Outer Limits 4x4 Board

I drove through some knee deep water on the weekend, came out and the car started to die and wouldnt idol properly and kept stalling. Driving home along the highway looked in the mirror and the whole highway was covered in white smoke, oil and tempt gauge were all good. Pulled over and turned the car off. Got it towed home and started it and when first started it blows some white smoke then once you give it some revs and back off more comes out. Seams to thin out once the car is warmer. Whats my bets option? Its a 92 surf with the 3.0L 3vze engine. SHould also add the fuel light is on and not sure whether to drain the remaining fuel or fill up with some premium?

juzzo wrote:I drove through some knee deep water on the weekend, came out and the car started to die and wouldnt idol properly and kept stalling. Driving home along the highway looked in the mirror and the whole highway was covered in white smoke, oil and tempt gauge were all good. Pulled over and turned the car off. Got it towed home and started it and when first started it blows some white smoke then once you give it some revs and back off more comes out. Seams to thin out once the car is warmer. Whats my bets option? Its a 92 surf with the 3.0L 3vze engine. SHould also add the fuel light is on and not sure whether to drain the remaining fuel or fill up with some premium?

hang on just to be clear, its low on fuel, or the electrics are being funny and leaving the fuel light on?

premium will do nothing, but if you have water in the fuel tank then drain it.

If you ever take water again take the plugs out before running it to clear the water out while you turn it over.

go and get your head checked and get a compression check, its hard to diagnose what will be wrong with it over the net.

Hang on just re read it. knee deep? and you drowned it??? im a little lost unless something electrical got wet and its not firing on all cyclinders now? I have no idea.

to clarify. Drove through water and when i came out car wasnt idoling correctly and is now blowing out a shit load of white smoke.

White smoke is often water/coolant getting into the cylinder/s.

I guess worse case is the cold water has cracked a head. Best case is there's still some water in the system if it swallowed some, but seeing as you drove it I doubt it.


Take the radiator cap off and run the motor, see if the coolant bubbles. And/or check the oil to see if it's milky/murky. If yes to either it's gonna hurt mate.

3VZE's cost a tonne to rebuild. Best bet (worst case) would be to keep an eye on ebay for someone getting rid of one because they're putting a V8 in...

-Nemesis- wrote:White smoke is often water/coolant getting into the cylinder/s.

I guess worse case is the cold water has cracked a head. Best case is there's still some water in the system if it swallowed some, but seeing as you drove it I doubt it.


Take the radiator cap off and run the motor, see if the coolant bubbles. And/or check the oil to see if it's milky/murky. If yes to either it's gonna hurt mate.

3VZE's cost a tonne to rebuild. Best bet (worst case) would be to keep an eye on ebay for someone getting rid of one because they're putting a V8 in...

No bubbles in coolant nor is the oil milky. I draning the fuel and put some injector cleaner through it and it ran like a charm around town and then yesterday was siting on the highway motor sitting on 3xxxrpm then bam blew out a shit load of white smoke and we were back to square one. So im gonna book it in to the mechanic this week