armstrongpiper Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 There have been several threads over the years referring to 'how to stop the thing' when the engine revs race away out of control. I've had a 3ltr Comfortmatic for 7 years (no trouble and a great drive), and am shortly to take delivery of another Comfortmatic PVC. The question is, and maybe Nick can answer it, How do you stall/stop and engine, quickly, when using auto transmission, if the revs do race away and a cloud of smoke comes from the exhaust? When in gear and the road speed approaches zero, the system declutches, allowing the engine to do its own thing. Neil B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Neil, The only way I know is to discharge a CO2 fire extinguisher into the air intake. Without Oxygen the engine cannot run, even on its own engine oil! Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euroserv Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Neil, That is a very interesting point. From the driver's seat there is probably nothing that you can do and if the key does not work, things are probably so far out of hand already that by the time you have popped the bonnet the game would probably be over. I would be tempted to stay where i was. Under those circumstances I would not want to be looking at the engine as it expires! It can be a hazardous place to be! Fortunately this is a very rare event and the chances of you being in this situation are very slim indeed. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 It's a very valid question and whilst we do not have an auto van the solution would be interesting. Nice thought, the fire extinguisher, but looking at it from a practical aspect, by the time you stop the van, locate and release the fire extinguisher, open the bonnet, open both cab doors (catch in passenger door frame), get around the van and squirt the fire extinguisher in the right place - always assuming you know where the air intake is, chances are the engine will have self destructed and already be silent and smoking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 How about a bung in the tail pipe? :-S .............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 That must be the political solution - to try and bribe it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Tracker - 2015-03-16 1:07 PM That must be the political solution - to try and bribe it? (lol) (lol) (lol) (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docted Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Bung in the pipe would probably blow your hand off and/or severe burns from exhaust gasses. :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terry1956 Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 just why in the hell would you wish to do this. if the engines management system is playing up that much by the time you got out the drivers door it would be game over.michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyishuk Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Am I missing something ? Turn the ignition off ? Rgds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Tony, You need to read the first line of Neil's original post to explain why he asked the question... armstrongpiper - 2015-03-16 11:53 AM There have been several threads over the years referring to 'how to stop the thing' when the engine revs race away out of control. Neil B Hope that explains it. Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euroserv Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Allow me...... In the (admittedly very rare) situation where your turbo is failing and because of worn seals it is now blasting oil that is supposed to be cooling it straight from the sump to the inlet manifold, your engine will emit a lot of black smoke and will rev up significantly. Some times you can switch off the engine in time but after a certain point the engine will be running on it's own oil and the only way to stop it self destructing is to stall the engine yourself before the oil runs out. This is achieved by applying the handbrake as hard as you can, selecting third or fourth gear and lifting the clutch up very sharply. The question was posed that this would be difficult in an automatic because there is no clutch for you to dump. Difficult does not quite do it. Impossible actually. The only modifications that I think could be made are either a C02 fire extinguisher in the engine bay that can be remotely operated or a complete shut-off valve in the inlet manifold. Both would probably cause loads of problems without ever being needed. Don't lose any sleep over it. It is very rare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armstrongpiper Posted March 16, 2015 Author Share Posted March 16, 2015 OK, thanks Nick. I did think that the engine would expire before anything practical could be done, and you have confirmed this. Thank goodness it is a very rare event! Thanks also for some amusing replies - politics and bungs!!! Neil B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muswell Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Just sit back, enjoy the show and keep the camera running Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Muswell - 2015-03-16 11:05 PM Just sit back, enjoy the show and keep the camera running Is that another of those engines supplied by Mr Ford perchance? :D ............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docted Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 With increasing availability of auto boxes on motorhomes may not be as rare a few years down the line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gocro Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 The engine goes wild because the turbo seals allow the lubrication oil for the turbo to be sucked straight out of the sump and into the induction side of the turbo that fuels the engine, right. The pick up for the oil in the sump is located at the lowest point., therefore after pouring a copious amount of water into the oil filler cap, the water would sink to the bottom and be fed to the turbo, stopping the cycle and incidentally killing the engine in a different way. Getting the head off tomorrow in the hope that it may 'only' be a holed piston that turned my six week tour into a twenty five minute one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euroserv Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 The above would be a pretty hazardous thing to do because even if the engine did not let go in a dramatic fashion while you were standing over it, you may well get showered with very hot oil in the process. You would be blinded by steam as well. Don't follow this advice. What bothers me most is that in the good old days there were easily visible signs that a turbo was on the way out in the form of smoke. Either white smoke on the over-run or black smoke as death approaches. Now we have DPF's that will catch this smoke and leave you none the wiser. The correct advice is to stall the engine if you can, and if not; get well clear of the vehicle and wait for the inevitable to happen. Thankfully, as I have said several times already the chances of you ever seeing this happen to any vehicle, let alone happen to you are many thousands to one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 If stopping the vehicle does not stop the engine would continuing to drive and keeping the engine speed down by use of the brakes help to keep the lid on the engine until it ran out of engine oil and stopped by itself? Never tried it on an automatic - has anyone - and would it work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobalobs Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 My brother in law had experience of this with a Fiat Doblo and the engine exploded. At the time he could not think of what to do so I will pass on Nick's views. Nick I may be missing something but you mention pulling the handbrake on hard.Can you not slam on the footbrake to the same effect? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 As 'modern' vehicles have dual circuit brakes a handbrake is no longer a handbrake and only has to pull about 15% efficiency to pass the MOT requirement for a parking brake so it is not something I would rely on to stop a wildly accelerating vehicle - apart from which I think I would prefer two hands on the wheel! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyishuk Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Keithl - 2015-03-16 6:04 PM Tony, You need to read the first line of Neil's original post to explain why he asked the question... armstrongpiper - 2015-03-16 11:53 AM There have been several threads over the years referring to 'how to stop the thing' when the engine revs race away out of control. Neil B Hope that explains it. Keith. I get it now ! :D (after reading further additions to the thread !) Rgds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeco Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Muswell - 2015-03-17 10:05 AMJust sit back, enjoy the show and keep the camera running https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zx3qKX_Pno[/quote]Wow that footage is very scary. The Landy ran for a long time. My reaction would be to get as far away as possible. If the toxic smoke doesn't get you the explosion probably will if you are near the thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Tracker - 2015-03-17 6:45 PM As 'modern' vehicles have dual circuit brakes a handbrake is no longer a handbrake and only has to pull about 15% efficiency to pass the MOT requirement for a parking brake so it is not something I would rely on to stop a wildly accelerating vehicle - apart from which I think I would prefer two hands on the wheel! My four year old x2/50 only just scraped a pas on handbrake last week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 colin - 2015-03-17 9:23 PM My four year old x2/50 only just scraped a pass on handbrake last week. So did mine last year! Confidence inspiring innit!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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