What to do if water gets in the Motorcycle Engine?
Urban flooding in the Moonson season is a common sight in Pakistan. In megacities, urban flooding is a serious problem. Recently many cities of Lahore, Karachi, and Other major cities were flooded. In the lower areas, the water level was even higher and many people had drowned their motorcycles in rainwater. What to do if water gets in the motorcycle engine? Here is what you should do.
If unfortunately your motorcycle gets submerged in water, do not start the engine at all. If you start the engine, chances are that its electrical system may get damaged. It could also short-circuit and catch fire. Water does not compress inside the combustion chamber and it can damage the engine internals.
The second step is to dismantle the motorcycle by removing its exhaust and clearing it, Due to the shape of the exhaust water is likely to get trapped inside and cause rust. Cleaning the exhaust is a better option as compared to getting it replaced later. Next is to clean or replace the spark plug, The best thing is to replace the spark plug as compared to reuse it. Since the purpose of the spark plug is to burn air and fuel mixture, replacing it is a better option.
The fuel tanks of flooded motorcycles are shot and rusty. Water gets inside them and mixes with fuel. As they do not dissolve, it creates issues in burning and creates rust. The fuel tank of a flooded motorcycle needs to be cleaned and dried. Then rust should be removed and reinstalled. All the fluids (oils) need to be changed. Water and oil do not mix together at all. Replacing the contaminated engine oil and gear oil is the only solution. One should drain the engine oil and pour fresh new engine oil
The chances of electrical parts and battery working are slim, the battery needs to be replaced while electrical parts may work once dried. Some electrical items like ignition coils and rectifiers need to be replaced.
