and suddenly DRIP DRIP DRIP, cold water down my neck. Seats aren't wet so doesnt appear to be a leak there...

[TeflonTom]

Yeah, it irritates me to breaking point, my sunroof leaks in the corner nearest the drivers seat so the headlining gets a bit damp and it occasionally drips when you least expect it.

Leaky windscreen is a very common ailment of these, the metal panel in the scuttle gets a bit crusty on some of them rather than it being the windscreen itself that is leaking, so sometimes a new windscreen rubber will not fix the leak, I'd say leave it be unless it's got a crack in it and needs replacing.

[SupStacey]

Good to know it's not just ours! Very annoying though...

It almost seems like condensation, and i dry it all off, go down to road, drip drip drip. Gah!

Is there anything you can do about it? I'm thinking of buying a car cover maybe, which would go over sunroof and windscreen, but got a feeling that might go 'walkies' in our car park...

 

Also, I've kind of hijacked my own thread here: our Exhaust now seems to be more than just the clip broken. Along the with dragging-on-the-floor noise it makes coasting in gear, it has now developed a 'hissing' noise, when over around 2000rpm.

 

Seems to be coming from the centrebox so rather than faff about we've ordered a new one (£30 bargain!!). Hopefully be here by Friday and we can get it fitted on the weekend.

I have a funny feeling it has something to do with the welding they did on the exhaust at MOT in November... I'm sure my partner mentioned that some part of the exhaust was just completely cut off and thrown away??!? sigh...

[Red Studio]

I've got a set of wind deflectors on all the door windows on my estate so when it's parked in work I can leave the windows open a crack at the top without letting the rain in. I find it helps - if the windows are all closed I get streaming windows and dripping sunroof. With just the two rear windows open a fraction of an inch the through draft is enough to keep everything clear, even in the weather we've been having.

 

I've also noticed that if the sunroof is wound all the way closed it leaks at the front left corner but if I slacken it off a fraction it doesn't let anything in.

 

Regarding the exhaust noise, the junction between centre box and cat on mine came loose so the cat and downpipe shuffled forward enough to actually rub against one of the driveshafts.

[mycoolbeard]

Get on the fun registrar. Good to see another that's not the stock yellow

[SupStacey]

Oo, I might see if we can find some of those window things that's a good idea

On a slightly less happy note we got the fun in the air today. Upon taking off the centre box, large chunks of our cat converter fell out :( :( :(

To top it off, the exhaust hadn't been fitted properly so a quick tighten solved the hissing but it still need replacing.

Back in the garage Monday for a new cat and new centre box (already bought) which doesn't for until we order a sleeve, the garage previously completely bodged it.

Sad times!! But I'll head over to the fun reg now

[SupStacey]

New Catalytic Converter Fitted

New Centre Box Exhaust fitted

 

Where our old exhaust was cut and welded in an awful way, it was a bit of a pain to get on, but it's on.

 

Unfortunately on the way home, we noticed car feeling a bit odd. Decelerating very quickly when not on the gas and an awful smell. Parked up and the brake disc was BRIGHT Red. Boo. So off to the garage again today, we think the calliper has seized.

 

Also appears as if the Cat Sensor is cracked too, so a new one of these.

 

Is it common Occurrence for these things to all go at ones, or just Sod's law?

Anything else we should keep an eye on, then tends to go after 14 years and 100k?

 

At the moment.. it's Wedding or Car? (Boo!!!) :(

[TeflonTom]

 

At the moment.. it's Wedding or Car? (Boo!!!) :(

 

you could always walk to work on a freezing cold morning instead of using the car

 

 

a caliper siezing is just one of those things, it happens, especially if it hasn't been used in a while

[SupStacey]

II'll tell that to the boyfriend, i'm sure he'd be happy.....!!! haha

 

It's just come out of the garage.. £120 for part, £20 labour. I'm happy with that!

 

Fingers crossed that's it now. I'll be having stern words with the car later.....