Quote
Eric

I had a Diesel Rabbit back in 1978 when they first came out in Canada. It got around 60 mpg <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> (Imperial gallon which is about 20% bigger than an American Gallon)

It was a dog on the highway <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> especially when it had a few miles on it. It would smoke like crazy <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> when accelerating to pass on the highway. I cannot imagine getting it up to even 150 KPH (93 mph)

Had a few wierd problems. When condensation formed on the windows it would drip down to the fuse panel and eventually it would corrode the steel fuse posts and then the corrosion would run and short out the next fuse item which would create interesting "ghost in the Machine" sort of stuff. You'd be driving along when suddenly the horn would blast for awhile and then the wipers would dance for awhile. Apparently some people had the starter operate while the car was parked in gear with disasterous results.

Then one day I had happen what I had read about. I was cruising down the highway when it started to accelerate on it's own. The family was aboard and I was confused about what was happening. I took my foot off of the pedal but it was on auto-accelerate. I then put the brake on but it was determined to accelerate to destruction and I had to press very firmly on the brake to get it to stop. Had I not done this I would have had a diesel bomb. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

You see what was happening was that the extremely high compression ratio in the engine (and other reasons) had damaged the rings. This allowed the pressure from combustion to blow by and theoretically this should vent out the crankcase vent to the atmosphere. But the crankcase was vented to the intake to keep emissions down and when you got the right conditions the frothing oil in the crankcase vented out the crank vent into the engine. So now since diesels run on oil, it didn't need the accelerator to get fuel. Voila, Rabbit Cleared for Take off.. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

They no doubt fixed the fuse problems as they probably got sued, but the other problem I have not heard of since.

I learned about that problem figuring out the diesel engine in my old Catalina 27. Supposedly the only way to stop the engine when it runs away like that is to clog the air intake. Never did "run away" though...