How To Start Your Car if the Engine Floods
Have you ever experienced that, after turning on and off the car engine for a short period of time, your car is unable to start? If that sounds familiar, then probably your engine was flooded. This happens when there’s too much gas and not enough oxygen in the engine, causing the spark plugs to get wet and making it difficult to ignite the fuel.
This is one of the most common problems for carbureted cars. It will typically occur when you hit the gas too hard or pump the accelerator too much when starting your car. It rarely happens with modern, fuel-injected vehicles if the temperatures are normal. However, problems can arise in cold weather, when more fuel is injected to start the car. Do you want to learn the best to start your car if the engine floods? Keep reading and you will find out.
Read more: How To Find the VIN Number in Your Mercedes-Benz, BMW or Lexus
How To Identify A Flooded Engine?
- You don’t hear the engine starting to turn over
- You notice a strong smell of fuel or gas
- There’s dark smoke coming from the exhaust system
- The engine spins very fast and doesn’t sound normal at all
How Do You Start A Flooded Engine?
When trying to start a flooded engine, the end goal is to re-establish the fuel-air balance in your vehicle. To do so, simply open the hood of the car and let the excess of fuel evaporate. After waiting for some minutes, try starting your car again, keeping your foot away from the gas pedal.
Another thing you can try to make this happen, is to hold the gas pedal to the floor and repeatedly attempt to restart the engine, without bumping the gas pedal. This method will open the throttle, allowing more air into the engine to balance out the excess fuel. Once the car starts, release the gas pedal and let it run for a few minutes.
In case this doesn’t work you might need to check the spark plugs, as the excessive fuel might have soaked them. You will need to take them out, clean them and leave them out to dry.
Read more: How To Change the Oil in Your Mercedes-Benz
Following these simple steps might help bring the engine back to life. But if these don’t work, it may be time to leave the job to the experts or start your search for a new vehicle. If you are in the Dallas area, stop by Autos of Dallas to shop our showroom.
