Thanks for ringing boardy. I feel a little bit better now! I'm going to get onto renault and see what they say. Like broads say I might have just been very unlucky as it can be just a few drop of water. Nath, where would the actuator be? On the engine or self so if I replaced itd be ok?
Tbh if it was water being sucked in the intercooler should technically be full of water. Water won't make it all the way into the engine without filling the intercooler 1st.
The actuator is near the turbo. I'm not an expert on this but essentially it controls boost and makes sure there isn't to much.
No worries mate. To much boost, would not bend a rod mate. It would not just sit in the bottom of the intercooler it would just pull it straight through. A snippet from the AA web site. expensive - the air intake on many cars is low down at the front of the engine bay and it only takes a small quantity of water sucked into the engine to cause serious damage, just an egg cupful of water in the combustion chamber is enough to wreck an engine. Water doesn't compress and the piston in effect hits a wall, bending or breaking a con rod. . All engines are affected but turbo-charged and diesel engines are most vulnerable.
Just for reference I know someone who had water ingress on a 250 sucked it in, filled the cooler and the engine stalled. Luckily no damage was done as the water never made it that far
What were the circumstances? Must have been deep water to suck up that much and at low rpm for it to choke it before reaching the engine?
Yup, Mike is referring to me Flooded road and filter that sits in the wheel arch. Intercooler and all pipes were full with water and I killed one of the electrical distrubuters. I must of been lucky as my engine was fine. Compression etc That was this time last year and I've since done about 20k including a couple of Td's and the engine has been fine.
I dunno too much boost can bend rods, just look at the mk2's too much torque and the rods go banana shaped or snap. Although the mk3 is meant to be a fair bit stronger Could be worth looking at the actuator especially as you did have an overboost error. All depends on if the new engine comes complete with turbo etc
Im looking at an engine, has no turbo. Would my old one be ok? Look at this; Forge Motorsport Alloy Adjustable Actuator
Old turbo should be ok to use, I wouldn't bother with the forge actuator, Just a stock one will be fine. I really can't see a faulty actuator contributing to the bent rods though, It isn't the only thing that controls the boost and the stock turbo can't really flow enough to produce the torque that would be needed to bend the rods in the MK3. I could be surprised though that that is what it caused it but i really doubt it
If it did Ingest water, which by the sounds of it, it did then that's probably why you have bent the rods. Especially if it was at higher speeds and revs. I was lucky in that I was going at walking pace and low revs which probably contributed to my internals being fine.
Just had a thought if it was standing water it might be worth contacting your local council. This is a section from Suffolk council website but I'm guessing all regions have the same responsibilities. Our responsibilities We are responsible for covering three types of flooding: surface water (rainfall) runoff, which flows from, or over, surfaces such as roads, roofs and patios that cannot easily absorb water ordinary watercourses (for example small streams and ditches) which cannot contain large volumes of surface water runoff during or after heavy rain. groundwater flooding, caused when heavy or prolonged rainfall makes the groundwater table rise above its normal level. People claim for pothole damage why not damage from standing water?
Your insurance should cover it as well, I know mine did but I didn't claim as I did not need a rebuild. Shame really as I would of just forged it for future and would of went GTX turbo instead of Hybrid
Been having a read through this and all this talk of water, if the car is totally standard then we all need to worry in that case as renaults air filter design is floored and at danger of bending rods. The op complained of an error code I think is related to air leak? if it is water related could it be from this rather than the air intake? Or this error may have more to do with the prob?
Haven't chexked there yet mate. Tomorrow I will know more. Do you think any of the errors in the pic I posted could've contributed to it?
Got an engine delivered today. Low mileage and service history! Im a bit scared getting it fitted as I'm scared the same thing will happen again? Any steps to ensure it doesn't happen? Also do they sent me the ecu. Will I need to change mine?
The only way you can stop it happening again is by diagnosing exactly what happened and sorting what ever caused it.
Just fit it and drive it. I still stand by my comment that water ingestion was the cause. The turbo does not flow enough to produce the torque to bend rods and even if the actuator was faulty the ecu would still keep the boost at a safe level or it would of put it into limp mode.
A thought at best. The wheels lost traction, the engine revved hard spinning the wheels, when the wheels gained traction, that energy went into the rods
Make sure it has no leaks. Pull the rod out and block the vacuum end with his thumb, the rod shouldn't move back in.
It would make more boost. Same as adding a bleed valve to make a boost leak. If the leak is bad enough the wastegate might not even open at all.
But you only got the error after you hit the water, yes? I swear I'm talking to myself here. Even if they actuator was faulty before it the ECU would still limit the boost and/or put it in limp mode.....
If the actuator has a big enough hole in it the ecu won't be able to get any pressure in there to open the wastegate. I doubt it is though.
