Something unusual happened during the week.
Was on way home from work and about twenty miles from home. I noticed droplets on rear windscreen.
Sun was splitting the stones and no water anywhere.
Had to put rear wiper on every minute or so to keep screen clear.
Pulled in to let the guy off that was with me and got out to check.
D3 absolutely covered in diesel, roof and all, and a steady flow coming from under centre console area underneath.
Turned off engine and the leak stopped.
Said I'd better race home before fire service saw me and parked up in field beside house to avoid destroying the tarmac. Again diesel stopped leaking once engine was turned off.
I had left a steady trail of diesel the whole way home.
Filled up a 5 gallon drum of diesel to top it up as would be hunted from any service station.
Got up early next morning to get it to dealers before too many on road but to my surprise there was no trail of diesel and no leak.
Dealer said it was a fault with the water in fuel sensor and they blanked it off and have ordered a new one. How a fault could cause the D3 to pump diesel all over the road is beyond me.
But all sorted and the good news is it wont rust for a very long time.
Anyone ever have a similiar experience?
Comments appreciated.
27th May 2010 12:51 pm
Bodsy Site Sponsor
Member Since: 06 Nov 2006
Location: In the Clubhouse
Posts: 21361
Having just changed the fuel filter at the weekend, I can see how the trail of deisel would occur. The Fuel Filter is on the Low pressure fuel line, and the fuel in water sensor has a rubber bit on the end and a rubber seal at the bottom. If either of these faile, you will get a constant stream of fuel, but only with the ignition on.
I had left a steady trail of diesel the whole way home.
I'm sorry to read that you did this. As well as being environmentally unfriendly, the road you travelled will for many weeks be a potentially fatal hazard for other users, especially motorcyclists.A vaccine does not stop you catching a virus, or passing it on, or getting ill from it, really ill. It does reduce the likelyhood of you dying when really, really ill. Stay Alive - KEEP AWAY FROM PEOPLE.
27th May 2010 2:08 pm
PaulP
Member Since: 04 May 2007
Location: Barcelona
Posts: 4317
I don't think he did it on purpose
He mentioned that the leak had stopped and then he went home - I got the impression that he didn't relate the fact that it only stopped leaking when the engine was switched off until later on.
Agree that it diesel spills are very dangerous, but I don't think he purposefully drove around leaking diesel all over the place ...did you 1234? 2006 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE AutoBuckingham Blue 2007 Golf GT DSG
27th May 2010 2:12 pm
AndrewW
Member Since: 06 Aug 2007
Location: Saddleworth
Posts: 2302
... and no warning light to tell you of it!!
Low washer fluid yes, killing motor-cyclists? Well, No
2006 D3 finally swapped for a 2016 D4 Graphite in Graphite grey. No mods
27th May 2010 2:12 pm
Bodsy Site Sponsor
Member Since: 06 Nov 2006
Location: In the Clubhouse
Posts: 21361
Pic of Water In Fuel Sensor
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Pic of it attached to the Fuel Filter as installed. Actually this is showing it slightly undone as it was just before I removed it. Normally it would be tight against the filter.
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27th May 2010 2:32 pm
cobblers
Member Since: 06 Dec 2008
Location: Chester
Posts: 175
I had a very similar fault with my old D2, the rear of the vehicle was covered in Diesel when I got home from fairly short journey (about 12 miles). I took it straight to a very local garage where the part to fix was around £12 as I recall. As in this case the diesel only leaked when the engine was running. The cost of a third of a tank of fuel was the expensive bit.
Cleaning up when I got the D2 back was a grim task, the one and only time I used fairy liquid to clean it.
Also, being a biker myself, and having dropped a bike many years ago at a roundabout when I hit a diesel patch at quite a speed I can attest to the problem this causes. I was fortunate enough to not be badly injured but the bike was a write off.
As it sounds in this case, as it was with mine no deliberate spill was created, it's an unusual fault which wasn't easy to recognise when driving.
Last edited by cobblers on 28th May 2010 8:34 am. Edited 1 time in total
Hi Guys,
Lucky it happened after 5pm as was finished work.
If not then my day job (Agri-Environment & Rural Safety Consultant) would have taken priority and would have been out with my spill kit and and head home on shanks mare.
No was not done on purpose and in fairness have examined the road since the incident and all I found was spilled hydraulic oil from tractors as silage season well under way which would create a more likely hazard come the rain.
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