# Car won't turn over. Water in Tank. Help.



## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

You have multiple problems, only related by the fact that the car won't run.

First there is an electrical problem, it won't crank.

Either a loose battery cable , or a loose wire somewhere.

Then a poor fuel problem, gas cap needed, drain tank, dry tank, hope for the best, refill tank with fresh gas. Check fuel filter, replace if needed, Is fuel pump working, if mechanical pump need to crank engine, if electric pump, need good battery contact. 

Start by getting good battery contact, are the cables to post connections clean?




ED 

PS: just remembered most have a neutral safety switch, if automatic transmission, is it in park?

If manual is the clutch being depressed?


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

Alternator needs replaced.


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## Oso954 (Jun 23, 2012)

I think the battery is flat. 

Put a voltmeter on it. If low voltage, fully charge the battery.

Jumping from your van, it sounds like you have limited power. That might be the vans fault, but my first guess is cheap undersized battery cables. The battery is just sucking up all the power, nothing is getting past it. Your friends booster box is delivering more power than the van/cables.

Idling the car to get rid of water doesn't work. If you really have water in there, most of it is below the fuel pickup. When you start driving it again, sloshing the gas/water around will mix it and cause further problems.

You need to get the water out. If you cannot drain it out, you need to remove the tank and empty it. 

I would check the fuel filter for water, blow the lines out to that point and install a new filter.

If your battery is as low as I think it is, your fuel pump has not been developing full pressure. Most fuel injected cars have a low fuel pressure setting. If pressure is below that setting, it won't start/run. If we can trust an Internet source, for your car you need 36.2 psi or greater.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

Good advice all. It sounds like there are multiple problems.



Oso954 said:


> If your battery is as low as I think it is, your fuel pump has not been developing full pressure. Most fuel injected cars have a low fuel pressure setting. If pressure is below that setting, it won't start/run. If we can trust an Internet source, for your car you need 36.2 psi or greater.


That's one of the things I keep forgetting about new vehicles. Under a certain voltage, the ECM, sensors and many components simply won't work.


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## papereater (Sep 16, 2016)

Theres an easier and safer way to get water out of a tank- add a pint of dry gas, which is some kind of alcohol (isopropyl, or methyl). That mixes with he water and makes it miscable with gasoline. 

of course, draining/dumping out the tank works- just so much work/risk/mess.


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## papereater (Sep 16, 2016)

If you can get it to AZ they will check the alternator (and battery) for free.


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## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

1. you have major short somewhere that drains the battery
2. ignition lock will be suspect number 1
3. I seriously doubt rain got inside the filler neck and into the tank. That's some very dedicated rain. Not saying someone didn't piss into the tank though. Apparently there is some bad mojo going with that car.
4. You need to do from the ground up inspection. Is fuel pump running? Is there voltage a starter? Can you jump starter? Is there any water inside the cylinders? What condition are spark plugs in? And so on. We can sit here pointing at all kinds of parts and making all kinds of suggestions, like towing car to parts store - but it's nothing but guesswork that may cost YOU money. It needs to be properly and thoroughly inspected. Say, for 2005, you may have chipped key. Is key still recognized by the ECM? Nothing will work if not.


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## papereater (Sep 16, 2016)

papereater said:


> If you can get it to AZ they will check the alternator (and battery) for free.


Right. Guess I should have explained that going to AZ ONLY if car runs. No towing, of course. May be too later for that now.......


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## mjf55 (Feb 10, 2017)

For a quick test, remove all the spark plugs and see if it will crank. If it cranks, may be a strange compression issue associated with too much water in the cylinders.


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## Bret86844 (Mar 16, 2016)

What a few others have said - there may be multiple problems but it sounds like something is draining your battery. Is there a dome light on? Headlights? When the key is in the accessory position, does that have power?


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

mjf55 said:


> For a quick test, remove all the spark plugs and see if it will crank. If it cranks, may be a strange compression issue associated with too much water in the cylinders.


If it turns out there is water in the combustion chambers (which will hydro-lock the engine), I once saw my mechanic MacGyver a length of brake line onto a shop vac to suck it out.


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## r0ckstarr (Jan 8, 2013)

lenaitch said:


> If it turns out there is water in the combustion chambers (which will hydro-lock the engine), I once saw my mechanic MacGyver a length of brake line onto a shop vac to suck it out.


I bought a car that had been in a flood. The engine was hydrolocked. I wanted the body only, but decided to see if we could make it run before we yanked the engine. We pulled the spark plugs out and kept working the key trying to get it to turn over. Eventually, it pushed the water out, shooting it 6ft in the air.


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