Hydrolock!

[Jeffrey Backes]

I dipped the nose into a stream this weekend and hydrolocked the motor.



The dealer wants $3800 for the motor and $2200 for other parts and labor.



Does this sound "in line" :unsure:

 

[Teddy GreeneII]

buy the motor on ebay for 999.00 almost brand new, pay them to install.

 

[mike oyler]

I would think you could find a rebuilt motor allot cheaper than that. Check with your local auto parts stores for a remanufactured motor. Those prices seem really high.



Mike 0

 

[Teddy GreeneII]

In case you're lookin'

 

[Richard L]

It is possible to drain the water out of the engine, change the oil, dry out the ignition and the engine will come back to life like nothing happened. As long as you have not bent rods or valves, etc the engine can be revived.



...Rich

 

[Ron Duckworth]

I had a Ford Taurus where the engine got completely submerged. After a week of drying out, the shop I took it to changed the oil, filters and plugs and it fired right up. Drove it a whole 2 more years.



Did water get sucked up the tailpipe? If that happen, then that's a whole different problem.



Ron

 

[Jeffrey Backes]

They removed the spark plugs, blew everything out and did get the motor to start. Very loud banning makes them think at least one rod is bent.



The truck is stuck about 300 miles north in Fortuna CA. So I'd have to tow it back down to the Bay area to work on it myself.



I have looked on the net and the best I can get a factory rebuilt engine with 5 year 100,000 mile warranty is $2716 with a $600 deposit. Then there is shipping and stuff so $3200 doesn't seem too out of line.



Also this current motor has 95,000 miles on it. The rest of the truck is in very good shape, perhaps I'll offer to trade for a 2005 if they have one.



Too bad, execpt for this, the truck has never been in the shop.



Also I called my insurance agent, perhaps some part of this is covered by my comprehensive policy... Probably not, I doubt they cover just plain being stupid...



jeff

 

[Ron Duckworth]

Insurance will cover if you drove off the road while dodging that Big Deer that was in the way.



Ron

 

[Jeff C]

...or swerved to miss the kid that was on his bike and came out of nowhere.

 

[Kevin Palmer]

Just did a search of our inventory.



Found hundreds of motors. Range in price from $350.00 to $2000.00



Average was 700 ish with 30,000 to 32,000 miles.



If you find you need one and feel I can help you drop me a line..

 

[Mike Wilson]

DO NOT try to salvage that motor! Water is non-compressible, and non-forgiveable

when it gets sucked into a motor. If you didn't completely submerge your trac,

a rebuilt, salvage, or other motor will be your best bet. NEW motors, and the labor

to install them are very expensive. The old days of getting a good rebuilt small-

block Chevy 350 or Ford 302/351 for $800 and having it installed for $2-$300

dollars have gone the way of .99 cent a gallon gas!!! And don't feel too bad,

my cousin did the same thing down here in Tennessee in a 2001 Grand Cherokee

and the dealer told him $6200 for a factory motor and $2150 labor plus this and

that miscalleneous stuff. He found a local shop that got him a 12 mo./12,000

mile warranty motor from a local salvage yard and installed it, all stuff (anti-freeze,

oil, plugs, etc... for $3,800.

 

[Rick Kent]

Your policy may cover this. Depending on the wording of your policy it may be comprehensive or collision.



Collision may apply because you drove into/collided with the water.



If you opt for a new/crate engine they will depreciate it. If you get a low mileage used one there should be no depreciation.

 

[mookie]

FKent,



Could you clarify what you mean about the depreciation?



Are you talking about the value of the vehicle? If so, why would a new motor depreciate and a used one not?



Maybe I'm just being dense first thing in the morning... .

 

[Mike Wilson]

Depreciation only applies if insurance will cover this occurence, which I can almost

guarantee that it will not (sorry). Same as if you had a tire fail while under the

tire manufacturer's warranty. They would measure your tread depth, mileage on the

vehicle and then "depreciate" what they would pay vs. your cost of a new tire:

50,000 mile tire, $125.00 brand new cost;

25,000 miles on the tire, failure caused by a manufactures defect;

You got 25,000 miles out of that tire before it failed, therefore;

We (tire manufacturer) only owe you another 25,000 miles worth of tire life;

$125.00 brand new, - 50% of tire life left under our warranty = $62.50

they feel they owe you.



Sorry to go too far off on the tire thing, but I just wanted to give you a real-world

example of depreciation.



If you nose-dived it into a puddle of water (sorry, again ,but I think that is what

the insurance adjuster is going to think), That is going to be deemed your fault.



I use to do insurance-related claims and appraisals in Michigan, mainly for

antique and collector cars, to get an insurance policy for the owners, but I have

still had plenty of experience with various insurance companies and adjusters.

Again, might be the same thing (only different) for some of our trac owners who

modify their tracs and take them to the drag strip, and then get in a wreck in the

1/4 mile. You were using your primarily street-driven vehicle for a purpose other

than which the policy was written for, therefore they do not have to pay any

portion of the claim. Read your "Disclaimer and Release of Liability" portion of the

fine print in your insurance policy. Hope this helps.:unsure:

 

[Rick Kent]

Tracnblack has the depreciation idea correct.



In the insurance industry if you were to replace a "used part", the motor that is subject to normal wear and tear, with a new part you will have benefited from the transaction.



The stated purpose of insurance is to indemnify- return you to the same position before the loss occured.



If you replace your "used" motor with a "used" motor the argument is that you have been placed in the same position.



As for this being a covered loss, I work in the industry, directly involved in the automobile claim process. A policholder's "stupidity" is not a valid reason under first party coverages to deny a claim. As long as this was accidental in nature, meaning you did not drive into the water with the intention of locking the engine or flooding the vehicle, this should be a covered loss.



Unless there is a specific exclusion for this type of loss under your physical damage portion of the policy you should be ok. Call your agent or company and report the claim. The worst case scenario is you suffer a deductible and your rates go up.



Your rates will go up far less than the cost to remove and replace a motor.



The question remains is it comprehensive "everything but collision" or collision "collided with the water"

 

[Mike Wilson]

FKent...As I have read many accident reports where the claimant stated something

to the effect that "I was driving down the road, and the telephone pole swerved

out in front of me for no apparent reason". This, again, seems to be the same

excuse, or reason, that jg may have, or might give his insurance agent or claims

adjuster, for turning in a claim on his policy. It is going to depend on, very carefully,

how he words his claim, and how his policy is written.



The telephone pole does not move, nor swerve out in front of you;

HE collided with the water, the water did not collide with him...

And I hope you can follow me from there;

Intentional Misuse and/or Neglect:

Use of a vehicle for which the policy was not originally written or drafted;

(I.E., primarily street-driven vehicle, for which the policy was written, being

used in an off-road capacity(same thing as far as some policies go, as using

the vehicle in the capacity of a fleet or taxi service!), etc...



All said, I guess it couldn't hurt to call his agent and ask him/her specifics about his

policy related to this occurence, without actually filing a claim. Worse that could

happen is that he could be told no.

I hope all turns out O.K. ...Sorry for being the Party-Pooper!

Tracnblack...

 

[Jeffrey Backes]

Thought I'd give a progress report...



Well, the good news is that they do cover just plain being stupid



So the truck is going to get what State Farm calls a "recycled engine". From what I understand, it will be a like engine out a another truck that's been totalled. Hope this works out.



I should have it back in a week or two, I'll keep you posted.



jeff

 

[Jeffrey Backes]

Collision, 250 deductable.

 

[Tom Schindler]

If you hit it, it is collision. If it hits you, it is comprehensive. If you dodge a child and put the vehicle into a water filled ditch, it is a collision.



If you are sitting and a traffic light and a tanker truck next to you splits open and floods the vehicle and water gets sucked into the intake, that should be covered under comprehensive.





Tom

 

[Jeffrey Backes]

Well, I got my Sport Trac back today. The engine itself looks brand new (it has 52,000 miles on it), and it drives great. It's sure nice to report good news. Gee, the very first time my TC goes into the stop, at 92,000 miles, it gets a new engine!