Smoking gun...or engine

I thought it a smart idea to drive my Tacoma through a fair sized puddle on the side of a dirt road. When I pulled my 96 2.7 L out it started to smoke and it seemed either the engine wasn't getting enough gas or something was wrong with the clutch it had a hard time starting any one got any ideas?

 

How deep was said puddle? Usually if you drive through puddles, it'll cool your exhaust rapidly and it'll smoke for a few seconds. No big deal.

However the latter problem is more concerning. Can you describe it a little better? Did it throw any codes?

 

Limping it home just now it flashed me a blinking check engine light isn't that for misfiring in the cylinder?

 

Not too sure on what a blinking CEL means. Regardless, try to pull the code.

 

Pull the code? How do you do that and what is it?

 

... Get a code reader, hook it up, and put up what it says. That'll help us pinpoint the problem.

 

I think it usually meant there a major issue with the engine but not sure

 

Usually a blinking CEL means it's something major and should not be driven.

 

Just googled it real quick.

A few different answers, but most of the time people are saying that it is flashing due to the engine misfiring. Same people also suggested to not drive fast, slow and steady is the goal until fixed.

I still find this kinda strange because when my old '98 misfired, it had a steady check engine light and never "flashed". Replaced the spark plugs and it was good to go, drove completely fine after that.

This is a total guess but maybe you damaged the cat converter while you were in the puddle? Other potential problems could be Plugs&Wires, MAF, Injectors, EGR, fuel filter, etc.

 

Sounds expensive this should be fun

 

Hopefully its something simple, like a wet distributor or water in the spark plug 'wells'.
Thats what I would check out first.

I just can't see how going thru a 'puddle' would cause a motor-destroying amount of water getting into the intake, which is about 3 feet above the ground near the passenger outside mirror.

 

Something got wet and is causing the missfire, give it time to dry out and hopefully it'll clear up.

 

Take it to auto zone, they will read your code for free... just ask them and they will show you how its done

 

Water on your spark plugs or in the spark plug holes.
I had the same thing with my '95.5 5 lug (2.4L 5 speed) after doing donuts in a muddy/wet area.
Pull the plug wires and blow them and the spark plug holes out with compressed air.

 

Is it driving any better today? Maybe all this is unnecessary as it is now dried up and running fine. An update would be nice..... we CARE

 

The repair manual (1996) says the blinking CEL is for P0301-P0306 (misfire cylinders 1 through 6):

• For any particular 200 revolutions of the engine, misfiring is detected which can cause catalyst overheating (This causes MIL to blink)
• For any particular 1,000 revolutions of the engine, misfiring is detected which causes a deterioration in emissions (2 trip detection logic)

So the misfire codes could cause the CEL to blink or not. In the blinking case it's more severe and driving will allow a lot of unburned fuel to leave the engine and cause the catalytic converter to overheat which could kill it. If the CEL lights for a misfire, but is not blinking it's less severe, and it should be safe to drive short term without causing more damage.