I was driving my 2006 Hyundai Elantra when I hit a puddle. It stalled. what should I do next?

Question

It wouldn't start at first. I pushed it out of the puddle, the water was just beneath the doors. It started but ran sluggish, then the check engine light came on.

Answer 1

Mark S,. autos use to have a distributor, that distributed the electricity in sequence to the different spark plugs.  Going thru water could shut that down.  The distribution and firing or electricity nowadays is done via a computer chip.  

That you were able to eventually restart the motor is a good sign.  Is the car still running sluggishly, or improving?  If everything dries out, and it runs okay, then you're in the clear.  Some of those check engine codes are left in memory until they are cleared manually?  If the car is running right, go to a mechanic, and have him clear the code.  You can read your owners manual on how to clear those check engine codes.  Now if the car is still sputtering and skipping after a day or so, you might need some work?? $$$?  

Answer 2

if the distributor got wet it could be a problem. to dry it out.

easiest way to do it is remove the distributor cap and  just spray inside it with  WD-40  (WD-40 displaces water and is a lot faster than letting you car sit out in the sun. if that dosent work you should really take it back to the dealer.

looks like more than a puddle from description "the water was just beneath the doors"

Answer 3

this was because the air intake which is probably located under the front wheel arch (either side), and that got covered in water and stalled the engine because the engine had no air to perform combustion

the light came on because the engine management had seen that the engine was not running at it's full, so it told you to check the engine.

you can do this yourself by starting the car and revving the car to about 2-4 if you have a rev counter, if not then guess, but make sure that the car exhaust is facing a wall or grass, because the exhaust will throw all the water out

hope this helps

Answer 4

sounds like water in the distributor cap.If its still under warrant take it back to the dealer.If not remove it and dry it yourself then buy a new distributor cap.

Answer 5

You must have gotten water in the distributor  cap , if so you need to remove it and dry it out really good , also you could have gotten water on the coil pack ,which should dry off itself . If you could raise your hood and leave it open to the sun to let it dry out , it really would help it.