The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

Hi
Yesterday I was driving from Oxford to Suffolk, somewhere along the way I almost lost the engine and also comming off the motoway approaching a roundabout the brakes had little effect, possible somthing to do with the servo? Stopped the car and when I tried to fire it up again the lights came on but there was no reaction from the engine. After open ending the bonnet I discovered that the engine bay was covered in black oil, hopfully just a seal but does this account for the engine failing?
Any help greatly appreciated.
Best regards
Sam

Is the dipstick oil filter and oil cap still in place??

Yes these are all still in place.

What engine are we talking about?
Firstly check your dipstick to see how much oil is in there. If you lost most of your oil, the engine stopped and wont restart I expect it's seized/buggered. Did the pressure warning light come on before it stopped?

The engine is a 1500. There was certainly still oil on the dipstick, the engine bay received a light coating on the off side, not sure how much the road got.

Artisam wrote:The engine is a 1500. There was certainly still oil on the dipstick, the engine bay received a light coating on the off side, not sure how much the road got.

Re-check your oil level, is there a chance you may have overfilled it?

Darren

or if you have an oil pressure guage has the pipe come loose and squirted oil out?

is the engine still running???

Nothing from the engine. Oil light and ignition light came on. It was last filled several months ago.

Just reading back through some of your previous posts I noticed you had some difficuly fitting your fuel pump.

the oil leak you said is sprayed up one side of the engine bay does it look like it came from the pump area?

the lack of brakes was probably down to the engine not being able to create a vaccum to opperate the servo.

have you tried turning the engine over without plugs in with a socket.

from what you have described it doesn't sound too hopefull im afraid

Lord Tolly wrote:Just reading back through some of your previous posts I noticed you had some difficuly fitting your fuel pump.

the oil leak you said is sprayed up one side of the engine bay does it look like it came from the pump area?

the lack of brakes was probably down to the engine not being able to create a vaccum to opperate the servo.

have you tried turning the engine over without plugs in with a socket.

from what you have described it doesn't sound too hopefull im afraid

Glenn

He said the oil was up the offside on a 1500 the fuel pump is on the N/S.

I do agree with your thoughts tho

Darren

Doh!!!

Could it be too much oil pressure building up Glenn and blowing the dipstick out

I've had that on a Diesel, I don't know if petrol engines can do that.


Darren

seems a strange one , sounds like a sudden seizure job if the engine died so somthing internally sounds like its let go

Most of the things that can leak oil unexpectedly are on the nearside of the 1500 engine, fuel pump, oil pressure switch, oil pressure relief valve etc. If the engine throws a rod (which is about the worst thing that can happen) this usually comes out on the nearside of the crankcase too. About the only things on the offside likely to show this symptom is a loose or corroded oil filter or a missing dipstick. Or, grasping at straws, a broken breather hose.
As to why it won't turn over, thats another matter, as has been said, best to pull the plugs and see if it will turn by hand, if it won't, its time to look for another engine i'm afraid!

Steve

Carledo wrote:Most of the things that can leak oil unexpectedly are on the nearside of the 1500 engine, fuel pump, oil pressure switch, oil pressure relief valve etc. If the engine throws a rod (which is about the worst thing that can happen) this usually comes out on the nearside of the crankcase too. About the only things on the offside likely to show this symptom is a loose or corroded oil filter or a missing dipstick. Or, grasping at straws, a broken breather hose.
As to why it won't turn over, thats another matter, as has been said, best to pull the plugs and see if it will turn by hand, if it won't, its time to look for another engine i'm afraid!

Steve

Unless our friend is getting N/S and O/S the wrong way round also I'm sure the oil filter on my 1500 is on the N/S too.

Darren