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Whoops - there goes the engine...

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Ben:
A cautionary tale...

A few months ago, I decided to get the 90 serviced. It had a leaky fuel tank, and was a bit manky, so I enlisted the help of a local independent garage.

When the 90 returned, resplendant with new fuel tank, I felt liberated, and started to use it loads, as I was bored of the Passat.

So, when I checked the oil at the end of the week (500 miles later) and found about half a litre of extra oil in the sump, I was a little concerned. I drained off the excess, and prayed.

It would seem that my praying either wasn't good enough, or frequent enough.

I was driving up to Sheffield this evening to visit the young lady (second date, so needed to make the right impression), and just as I was about to reach the Dronfield / Coal Aston roundabout, the engine note changed. It was at this point that it started to run on oil...
About 5 minutes later I'd managed to runabout 100 yds from the vehicle with my mobile, and was on the phone calling out International Rescue.
Now, when an engine goees onto oil, you usually expect a loud bang, followed by a con rod popping through the side of the engine. For some unknown reason, the engine slowed to a halt and stopped before this happened...

Some kind passer by thought that the rather black smoke coming out of the back of the 90 was the engine on fire, and a fire crew duly arrived after the engine had stalled. After convincing them it was all okay, they left in fits of laughter!

The engine still turns (when the 90's pushed in gear), so I'm going to have the head off and clean out the intercooler over the next few weeks. Hopefully it'll be okay. In order to combat Murphy's first law, I have arranged to buy a second 300TDi engine from a friend of a friend. The theory being that if there is a spare engine, then I won't need it, and can sell it on for a similar price to what I'm paying for it.

So, check the oil BEFORE you drive your Land Rover after it's been serviced. I've got absolutely no comeback on the garage, as it's my word against theirs. Suffice to say, I'll be doing my own servicing from now on the Land Rover.

Oh well, more expense. Just when I didn't need it - the Winch needs the second installment paying, and I've spent about £600 on the soft top over the last 3 months. I've got a 90SV Canvas for sale though which will help towards the cost of the engine... I guess that'll have to go onto eBay when I get back from my holiday!

Cheers

Ben

nzrover:
My best guess would be leaky injector pump  filling the sump with diesel (thus increasing the amount of oil in there)

Wanderer:
Isn't it normally the head gasket that causes it to run on oil. Head gasket usually leaks between pistons 3 and 4 allowing oil into the combustion chamber?

I may be wr.... wro..... incorrect.

Ed

Commiserations though Ben

Sharpshooter:
I had this happen to me once on the motorway in a works van. The cause was the fuel pump as nz rover said. I was doing about 75 on the motorway, and then i was doing 90 with my foot off the throttle. ANOTHER PERFECTLY GOOD PAIR OF UNDERPANTS  "RUINED". I could do nothing, but knock it in to neutral and slow it down, and as you did RUN.

Xtremeteam:
How much are u looking for the SV hood? sorry to make your pain worse but it happened at my work in a sharan thet had been filled with 7 litres of oil,now that was scary

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