CRACKED HEAD Engine runaway - VOSA investigation

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Bill_H

New Member
Posts
14
Location
SOuthampton area
My daughters TD5 (2005 plate) has just suffered uncontrolled acceleration, Sump full of Diesel oil - sucked through the crankcase breather into the air intake, and thus into the engine, bypassing the injectors of course.
She only realised on a dual carriageway when she noticed that speed had crept right up and she couldnt slow down approaching end of dual carriageway, turning engine off didnt stop it.
She stopped by braking hard against the engine, but still had to drive off road into a hedge to stop without a crash. Surprising cool thinking really.
So looking through this forum I discover its quite a common problem for the fuel gallery in the head to crack letting diesel into the oil.
Am now in the process of installing the 'Turner' head with thicker casting around the injectors.
But it seemed to me this is really dangerous, if this had been in town or if there had been stationary traffic she couldnt have stopped and the Defender is a big vehicle with a serious front bumper and winch/ A bar.
So I called VOSA the vehicle Safety Agency, they have reported it to Landrover who seemed surprised there was a problem.
Landrover have asked if they can have the old head for testing.
Now call me a cynic - but this seems like marking your own exam paper.
If this is a known issue that LR have been dragging their heels on - then a few of us (say 10-12) are more likely to have an impact than just me.
Any ideas how we can build a list of affected owners for VOSA?
Contact who spoke to me there is John Fitch.
Im happy to collate responses - but how will I get names / emails ? Is there a private message section on the Landyzone?
Does anyone want to help get Landrover to fix this?
 
best of luck.

it's a common problem on new bmw 320 d's aswell! a diesel will run on the engine oil. seen my mates 110 hi cap do it, he drove it into the gate post to stop it. it sat there for 5 minutes spinning all the wheels!

TD5 engines are crap, getting LR to admit it is another thing.
 
Why couldn't the car stop?

Has the car no clutch? Would it not shift into Neutral?

An engine runaway should not be the cause of a car runaway.

MW
 
its actually quite a common problem on lots of turbo diesel engines, its normaly the turbo seals that cause it though, they leak and the engine starts running on its own oil and will run up til it goes pop or you manage to stall it

i have seen loads of cars do it the trick is to stall it quick or if you cant knock it out of gear and let the engine pop, much much safer than trying to drive it to a standstill
 
Well - it did stop, because my daughters still here.
The thing is - a problem that can cause a car to run out of the drivers control is a serious safety issue. It takes cool thinking to manage to stop, and not everyone knows enough or is calm enough under the pressure.
i know I would not want to be the car in front of one of these if it happened again.
The problem is known, its not just an unfortunate failure, its a design or manufacturing fault that causes a significant safety issue which is why VOSA have asked for the head to be sent to Landrover for testing. As I said to them though, its a bit like marking your own exam paper, Landrover will not readily admit a design fault - which is why we need a few people who have had the problem to contact VOSA on this.
I'm happy to take personal messages and collect contact details to forward - or you could contact VOSA direct details below.
Why should we all pay for poor design? Lets use the power of this forum to get them to listen.
Reference VSD23616
John Fitch
Vehicle Safety Branch
VOSA
Berkeley House
Bristol
BS50DA
Tel : 0117 954 2526
Fax : 0117 954 3328
Mobile 07803020909
e-mail [email protected]
 
quite a scare for your daughter , back in the good old day's before computers in the cab and engine bay , 200 tdi's did this trick . Very impressive amount's of damage , even had one do it in the workshop after an engine re build .gaffer did his nut !!
 
Well - it did stop, because my daughters still here.
The thing is - a problem that can cause a car to run out of the drivers control is a serious safety issue. It takes cool thinking to manage to stop, and not everyone knows enough or is calm enough under the pressure.
i know I would not want to be the car in front of one of these if it happened again.
The problem is known, its not just an unfortunate failure, its a design or manufacturing fault that causes a significant safety issue which is why VOSA have asked for the head to be sent to Landrover for testing. As I said to them though, its a bit like marking your own exam paper, Landrover will not readily admit a design fault - which is why we need a few people who have had the problem to contact VOSA on this.
I'm happy to take personal messages and collect contact details to forward - or you could contact VOSA direct details below.
Why should we all pay for poor design? Lets use the power of this forum to get them to listen.
Reference VSD23616
John Fitch
Vehicle Safety Branch
VOSA
Berkeley House
Bristol
BS50DA
Tel : 0117 954 2526
Fax : 0117 954 3328
Mobile 07803020909
e-mail [email protected]

they might identify a batch fault with a specific batch of heads, or an imperfection in your head........
 
It boils down to this:

Diesels do it. Now that diesels are much more common in cars, learners should be taught how to react and it should be part of the driving test.
TD5 engines aren't crap, but they are prone to cracked heads, and a cracked head can cause this, so drivers should be especially aware.

I suspect that Landrover could claim that this does not happen within the "design life" of an engine, whatever that may be.
 
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zx3qKX_Pno"]YouTube - Runaway Diesel Defender 200 TDI[/nomedia]
This is a video of a runaway 200tdi, bloody scary video and she didn't give up without a fight! I think in the heat of the moment you wouldn't think of knocking it into neutral.
 
Volvo were also having some cases of " runaway " engines due to injectors/seals letting diesel into the oil.

They advise selecting neutral and letting the engine " cut its own throat ".

Del.
 
Hey Bill...............my TD5 suffered the same fate three weeks ago while doing 70 down a motorway with 6 members of my family in! Luckily I got on to the hard shoulder and everyone out through the smoke but it was bloody scarey for a while and even caused an accident on the carriageway as a car slowed down cos they could`nt see-and a gritter smashed in to it-no one was hurt luckily but it was chaos for an hour or so ..I didn`t have a clue what was happening with my car (although I now know the term `runaway engin` quite well thanks to this forum) and as it`s an auto could not have done much about it anyway.

The Landy video on youtube and posted on this site was exactly what mine was like complete with the detonations.

The garage have told me that one of the pistons is completely melted and I`ve had to buy another engine off ebay which arrives tomorrow.

I would happily add my name to any list you may be putting together for Landrover!!
 
Well as you already own a defender i must assume you are used to imperfections!
I very much doubt you will get anywhere with this, has the car got a full l/r service history, coolant changed at the reqd intervals etc etc.
Cooling system if fine fettle?
Oil checked weekly?
Plus its 6 years old.
I had a td5 and thought it wasnt to bad, just not as idiot proof as the 200 and 300 engine.


Lynall
 
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