# May have messed up my car.. rather scared now.. **URL:** \ **Category:** SON240sx Automotive\ **Created:** [June 25, 2005, 10:06pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/may-have-messed-up-my-car-rather-scared-now/86722 "2005-06-25T22:06:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Solarian](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/solarian/32/5514_2.png) [@Solarian](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Solarian)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 10:06pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/may-have-messed-up-my-car-rather-scared-now/86722/1 "2005-06-25T22:06:06Z")
So I decided to clean my engine bay as per [240sx.org](http://240sx.org), I used Simple Green degreaser & a garden hose and I got some pretty good results (considering that I didn’t scrub anything with a brush). Then I turned the car on, let it run for a bit like they said… all was good. Then I gave her like a good 3 hours or so and I drove to my friend’s house… all was good. Then at about… NOW, when I got back into it to drive home… I dunno, she started up normally, I gave her some time so the idle dropped down, and the car started shaking… a lot. I popped the hood to check it out… engine was… shaking. Turned it off, gave her some time, turned it back on. Saaame thing… At this point I’m thinking it’s better to take her home anyway than just leave her at my friend’s house. So I’m driving home, and the car shakes in first, till about 2500 rpms then she’s 100% back to normal… I shift, shakes some more, until 3000rpms, normals out, shakes one more time, then normals out again. Seemed normal in 4th. Since my friend lives in my subdivision, I never really got to take her past 50km/h (not even sure if it was safe the way she was) Now I’m worried… and I’m hoping that come tommorow, all the water will have dried out and all will be good. Now another thing they said is that shit often happens when you spray water in the engine bay of an older car… Oh! one more thing, my alarm, now makes a very different sound when I turn it on or off, I’m thinking the speaker is full of water or something, but I hope it’s not deeper electrical problems. Oh poo… Really frustrated right now. I did seal up the intake with a plastic bag before cleaning… didn’t really take any other steps, as I didn’t see anything listed… sigh… I’m so never doing anything unsupervised anymore. /endrant ---
**Author:** ![spd-dmn](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/spd-dmn/32/5513_2.png) [@spd-dmn](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/spd-dmn)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 10:10pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/may-have-messed-up-my-car-rather-scared-now/86722/2 "2005-06-25T22:10:13Z")
Did you disconnect the battery when doing this? Make sure your battery cables and grounds are secure, clean, and dry. ---
**Author:** ![Original\_Nutta](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/original_nutta/32/5474_2.png) [@Original\_Nutta](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Original_Nutta)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 10:45pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/may-have-messed-up-my-car-rather-scared-now/86722/3 "2005-06-25T22:45:11Z")
Spark plugs wet? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/uploads/speedlife/original/2X/b/b7170c8eddc0b95ece6b88172b2f416a08489a45.png) [@system](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 10:48pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/may-have-messed-up-my-car-rather-scared-now/86722/4 "2005-06-25T22:48:27Z")
take out your spark plugs & let them sit in a dry area for a couple hours (along with the car) & try again… Happened to my moms van a couple of times… ---
**Author:** ![Sasha\_SG](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/sasha_sg/32/5477_2.png) [@Sasha\_SG](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Sasha_SG)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 10:50pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/may-have-messed-up-my-car-rather-scared-now/86722/5 "2005-06-25T22:50:12Z")
you have fuel right ---
**Author:** ![Xgenturbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/dc4da7/32.png) [@Xgenturbo](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Xgenturbo)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 11:02pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/may-have-messed-up-my-car-rather-scared-now/86722/6 "2005-06-25T23:02:49Z")
You refer to your car as a female, this is your main problem its not working 😛 J/K…It happened to pretty much every car i’ve owned after washing the engine bays, its just that drop of water that manages to get in to that one place where it dosnt belong, chances are its in your spark plug wire, take out the wires, plugs let dry and it will be all back to normal. ---
**Author:** ![brocoli](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/brocoli/32/5518_2.png) [@brocoli](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/brocoli)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 6:50am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/may-have-messed-up-my-car-rather-scared-now/86722/7 "2005-06-26T06:50:34Z")
yeah there right about the spark plugs, and take off the distributor cap and if you have a air compressor blow that out if not just let it dry or use a hair dryer. next time just put plastic shopping bags around hte dis. cap, your alarm, etc etc well thats what i do and it seems to work ---
**Author:** ![Solarian](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/solarian/32/5514_2.png) [@Solarian](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Solarian)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 7:03am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/may-have-messed-up-my-car-rather-scared-now/86722/8 "2005-06-26T07:03:09Z")
Okay, things are still buggered atm, but atleast I’m glad to know it’s something fairly normal. I’m gonna head over to crappy tire and pick up a tool for changing the plugs and some new plugs (she needed new plugs anyway) NGK V-Power BKR5E? Or…? ---
**Author:** ![Gonad](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/gonad/32/5481_2.png) [@Gonad](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Gonad)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 7:35am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/may-have-messed-up-my-car-rather-scared-now/86722/9 "2005-06-26T07:35:28Z")
So how exactly did you use the degreaser to clean your motor? And did you hose down your entire motor with water? As much as some people do that, its’ something I will never do. Water + electricals just doesn’t mix and I don’t care if all the stuff is insulated. ---
**Author:** ![Titan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Titan](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Titan)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 7:39am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/may-have-messed-up-my-car-rather-scared-now/86722/10 "2005-06-26T07:39:08Z")
The shake is probably from your motor running on 3 cylinders due to one plug not firing. First step, change your plugs as you are already doing. ---
**Author:** ![KoukiS14](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/koukis14/32/5522_2.png) [@KoukiS14](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/KoukiS14)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 7:41am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/may-have-messed-up-my-car-rather-scared-now/86722/11 "2005-06-26T07:41:51Z")
Make sure to check your Cam Angle Sensor. It could be filled with water and malfunctioning. ---
**Author:** ![brocoli](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/brocoli/32/5518_2.png) [@brocoli](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/brocoli)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 8:19am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/may-have-messed-up-my-car-rather-scared-now/86722/12 "2005-06-26T08:19:49Z")
yo dont buy them lol come buy here and ill let you use mine haha ---
**Author:** ![Solarian](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/solarian/32/5514_2.png) [@Solarian](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Solarian)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 8:47am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/may-have-messed-up-my-car-rather-scared-now/86722/13 "2005-06-26T08:47:31Z")
Okay, I have a spare set of plugs from my celica… They are brand new, but I can’t seem to figure out if they match. They are Denso Q16R-U 11, the plugs I removed from my car are NGK BKR5E 11. Is there a place where I can check compatibility? The gap seems correct, but I don’t know about the heat range. Oh, and Titan, I think you’re right, b/c when I took the wires off the plugs, one plug hole was full of water, the others were fine. I soaked all the water out and blowdried it all before I removed the plugs. Now I’m just trying to figure out if the ones I have lying around are compatible. Edit: nvm… they dont. ---
**Author:** ![Hector](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/43a26b/32.png) [@Hector](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Hector)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 10:30am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/may-have-messed-up-my-car-rather-scared-now/86722/14 "2005-06-26T10:30:40Z")
what i usually do after ive shampooed my engine bay, after washing let it dry for like 20 min in the hot sun, then spray abs sensor safe brake cleaner everywhere like all the sensors , connections, and wires, it displaces water and dries up instantly , works everytime ---
**Author:** ![Solarian](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/solarian/32/5514_2.png) [@Solarian](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Solarian)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 12:06pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/may-have-messed-up-my-car-rather-scared-now/86722/15 "2005-06-26T12:06:10Z")
Thanks, will be sure to buy some of that and use it next time! 4 BKR5E 11’s later, and a new O2 sensor (mine was blown a while ago, finally got around to it), she runs like a charm, maybe even ballsier than before, or it’s just my imagination. Thx a lot everyone, you were very helpful thru all this, I woulda had no clue what to do on my own ☹ ---
**Author:** ![DTS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8491ac/32.png) [@DTS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/DTS)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 12:56pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/may-have-messed-up-my-car-rather-scared-now/86722/16 "2005-06-26T12:56:29Z")
ya this happend on my ka theres water in your plug wires just take the plugwires off and let them sit overnight and blew the water out