530da E39, Jan 2002, 140,000km

Now, here's a thing. I was driving in the South of France a few weeks ago when the car lurched and started to belch huge volumes of smoke. Damn turbo gone again I wail !! Oh yes, but not only. Something caused the engine to start running on its sump oil. Turning the key off made no difference, the engine was running flat-out. I got the wife out of the car and we stood watching as it flooded the surrounding area with smoke and slowly burned itself out to a grinding halt. One dead and totally useless engine. Ground awash with black oil under the engine and at the rear from the exhaust.

We managed to get it towed to a garage where it is now being examined by an 'expert' who will determine the exact fault (hopefully). This will determine if it is the fault of BMW Group (part manufacture) or of the BMW Garage I used in Paris, where the vehilce was, only a few days before, for a (believe it or not) suspect Turbo fault.

Info on the net suggests a ECU problem.

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/index.htm?p_make=BMW&am p;am p;h_make=BMW&p_model=%2044

I work in a commercial Mercedes dealership and I have known one or two diesels to go in this way. The turbos 'pick up' and begin to run by sucking oil through and burning it in the engine causing it to run regardless of whether the ignition is on or not.

It happened to a technician who had to stall the vehicle (he was driving down the road on a road test) and had to leave the vehicle to be recoverd from a pool of oil.

As this vehicle was about 5 years old and had 150,000 on the clock the customer had to fork out (also this wasn't a known problem as is recognised in this case)

I hope you have a better case, looks like you should be, given the circumstances.

Good luck

Mike

This same thing happened me in a Merc Truck. The engine had been reconditioned and while driving on the motorway at 50mph it took of at full power on the Engine oil through the Turbo as described.

What caused it was the fuel injector was under the rocker cover. It had a small leak and as a result over filled the sump with too much "oil"

The trubo sucked it up. I managed to stop the engine on the clutch. (saved the rebuilt Engine)

What I am getting at is it possible that the car was over filled with oil??

If you let it run on till it ran dry of oil the the motor is lunched

Let us know

Mick

I know a bloke who's Landrover Discovery ran on it's own oil although in that case it was down to a blown head gasket.

I hope BMW pay up. I have to say all the talk of BMW diesels having problems really put me off getting an oil burner.

Peter Fenwick wrote: I have to say all the talk of BMW diesels having problems really put me off getting an oil burner.

Ditto for me.  When Diesels go wrong, they go wrong big style

Keep us posted on the outcome please?

Andrew

Andyboy wrote: The engine itself is fine - it's all the Bosch crap attatched to it. BMW should go to Hitachi for all its electronics!

I agree, Bosch have a lot to answer for, especially injectors and diesel pumps!!

Mike

Mick, actually that explains why I was asked if I had added oil to the Engine.

However, I would have thought that I would have noticed some performance degradation, which I had not. Either way, it is clear now that those are symptoms that indicate one or other problem and the BMW garage should have checked in more detail.

Thanks for the replies and comments guys.

What's happening now is that BMW Group France have sent a specialist to inspect the removed parts to determine the cause of the problem. My insurance legal department are also involved and keeping an eye on things.

I am waiting to hear the results in the next week or two.

Fingers crossed they sort it out...

And trade it in for a propper BMW. Running on petrol.

Mick

Mick, no news yet from BMW. My insurance have also sent their 'expert' to site.

Still waiting !!

Last update was some considerable time ago but things have moved on, somewhat slowly.

BMW finally admitted the problem was caused by dealer diagnosis error and have proposed a monetary value which is in-line with my insurance legal inspectors estimate. They pay for a new lump and all needed extras.

So for me it is a result although it has taken a year to resolve. No compensation for depreciation. I count myself lucky I got what I did.

To clarify the failure, the high pressure fuel pump was leaking diesel in to the sump. When the sump reached a certain level (takes some time) the mixture was drawn up in to the intake via the turbo. The engine then ran on its own engine fuel mixture, at maximum rpm, and would not shut down. Within 3 minutes the engine was a write-off.

What compounded the guilt for the garage was that the week before the vehicle was in for a suspected turbo failure evident by loss of power and bucket loads of white smoke from exhaust. They changed the turbo and asked my why I had added engine oil. Of course I had not but did not think anything of it at the time. The garage failed to spot the high oil level in the sump as a major symptom. A simple examination of the pump would have shown the problem. I guess they will not make that costly mistake again.

In the meantime, you will be please to learn that I bought a nearly new 740d. Another diesel yes, but what a car.

Wow. Great result if a bit long waiting.

So it was like my Merc truck of nearly 12 years ago. Diesel in the oil. Mad eh....

Cheers

Mick

How did the fuel manage to leak into the sump?  I would have thought that the two were not linked in anyway.

All I can say is I'm glad I didn't buy a diesel BM.

I think Jabuk must be one of the lucky ones.

Andrew

PS Given the last date on this thread 22.01.07, wasn't this thread locked, if so how do you get it unlocked just out of curiosity?

Andrew Rolland wrote: wasn't this thread locked, if so how do you get it unlocked just out of curiosity?

appeal to a moderators fair and compassionate side.... oh wait....

stephenperry wrote: Andrew Rolland wrote: wasn't this thread locked, if so how do you get it unlocked just out of curiosity? appeal to a moderators fair and compassionate side.... oh wait....

cheeky g*t  - not all threads are locked when they age.

more so for rudeness

jabuk wrote: To clarify the failure, the high pressure fuel pump was leaking diesel in to the sump. When the sump reached a certain level (takes some time) the mixture was drawn up in to the intake via the turbo. The engine then ran on its own engine fuel mixture, at maximum rpm, and would not shut down. Within 3 minutes the engine was a write-off.

Any see Top Gear last night?

Their 330D doing the Britcar 24Hr at Silverstone had exactly the same problem after a turbo failure at 44,000 miles. Obviously not an isolated incident.

M3Nally wrote: Sporty1, Yes I saw it, they did have the problem but placed the blame on the methanol additive used in the fuel for wasting the seals.

Don't believe that for a moment as there grew SFA in that fields, which incidently is not far from were I live.

Yeah no suprise to me when they said they had to replace the turbo and all the fuel injectors on the car.

Obviously cost wasn't an issue.  Injectors £300 each?  Turbo £2-3k

Ouch.  Which is why I don't have a diesel beamer!  Even though they are great to drive.

I think the clue is in the first three letters of the fuel.

DIEsel

Andrew

Rhys wrote: Blimey.. hope all goes right in the end. Was thinking about a disco at one time but the turbo issues put me off - same with the 5.. Good luck

Never hard off any probloms with the Disco turbo's ? and I a avid land rover fan

Landie Turbo problems?

Well the Landie we used for site, you could drive into the site compound, switch off the engine, walk into the site huts, sit down and still hear the turbo run.

No oil to the bearings and the red hot turbo is still spinning. 

They are a time bomb waiting to go off.

Not enough people know to let the engine tick over before switching off.

Andrew

maybe "turbo timers" should become standard fitment

bmw1066 wrote: Rhys wrote: Blimey.. hope all goes right in the end. Was thinking about a disco at one time but the turbo issues put me off - same with the 5.. Good luck    Never hard off any probloms with the Disco turbo's ? and I a avid land rover fan

I could tell you a few Discovery horror stories. I wouldn't have one given and that's not just because I hate 4x4s

Well I am a big land rover fan And have a v8 Disco never had any mager probloms v8 still running great 140+k. I also know of plenty of people that have had more probloms with there Ford Focus that the Range rover.

I can list Horror storyes From all mager Man's, Ford, Voxhall, BMW, VAG. Been in the trad I get to see all maner of things and ford voxheep are bye fare the worst affenders. Yes land rovers ant great and the p38 is very very bad but you will onley eve hear horror storyes. Look at BMW Turbos going at 50k and Then you have the Nickeal, VAG have gear box and fule injecters going, Ford and voxhepp mainley love to eat ECU's land rover any the best in the world but knowing people that have driven to cape town and back in the 230k Disko and one guy in his 170k RR drove to and arout SA for over a year.

I know a bloke who's wife has had 3 Discoveries Diesels in a row and all of them have had serious problems ranging from gearboxes going bang to head gaskets blowing. The latest one was bought brand new and has still had issues.

My sister has a landrwover freelander that is three years old and just outside of the new car warranty. Recently the window mechanism in the drivers door failed so she went back to the main dealer who told her that the window runner had rusted away due to water ingree and would need replacing. When she questioned if this should be covered by landrover they said no. For a just over 3 year old car to be suffering from such problems is, IMO, totally unacceptable.

I went on a work team building event once that included some off road driving in ladrover defenders. The guy who ran the offorad centre told me that no other 4x4 could do what a defender does, however he also told me that they break down quite lot and that unless you need to do a lot of serious off roading a japanese one was a better buy. Oh and he used to work for landrover, taking new customers out to show them what their new car could do etc.

Lots of cars have problems, my ford focus is a perfect example, however I suspect that the reason you may see more fords and vauxhalls with problems that other makes is down to how many there are. There are litterally 3 times more focuses in my work car park than any other single make of car let alone model.

Fair point but I could list the same as you have just said for Ford BMW and Voxheep. Jap 4+4 are very relible but then it's a jap car. I used to work for a land rover non main dealer. AS 4 the window mec I too have replaced them on a free lander at to years and the sun roof mec but having sain that so have I replaced them on a many ford's and other makes at simaler ages. I know land rover are bad and It's not very good there arfter sails is crap but no other mrke is a lot better. My mate at Part's Copers BMW has had his toyota in the main agent 8 time this year thay have had the car for near 4 in totol.

I'm just a sad nuptey that love's Land rovers and other unrelible trash