problem starting
 

My 1994 Euro C180 was difficult to start last night. This was after using a high pressure water pump to spray around the car body to get rid of the wash/wax used on it. Its stage 2 water restrictions here and either you use this machine or you use pails/buckets or you go to the commercial carwash which also uses the high pressure DIY spray and the water is recycled! What surprised me is that since I got the car in April 2002, this has never happened. Its the first time I used the pressure spray on it. This is what happened, I turned the starter key and the fuel gauge light was on for empty, but the needle showed half full. The engine won't fire. 3 times I turned it then I put my foot down and it fired. To keep it going I had to keep stepping on the accel. and rev it a few times. After a few minutes, it caught on and reved normally. Drove 5kms , stopped for 1.5 hours dinner and it restarted normally. Don't know what happened. Any ideas? Could I have given it a shock??? Mild stroke with the high pressure wash??? Maybe water got in to the relays or whatever around the grille end of the car???