mrfrankmrfrank
Veteran Member
If it wasn't for this forum, this past Thursday might have ended very differently for me. I was leaving work and got onto a busy road to head home. As I started to accelerate, my tdi went into limp mode. This has happened to me a time or two and it usually has resolved itself while driving. The speed limit of this particular road was 50mph and I struggled to near that to keep with the flow of traffic. I was determined to get home before the thunderstorms were going to hit our area.
As I'm slowly accelerating towards a max speed of 48mph with the pedal to the floor I notice smoke billowing out of my exhaust. It actually started to engulf the entire car with clouds likely 20 feet high. It was at this point I decided to pull over. Just as I check my mirrors, I hear the engine rev. I look down and the tach is climbing to the redline with my foot off the gas. I decide to throw it in neutral and turn the key off while still coasting at about 45mph in the middle of a 3 lane busy road. I turn the key, and the engine continues its climb towards the redline.
I was prepared for this. I knew what this was. I had read about a runaway diesel on this forum. I stayed as calm as I could and pulled over, put the car in gear, and held the brake to stall the engine. I sat there and waited 45 minutes for a tow. My tdi is at the mechanic now. The only feedback I've received from him thus far is that the engine was nearly empty of oil. This may be the end of my tdi.
I just wanted to thank the community here. The knowledge and tips provided here helped keep me calm and know how to kill the runaway. I'm not an overly knowledgeable car guy and if not for this forum, the car would have probably redlined itself to death right on the side of the road.
As I'm slowly accelerating towards a max speed of 48mph with the pedal to the floor I notice smoke billowing out of my exhaust. It actually started to engulf the entire car with clouds likely 20 feet high. It was at this point I decided to pull over. Just as I check my mirrors, I hear the engine rev. I look down and the tach is climbing to the redline with my foot off the gas. I decide to throw it in neutral and turn the key off while still coasting at about 45mph in the middle of a 3 lane busy road. I turn the key, and the engine continues its climb towards the redline.
I was prepared for this. I knew what this was. I had read about a runaway diesel on this forum. I stayed as calm as I could and pulled over, put the car in gear, and held the brake to stall the engine. I sat there and waited 45 minutes for a tow. My tdi is at the mechanic now. The only feedback I've received from him thus far is that the engine was nearly empty of oil. This may be the end of my tdi.
I just wanted to thank the community here. The knowledge and tips provided here helped keep me calm and know how to kill the runaway. I'm not an overly knowledgeable car guy and if not for this forum, the car would have probably redlined itself to death right on the side of the road.