This morning I unavoidably drove my 1998 Honda Civic through a rather deep puddle. The check engine light came on and the car started sputtering as if it wanted to stall. The check engine light is now blinking. The car still starts and runs, but is still sputtering. Any ideas what may be wrong?
A sensor or two probably got soaked. The crankshaft position sensor would be my first guess.
You may want to let the car sit and dry out for a while before trying to drive it.
Please check your owner’s manual for advice about a blinking CEL. It will probably advise against driving.
I had the same problem with my 98 Civic after I drove it through Hurricane Irene in Miami several years ago. Let the car sit and dry for several days. It should drive fine after that and the CEL should go away. It could be the distributor cap that got wet.
After the car dries, check the exhaust manifold/catalytic converter. It might be cracked.
I too am going to go with a wet ignition.
It reminds me of the time my daughter tried to drive through a deep puddle on a dirt road in the woods with my old pickup…her friends told her the best way was to go as fast as possible. NOT!