Hey everyone, , I was driving down the A1 last night, and my GV 2.8CRD LTD 55 plate started making a quick knocking sound, loudly. We pulled over, and the knocking slowed down, we limped the car to the services slowly and as we got in it cut out. The knocking was really loud, i first thought something was maybe stuck on the wheel and was banging the car on the way round, when doing about 50, it almost stopped knocking, sounded like a bag of spanners by time we stopped, Wondered of it might be bottom end?
Im not a diesel engineer and this is the first diesel I have owned, so dont know much about it, except it cost me £211 quid to get it recovered from cambridge to home! (((
Very difficult to describe the knock, except it was very loud and when we pulled up it kind of squeaked a bit! s
Any suggestions on how i might see some kind of signs as to what the problem is would be greatly appreciated, or if anyone had a similar problem, and what they did,??!
Kindest regards,
Bella

 

p.s it seems to use lots of diesel, and it is full of oil and water! )

 

Oooh, Meant to add, there was No warning, no lights, no signs, car was driving fine, etc etc

 

Got a couple of questions for you.

When you say it is full of oil and water I assume you mean the oil and water levels are ok, or do you mean the sump is full of a mixture of oil and water?

Was the knocking from the engine...ie with the car stationary with the transmission in Neutral or Park did it still knock?

Have you tried starting the engine sinnce?...does it turn over at all?

Does the oil light come on when you switch the ignition on? (just wondering if the bulb is blown)

I hate to say it, but what you describe does sound like a bottom end bearing failure, if you drain the oil and look at the magnetic drain plug it will be covered with bits of metal if that is the case. What mileage does your car have?

 

oil and water topped up fine, and no warning lights. funny enough i had a friend round tonight who is a diesel engineer, but for cummins, so he doesnt work on chryslers usually, i tried to start the car so he could listen, and it actually started. its running like its on one cylinder, rocking the engine about, but it ran, and he wondered about the timing belt or a pulley? i was going to drop the sump tomorrow, but he reckons its not bottom end? The oil light does come on, when i turn key part wa, without cranking it, but goes off once started. I watched out as i would have though bottom end would have produced a warning light of some sort, due to oil pressure, I'm hoping its timing belt, forced a valve out or something, it knocks when car stationary, if i put slight pressure on accelerator, it knocks quicker, also a bit smokey when i just started it. engine oil doesnt have that horrid smell when the bottom end goes, usually smells nasty i think, fingers crossed its not terminal.... ill be very very sad, as i LOVE my car! ( Thanks so much for answering, Bella

 

OOOPS! p.s car has 61k, Due for timing belt change in book at 65k

 

Hmmm.....I'd have thought a spontaneous failure of a bottom end bearing would be rare on an engine with 60k miles on it, unless you suffered a total loss of oil or had an oil pump failure.

The cam belt interval is 60,000 miles or 5 years, and although in theory you are slightly overdue a cam belt change, the evidence from this forum would suggest you have to grossly exceed the interval to suffer a belt failure. (one example I remember had well over 100,000 miles on the belt before it broke) Clearly your belt isn't broken, but it might be worth getting the timing belt cover off to check for missing teeth or other damage.

As you say another possibility is a top end issue (broken rocker, valve, valve spring or cam shaft problem). Unfortunately the injectors have to come out to get the rocker cover off which requires an expensive puller.

I'd be very interested to know what the problem is.....keep us posted!

 

Hiya, Finally managed to get someone to look at the car and the Conrod has come straight through the block!! Seems like we will need a new engine! Most gutted!

 

Ouch.....that's horrendous. Especially in a relatively low mileage car. I feel for you.

As for repair options, your only choice on a car that age is to find a scrap yard breaking a 2.8 crd. Even then it'll probably cost you £1500 for the engine.

Good luck.