My car is revving uncontrollably

I was driving around getting my brakes set up properly, then the throttle was stuck open at pretty much max rev.
Then i stopped the engine, and could not get it going again. When i did eventually get it working, i drove it back to my house, then it was revving on it's own. Either it died, or it stayed idling at about 2-3000 rev.
Do you guys know a fix? I am running a 2.5 self aspirated diesel (no turbo)

Thanks

Worried it's starting to burn it's own oil. Hope I'm wrong

Station House said:

Worried it's starting to burn it's own oil. Hope I'm wrong

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What could be wrong with that? though, i seem to have fired her up this morning with no issues what so ever. started, then was idling at normal speed.

ProcrastinatorFraser said:

What could be wrong with that?

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Google "diesel runaway".

Have a good look at the throttle connections, a worn/frayed cable can make the throttle stick open. If all OK, check crankcase breathing - take the oil filler off when running. If there's a lot of heavy breathing - (oil fumes), you are in danger of the engine running on it's own oil. If it's not too bad, it's worth cleaning the gauze filter anyway.

Think I'm right in saying a N/A can only runaway via mist from crankcase breather to air intake. People have been known to feed the breather into a catchment container or to inside the chassis.

Worth checking oil level in case it's filling up with diesel.

I suspect throttle linkages first though.

zeaphod said:

Have a good look at the throttle connections, a worn/frayed cable can make the throttle stick open. If all OK, check crankcase breathing - take the oil filler off when running. If there's a lot of heavy breathing - (oil fumes), you are in danger of the engine running on it's own oil. If it's not too bad, it's worth cleaning the gauze filter anyway.

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Okay, well this morning that's what i did. Very little smoke coming out of the filler, and also very little blue smoke coming out the exhaust, bearing in mind i am running it on red diesel, because it is currently not a road vehicle.

blue beasty said:

Think I'm right in saying a N/A can only runaway via mist from crankcase breather to air intake. People have been known to feed the breather into a catchment container or to inside the chassis.

Worth checking oil level in case it's filling up with diesel.

I suspect throttle linkages first though.

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Well it cannot be that because the throttle cable is about a month old and also i am certain that the injector is in the tick-over position because it is up against the retainer bolt to adjust tick-over.

zeaphod said:

Have a good look at the throttle connections, a worn/frayed cable can make the throttle stick open. If all OK, check crankcase breathing - take the oil filler off when running. If there's a lot of heavy breathing - (oil fumes), you are in danger of the engine running on it's own oil. If it's not too bad, it's worth cleaning the gauze filter anyway.

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Also, the throttle cable was replaced under a month ago, so i don't think it's that.

ProcrastinatorFraser said:

Also, the throttle cable was replaced under a month ago, so i don't think it's that.

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Doesnt mean that it was installed correctly.

Why not just check it anyway?

ProcrastinatorFraser said:

Well it cannot be that because the throttle cable is about a month old and also i am certain that the injector is in the tick-over position because it is up against the retainer bolt to adjust tick-over.

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Dunno mate, just know what I'd check first....that the throttle has free play, that sump oil level isn't rising, then whether the air intake after the breather tee is dripping with oil.

Because i know it's fine, because the bit on the injector that the throttle linkage connects to, for the accelerator, is in it's standard position. (Idle position)

I think i may need an oil change though. Because the filler cap, and what was inside, when tiny amounts of smoke were rising through, it smelled like diesel fumes or full on diesel.
So i'll get that done ASAP, then i'll see if it's okay.

ProcrastinatorFraser said:

I think i may need an oil change though. Because the filler cap, and what was inside, when tiny amounts of smoke were rising through, it smelled like diesel fumes or full on diesel.
So i'll get that done ASAP, then i'll see if it's okay.

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Then it's quite possible that you have diesel leaking into the sump.

Please stop obsessing about the cable and listen to some of the other possibilities while you still have an engine in one piece.

blue beasty said:

please stop obsessing about the cable and listen to some of the other possibilities while you still have an engine in one piece.

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+1

ProcrastinatorFraser said:

I was driving around getting my brakes set up properly, then the throttle was stuck open at pretty much max rev.
Then i stopped the engine, and could not get it going again. When i did eventually get it working, i drove it back to my house, then it was revving on it's own. Either it died, or it stayed idling at about 2-3000 rev.
Do you guys know a fix? I am running a 2.5 self aspirated diesel (no turbo)

Thanks

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How did you stop it? If you turned the key off and it stopped, then it was not running on it's own oil.

If you had to stall it, then it was.

sp00k said:

How did you stop it? If you turned the key off and it stopped, then it was not running on it's own oil.

If you had to stall it, then it was.

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It could be early signs remember we're not talking turbo seals gone but breathing oily mist. Diesel in the sump needs seriously addressing though, changing the oil and seeing how it runs is asking for trouble.

Turbo seals can give very little warning and be catastrophic but heavy breathing mixed with a rising oil level will get you to the same place soon enough.

Difficult to know unless the OP answers some questions other than how new the throttle cable is

Take the rocker cover off and see if the tappets and push rods are in place and serviceable.

Get a compression check done, as if it's leaking diesel into the sump the likely cause is low compression.
This will also be the reason for oil misting.

blue beasty said:

Difficult to know unless the OP answers some questions other than how new the throttle cable is

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Just how new is that throttle cable?

Seriously though, incorrect routing will cause it to stick in short order.

My old NA started running on it's own oil. One occurrence was enough for me. I got cold feet and never ran it again It's a very uncomfortable feeling.