Diesel in engine oil ???

Left my TD5 for a whole week and checked engine oil level on dipstick.
It was way over the full level and smelled of derv.
Is it possible for fuel to get into the sump and raise the level 4 inches above where it should be?
I'm going to drain and refill with the correct amount of oil which according to Haynes is 7.2 litres excluding oil filter capacity.
I've never been able to read the correct level as it always shows high despite putting in the advised amount.
Any suggestions gratefully accepted as I dont want to cause any unnecessary damage to my engine or oil seals. I also dont want the dreaded runaway scenario of my engine eating its own oil.
I would have thought that if derv was being injected into the oil it would keep going until it overflowed somewhere but I dont have any leaks and the motor runs sweet as a nut.

It will read a bit high if you put that amount in exactly - try putting a wee bit less in, measure it.

You can get DERV in the oil sometimes, but I can't remember where i read it or how. I have heard of it before though... Useful, sorry!

The usual routes for diesel in oil is failure of diaphragm in lift pumps , or seal in drive of injector pump, also dribbling injector. With td5 leak on feed to injector or injector leak logically.

You have a problem, there should never be any DERV in the oil.

On the old engines it could leak in from the lift pump if the diaphram splits, in the TD5 its probably going to be washer somewhere letting diesel into the oil from the fuel rail etc...

I'll have a good look at the fuel supply bits and bobs to see if I can work out where the problem is.
Thanks for the pointers.

Given things a good going over.
The fuel connectors to the regulator are sound.
There are no obvious leaks under the rocker cover around the injectors which is the only place I can see where fuel could come into contact with the engine oil.
I have excellent compression on all pots and all within 5% readings of each other.
On the TD5 the fuel rail is part of the cylinder head so unless I have an internal leak I can not see where else the problem would be.
I should say that the engine runs perfectly.

Whilst I have the engine apart I'm going to change the injector O rings as this is the only place that fuel can leak and combine with the engine oil.
I'm told that the injectors just pull out but may need some persuasion. Any tips on how to get them out without buggering them??? The O rings are on their way from my local landy stealer at the bargain price of £4.98 + the vat for five. For future reference does anybody know if normal O rings are man enough for the job as they are pennies from my friendly auto factor.

After some investigation and talking to a few Land Rover technicians it appears that fuel in the engine oil on TD5 motors is a common occurence.

It is caused by the failure of the injector O rings and is a known problem.

Apparently it does not cause any problems to the engine itself but could result in early failure of the turbo bearings if not rectified and oil is not changed at regular intervals. LR recommend changing the engine oil every 3000 miles if there is evidence of fuel in the oil. Early symptoms include high dip stick readings and smell of DERV in sump oil. I had exactly this and my turbo went fubar not long after.

I have changed the turbo but now priority is to change the injector O rings before I have the same problem again. The O rings supplied by Land Rover were the wrong ones but they insist these are the only ones they provide. They are completely different to what came off and dont look like they can be made to fit so I'm out of service until I can get some new ones. Anyone now where I might be able to get them ?????????

hi ...the injectors should come out easly but if they do not (like mine) give them a spray with wd40 and undo the bolt that holds the injector in place 1 or 2 turns. then go for a drive you will here a taping noise when it has come lose .....just remember to take a spanner with you to nip it back down.
(do not take the nut all the way off)

Cheers BJ. I had one that was a b**tch but I just loosened the clamp and cranked the engine until it popped loose under compresion. Not standard Land Rover procedure but it worked for me.
Also found a place that does the O rings for all kinds of injectors and they are sending me some by first class post for the princely sum of £2.50 inc p+p.
They also told me to give them a light smear with some clear silicone when installing and reckon they will never give any trouble again so long as everything is dry and free of oil when installed.
Just have to be careful not to get any silicone in the oil gallery that feeds the injector.

Shifty, side comment, love the wheels, can you tell me the make of them

Sad to say I have no idea.
They were on the motor when I bought it.
The spare has a very worn sticker that says Paddocks but no other detail.
The previous owner said he spent almost £800 on five wheels and new tyres because he liked the way they fill the arches.
He gave me the standard LR wheels which I eBayed.

Took some pictures of the wheels maybe somebody can identify them?
Should have said the came from Craddocks and not Paddocks.

are they 16's??? whats the tyre and size!, looks the business, going to invest in something similar

They are 16" rims with LT265/75R16 all terrain tyres.
Not too bad in the mud and on dry roads but a bit slippy in the rain if you get carried away on corners.