# 97 Honda Odyssey loses power ONLY WHEN IT RAINS!

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/97-honda-odyssey-loses-power-only-when-it-rains/11882>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [March 16, 2008, 7:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/97-honda-odyssey-loses-power-only-when-it-rains/11882 "2008-03-16T19:04:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![odyssey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a6a055/32.png) [@odyssey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/odyssey)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2008, 7:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/97-honda-odyssey-loses-power-only-when-it-rains/11882/1 "2008-03-16T19:04:47Z")

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Living in Seattle this is a problem! After driving about 10 miles, either in heavy rain or just in a drizzle on wet streets, my car loses power but does not die and a huge cloud of white smoke comes out the tail pipe. Sounds like a head gasket problem but 2 mechanics have ruled this out. The spark plug wires have been replaced as has the oxygen sensor and rotar but the problem still occurs. Any ideas will be much appreciated!

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**Author:** ![hellokit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6a8cbe/32.png) [@hellokit](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hellokit)\
**Post date:** [March 17, 2008, 5:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/97-honda-odyssey-loses-power-only-when-it-rains/11882/2 "2008-03-17T17:18:08Z")

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A “hugh cloud of white smoke” can be vaporized, unburned, fuel. The fuel can be unburned when spark doesn’t occur. I would guess that the high humidity is allowing moisture to condense from the air onto ignition components. You could try a silicone spray, which repels water, on the distributor, ignition coil, and igniter.

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**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\
**Post date:** [March 17, 2008, 5:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/97-honda-odyssey-loses-power-only-when-it-rains/11882/3 "2008-03-17T17:26:04Z")

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When it’s NOT raining and the car is running correctly…get a spray bottle of water and start spraying electrical components…This should find it.

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**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\
**Post date:** [March 17, 2008, 5:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/97-honda-odyssey-loses-power-only-when-it-rains/11882/4 "2008-03-17T17:27:45Z")

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> You could try a silicone spray, which repels water, on the distributor, ignition coil, and igniter.

DO NOT DO THIS METHOD…it is very very dangerous…As a liquid the silicone is very flamable. My father-in-law was a hugh believer in this method until he caught is engine on fire. Luckly he only melted his distributor.