the AEM bypass valve works very good, checkout their website. but you can also get a bypass valve for Injen also for only like 40 dollars more i believe...depending on where u get it

 

there are plenty of threads on hydrolocking...why another one?

 

i hydrolocked the engine on my 98 eclipse with a CAI but the filter was right behind the hole on the side of the front bumper on that car. All i did was drive through what looked like a puddle but ended up being deeper than I thought so you can always be careful but still be blind sided.

I'm still debating putting a CAI on my tC after what happened to my eclipse.

 

Im glad I swapped out my injen CAI for an ARC intake last week. The rain here was crazy this week and I would have hydrolocked for sure if I was still running my CAI. I went through like 1ft deep puddles with no worries =D.

 

if you are able to start your car after you get water in it ..... does that mean you didnt ruin the engine? (sorry if thats a dumb question but i dont know the answer).

 

You don't have a lot to worry about hydrolocking unless you drive in deep water. Our cars air filter is not sitting down low enough not to mention its not easy for water to get to it b/c its enclosed with the body and not just sticking out near the bottom of the bumber. You would have to drive through some seriously deep water for hydrolocking to happen.

 

if the car is hydrolocked it completly wont start anymore correct? .... i guess thats how u know its hydrolocked .... a small amount of water I would assume would eventually get pushed out and the car would turn over if you did hit a big amount of water .... right?

 

NOT true! (for some cars... I'm sure a Hummer would never worry about it, and so far, it doesn't sound like any tC's have had the bad luck of water damage but....)

I ruined TWO D-series Hondas due to "hydrolocking" although I guess you could just call it water damage. If there's isn't enough water to completely hydrolock the engine the water will still strain the connecting rods and weaken them. Eventually (1-2 weeks later) my connecting rod broke and flew through the side of the block both times.

The first time never stalled the engine at all even! There was a different sound coming from the engine after a significant puddle though and I feared something might've happened... but I just crossed my fingers hoping it would go away and wasn't serious. It was a light knocking sound that seemed to go away just before it blew apart 2 weeks of hard driving later.

The second time actually stalled the engine (an AEM bypass valve was installed) for 5 min. before enough water passed by the rings to let the engine turn over and pass the water through... same thing though, it started up and was fine for a week or two. That one blew up after running lean on VTEC for 5 min. at 130mph on the highway though. I'd pulled off the highway, and after stopping to make a right turn, just as I was revving to shift into 3rd the engine blew! Smoke everywhere and an oil slick on the road. It absolutely grenaded. Even then, it ran on three cylinders (and no oil) with a whole lotta racket for much longer than I thought possible. I had to drive the rest of the way home, and then drove it up on a dolly to tow it across the state to sell it for parts.

 

Can you hydrolock by washing your car? Maybe water will splash onto the air filter?

 

hell no - u have to suck up nothing but pure water......unless u put the hose in the intake and put it on high - dont worry.

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to the other guy:
So you were hearing sounds before the engine went bad? ...meaning the car clearly wasnt running right correct?

 

okay good. I was thinking of maybe spending $50 and getting the Bypass Valve.

 

I dont know - it is very possible to hydrolock but you have to hit A LOT OF WATER ..and that can happen within seconds at night. Other then that .... there is no problem with water. Nothing is going to happen unless you hit real bad luck. And bad luck has struck a few people.

 

One thing i have noticed with the intake on my tC is that a lot of water that hits my filter comes from air passing into the radiator...it wets the filter, but not soaking, just a "light mist". i was kinda concerned when i hit a decent size puddle that wet it down, but the engine doesn't sound any different or act any different. i just decided to order the pre-filter Injen has, supposed to help block water. WV gets hit with some big pop-up storms, so i figure better safe then sorry.


glad to hear not many have hydrolocked tC's

 

Friend of mine hydrolocked his with the CAi some days ago. He didn't have the Bypass Valve. No details from him only that it was a 3 inch puddle, which I highly doubt. I call BS on him, it is impossible to drown the tC on a 3 inch puddle and he has no suspension mods. I think he was just super careless and drown it in big puddle. Just to be better safe than sorry, I bought the AEM Bypass Valve on cardomain. $42 and didn't have to pay no S&H, cause it was free.

 

I think it will be a good idea to invest in the bypass valve...just to be safe.

 

link?

 

to what?

 

bypass valve

 

kay give me a sec.

 

http://search.cardomain.com/?query=bypass%20valve
You have to find which one you can use. It all depends on the diameter of your CAI pipe.
It seems the price went up a few bucks, but still under $50.