Definition of a Flooded Engine

• When a vehicle is cold, it needs a rich fuel mixture. A rich fuel mixture means that it contains a lot of gas and not much air. When the gas pours into the cylinders, if the car does not start the spark plugs can get wet. If the spark plugs are wet it is impossible for them to spark, which prevents the car from starting. This is referred to as flooding.
  
  

Flooding a Fuel Injected Car

• There are a few ways to flood a fuel injected car. One is to have a leaking injector. This will flood the engine on a regular basis and will require replacement of the injector. Another common problem is that if the car does not start on the first couple of cranks the injectors will continue to squirt fuel into the cylinders, which can flood the engine.
  
  

Method to Fix a Flooded Car

• Flooring the gas pedal on a fuel injected car while turning the key can help solve the flooding problem. Flooring the gas pedal sends a message to the vehicle's computer. The computer controls the fuel-to-air mixture. This lets the computer know the vehicle is flooded and it cuts the fuel flowing to the engine in half.