[dhanushs]

whoaa!!.. I didn't know that starting this thread could give me so much gyaan. Many thanks to you guys for your valuable suggestions. I just wanted to evaluate the seriousness of the situation and now I have much more.

So now I guess, I DO NOT need to check for 'hydrolock' symptoms?. ie check the moving/reciprocating parts related to the piston for stress fatigue due to high temperature or modified compression pressure?.

So I can assume my engine is SAFE and just flush out the fuel tank/lines for any residual water and then carry on munching miles?..

[tj123]

Originally Posted by Sankar

Will not happen. Few cycles mean how long on the road? What you mean by water accumulates in the combustion chamber?? Water will not be in liquid form it will be as steam. What about exhaust stroke? Where does the steam go?

Know about water injection? Water is injected into the combustion chamber to prevent detonation.



Hydrolock occurs when there is too much of it, that part is correct. That much water never comes with fuel if you have water in the tank.

Water in fuel is bad for the engine, but not bad enough to make the engine self destruct or hydrolock.

I agree to Sankar’s point of view , fuel mixed with water will cause erratic burning of fuel resulting in Miss firing bing- bangs. A misfiring engine will expel water vapor in its exhaust cycle.
In an unlikely scenario if sufficient water is available at the air intake, the effect may create a positive feedback cycle, whereby water entering the engine retards the combustion and cools the chamber, preventing the water from being fully vaporized and expelled, which then allows more water to be retained on the next cycle, until hydrolock occurs. It is a possibility.

Diesel engines are more susceptible to hydrolock than petrol engines. Diesels have a much higher compression ratio than gasoline engines, requiring much less liquid to hydrolock.

In short Hydrolock can happen if any liquid find its way inside the cylinder , it can be a head gasket failure, which may allow the radiator coolant to leak into the combustion chamber. Fuel entering one or more cylinders in liquid form due to carburetor flooding. Diesel Engine are more susceptible hence there is a water filter /alarm system provided.

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by deutscheafrikar

Because Water gets into diesel fuel storage and vehicle tanks in several ways – by condensation of humid air, during transportation from refineries to service stations, by leakage through faulty fill pipes or vents and by careless handling.

I see that part. But it should be the same for petrol too, right ? That was my doubt.

[paras211]

probably you've got self a free engine de-carb . The damage if any would be similar to knocking or pinging .

[bblost]

If water in fuel causes mis firing.
Then won't the unburnt fuel reach the hot catalytic converter and destroy it.

[pramodkumar]

As far as i remember soda has corrosive properties, wont that corrode the engine block and the tank, but only if the wanter enters in the block and stays there but i guess that is not the case here, since the car is running it will eventuially evoprote, water is heavier than petrol, it will sink in the tank, and it is safe you you dont drive your car till the last drop of petrol and nothing major could happen, But its always better to remove the tank and drain it completely to prevent further damage.


Pramod

[dr.faramroze]

How does it decarb the engine?

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by dr.faramroze

How does it decarb the engine?

Yeah, I was going to ask that question. "How does it decarb the engine?" .

And as for my car, I just got it checked from a trusted Maruthi service center near my place(he happens to be a friend of mine) and they found the car perfectly fine, with no problems at all.

However the ironic thing is, today when checked my car's mileage, (tank to tank) it gave me about 15.57kmpl, in 50%city conditions(1-2-3 gears), 50%highway for a distance of 110kms.(I usually get 14 in those roads/conditions) That is pretty coooolllll!!!..

I guess I need to SODA'ise my engine once in a while.. Just kidding..

[clevermax]

Originally Posted by bblost

If water in fuel causes mis firing.
Then won't the unburnt fuel reach the hot catalytic converter and destroy it.

If it reaches, then Cat. Con. is gone! It is mentioned in my car's manual that the car should not be bump started - the reason being, unburnt fuel may reach Cat.Con. and permanently destroy it.

[paras211]

water causes an explosion , causing the carbon to dislodge , this is a slightly crude technique and can cause damage

[sgiitk]

I beg to disagree. Water and Diesel are miscible, while petrol and water are not.

Diesel often has a water content. This is why heavy farm equipment, heavy trucks etc. have elaborate filters for water filtration. If you see no ill effects then try and burn off the bulk of the fuel, then tank up, and put a good additive, and you should be Ok.

[drpullockaran]

Originally Posted by paras211

water causes an explosion , causing the carbon to dislodge , this is a slightly crude technique and can cause damage

Water can only evaporate to another state and probably super heated steam. Water by itself has no latent energy unless you intend to use the equation E=MCsquared. Our science has not advanced enough to split water and obtain energy from it. I am not talking about splitting using electrolysis here.

The explosion of petrol mixture being ignited in the cylinder is far more destructive than the evaporative/explosive effect of water when it comes into contact with hot metal.

Now for some fun reading to the contrary.
Can Microwaved Water Explode? [p. 2]

Exploding Water in the Microwave at Steve Spangler Science

[DJANGO]

Naughty, naughty. You KNOW soda went into the tank. You should have done a tank flush stat. By driving the car as it is, you continue to take a huge risk, lowering the octane value, lowering the engine power on tap to you, and last but not the least, looking at a possible hefty engine repair bill. Take no chances, pal, do the complete fuel line flush immediately. Remember, your family is dependent on you, so dont try and wiggle out of it. In for a penny, in for a pound. Get it done.

[GoldenParadox]

OK, let's not badger the guy with "you should have flushed before you even started up" lines any more ... I think he knows it well enough now, and all of us do too.



sgiitk made a very valuable point. Diesel and water are indeed miscible, and that explains the filters in diesel vehicles.

1. The arresting line being dissected in this thread is, does water in the engine, other than in flood-type-scenario quantities, cause enough damage to make us sit up and take notice?
2. Is it true that the water will, in small quantities, simply mix with the fuel and be ejected with the exhaust stroke? In such case, until the water is all gone, we might feel some hick-hick from the motor, and that's all?!?
3. Will carbonated water react with the fuel in any way?
4. Also, why did his mileage increase???

[dhanushs]

Update:

Today the strangest thing happened to me and it is that my car traversed 238kms on 13.72 liters of petrol, 80% A/C on and in that about 40kms in Calicut city traffic(1&2 gears). 17.3kmpl fuel efficiency. Now is that explainable?