I have heard stories of a vacuum line coming undone and then when Jeep goes into water, vacuum line just sucks as much water as possible into the engine. However, in real World, I would say most damage is caused by people who do not understand the word "Hydro-loc"....Water crossing are high risk and if you don't know what you should do, stay out of water.
The above would also explain his user name... "JKTester"
Without knowing what damage was found, this is hard to say. It only takes a small amount of water to cause a rod, valve, or other internal part to bend. It doesn't need to break to cause the death of an engine. A little water can cause the piston to get ****eyed in the cylinder, causing a scar in the wall. Once this happens, the death of the engine is just a matter of time. Of course, the OP would be happy if his engine isn't damaged.....
So in your opinion, does its placement make getting water inside the airbox easier, harder, or about the same as a TJ? Is it possible that water is hitting fan, fan is tossing water onto bottomside of hood then running in the airbox, or do you feel problems are generally caused by other factors?
I am lost by this line of thinking. If warranty doesn't cover it, warranty doesn't cover it... Dealer doesn't make the rules. Getting a second opinion on the damage is never a bad idea. However, if you are going to file an insurance claim, you can be fairly confident that the insurance company is not going to pay to replace/rebuild an engine until they know that is what is needed. The REAL question is, do you feel confident with this dealer's ability to correctly fix your Jeep as you are going to have to live with it and this dealer once the repairs are done.
Like I said, I'm watching this discussion on another forum as well. It does seem that I have heard more about Jeepers with hydro locked engines since the JK's have been out than I ever did in the past. The fact than a TJ or YJ owner did this or that, isn't an issue. We are talking about JK's. Why are so many JK's being hydro locked? It could be new inexperienced off-road drivers, it could be the differences in air box location and design, or it could be a combination of issues. One item discussed on the other forum is that the JK engine is not a Jeep engine. It is a mini van engine placed in a Jeep. I don't know much about the JK's. but I know that if I am trail guiding a group, I want to know more about these JK's and the hydro lock issue before doing a water crossing.
Now you guys are thinking....... Here is a question for all JK owners or others who feel that JK's may have a problem with design / location of the airbox.
This pre filter is designed for a cold air intake system, not the OEM airbox, right? However, it might be able to be modified to fit over the opening of the stock airbox on a JK.
Even if it does start, it doesn't mean it hasn't received a death blow.
I get the feeling that the OP didn't look for or didn't know what to look for as far as signs of water ingestion. I could be wrong, but I suspect this to be the situation. I'm like you, I would love to have been able to take a look see under the hood of this Jeek. It sucks that it happened, but hopefully, this will all lead to helping other Jeepers prevent damaging their engine.
It has been years since I worked in a Dealership, but back in the day, when there was a large item such as an engine, transmission, axle, etc., the Dealership had to secure pre-authorization which meant that the District Manager would come to the Dealership and inspect the damage before giving the authorization for warranty to cover item. I can't imagine in these times that a automobile manufacturer would not review such claims with a very large magnifying glass.
Good question... We need some up-to-date information
Your update confirms that there was internal damage to your engine and that we can assume it was from water indigestion.
I know. I was just saying that a Hydrolocked Hemi isn't going to be any better
There is internal damage in the engine,,,, from ?? Water ingestion......
JKtester, I'm on your side... the Jeep died in water, the Dealer says water ingestion, the insurance company agrees, there is internal damage to the engine, yet people are still questioning if there was water that go into the engine. I suspect that even photos of the damaged parts will not stop people from questioning "did water actually get in the engine?"
What difference does it make? The dealer said there is internal damage from water ingestion, the insurance company agrees to pay $9K because of damage. I can't imagine an insurance company eager to pay $9K for nothing.
Engine would only be locked until a hole was punched in a piston, or a connecting rod broke, or the water had time to drain into the pan, etc..
I am sorry that I said you were not mechanically inclined. I hope that I didn't offend you. That was not my desire. Photos of the damaged parts and possibly a copy of the work order and parts that were replaced would provide a lot of information. I just find it odd that people are still debating your engine problems being nothing more than a wet electrical component. We are so far past this point it isn't funny.
