HELP Nav broken down

[alexnav2395]

Hey guys. Yesterday i was 4wding. Saw a mud pit checkd how deep it was and it wasnt that deep but wen i went in i sank and and water came in the car and i got pulled out and and the car wouldnt start. After i dried out the engine and battery it started i continued the track and wen we left i went to the servo to pump the tyres up and the car wouldnt start.. No dash light nothing we couldnt even jump start it i then got towed home. Anyone know what it could be? At the moment theres not electrics at all. I suspect the battery is flat but im not sure

 

[Bvandermaat]

Check the charge on the battery and all the fuses. Is it a sealed battery?
Could be that the water has short circuited some and you are not getting power to the starter.

Make sure your air filter is dry and check that there is no water in your fuel as well.

 

[gadgets]

Did any water come into the cab?

 

[Old.Tony]

That's not good news at all, hopefully it won't stop you from enjoying some 4WDing.

Did you try jump starting it by connecting someone else's battery to your battery, or did you try connecting the negative of their battery to your engine block?

Take a look at where the negative from your battery joins on to the engine. That connection may not be 100%.

Also, there may be a fusible link on the battery positive terminal clamp that needs to be inspected.

 

[alexnav2395]

yes the cab filled up with water, just the drivers side up to the pedals i had RAC come look at it, they said its the starter motor.. hopefully thats the only problem

cheers for the help

 

[nathand22]

Your alternator may of packed it in, so by the time you got to the servo your battery was flat due to not getting any charge for the whole time you drove the track and the trip to the servo.

 

[gadgets]

Hope the computer is ok.

 

[alexnav2395]

anyone know a rough price for a starter motor and maybe alternator

 

[Old.Tony]

I think you could try Nizzbits (send him a PM on this forum) for genuine new parts, or Niss4x4.com.au for second-hand replacements.

However, I wouldn't jump at it. Your original post says that you didn't even have dash lights - that has nothing to do with the starter.

I'd be all over the electrical connections and fuses and relays before pulling out your wallet. Don't just look at them - extract each fuse and relay, wipe the blades with a cloth and return it to its place. Check the fusible links. Check the connection on the engine block.

If your dash lights don't come on when you've definitely got juice at the battery, there's something else wrong. You might have a busted starter - but your dash lights should come on regardless of the condition of the starter.

 

[alexnav2395]

the dash lights only flicker on and off really quick i dont know whats going on

 

[bods]

Do they flicker when you are trying to start it or just when you turn the key to on? If they are flickering when you try to start it then I'd suspect battery first, but if it wouldn't even jump start then your starter might be dead

 

[alexnav2395]

sometimes i go to start the car and its completely dead, other times it flickers and wont crank over at all.

 

[Old.Tony]

The ECU needs to have power in order to open injectors, manage the starter solenoid, run instrumentation ... if your supply is not there (bad battery or connection) then you'll see exactly what you're seeing.

It would seem that the fuses are intact but the electrical connection is intermittent. Definite first step is to check those electrical connections, extract and replace fuses/relays - you don't have to buy new ones, just let the friction as they are removed/inserted clean the contacts. Cost is zero + your time.

 

[alexnav2395]

Thanks a lot. Will do that straight after work

 

[alexnav2395]

Im not the best at this stuff, so all i have to do is open the fuse box in the engine bay and take out the fuses and put them back in?

 

[Old.Tony]

That's it. Relays too. Just lift them up and put them straight back in. Use a cloth to wipe the contacts clean if there's muck on them.

It's vital to check the black cable from the battery and make sure the connection to the engine block is okay. That's probably the one you NEED to do anyway, so give that a look-over first.

You'll know as soon as it works - leave the ignition on with someone watching the dash, and go for it.

 

[alexnav2395]

Ok, i checked all the fuses and relays. And washed the engine down. Now the elctrics stay on and work normally but wen i try start it it wont strt starter is deffinately fried

 

[Old.Tony]

That's good news. Now, when you DO replace the starter, it should all work!

Do you hear the solenoid clicking when you turn the key? If not, there might still be an issue somewhere. Connect another battery (jumper leads if necessary). Does that fix it?

 

[alexnav2395]

wen i turn the key all i hear is a flicking noise, im going to try jump it tomorrow morning
when i opened my intake i notice what looked like to be dry mud, but the filter was dry?

thanks alot for the help

 

[Old.Tony]

The filter box itself can have crap in it, as long as the filter element is fairly clean. I've got pics of mine in this thread - had a fair amount of gunk in it but my air filter appeared normal. That means it had a small amount of dry dirt and an assortment of bugs of various sizes but no water staining or mud.

In one of the pictures in that thread, you'll be able to follow the air path - it comes in through the middle, goes through a baffle below then rises to the base of the main chamber. This reduces the chance of fluid/muck from hitting the air filter.