someone help please
 

this could take awhile....ok, i was washing my car yesterday and getting it all squeaky clean, im not very mechanical or anything and my svx is my first car but i do know when something is not good. i was planning on moving my car to the shade and using my wipers to wipe off the excess water and when i turned my car on the "check engine" light came on and the car wasnt running the same as normal, when i tried to use the wipers (both rear and front) they didnt move at all. i was wondering if anyone has had a similar problem or knows what i should do. the "check engine" light doesnt stay on all the time it flickers on and off

-pete

Were you spraying down the engine bay at all? It may just need some time to dry out (best case)...

Have you used the wipers prior to this? They worked fine and all?

hmm...
 

thats exactly what a tech said at my local dealership, he said to let it run for awhile and it should dry itself out. how long do you think this will take? and about the wipers, they worked fine before all this happened

Hi Pete,

i have washed off my engine several times with a hose and I have had no problems. The check engine light has not come on.

I have not sprayed directly on electric connections. Mainly the injectors, coils, and ignition wires. I also avoid the altenator. After I spray the engine to wash off the winter road salt I blow it off a shop vac. An air compressor would be better or a leaf blower but I do not own one. I usually do this on a low humidity day and then let the car dry for about a half hour before starting.

I also own a 91 Legacy (167k) and a 97 OBS (154k), both are the 2.2 engine. Cont'd later.......

>>>>>>It is later.
Recently I washed of a Legacy 2.2 liter. The water got down inside the spark plugs holes and shorted out the spark. The spark plug hole is up on top of the engine block at a 45 deg angle so the water wil sit in the spark plug recess. ( not like the SVX which is on the end.) The engine did not start and I flooded the engine. I had to pull the plugs and crank the ngine a few times to dry out the gas.

You may have the same problem if you washed the engine on the svx. An electric connection may be wet.

Can you blow it off? Leaf blower? Then let it sit for a day and see if starts.

Washing off the aluminum engine is a good idea if drive on salted roads in the winter.

I have seen a few used Subaru's with a lot of salt corossion as compared to my engines. Just be careful when you wash.:)

Try using a hair dryer to the electricals under the hood.


Larry III