Freelander 1 Diesel runaway on video....

Apologies if this has been shared before but just seen it....

So sad. Poor little Hippo.

That's year's old. Poor Freelander just left to rev its self to death.
I keep a retractable blade craft knife in the fuse box, just in case the turbo seals let go.

If it's a manual, presumably it can be stalled. What's the process for stopping an auto with your craft knife Nodge?

On an auto you would need to cut one of the rubber pipes on the air inlet tract and block it...

kernowsvenski said:

If it's a manual, presumably it can be stalled. What's the process for stopping an auto with your craft knife Nodge?

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Plus 1 on that, the only use for the knife will be to cut your seatbelt and GTF outa there. Only effective way to stop that sort of runaway if you're brave enough, lift the bonnet, remove the air filter and jam a well balled up big piece of rag into the air inlet trunking, but don't try to use your hand as I've seen injuries result. The engine needs air to burn the oil, remove the air, the engine will stop.
Years back we had a high mileage VW Golf 1.5 diesel that used to regularly do the runaway thing until we had the engine re-ringed, in the interim I installed a 4 litre plastic bottle as a "engine blow-by catch can" between the crankcase breather and inlet manifold. It would catch as much as 1 litre of oil in a 200 klm journey.
Sad to see any engine just left to scream it's way to absolute distruction like that Flealander in the vid.

kernowsvenski said:

If it's a manual, presumably it can be stalled. What's the process for stopping an auto with your craft knife Nodge?

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It's not always possible to stall the engine, but it's worth a try.

This is the fastest way on an auto.

Tannaton said:

On an auto you would need to cut one of the rubber pipes on the air inlet tract and block it...

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Cutting the elbow pipe will stop it pretty quickly.

Gazbo said:

Plus 1 on that, the only use for the knife will be to cut your seatbelt and GTF outa there. Only effective way to stop that sort of runaway if you're brave enough, lift the bonnet, remove the air filter and jam a well balled up big piece of rag into the air inlet trunking, but don't try to use your hand as I've seen injuries result.

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Sorry disagree... I've personally done it on a Zafira which started to blow at traffic lights in front of me and no injuries. Because of the dynamics of it and valve timing etc. a diesel engine (especially turbocharged) is not an effective vacuum pump. In any event you could cut the hose and collapse it.

Always amazes me how long the diesel engines hold on for at rpms a VTEC would be proud of..

Tannaton said:

Sorry disagree... I've personally done it on a Zafira which started to blow at traffic lights in front of me and no injuries. Because of the dynamics of it and valve timing etc. a diesel engine (especially turbocharged) is not an effective vacuum pump. In any event you could cut the hose and collapse it.

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Why would you need to collapese the hose? You would presumably pick one after the turbo, so cutting it would starve the engine of fuel.

Typical beemer driver
Can't park for toffee and on double yellows.

JimS said:

Always amazes me how long the diesel engines hold on for at rpms a VTEC would be proud of..

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A diesel doesn't actually spin fast as it sounds when it runs away. Engine speed is limited by the burn time of the fuel and valve timing, which is why a diesel is limited to around 5,000 RPM. The fuel for a runaway is heavy lubricating oil, which has a slow burn rate even when compared to normal diesel fuel. This coupled to short valve timing limits engine speeds to constructionally tolerable levels. While is sounds and looks very dramatic, it's little different to the governor smoke test carried out by the MOT tester although more sustained.

GrumpyGel said:

Why would you need to collapese the hose? You would presumably pick one after the turbo, so cutting it would starve the engine of fuel.

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Spot GG. Cutting the elbow pipe on a TD4 will stop the boosted air reaching the engine and cut the fuel supply (engine oil) at the same time. This is why I have a new retractable blade craft knife in the engine fuse box. I could get to it in a few seconds before any real damage is done.

Tannaton said:

Sorry disagree... I've personally done it on a Zafira which started to blow at traffic lights in front of me and no injuries. Because of the dynamics of it and valve timing etc. a diesel engine (especially turbocharged) is not an effective vacuum pump. In any event you could cut the hose and collapse it.

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Sorry, disagree...don't know if you have any formal mechanical training but, a diesel engine on the induction side is just ONE BIG vacuum pump. Why do you think air cleaner elements collapse if they become blocked.
If you don't believe it is so, I'd invite you to try sticking your open hand over the air intake of a diesel that is running at full rpm, it will draw blood, but don't do it.
Even though the vacuum only depends on air pressure of one atmosphere, (14.7psi), over the area of an air intake the pressure total can be significant.
You stopped that Zafira by cutting the hose which is destruction of the hose for no reason, when the same could have been achieved with a balled up rag or 't' shirt.

Gazbo said:

Sorry, disagree...don't know if you have any formal mechanical training but, a diesel engine on the induction side is just ONE BIG vacuum pump. Why do you think air cleaner elements collapse if they become blocked.
If you don't believe it is so, I'd invite you to try sticking your open hand over the air intake of a diesel that is running at full rpm, it will draw blood, but don't do it.
Even though the vacuum only depends on air pressure of one atmosphere, (14.7psi), over the area of an air intake the pressure total can be significant.
You stopped that Zafira by cutting the hose which is destruction of the hose for no reason, when the same could have been achieved with a balled up rag or 't' shirt.

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TBH - the "destruction" of a hose when the engine is about to turn itself into iron filings, is a small price to pay.

Even if you're in the outback and cutting the hose will make the car imobile - you've still got the underlying problem anyway - so you're no worse off.

Gazbo said:

Sorry, disagree...don't know if you have any formal mechanical training but, a diesel engine on the induction side is just ONE BIG vacuum pump. Why do you think air cleaner elements collapse if they become blocked.
If you don't believe it is so, I'd invite you to try sticking your open hand over the air intake of a diesel that is running at full rpm, it will draw blood, but don't do it.
Even though the vacuum only depends on air pressure of one atmosphere, (14.7psi), over the area of an air intake the pressure total can be significant.
You stopped that Zafira by cutting the hose which is destruction of the hose for no reason, when the same could have been achieved with a balled up rag or 't' shirt.

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Why disagree? There's nothing to disagree about. The vehicle in question is a TD4 Freelander. The runaway is a result of turbo oil seal failure. This oil is atomized by the rotation of the compressor and sent to the engine through the inlet tract to the engine. Cutting a boost pipe will stop boosted air and the oil (now fuel) from reaching the engine. Result is the engine stops revving its nuts off.

I know atmospheric pressure is 14.7 Psi, so what. It's not atmospheric pressure causing the problem, it's the oil being spun into the air stream and burning in the cylinders that's the issue.

All engines are vacuum pumps, not just diesels. A diesel engine just isn't throttled like a petrol engine, but all engines are vacuum pumps, or they wouldn't work.

Yes blocking the intake to the turbo will also stop it, but that's not easy to do quickly on a TD4 Freelander. Most other diesels I've worked on aren't easy to get to the turbo intake either. Cutting a boost pipe will stop it instantly, and for just the price of a hose.

I agree with Nodge I have seen it done mind you I do carry a thick plastic bag in the boot as well, to stuff in the cut pipe.