Technical > Automotive > Wet air filter?

reply to mattmag

Re: Wet air filter?

avoid pulling the trigger near panel gaps

I went to an automated one that they put you on the conveyor belt.

I sometimes wash my own, mostly in the summer.

reply to fartness


Where does the air supply originate? Could you post some pics of the air path?

Truck is in the shop right now for brake issues, it originates below the passenger side headlamp but above the bumper. Shop checked everything out and said the system is fine, and there isn't a reason water should have gotten in.

It will rain this week, so I'll see if it's wet. I'll then throw in the old filter and get a car wash if it wasn't wet, and see if the wash makes it wet.

Was there water in the bottom of the air box? If so, clean the air box out carefully, I believe there should be a small drain hole in the bottom. It may be plugged.
I have an 08 ranger 4.0 and the air box setup sounds identical. Last summer when I changed the air filter I found the air box packed with seeds. I cleaned the stash out and installed a squirrel proof 1cm mesh at the inlet.

Edit: I just went out and had a look, there is a drain hole about a cm from the corner nearest the engine and driver. It's about 3 mm. Any water that gets in should run out there before it becomes a problem.

I had no water in the box.

Was the truck running as you went through the automatic wash?

Yes, should I have turned it off? It's a conveyor belt and they tell you to put the vehicle in neutral.

That's about the only explanation left, is that the truck was running and the airflow was sufficient to pull the water spray in along with it. Just depending on how that particular car wash is set up; where the spray concentrates, how your truck was positioned and on and on, many variables in place there. It may not even happen the next time you go, but I'd say to be safe shut it off.

Somewhat OT: Mattmag: in your experience, have you ever run across a car (well, motor) that has hydrolocked from a car wash?

I guess I could go ask-Autec build car washes in the next building over. You see them loading them on flatbed trucks. They filmed a how its made their one time using their beta test wash they have in front of the plant.

Never one that locked, but a few that died and would not start without some hands-on intervention. Mind you, this was in the day of distributor caps, points and rotors, which most people after hearing such words simply give me a blank stare....

There were a few in the electronic ignition era as well, but most of those generally revealed some shortcoming in the system, like a bad plug wire that would cause a temporary misfire until the engine dried.