What does it mean when an engine has a hydrolock?

Hydrolock, properly called hydrostatic lock, is a failure in an internal combustion engine; the engine is prevented from turning over by fluid in the cylinder above the piston.

What happens if you hydrolock your car at idle?

If you’re driving your car when a water hydrolock occurs, the extent of the damage usually depends on your engine speed. If your engine is at low RPMs, such as an idle, when water gets into your engine cylinders, you may escape with no damage at all.

What happens if only one piston is hydrolocked?

If only one piston hydrolocks and the engine continues to move, there will be a loud screeching noise. Given that most of the major internal components have been destroyed, replacing the engine is typically more cost-effective than rebuilding.

Where does the water in a hydrolock come from?

Water was called “hydro” in ancient Greek, hence the “hydro” in hydrolock. Outside water can enter the engine through the air intake if the vehicle is driven through a flood; vehicles designed with low-mounted air intakes can draw in water from a bow-wave caused by driving through relatively shallow standing water.

When did the 4.3 L V6 come out?

The 4.3L V6 engine was introduced in the S10, S15, & S10 Blazer in 1988. I believe that the 4.3L V6 block and heads from 1988 to 1995 are fully interchangable. In other words, a 4.3 L Engine from a 1995 will bolt in perfectly into blazers of earlier years that also were equipt with a 4.3 L engine.

What causes a fuel injector to misfire and hydrolock?

‘Spider’ Fuel Injector Misfire and Hydrolock (Troubleshooting Case Study) . This case study will help you diagnose a fuel injector (within the ‘Spider’) that’s stuck open and causing a Hydrolock condition. Contents of this tutorial: Important Tips And Suggestions. ‘Spider’ Fuel Injector Basics. Symptoms Of A Bad ‘Spider’ Fuel Injector Assembly.

Why does a hydrolocked engine not crank over?

A hydrolocked engine will not crank over since the gasoline is preventing the piston from upward travel. Right off the bat, I’ll tell you that the most common cause of this happening is usually the PCM (Powertrain Control Module = Fuel Injection Computer) going bad.

What kind of fuel injection does GM 4.3L use?

‘Spider’ Fuel Injection Basics There are two types of the ‘Spider’ fuel injector assemblies used on the GM 4.3L, 5.0L, 5.7L engines and this article will help you with both types. In case you’re wondering, one type belongs to the Central Port Injection (CPI) system and the other to the Central Sequential Fuel Injection (CSFI) system.