Could heavy rain cause my transmission to fail?

Asked by Jeffrey Dec 28, 2012 at 05:29 PM about the 1994 Lexus ES 300 FWD

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I was  driving my 1994 Lexus ES 300 in a rare Arizona rainstorm a few weeks ago. Streets were slightly
flooded. When I pulled up to a stoplight, the engine just conked out. I restarted my car, and it turned
over just fine, but when i put it in drive it would not move. It drove normally when it was in Reverse or
Low, but when I put it in Drive, it would barely move. I thought transmission, so I decided to just buy a
new, used car. After weeks of searching for used cars, I decided to try it out again and it drives normally
just like before the incident! Now I don't know if I should continue the car search or just ride out the last
few miles of this car. If rain was the main problem, It wouldn't be so bad to wait a few months to try and
have more money saved up for when I really need a new car. Heavy rain isn't a regular occurrence in
Arizona.

3 Answers

176,045

I would drive it. The car might have a problem only the rain - probably a loose connection somewhere. Stay out of car washes too.

The coil probably got wet . Let it dry and it will run right as rain ( no pun intended )

I have a 01 gs and last week it was raining pretty bad and the car was kinda putting and I had a lost in power I put c foam in it in case something got wett after the c foam it drove good, it rained today and now the problem is back, do anyone no what this is?

Your Answer:

ES

Looking for a Used ES in your area?

CarGurus has 211 nationwide ES listings starting at $5,900.

Postal Code:

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    Guru5H8HM
    Reputation
    4,630
  • #2
    AndyESLexus
    Reputation
    4,560
  • #3
    GuruBPJQ
    Reputation
    3,610
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Lexus GS
6 Great Deals out of 24 listings starting at $9,999
Used Lexus LS
30 listings starting at $5,995
Used Toyota Camry
46 Great Deals out of 1,149 listings starting at $2,500
Used Toyota Avalon
3 Great Deals out of 38 listings starting at $6,995
Used Honda Accord
50 Great Deals out of 973 listings starting at $2,995
Used Mercedes-Benz E-Class
31 Great Deals out of 565 listings starting at $4,900
Used Honda Civic
198 Great Deals out of 4,034 listings starting at $440
Used BMW 3 Series
64 Great Deals out of 1,204 listings starting at $2,500

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.