I blew one tonight on an 05 plated ERF (the MAN TGA XXL cabbed version).
It went with a bang, lots of smoke, but then an almighty bang with a flash so bright it lit up the hedgerow. I felt the force through the seat and really thought my truck was about to blow up like the do in the films. This had never happened to me before so I didn’t know what it was until I smelt the smoke and saw the oil.
Apparently, with blown turbos, the oil can get into the intercooler and start to go into the ■■■■■■■■■■ chamber. Then, the engine starts to run on its own oil. And apparently once this happens it is not able to be shut down and just revs and revs higher and higher until the engine blows. So I was told by our garage mechanic.
All round crap night. I was stranded for 4 hours and got the worst truck in the world as a replacement. Twin splitter, no cruise control, jake brake broken and a one size fits all seat. Still, I’m alive and without bits of turbo housing embeded in my bum.
they should’ve bought stralis’s, the on board computer would’ve shut the engine down before any damage was done.
I had one go a few months ago and the 1st thing I knew about it was when the lorry gently brought itself to a halt on the hard shoulder, one phone call to iveco, gave them the fault code, and 90 minutes later I was in the nearest dealers, 6 hours from breaking down I was on my way again with a new turbo and no damage to the wagon
p.s I know it was pure luck they had a turbo in stock when I got there
the oriiginal problem was the bearings had started to wear, that’s how good the ecu is on the stralis
Apparently, with blown turbos, the oil can get into the intercooler and start to go into the ■■■■■■■■■■ chamber. Then, the engine starts to run on its own oil. And apparently once this happens it is not able to be shut down and just revs and revs higher and higher until the engine blows. So I was told by our garage mechanic.
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Even with just worn seals,the turbo can let enough oil into the engine for it to run on.As you say,the engine just goes faster and faster,and switching it off makes no difference.Same happened on my Volvo diesel car a few years ago,the other clue is the thick cloud of blue smoke behind you.
If you have the presence of mind,stop as quickly as is safe,then stall the engine.
The only way to try and prevent the engine from blowing in a situation like that is putting it in the highest gear and clutching it out to stall it .That will only work if the clutch is strong enough .
Automatic trucks look to be doomed to blow up .
It’s advice worth noting if you have a TDI car etc …
If it happens to you in any vehicle and you can’t stall it , then get out and retreat and watch the thing kill itself .
Had heard the turbo starting to whine like buggery so pulled up at the next set of bins and put her in neutral, unfortunatly the bin lads put the next lot of bins on and kicked the PTO in from then on she revved up like buggery before the turbo blew the cab (fibre glass) to pieces (where I had been sat minutes earlier!) and then proceded to set the whole truck on fire (and about 6 ton of rubbish)!
I needed a change of underwear after that one. Have got a piccy of the truck somewhere will try and dig it up.
You were very lucky that Iveco had a turbo in stock - either that, or they’ve smartened up their act a lot.
A few years ago one of my lads broke down in a Eurostar drawbar - got towed in to the home dealer, but they didn’t have one. They tried to get one from the national parts centre (Milton Keynes?) but they didn’t have one either. Not one single suitable turbo in the UK. Iveco ended up shipping one from Milan - which turned out to be the wrong one. They then had to ship a second one out. All in all the rig was VOR for over a week
Needless to say, that particular firm doesn’t run Ivecos any more
Happened to me on a 53 DAF cf about 6 weeks ago on the East Lancs pulling away from a set of lights fully frieghted. She seemed a bit sluggish and as I went into top box "BOOM and smoke to block the carriageway Dropped the clutch knocked the key back and coasted to a stop.
Passing motorist called plod reporting a wagon exploding
As soon as the thing stopped me, my bag and coffee were out on the pavement just in case. Then I heard the sirens and all in all had 4 cop cars a couple of Ambulances and I think 4 Fire Engines arrive 1 by 1 until the message got thru to everyone.
So there I was, sat on the grass having a ciggy feeling a complete [zb]
I blew my turbo last year in lille. I thought someone had thrown a brick at the cab till i saw all the smoke .
It seems a common thing these days?
Pierre the wrecker came out in his 8wheeler 530 ssc daf and towed me into volvo at lesquin at the side of the centre routier(very handy )
I must admit i was impressed! 70+ tons and about 90feet long it growled well through twin stacks.
The french fitters had me away home in around 5hours.
the oriiginal problem was the bearings had started to wear, that’s how good the ecu is on the stralis
Biggy, is this the truck you usually drive? I presume you do give the oil chance to warm up & get round in a morning before driving away and and allow the turbo time to stop before stopping the engine?
Not saying you don’t, but some people don’t realise that when you stop the engine after its been working, the turbo impellor continues to spin, but because the oil pump has been stopped, there’s no longer an oil feed to the bearings.
always run the engine for at least 10 minutes before my lorry moves anywhere .
I usually fire up then do my checks.
same when I stop at the end of the day, go round and do my checks then switch off.
i’ve even been turned away from drops because I won’t turn my engine off if I go straight to the security, I pull back out, park for 5 minutes then go back in and turn off.
i’d only had that wagon for 3 months when it went pop, can’t speak for the previous drivers habits .
Had the high pressure turbo seize on a C15 Cat last February. Middle of the night in Grande Prairie, Alberta and about -17 outside. It snapped the turbo shaft at the bearing then burned the oil. The rev counter went all the way around on itself but the motor survived thus far.
It never has been quite the same though. The turbo went at 40000 kms and we went over 310000 last week so it isn’t always terminal.
I blew one,the compressor wheel sheared off,made it about 5 more miles to a rest stop. Company sent out a mechanic and another one of our trucks coming from another terminal dropped off a new turbo.Left the hot side on the exhaust manifold split the new turbo from it’s hot side and fitted the new cartridge.Saved messing around with seized up nuts and bolts.Took three hours from stop to start.
That was a proper truck company with mechanics,service trucks and parts on the shelf.
Where I work now the truck would be in the shop for a week
When mine blew, they started stripping it on Friday and had it rolling by Monday morning. 3 nights in a hotel for me and they paid me evry hour.
When they finished, I went and tipped, reloaded and got 600 kms before it started making a hell of a racket. Turned out they hadn’t tightened one of the nuts down and it burned the gasket. Not happy.
Happened to me on a 53 DAF cf about 6 weeks ago on the East Lancs pulling away from a set of lights fully frieghted. She seemed a bit sluggish and as I went into top box "BOOM 
Dropped the clutch knocked the key back and coasted to a stop.
)
