Runaway L400 in Vancouver? Terrifying video (updated link).

[Growlerbearnz]

Oh dear. Not the prettiest video. Who is this?
https://youtu.be/xcDEzE_e5x4

[FalcoColumbarius]

I clicked on the link but got "server error 500". Sounds like a special kind of race ~ welcome to the server error 500!

Falco.

[Mr. Flibble]

I had to be in Facebook to find the user Taffi Louis and those associated posts, then I found the video.

Unfortunately I can't comment on it.

People are saying that with a Diesel runaway there is "nothing you can do".

Not true.

You can kill the airflow. If you stop the air going into the engine, you kill the runaway. You can't really stop the fuel, because in this case it is the engine oil.

One of the reasons I like having a snorkel- I can plug it. Though, if you do this, keep in mind you have to plug it with something SOLID. Like a plank of wood or something. Most other items will get sucked in by the pressure.

Your other option is to use your CO2 extinguisher- you have a CO2 extinguisher right? Spray that in the air intake air filter area. Don't know where that is? Give it your best guess and fill the area under the hood with CO2.

For the few of us that have manual transmissions - pull over and stop while in neutral - press the brake HARD and put it in the highest gear you have, this will hopefully stall the engine.

Under no circumstances should you try to start the engine again until it has been towed to a shop.

Watch the red truck in the garage in this compilation. To see just how crazy the suction is.

[Growlerbearnz]

Did I mention I hate Facebook? Argh. Video now hosted on YouTube.

[FalcoColumbarius]

God, that is brutal. I agree with Mister Flibble, block the intake. My snorkel is located under the driver's seat and I can get to it through a hatch under the carpet, behind the seat, should something like this ever happen to me, God forbid! Poor driver sitting in the seat, I wonder how it happened, turned the fuel screw up too much? Really sorry for the driver.

Falco.

[Growlerbearnz]

I'd guess a blown seal in the turbo allowing engine oil into the intake. For an injector pump to do that you'd have to have the simultaneous failure of the fuel cutoff solenoid (stuck in the on position) *and* the governor- but who knows.

[Mr. Flibble]

Like growler said, most likely the turbo seal going out, the turbo then blows oil into the intake. The fuel pump can be completely off at this point, even physically removed from the engine, it won't matter.

It can happen with oil leaks in other areas, or it can happen if you add too much oil to the engine or your piston rings are worn. You know that crankcase breather that people put oil catch cans on? An oil mist can form in your crankcase, and the pressure (from worn rings) blows the mist of oil into your crankcase breather - that breather is connected to your air intake.....

So in either scenario you are fueling the engine with crankcase oil. Since you can't stop the oil flow - and if it runs out, bye bye engine.... Engine runs too fast? Bye bye engine. The only thing you can really stop is the air. Your other options are to completely block the exhaust (very hard to do) or to stall the engine with too much load. My Delica is Automatic, but my TDi Jetta is a 6 speed manual. I could stall it by putting it in 6th gear while stopped and foot on the break.

That is the other danger here if you think about it - if you don't put your Delica in neutral when this happens, odds are you will start to accelerate rapidly.

[thelazygreenfox]

Now I really am happy I chose a gas engine.
MD

[TieMyShoe]

Another reason to carry a fire extinguisher with you. If you are unfortunate enough to experience a run away spray your CO2 extinguisher into the intake, it will suffocate the engine and stall it out.

[Beausoleil74]

Thanks for explaining what was going on in the video. I've seen cars on fire on the side of the road before but haven't seen that. so was this thing toast after that or fixable?

[Mr. Flibble]

Thanks for explaining what was going on in the video. I've seen cars on fire on the side of the road before but haven't seen that. so was this thing toast after that or fixable?

It does not look like anyone got in there and killed the engine.

My guess is that the 4M40 in that Delica is toast. It probably ate through all of its oil, and destroyed most of the moving parts through wear and too high RPMs.