Viewing 33 posts - 1 through 33 (of 33 total)
  • Purple Haze ~ 300tdi oil light flickered, level low – refilled – all gone Jimi
  • mcmoonter
    Free Member

    The oil light flickered on the Discovery dash on the way back from Glasgow on the M8, seemed to be pulling better than ever, then the oil light flickered on some turns, then on the climbs. When I got to the Forth Road Bridge O checked the oil level.

    It barely registered on the dip stick. The sump capacity is big. 6.7 litres. I bought some oil at the service station, four litres brought it to within a few millimeters of the full mark. So worst case scenario was I had around 2.5 litres left

    It smelt a bit hot under the bonnet, but there was no obvious oil leak, and it doesn’t burn oil. I don’t do a huge mileage, around 3k a year. It never needed topping up before.

    Leaving the service, I noticed a cloud of blue oil smoke, once running up to temperature the smoke vanished.

    Have I toasted my engine, there is a slight turn whistle that I never noticed before but it still seems to pull and start well enough, engine temp is fine and the oil light stayed out.

    timber
    Full Member

    Dash light on a Discovery? Probably an electrical/bulb fault 😉

    conkers
    Free Member

    300s are pretty rugged so I doubt you did any serious damage.
    It’s an oldish engine so could just be using more oil as the rings and seals wear. My old 2.25 and current 200tdi blow smoke at start up and I’ve not come across an old landy that doesn’t.
    I would just keep an eye on the oil level to gauge how much it’s using.
    You could take off the intake pipe to the turbo and check there’s not a lot of oil in there as blown turbo seals could cause a runaway engine but that’s a worst case scenario.

    mcmoonter
    Free Member

    Good call on the turbo intake hose. I will have a look at it in the morning.

    twinw4ll
    Free Member

    Sounds like a contender for shed of the year. 😀

    michaelbowden
    Full Member

    I had the head gasket go on mine which did this. Or it could be the turbo seals. If there’s no oil excessive oil in the pipe work my bet would be the HG.

    Careful or it will try to run away on its own oil.

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    have you checked the oil level since ?

    how long between pulling over and putting oil in ?

    ime landys lose their oil not through burning but through leaking -and if it doesnt leak its empty 😀

    Deveron53
    Free Member

    Sounds like seals going on the turbo on intake side. The oil will be sucked past the turbo shaft seal into the intake and be burned as if fuel. So that’s why it’s pulling better than ever, the engine is getting more fuel. IMHO of course!

    globalti
    Free Member

    That sounds like the likeliest explanation.

    True story: my Irish pal seized the engine on his Honda 750 because he didn’t put any oil in it. He said he thought the dipstick was wearing down.

    mcmoonter
    Free Member

    Sounds like seals going on the turbo on intake side. The oil will be sucked past the turbo shaft seal into the intake and be burned as if fuel. So that’s why it’s pulling better than ever, the engine is getting more fuel. IMHO of course!

    Numpty question, where is the seal, inside the turbo?

    singlecrack
    Free Member

    Take the intercooler off and empty out any oil…..and give the inside it a good clean with solvent while your at it..

    It does sound like turbo seal…….don’t just replace the seal ..it’s prob excessive play in the bearings as well destroying the seal ….

    michaelbowden
    Full Member

    The seals in the turbo are on the impeller shaft and not user serviceable as such.

    You need to completely strip the shaft (removing the impellers) to replace the bearing/seals. This then requires the assembly to be rebalanced.

    There are seal/bearing kits available and companies that will then rebalance the assembly. But if it is the turbo there must be plenty of second hand units around on eBay and the like.

    As suggested check for excessive amounts of oil in the inlet pipe work. You can also check for play in the impeller shaft by wiggling it. Look for any sign that the impellers have touched the housing as this will show definite bearing wear.

    If all her is OK as I said ^^^ I had the head gasket fail on mine between the oilway and cylinder

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    “You can also check for play in the impeller shaft by wiggling it”

    however it should move a bit…. it should not feel fixed in place. it floats on a film of oil when spinning.

    mcmoonter
    Free Member

    I rechecked the oil level in daylight, it consumed about two litres of oil in the ten miles since I refilled it. The air feed pipe work to and from the intercooler were full of oil and the air feed pipe to the turbo was oily too.

    So the turbo oil seal looks the most likely. I still have the old turbo from the engine I replaced a couple of years back, I wonder what the refurb costs of the existing turbo would be?

    michaelbowden
    Full Member

    Sounds like it is the turbo 🙁

    You need to clean all the pipe work and intercooler otherwise it can still run away from you on the remaining oil. I bet if you tip the IC up you get quite a lot out, then wash it out too.

    Had the turbo on the old engine failed?

    Refurbished turbo

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f48/jackuals-200tdi-turbo-rebuild-guide-92448.html

    and in the spirit of mcmoonter …. heres a how to with a 200TDI turbo :d

    mcmoonter
    Free Member

    Thanks for that folks.

    The old turbo seemed to work ok. I think it’s worth an exhaust and manifold gasket to swap it over as a test. I think it will be as good as any blind eBay turbo.

    boblo
    Free Member

    Or praps just stick in a nice na 6.7L v8 petrol…. Where on earth could you get one of those from…. 🙂

    mcmoonter
    Free Member

    Or praps just stick in a nice na 6.7L v8 petrol…. Where on earth could you get one of those from….

    I’d have nowhere to pile my stuff then.

    Right, I’ve got the new gaskets, just having a preparatory mug of tea, then I’m going in….

    michaelbowden
    Full Member

    Goodluck!

    mcmoonter
    Free Member

    I’ve got the old turbo off, I’ll need another mug of tea while I plan the replacement strategy.

    kcal
    Full Member

    sheds, paintings, floors, gates, landies, is there no end to the man’s talents 🙂

    mcmoonter
    Free Member

    I’ve had more ‘success’ with Landies than ladies.

    michaelbowden
    Full Member

    mcmoonter – Member

    I’ve had more ‘success’ with Landies than ladies.

    I thought that had improved following the TV programme?? 😆

    Is this the one off the old engine? It doesn’t look that oily.

    mcmoonter
    Free Member

    Is this the one off the old engine? It doesn’t look that oily.

    No thats the new one. It was easy to get it out from a freestanding engine.

    That’s to old one out. It should be straightforward enough to get it back together. I’ve got some brake cleaner to flush the intercooler and the hoses.

    michaelbowden
    Full Member

    Is there much play in the shaft??

    Have fun washing the intercooler clean……

    mcmoonter
    Free Member

    Is there much play in the shaft??

    In the old one? Aye it’s a bit shoogley.

    All back in, just the intercooler and hoses to flush clear of oil, I need something for my tea first.

    mcmoonter
    Free Member

    Normal service has been resumed.

    Phew. I thought the old shed was a goner. The ‘new’ turbo even produces some boost. I will keep an eye on the oil consumption from now on.

    timber
    Full Member

    Quick work.

    michaelbowden
    Full Member

    Good work!

    mcmoonter
    Free Member

    The first start in the morning is no longer a cloud of blue smoke. The Turbo must have been on it’s way out for a while. I expect that the burning of oil after a long spell standing idle would have been the oil that would have leaked past the seal into the inlet and towards combustion.

    High five to the STW diagnostics team.

    matt_outandabout
    Full Member

    Nice mug, when do we get them in the stw shop?

    mcmoonter
    Free Member

    Nice mug, when do we get them in the stw shop?

    A replacement would be handy as I’m certain to break mine.

Viewing 33 posts - 1 through 33 (of 33 total)

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