I know it was a dumb thing to do. I didnt wash it out for very long at all, I just wanted to get rid of the dirt/dust because it has not been cleaned and we just had some snow that I drove in. After I finished washing the car I just got clicking noises from the starter. the battery seems to be fine, and it is only a year old. everything works in the car, radio, gauges, windows. The clicking from the starter seems to be working well, the clicks are loud. the engine just wont turn over. did i short something out? is it something unrelated to water? could it be a bad starter?

 

Let it dry out for a day - maybe blow a fan on it. If you are in warm Hawaii that should help.

I just dust off my engines with a rag - too much electronics in these new cars that don't like to be wet.

 

There are 3 places you don't want to blast water into in the MINI engine bay. The ECU, the Alternator, and the Engine Intake. The stock intake is inside a sealed box, so chances of getting water here are slim.

If you don't know where these parts are, then you shouldn't be blasting the engine bay with high pressure. Next time, use a bucket and a brush on a cool engine.

As has been recommended, let everything dry and test it again later.

Richard

 

Someone correct me here, but washing a stock engine it's a matter of PSI, correct?

Washing an engine with a stream of water (garden hose with no fitting) is generally safe, but using something like a car wash wand is not because of the extreme water pressure.

 

The higher the pressure, the more potential of forcing water into places that shouldn't be wet. A garden hose with no fitting pouring water into the copper windings of the alternator isn't a good idea. Neither is flooding the ECU. Neither is blasting a hot engine with cold water. If it's electrical, keep water away.

 

Iinstead of using high pressure washer for stubborn gunk built up, it's best to first spray those areas with a can of engine degreaser then rinse with regular garden hose. A nozzle on the end of a hose is ok, just don't spray where Octane already mentioned. MINI shops do it that way all the time.....

 

i do have a CAI and i made sure not to spray that. it was basically a wash off and not high pressure shooting. I still should not have done it, I realize that now. never again. has anyone ever had this problem, or heard of something similar? in the morning i am going to push start it. I did not have the man power today. updates to come. any other ideas for the future if it does not start would be welcome. thanks guys.

 

if you plan to make a habit of cleaning the engine

invest in a small steam cleaner

you can find 'em for around a hundred bucks

I clean the engine in my 79 twice a year with steam and never have a problem. I've used it occasionally on newer cars including MINI with no problem.

Steam cuts grease and gunk fast and no worries about where water is going .... welll WAY less than a hose or a pressure washer anyway . . .


http://www.google.com/products/catal...ed=0CGMQ8wIwBQ#

 

My guess is that you soaked your ECU. Pretty costly to replace, if that's the problem, and not under warranty.

My reasoning is that I had a detailer soak mine, after he assured me of his ability to do it right. Had to have the car towed to MINI, new ECU for my '07 MCS was $1,500.00.

Good luck, I hope I'm wrong..

 

so here is an update. I waited for a friend to come over to push the car so I can pop the clutch. It started up on the first try!! drove around the block, parked it in the garage and let it idle as it warmed up for a few minutes. Turned the car off and immediately started it again. It cranked right up. talked to my friend for about an hour and a half, as he left I got in the car to start it up and it would not start same symptoms. I took the year old gel battery to get it checked out and it was a little off but not enough to cause my problems. they are currently doing an overnight trickle charge just to make sure. Is it the starter, or could this be a rouge wire/fuse burned out? or the dreaded ECU all together? would the car still work if the ECU was damaged? probably not right?

 

Just to get this correct, the engine isn't turning over at all? And there is no whirring sound, that the starter is spinning, but not engaging the flywheel?

Car starts OK if pushed?

IMHO, the starter has a "dead" spot, and needs to be rebuilt or replaced.

 

Dude - Drive it around the island for a good long time and get it hot so it can dry out.

 

got the battery back plugged it in, and it cranked up. I just finished driving the wheels off for an hour or so getting the engine as hot as I can. I will continue to test start the car in longer and longer intervals. The guy at autozone told me it is possible to have a parasitic battery drain from something that shorted out from the water splash. I will have to just keep a close eye on it from here on out.

also a little FIY I no longer live in Hawaii, I am in TEXAS now. time to update the profile i guess.

 

It sounds like a connection problem and you may have fixed it when you put the battery back in. If not chase down your hot lead going to your starter and your major ground leads.

I've used pressure to wash modern engines for quite awhile without negative consequences. Be cognisant of where your major electrical components are and don't hit them with high pressure (It's OK to get them wet). Don't get the nozzle to close to anything for that matter. If you are trying to remove anything other than dust and dirt use steam or degreaser as others have suggested.

gary

 

...Glad to hear that the problem has been solved/fixed.

My suggestion and something I've been doing for years on all my cars, -avoid water in the engine bay instead invest in an air compressor (they can be had for under $100 from Harbor Freight) ...and blast your engine bay w/ air after every few drives. The air will remove most loose dirt, leaves and anything else that gets caught in the engine bay. Then use a lightly damp micro fiber cloth and wipe down everything you can. I even use a little Aerospace spray on cloth and wipe all the hoses, etc... -Just be sure you don't use that micro-fiber cloth you used on your engine for anything else ...in fact I throw mine away after every couple uses. the micro fiber towels are cheap.

...no more water on your engine!

 

thanks man, will do next time for sure. I have learned my lesson.

 

so the saga is over......it appears the battery is fine and the engine bay just needed to dry out. I have tested my start ups in the car several times today and it has cranked over flawlessly. my next test is a full 12 hours without starting up. i am thinking at this point there is no more problems. and oh yeah, I just bought an air compressor to clean the engine bay. thanks for all the help and suggestions guys it really saved my sanity. MOTOR ON!