I have a 2001 Hyundai XG300 and it has been having a problem lately that we are unsure how to fix. Whenever it hits water, the car stalls out and then will start back up in 10 minutes or so. We had a garage quickly look at it and they said the wiring for the electrical system looked fine. They were not able to pinpoint a problem and told us it may be too involved to be worth fixing. We are not sure if we need to get a new car or if there is anyone who may be able to suggest another possibility. I know I am out on a limb here, but we are hoping someone might have an idea as to what might be triggering this problem. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks for your time and consideration.
Sally
told us it may be too involved to be worth fixing.
What kind of a shop told you that? Don’t go there again - even if it is to ask directions.
It is possible that there is something really strange and serious going on there, but in general this is normally an incredibly simple thing to figure out and fix. Some important part of the electrical system has a problem when it gets wet. I could give my 12 year old a spray bottle of water and 2 minutes of instruction and he could figure this out. (Ok - maybe a slight exaggeration, but only slight).
Find a new shop. This is not a car killing problem.
When is the last time the spark plug wires were replaced? Has anyone ever cleaned and/or checked electrical connections - especially grounds - for the battery/charging system?
The crank shaft position sensor can cause exactly the problem you describe if it gets wet.
Is the splash shield under the front bumper missing? This often allows water to get where it shouldn’t.
This sounds like a problem with a simple solution to me, not a reason to abandon the car. I suggest you get a second opinion from a different mechanic.
I agree with mcparadise. Also I think there may be some issues with the crank position sensor cracking allowing moisture to get in it. This exact same thing happened to someone I know who owns a Hyundai Sonata.
Why can’t the crank sensor sense the revolutions of the crankshaft simply because it is wet? This is magnetisim (in a sense) it is using. Magnetisim is not distorted by water and cars are designed to run wet.
When GM used that distributor located in front of the engine(below the water pump)their were issues involving water,but generally you keep the water out of the exaust and out of the intake it goes.
I believe that the idea is that the wiring is being affected - not the magnet. Thus it is the signal to & from ECU that is going wrong.