Sump full of diesel

[matdar]

Hello

My 56 reg Classic TDI Octavia broke down (with a racing engine which was frightening for my wife who was driving at the time...) and when the garage looked at it, the sump was full of diesel.

They've changed the oil and said keep an eye on the level and take it back to them if it starts to rise.

I've borrowed a diagnostic lead and can see that 2 of the glow plugs have errors.

Could these cause diesel to leak into the sump? The engine doesn't smoke so I don't think it's worn piston rings.

There are no DPF errors.

Any ideas how the diesel is getting into the sump?

My wife's refusing to drive the car until she knows it's fixed - I can understand that...

Any advice appreciated.

Thanks

Matt

[Grizzle]

Sounds like leaking injectors.

[eccleshill]

and when the garage looked at it, the sump was full of diesel.

They've changed the oil and said keep an eye on the level and take it back to them if it starts to rise.

....

My wife's refusing to drive the car until she knows it's fixed - I can understand that...

Your wife is a sensible woman!! Unlike the idiots at the garage! So the sump has filled with diesel. Hmmmm... Wonder what caused that? Can't be a fault anywhere - must have been the fairies. Tell you what, we'll replace the oil (I mean diesel) from your sump and lets see if those naughty fairies do it again.

WTF!!

You have driven with your engine lubricated with diesel instead of oil - think of the damage that may have been done already. Aside from the lubrication issues, if your sump fills with diesel then you may get the situation where the engine runs away. The oil-diesel mix starts to get sucked through the crankcase breather into the engine. The engine will run quite happily on this and once it gets going it just pulls more and more up the breather and the engine will run faster and faster out of control until it blows itself up. Even switching off the ignition and removing the key won't stop it.

Like this:

Google for "runaway diesel" then decide if you want your wife in the car when it happens. Happened to a guy at work with his 2yr old Honda CR-V just last week. Suddenly he started to accelerate under full power with clouds of smoke pouring out the back, managed to pull over and stop the engine by stalling it. Luckily still under warranty cos he needs a new engine with all the trimmings - total cost is £13,000. Cause of his demise was a fault with the DPF - Honda reckon it was trying again and again to do a regen and failing. Some of the extra diesel being pumped into the engine on the exhaust stroke finds its way past the bores into the sump. In small amounts it just evaporates but his just kept on doing it and with short journeys in cold weather it didn't get chance to evaporate. Honda want his engine back for development purposes hence the replacement with all ancillaries. That is how seriously Honda are taking it!

Now - about your dear wife driving that deathtrap erm I mean Octavia...

[nickguzzi]

Perhaps a leak before the injector? One of the O rings perhaps. This would allow a much greater amount of fuel to contaminate the oil because it would leak continuously.

[silver1011]

I agrre with Grizzle, this sounds injector related.

I too had diesel contaminating my engine oil after Skoda replaced the injectors under a recall. They removed and reseated the injectors with new seals and all has been well since.

I also very much agree with eccleshill. The garage that sent you on your merry way after charging you for an oil change (fresh oil that will now already be contaminated too by the way!) are complete numpties and should be avoided at all costs.

I love these self-fixing engines

[matdar]

Thanks for the advice. I'll take it to a different garage and ask them to look at the injectors,

I probably won't show my wife the video....

[petetdi]

also check/get checked the tandem pump on the gearbox end of the cylinder head.

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=235095

Edited 6 February, 2013 by petetdi