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Jim Grant's Tech Tips
How
to Start a Flooded Car Engine
Q: Would you explain what could be reasons for flooding of an engine
and how to start the car if flooding has occurred?...Lal Singh
A: So
we’re all on the same page; a flooded engine is an engine that has received
too much gas for the amount of oxygen available for combustion. When this
condition occurs the inside of the cylinders, as well as the spark plugs,
will become wet with gasoline. A cylinder wet with gas will result in
a reduction of cylinder compression, loss of lubrication to the piston
and rings and cause spark to the spark plug to be misdirected. Because
the large majority of engines on the road today are fuel injected we’ll
cover how to start them if flooded. The computer has a program in it that
is called the Clear Flood Mode. For the computer to activate the Clear
Flood Mode it needs to see information that is out of the norm. This abnormal
information is the sensor on the throttle reporting to the computer that
the throttle is being held wide open, along with a crank signal to the
starter. This combo of information causes the computer to respond by reducing,
and in some cases completely shutting off, the fuel injectors. This process
allows air only to enter the cylinder and dry out the abundance of gas.
As the correct balance of air and fuel return you will feel the engine
start to fire at which point the throttle can be released and the computer
will return to normal fuel delivery.
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