End of problems? Hard to say. I don’t really understand how salt affects the fuel system. It seems to me that salt wouldn’t dissolve in gasoline, so it would be like adding sand to the fuel tank. Sharp sand, silicon sand, since salt granules are hard and have sharp edges.
If that analogy is correct, the main damage salt would do is to clog the inlet screen of the pump and clog the fuel filter. If that’s the only damage, then simply cleaning the salt from the tank and replacing the fuel filter would bring things back to the pre-salt condition. Some other explanation – besides salt – would be needed for the damage to the fuel injector pintles you seem to have experienced.
Beyond that, the only other thing I could imagine is that the moving salt would act like a mini-sand blaster and could damage the protective linings on the inside of the fuel lines, the fuel pressure regulator, the pump, and all the fuel injectors. Maybe in fact that is what happened and explains your fuel injector damage. If the latter has occurred, then the only way to get your car back to the pre-salt condition would be to replace in addition to the above, all the fuel lines, the fuel pump, the injectors, and the fuel pressure regulator.
It’s non-polar, as opposed to water which is polar (which is the reason why gasoline makes a good cleaner for non-polar gunk that water can’t wash off).
Is there a mechanism in the fuel system that would pulverize the salt into a fine enough powder to make it through the fuel filter? Is this table salt or kosher salt or road salt?
Also, I couldn’t figure out what material the pintle or the chimney that houses the pintle is made from. I imagine that would have a huge effect on whether or not it is oxidized by the salt were it able to make it all the way to the injectors. However, were it to make it that far, wouldn’t the interior of the injector be bathed constantly in gasoline and the salt washed away rather quickly?
Could I ask “Jeepy” why she flagged my previous post as “trolling”?
I made a legitimate point–from which the OP has the potential to learn more about her car–namely that her Jeep, my Subaru, and–most likely–every gasoline-powered car that she sees on the road has a 4-stroke engine.
I held off on saying anything because people seemed to be working it out among themselves, and the thread seemed to settle down once Jeepy took her lumps for not being totally candid up front.
I removed the flags. I must say, @Jeepy, the folks you’ve flagged as trolls are quite the opposite. They have tried to assist you in good faith. They’re trying to help, and have hung around here a long time. Please reconsider using that flag when you simply don’t like what they’re saying. Thanks, and I hope you find the help you need.
Neither salt or sugar dissolves well in gasoline. Here’s what I would do, replace all the fuel lines, injectors, and clean the snot out of the fuel tank, and since you have the tank down replace the pump, that should take care of any problems.
I would also turn it over to your insurance company, along with any evidence you have and let them go after the other party.
@VDCdriver my sincere apology. I read it the wrong way. I felt like the comment was ridiculing my lack of knowledge/accurate description but I was also feeling upset at other comments at the time. Very sorry it sounds like I got it completely wrong. @cdaquila I don’t think the others were at all trying to be helpful. Thank you all so much that have had the great advice. I have broadened my horizons and learned so much from you.