FCUK FCUK FCUK!!!!!

Long Onion

So, here I am, sitting in the car on the Galway/Mayo border waiting for the recovery truck. Came around a corner, big rock in the middle of the road, car on the other side, had no choice but to keep going right over the rock.

Got about 200m and next thing - bong bong bong bong, lights came on - display told me oil pressure was low, stop engine immediately and pull over. I had to go about half a mile before i got to a spot where i could pull in, for the last hundred meters or so, there was a not too nice, tappety sound coming from the engine:(

I reckon the sump is shot to hell - am I looking at an easy fix or is it going to be expensive? Car is a SAAB 93 diesel.

Stoopid rocks.

Berty

I feel your pain. :mad:

manta356

Sounds like your engine is shot,when all the lights came on and you were told to switch engine off your car was running out of oil.Driving another half a mile without oil probably done the damage

Rylan

But remember. It's not all bad. You are still alive .

Alun

I feel your pain ... did the same to a hire car in England once on our way back to the airport to fly home. Luckily, I was a bit wary after the huge bang when I ran over the rock, saw the oil light come on and looked in my rear view mirror to see a trail of oil behind me. There was a small layby right there so I managed to stop before hopefully doing the engine any damage. That was one day when I regretted not signing for the insurance damage excess on a hire car I can tell you.

Long Onion

yep, still alive, not hurt and covered fully comp so not the end of the world but still a p1sser and i'm freezing my nuts off cause i have no air-con with the engine nobbled - big puddle of oil at the front passenger wheel - will have to wait for the postmortem results.

In the meantime, could i be arrested for finding the cow responsible for knocking the rock off the wall and punching it in the face?

Anan1

I know it's a bit late now, but a low oil pressure warning means stop the engine immediately. Had you done that you'd most likely have got away with a new sump, i'd imagine now you're looking at something between a partial rebuild and a new engine.

robtri

Long Onion wrote: »

yep, still alive, not hurt and covered fully comp so not the end of the world but still a p1sser and i'm freezing my nuts off cause i have no air-con with the engine nobbled - big puddle of oil at the front passenger wheel - will have to wait for the postmortem results.

In the meantime, could i be arrested for finding the cow responsible for knocking the rock off the wall and punching it in the face?

mightn't be too bad, if you have a big pool of oil at front wheel, it means there still was some oil in the engine while driving that last 1/2 mile....
take hope it mightn't be too bad....

Long Onion

Anan1 wrote: »

I know it's a bit late now, but a low oil pressure warning means stop the engine immediately. Had you done that you'd most likely have got away with a new sump, i'd imagine now you're looking at something between a partial rebuild and a new engine.

i knew that was the case, but there was nowhere safe for me to pull in so i had to keep going, its a narrow country road with nasty bends - no point tempting fate

Pete67

What ever happened to driving at a speed that allows you to stop within the distance you can see? How fast did you go around the corner? What if the rock was an elderly farmer tottering across the road?

/gets off high horse:p

Del2005

Pete67 wrote: »

What if the rock was an elderly farmer tottering across the road?

/gets off high horse:p

The OP's car would still be working:D

Seth Brundle

Wasn't this similar to the thread about the VW Golf in Malahide that went over a rock (and IIRC was compensated). A search should find it but I'm too lazy!

Mr Benevolent

Sounds bad OP, hope it's not too expensive. Did you have space to brake or was the road too busy?

Matt Simis

kbannon wrote: »

Wasn't this similar to the thread about the VW Golf in Malahide that went over a rock (and IIRC was compensated). A search should find it but I'm too lazy!

Happened to a 350z I was in, Sump was ok (somehow) but the exhaust back box pipe got torn a new one.

746watts

half a mile or so with oil pressure light on will damage the following;
oil pump
crankshaft main bearings
Big ends
cam shafts
barrels
piston rings

probably better to replace the engine I think. If you decide to change the engine, there's a form you can get from the motor tax office where your garage person will fill in and stamp section with serial number of replacement engine and you send off your registration book to be updated. handy to have it done should you decide to sell later on.

Sorry to hear about the rock, I had an experience like that last year and luckily the rock was small and glanced off the wishbone without doing damage. Was only doing 40mph and rock was just over a crest around a bend just left of the centre of the road. BANG!
Either drive over the rock or swerve and hit a car coming the other way. If a pedestrian was in that position in the road he wouldn't do it again................

langdang

Long Onion wrote: »

i knew that was the case, but there was nowhere safe for me to pull in so i had to keep going, its a narrow country road with nasty bends - no point tempting fate

Think you did the right thing OP, on two counts.
Better for you and whoever else might come around that corner in 30 seconds that there wasn't a rock, a parked car and possibly oncoming traffic just around a bad corner.

And, though this is kinda twisted logic, if you can claim off insurance or someone else maybe it's better to have your engine undeniably fceked, rather than thinking it's fine then feeling the consequences 6 months down the line when you can't tie it to anything (or anyone?).

Barr

Let the insurance pay the damage if its alot , it should be covered if you have comp.

JHMEG

Matt Simis wrote: »

Happened to a 350z I was in, Sump was ok (somehow) but the exhaust back box pipe got torn a new one.

I had a similar experience with a deep puddle. Tore the back box off.

Danbo!

So did ya walk back and put the rock back where it was supposed to be?

kazul

746watts wrote: »

half a mile or so with oil pressure light on will damage the following;
oil pump
crankshaft main bearings
Big ends
cam shafts
barrels
piston rings

probably better to replace the engine I think.

A small bit of assumption going on there? And I presume by "barrels" you mean cylinders?

_Kaiser_

Closest I've ever come to something like that was heading from Finglas - Blanch via the back road one night. Was just coming up on the M50 flyover when cars coming the opposite way started flashing their lights like mad...

.. turns out someone had decided to leave a few old tyres in the middle of the road but JUST over the rise so you wouldn't see them till it was too late! :mad:

Anyone who knows the area will probably guess who I expect was responsible! Buses regularly get their windows smashed at this same location.