Last week I was caught in a flash flood and my 2003 X-Type 2.5 took on more than a foot of water.

The vehicle stalled, but I was able to restart it and get to higher ground after a few minutes. By then a little water had leaked onto the driver's compartment floor, but overall the cabin seals held up remarkably well. No interior damage except for some wet carpet.

While driving home, the car stalled a dozen times or more, but only when I turned left. After a few days, the problem seemed to get a little better, but it still dies during left turns if I'm going more than a few miles per hour. This happens while under power as well as while coasting through the turn. Usually, I can restart the motor as soon as I'm straightened out but I've had to coast to the shoulder more than a few times.

I've had a mechanic check codes but aside from random misfires (moisture in throttle body) nothing stands out. The air intake, throttle body, etc. have all been cleaned out, the vacuum hose on top of the motor is in good shape, and I've got a full tank of gas so I'm pretty sure fuel is getting to the fuel pump.

Is there anything else I can do before I have a mechanic rip out my exhaust and drive shaft, and start poking at the fuel pump(s) itself? Are there any sensors that might be retaining moisture and shorting out?

Any help is much appreciated. Thank you!

 

Sure sounds like there is water is something and it is electrically being shorted out when the water is pushed to the right. Not sure what it would be though, so a couple of questions. Does it just immediatly quit or does it sputter and mis fire a bit before dying? Was the water level at the front of the car about a foot deep or considerably deeper? The fuel pump itself would be low on my list of suspects.

 

Maybe don't turn left? You'll get there eventually!

 

ECM could be soaked as well . You don't wanna drive a cool car with drenched electronics .

 

The water level was high enough that debris splashed almost to the top of the radiator, and the air filter was a little wet. Under the hood, the battery and electrical harnesses all look dry.

It doesn't really sputter unless I straighten out of a left turn and accelerate before it shuts off. Most of the time it just quietly stalls. In fact, I wouldn't even notice it cutting out unless I'm watching the tachometer.

My mechanic is going to check the ECM today. He verified that the fuel pump control module is working. He also used some sort of tilt-lift to see if the motor stalled when the vehicle was tilted to the right. It kept running fine so I'm guessing it's nothing with the tank or fuel pumps.

Right now, I'm completely at a loss for ideas. I really don't mind paying for the repairs. I'm just hoping that whatever is being done will eventually lead to a solution.

I just want my car back. :'(

 

Fuel pump...

Mechanic verified intermittent pump failure. Replaced the pump and fuel filter, and everything is good in the world again.

 

thanks for posting back, was curious to see what it turned out to be

 

Good, I am glad you fixed the problem

 

How expensive was it to get the pump replaced? Some other thread indicated that the gas tank needed to be dropped and that there is a lot of "stuff" in the way...
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Jaguar - it's not an automobile, it's a Motorcar

 

Replacement cost for the pump itself was $167 locally (used with warranty), though I found them on eBay for marginally less. With shipping and time lost, I figure it all evens out anyway. I saw some new oem parts selling for almost $1000 so anything under $200 is a bargain.

Labor charge is what might make your head spin. The drive shaft and part of the exhaust must be removed in order to pull the fuel tank and gain access to the fuel pump module on top. I have no idea how difficult this actually is, but the labor charge pricing guide used by my mechanic quoted somewhere in the neighborhood of $600.

He's a good friend of mine so he charged me $300. However, I think I may owe him a kidney in the future if his ever go bad.

Total: $467 and two weeks of constant worrying.

 

I wonder if there is an access hole on the floor under the carpet to get access to the top of the tank.
If not i wonder how easy it might be to cut an access hole

 

Search the threads, I think someone actually cut a hole in the floor pan under the back seat to gain access to the pump assembly.
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Jaguar - it's not an automobile, it's a Motorcar