ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Hydrolock

Okay kiddo, imagine you have a straw and a cup of water. When you suck on the straw, water goes up into your mouth because there's air in the straw. But if you put the straw all the way underwater and suck, the water can't go up into your mouth because there's no air for it to go through. This is kind of like what happens with a car engine and hydrolock.

In a car engine, there are cylinders where fuel and air mix to make power. But if water gets into those cylinders instead of air, it can cause big problems. Hydrolock happens when water enters the engine through the air intake system, like if the car is driving through deep water or there's a leak in the system.

When water enters the engine this way, it can fill up the cylinder and prevent the piston from moving. The piston is kind of like your arm moving up and down when you ride a bike. If it gets stuck, the engine can't work correctly and might not start or could even be completely ruined.

So, hydrolock is when water gets into a car engine and stops it from working properly because the piston can't move. It's important to avoid driving in deep water and to fix any leaks in the air intake system to prevent this from happening.