Help! Rain killed my scoot!

roblinx · Post by **roblinx** » Thu Jun 15, 2017 3:09 pm

Hi,

Big rain here in Chicago last night caught me a little off guard. The water built up in the street to the point where I was going through 3-inch-deep puddles. My Blur stalled a couple of times, but I was able to restart it... until the last time. I have a feeling it aspirated too much spray... the air intake is pretty close to the ground.

I killed the battery trying to crank it, and finally called a tow truck. It's in my garage now. I put the battery on the tender, and tried again this morning, still no luck.

It cranks with no trouble, and the electronics seem to work fine. I can smell gas after cranking a bit, so it is getting gas.

I'm looking for suggestions... should I let it sit a while? Attempt to disassemble the air box? Bring it to the dealer?

Thanks for any help!!

HanShan · Post by **HanShan** » Thu Jun 15, 2017 3:39 pm

Wondering if it is Hydrolock? I know it can happen with a car, just not sure about a scoot.

Dooglas · Post by **Dooglas** » Thu Jun 15, 2017 5:48 pm

HanShan wrote:Wondering if it is Hydrolock?

A hydrolocked engine normally won't turn over. I'd start by seeing if the air filter is saturated with water.

HanShan · Post by **HanShan** » Thu Jun 15, 2017 7:27 pm

Dooglas wrote:
HanShan wrote:Wondering if it is Hydrolock?
A hydrolocked engine normally won't turn over. I'd start by seeing if the air filter is saturated with water.

I do not think that is necessarily true.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_OeRk7o0lI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8RG2zzP0GA

Maybe the lower compression of a 50cc it will be more difficult to damage the engine? If an internal combustion engine hydrolocks while idling or under low power conditions, the engine may stop suddenly with no immediate damage.

But I am just thinking out loud and pretty stupid about this stuff.

PhillyKick · Post by **PhillyKick** » Fri Jun 16, 2017 1:32 am

Hydrolock won't necessarily blow the rod through the block or anything drastic, you're technically correct. BUT, it's possible that there's enough moisture in your cylinder that the spark plug won't fire, hence everything working and the gas smell, but no combustion. Try pulling the spark plug and letting it air out (and visually inspect the plug, too) for a few hours, if possible turning the engine over by hand (IGNITION OFF!!!) to pump fresh air in ant out without wasting battery and injecting fuel.

Wertles · Post by **Wertles** » Fri Jun 16, 2017 12:16 pm

It is not hydrolocked. You have water in the carb and air filter. Pull the filter, dry it out, drain the carb, pull the plug, turn it over a few times, put a new plug back in and you will most likely be fine. You would have to run with the air intake below water to get enough water in to hydrolock and you would know it right away. This is a $7 and half hour fix.

skipper20 · Post by **skipper20** » Fri Jun 16, 2017 2:44 pm

Wertles wrote:It is not hydrolocked. You have water in the carb and air filter. Pull the filter, dry it out, drain the carb, pull the plug, turn it over a few times, put a new plug back in and you will most likely be fine. You would have to run with the air intake below water to get enough water in to hydrolock and you would know it right away. This is a $7 and half hour fix.

No carb to fiddle with as the Blur 220i has EFI but the air filter suggestion is a good one. A water logged air filter would definitely be a problem.

Bill in Seattle
'14 170i Hooligan Matte Green

Syd · Post by **Syd** » Fri Jun 16, 2017 5:30 pm

HanShan wrote:
Dooglas wrote:
HanShan wrote:Wondering if it is Hydrolock?
A hydrolocked engine normally won't turn over. I'd start by seeing if the air filter is saturated with water.
I do not think that is necessarily true.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_OeRk7o0lI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8RG2zzP0GA

Maybe the lower compression of a 50cc it will be more difficult to damage the engine? If an internal combustion engine hydrolocks while idling or under low power conditions, the engine may stop suddenly with no immediate damage.

But I am just thinking out loud and pretty stupid about this stuff.

Those engines turned over because the plugs were pulled. If the plugs were in, among other things, this can happen.

HanShan · Post by **HanShan** » Fri Jun 16, 2017 7:59 pm

Syd wrote:
HanShan wrote:
Dooglas wrote: A hydrolocked engine normally won't turn over. I'd start by seeing if the air filter is saturated with water.
I do not think that is necessarily true.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_OeRk7o0lI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8RG2zzP0GA

Maybe the lower compression of a 50cc it will be more difficult to damage the engine? If an internal combustion engine hydrolocks while idling or under low power conditions, the engine may stop suddenly with no immediate damage.

But I am just thinking out loud and pretty stupid about this stuff.
Those engines turned over because the plugs were pulled. If the plugs were in, among other things, this can happen.

Yeah, my point was that an engine can stop without getting damaged. You can have hydrolock without damage. I think the compression during start up would not be high enough to cause that kind of piston damage.

roblinx · Post by **roblinx** » Mon Jun 19, 2017 11:09 pm

Hey Everyone,

Thanks for all your suggestions and information. I researched hydrolock, but figured since it was turning over that it wasn't that. (Phew) It was suggested elsewhere that a leaking valve might allow it to turn over despite water in the cylinder, but it had been running fine previously so I didn't think it was that either.

I went away for the weekend, which was apparently the best thing. This morning it sputtered and finally started and fired up just like usual.

Most likely the air filter had become soaked, so the fuel mix was watery and not firing. A few days of drying out and it was back to normal.

I appreciate and love this group for your caring and knowledge!

Rob

mosesrodriguez · Post by **mosesrodriguez** » Wed Jun 21, 2017 4:48 am

The same happened to me while visiting New Orleans a few years back. I struggled to get it safely off the street and it finally started but ran rough and kept wanting to die.

It was the last ride of the rally, I loaded it onto my truck and took it home. It started up a few days later after I let the air filter dry out.

babblefish · Post by **babblefish** » Wed Jun 21, 2017 6:01 am

That's one of the cool things about a Buddy, the air intake for the air cleaner box is at the end of a long snorkel under the seat. Water would have to be up to the bottom of the seat before it could get into the air cleaner box.