How to Fix a Flooded Engine

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Car EngineWhen too much fuel and not enough air gets into the engine, this is known as flooding the engine. And when the engine is flooded, it may not start or might stall while you’re out on the roads of Panama City, Springfield, and Callaway. It also causes you to use more gas than necessary.

At Honda of Bay County, our service team wanted to share some steps to take on how to fix a flooded engine.

Signs that Your Car’s Engine is Flooded

Before you can fix any issue with your car, it is first important to be able to identify what exactly is causing your problem. When it comes to a flooded engine, there are a few signs that will let you know that you have too much fuel in the engine:

  • Smelling gas: If you smell a gas-like odor, this could be a sign of a flooded engine.
  • Emission color: If it is a darker smoke, this could also be a sign that your engine is flooded.
  • Trouble starting: Your car might have trouble starting up if the engine has excess fuel. In colder weather, this problem may arise since it takes more fuel to start the engine.

Fixing a Flooded Engine

Check Engine LightTo fix a flooded engine, you basically want to get the air to fuel ratio back to its usual balance. You can first try to simply let the excess fuel evaporate. Open your hood and wait a couple minutes before you try to start your car again. And when you do start it back up, make sure you aren’t pushing on the gas pedal.

If this doesn’t work, there’s another technique you can try. You should push the gas pedal down to the floor and hold it there. You want to make sure you don’t pump the pedal at all. With the pedal down, you’re opening the car’s throttle and allowing air to flow into the engine.

After a few seconds, you’ll want to wait and start again, all while keeping your foot pushed on the gas pedal. You’ll want to continue this process until the engine comes back to life and the car starts again.

If this doesn’t work, there may be other problems within your engine preventing your car from properly starting. The spark plugs could be covered in fuel, which will prevent them from creating the voltage needed to help start the engine. You’ll want to let them dry out or replace them before attempting to start the car.

A dirty fuel injector could also cause your engine to flood. You’ll want to use a fuel injector cleaner to clean it if this is the case.

Have Our Technicians Help Solve the Problem

If you still are having trouble getting your engine to properly start after trying these remedies, it’s time to have a professional take a look at your vehicle. They can identify the problem and quickly replace parts if needed.

So if your engine is flooded and you’re unable to fix it yourself, schedule an appointment with us at Honda of Bay County and let our trained technicians get your car back to performing the way it should around Panama City, Springfield, and Callaway.