I need some advice

I had to tow my car home today. 

This is what happened / is happening

1. The engine bay got wet
2. The Service Engine  light came on, shortly there after the car stalled.
3. I got the car running but it was running very rough.
4. The car stalled again and I turned it over probably flooding it
5. I left the car for 12 hours.
6. The car turns over and back fires
7. I pulled all the plugs and they were wet, but firing when grounded out.
8. I heated the plugs up and turned over the car with out any plugs in it and disconnected the tbi so that I wasn't dumping gas in, in hopes to dry it out a bit
9. The car now turns over and then back fires drawing alot of juice off the battery as it does
10. The back fire is a little pop every 4 rotations of the engine

I tried to check the distributor, but the driver side screw is rusted and rounded, so I'm not sure how I'm going to get it off. Once I do, I was thinking of re-placing the rotor/cap and wires.

The car also has a bad habit of running rough (for about 10km's) after a heavy rain if it hasn't been running for 2 days or more

I'm also going to check the diagnostic sequence to see what the error code is.

Any other suggestions?

That explains the back firing but does that explain the check engine light shortly after the engine bay got wet?

Really? My Haynes book said, "The CCC system has a built-in diagnostic feature which indicates a problem by flashing a Service Engine Soon light on the instrument panel. To retrieve this information from the ECM memory, you must use a short jumper wire to ground a diagnostic terminal."

I have the red Haynes book 79008 (1232) this information is on pg. 158, chapter 6 Emissions control systems.

Heh, ok - yeah, you CAN paperclip it and get the stored code numbers - but you can't read the actual values of anything.

It'll at least lead you in the right direction - so, pull the codes, and we'll go from there.

From the horrid state of the rest of it all - I'd say replace the wires.  They should be changed out every 4-5 years anyhow just as a PM type thing.  Coolant every 2 years as well since we're on the subject.  ;)

Anyhow, as for getting the old one off - it's dead anyhow - KILL IT!!  Just grab the thing with some vice grips and rip/smash it off.  Usually by the time you grab it REALLY hard with the grips, the plastic will just shatter anyhow (wear goggles!).  And when I say smash it...  ummm..  no hitting the thing with a hammer - you need the shaft to survive!

I'm betting you're on the track for a new pickup coil as well too BTW.  Once things get that bad in there, it's just a matter of time before it packs it in as well.

   I am so tempted to start going through my cars with a can of contact cleaner and simply unplug every connector one by one, spray it out really well and snap it back together.   As our cars age, I am wonder if the simple act of unplugging and plugging in a connector might solve a few problems.

Aside from WD-40 what are other good contact cleaners. CRC use to make a good one, any suggestions on other ones, and where to buy them, how much does a can cost.

Do NOT use WD-40. It's about as good in the long term at electrical stuff as it is at lubricating.

 

If you're in Burnaby, go to Active Electronics, on Boundary (NW corner) and 1st...they have proper chemical stuff there. (Tech in a can!).

 

Chay