Is it true that D3 TDV6 can catch fire?

[bruiser69]

I saw in a UK LR mag last year (not sure which issue) that someone was towing a van with his TDV6 when smoke was seen coming out of bonnet. They stopped & opened bonnet which really set fire going & totally destroyed vehicle.
I thought this might have been a one off, as I had seen nothing in the forums, until I was talking to a guy today who sold his D2 TD5 to my son (his first real 4X4 after getting rid of toyota Surf piece of Cr**). When he told me he was purchasing a Pajero, I asked why he didn't consider D3 (D4 was out of his price range) & he told me he saw a TDV6 out west Qld that had caught fire in engine compartment & was totalled.
Anyone know if this is still an issue & what causes it?
Cheers..B

[rmp]

My car's too cool to ever catch fire.

One of every type of car has caught fire for some reason or another. My Defender caught on fire once (lucky I had an extinguisher), I saw a Pajero go up and a friend recently burnt his D2. I don't think there's anything specific to worry about with the D3 other than the usuals of quality electrical work, keeping grass away from the exhaust etc.

[Blknight.aus]

yep they can, get anything hot enough and it will burn.

my theory is that its an oil cooler line for the auto rupturing and spraying hot ATF onto a hot exhaust or turbo and then its just a case of foomf.

[rmp]

yep they can, get anything hot enough and it will burn.

my theory is that its an oil cooler line for the auto rupturing and spraying hot ATF onto a hot exhaust or turbo and then its just a case of foomf.

...which pretty much is how my friend's D2 was incinerated. He knew enough not to open the bonnet up and squirted underneath, but it wasn't enough to save the car. He now drives a D3 ;-)

[Nomad9]

Bruiser,
Mine caught fire last year mine was a TDV6 S year 2005 only had 58000 klms on the clock, it was written off and it took two fire trucks two and a half hours to put it out, the magnesium in the gearbox kept on reigniting, my neighbor told me it started in the front, when I got home the vehicle was wrecked, luckily the vehicle was insured with a reputable insurance company no hassles at all, I got the insurance and bought myself another one.
The insurance couldn't tell what had started the fire but the main point of the greatest heat looked to be around the battery area, I didn't have any accessories fitted apart from a Tekonsha prodigy trailer brake controller, my drawers, a bull bar and my Engle. Very sad this the vehicle was in mint condition up until this point.
According to the fire guys and the insurance company there were no suspicious circumstances so I was paid out four days later which to me was quite amazing, SGIO rocks as far as I'm concerned.
I've attached a couple of photos for you to look at, all very sad......

[John58]

Saw a couple of Toyotas that had caught fire while we were in the Kimberley recently. In both cases the battery hold-downs had let go, allowing the battery to bounce off its mounting tray while driving over heavily corrugated roads. The battery crashing around in the engine bay creates heaps of sparks which ignite any oil, grease, plastic or anything else flammable in the engine bay.:o It only takes a few seconds - most people would be very quickly aware of a dismounted battery, especially one of the size used in 4WDs these days. Neither vehicle was written off, but both were quite heavily damaged, causing their owners 6 -8 weeks delay in their trips. Even Tojos can have to wait for signifigant periods of time while parts are shipped to remote locations. Luckily, Land Rovers (D3 at any rate) seem to have the best battery hold-down system going.:)

[Hoges]

I recall a report on a similar event some time ago...the fire was due to leaking engine coolant:o ..the water evaporated off the exhaust manifold leaving the glycol residue which then ignited on the (very) hot rusty surface...all the more so because it was a turbo and the surface temp of the manifold was sufficient to exceed the flashpoint of the glycol (which becomes thermally unstable around 200degC ). Coolant leaking on to very hot manifolds is a well known cause of engine fires...

[p38arover]

Coolant leaking on to very hot manifolds is a well known cause of engine fires...

'Twas the subject of a P38A recall, too.

[bruiser69]

Bruiser,
Mine caught fire last year mine was a TDV6 S year 2005 only had 58000 klms on the clock, it was written off and it took two fire trucks two and a half hours to put it out, the magnesium in the gearbox kept on reigniting, my neighbor told me it started in the front, when I got home the vehicle was wrecked, luckily the vehicle was insured with a reputable insurance company no hassles at all, I got the insurance and bought myself another one.
The insurance couldn't tell what had started the fire but the main point of the greatest heat looked to be around the battery area, I didn't have any accessories fitted apart from a Tekonsha prodigy trailer brake controller, my drawers, a bull bar and my Engle. Very sad this the vehicle was in mint condition up until this point.
According to the fire guys and the insurance company there were no suspicious circumstances so I was paid out four days later which to me was quite amazing, SGIO rocks as far as I'm concerned.
I've attached a couple of photos for you to look at, all very sad......

My God, not much left! You say you were not at home when fire started. Had someone else been driving vehicle & how long after driving did fire start?
Did vehicle have a dual battery setup under bonnet?
cheers..B

[outbacktourer]

My garage is directly under our main bedroom. Does this problem have any implications for me other than more hot sex?

OBT

[Nomad9]

Hi Bruiser,
This is the story............. It was my RDO, I had taken my stepsons ute to a local garage for an inspection "over the pits", The paper was going to be sometime coming through so the mechanic asked me to come back later, after lunch some time. As it was he called me around 12 ish so I jumped into my D3 and went to some local shops for a bit to eat, when I came out of the bakery the vehicle smelt a bit funny, I jumped in checked things were ok, the fuel level was a bit low so I decided to take the D3 home and take my P38 out for a run instead to the garage to pick up the pit certificate,
Got home had a quick glance under the bonnet, the smell was still there so I left the vehicle on the front lawn because my P38 was parked in front of the garage. Jumped into the P38 and went to pick the certificate up.
Got to the garage, paid for the cert and my phone rang, it was my next door but one neighbor, she told me I better get home quick my car was on fire on the front lawn. She got the obligatory response, "you've got to be taking the p!55". Apprently not there was quite a bit of panic in her voice......
Jumped in the P38 got within a few klms of home and saw a plume of black smoke arising out of the suburb I live in. Got home and there was two fire trucks on the front lawn and a very sad looking D3.
After the fire had been extinguished I called SGIO they had a flat bed there within an hour, the vehicle had barely cooled off.
Three days later they told me the cheque would be in the bank the following day, an it was. No real explanation as to why the vehicle caught fire just that it appeared to be electrical.
Luckily the P38 was in fornt of the garage, had it not been I would have put the D3 away and could well have lost the house. that would have impressed my wife no end.............
I've now purchased another D3 and I'm more than happy, I did have to spend slightly more, I did have to travel to the ACT to pick it up and it has got more klms on it that my original one.

There you have it.

[CaverD3]

Nomad what year model was yours?

There is a recall for the first of the Euro IV engines. The HP fuel pump seals could go and spray fuel over the engine bay. Sales were suspended in Russia for a while due to a few fires.

There have been other fires in D3s and even one due to a rats nest in the engine bay.

[Jamo]

Mine was Euro III and had a leaking HP Fuel Pump. Didn't catch fire though.

The thing is that any modern vehicle is chock full of plastic, so if a fire gets started it will engulf pretty quickly.

One dude towing a van in an SE had his burn last year. That was due to a fridge/cooler in the back being completely covered with clothes and gear.

[Nomad9]

Hi CaverD3,
Mine was a 2005, I think May ish, the one I have now is a later 2005 model, September ish I think.

[CaverD3]

Could have been what Jamo experienced?

The Euro III ones MY05-6 are a lower pressure HP pump than the Euro IV ones. So less atomisation?

[bruiser69]

Nomad what year model was yours?

There is a recall for the first of the Euro IV engines. The HP fuel pump seals could go and spray fuel over the engine bay. Sales were suspended in Russia for a while due to a few fires.

There have been other fires in D3s and even one due to a rats nest in the engine bay.

Hi Caver,
Did LR do a recall for this issue?
it's got me very scared of upgrading my now nearly 10 yr old TD5, that has only had the (normal but frustrating/costly) issues for a vehicle that is used very much offroad & towing as well, & never let me down, for a vehicle that might self combust & take out my house as well. If I can't find recalls & fixes for this very serious issue I will have to look at safer alternatives.
Cheers..B

[rmp]

Hi Caver,
Did LR do a recall for this issue?
it's got me very scared of upgrading my now nearly 10 yr old TD5, that has only had the (normal but frustrating/costly) issues for a vehicle that is used very much offroad & towing as well, & never let me down, for a vehicle that might self combust & take out my house as well. If I can't find recalls & fixes for this very serious issue I will have to look at safer alternatives.
Cheers..B

Honestly don't be scared, all sorts of vehicles catch fire for all sorts of reasons. If it was a major problem with all D3s it would be widely known. Remember not all D3 fires are due to a fault with the car, and of those that are, how many are due to a design fault, especially 5 years after the car was first introduced?

[bruiser69]

Honestly don't be scared, all sorts of vehicles catch fire for all sorts of reasons. If it was a major problem with all D3s it would be widely known. Remember not all D3 fires are due to a fault with the car, and of those that are, how many are due to a design fault, especially 5 years after the car was first introduced?

Manufacturers have a habit of hiding issues until they are exposed by forums such as this. It was only due to the Jeep forum that the fire issue with Cherokee automatic in serious offroad (mainly in soft sand) was recognised & addressed.
We should keep pressure on LRA to do a recall if even a few members have lost vehicles due to this issue.
Perhaps a poll to find out which engine/transmission/spec models were affected would be a good start.
Cheers..B

[defend]

There is a half burnt out 2005 D3 in fowlers auctions now,the engine bay,bonnet,front half of the cabin is gone.someone has a bid of $3000.on what is left.

[CaverD3]

Hi Caver,
Did LR do a recall for this issue?

What for? The rats nest in the engine bay? :Rolling:




it's got me very scared of upgrading my now nearly 10 yr old TD5, that has only had the (normal but frustrating/costly) issues for a vehicle that is used very much offroad & towing as well, & never let me down, for a vehicle that might self combust & take out my house as well. If I can't find recalls & fixes for this very serious issue I will have to look at safer alternatives.
Cheers..B

Seriously as others have said there have been fires in all sorts of vehicles the LR have done a recall on the problem HP pump. If you are buying second hand make sure it has been done. If it has a dealer service history it should be OK.

[Dingmark Jim]

The burnt D3 could have been mine after scum stole it, used as a ram-raider, then poured petrol over the 2 tyres in the back over my 2 petrol tanks holding160 litres of 98 octane:mad: If it is, it's not a fault of the D3 and I'd be amazed that anyone would pay $3000 for it!

Oops. Just saw that only the front half was burned, so it wouldn't be mine.

[bruiser69]

The burnt D3 could have been mine after scum stole it, used as a ram-raider, then poured petrol over the 2 tyres in the back over my 2 petrol tanks holding160 litres of 98 octane:mad: If it is, it's not a fault of the D3 and I'd be amazed that anyone would pay $3000 for it!

Oops. Just saw that only the front half was burned, so it wouldn't be mine.

I'll give you $10 & a carton of beer if you deliver it for free;)

[Dingmark Jim]

It took 4 bucket lifts of a front end loader to get my D3 into a dump truck to carry away, so which bit do you want? Even the alloy V8 was pretty much a molten puddle. The senior fireman on the site of the crime (who was into 4WDing - sensible, sensitive fellow) said that once a tyre or some plastic starts burning, things get really hot. The alloy wheels were just silver puddles.

[Shonky]

They only vehicle I have ever had catch fire on me, was a '92 Land Cruiser Troopie... :eek:

[bruiser69]

It took 4 bucket lifts of a front end loader to get my D3 into a dump truck to carry away, so which bit do you want? Even the alloy V8 was pretty much a molten puddle. The senior fireman on the site of the crime (who was into 4WDing - sensible, sensitive fellow) said that once a tyre or some plastic starts burning, things get really hot. The alloy wheels were just silver puddles.

Deal off Dingmark I only want a turbo diesel:p

[Nomad9]

Bruiser,
For me this incident was a one off, I wouldn't have said this was a regular thing. All vehicles have their problems some more serious than others. I had a 200 Nissan Patrol for about five years living under the cloud that the 2000 ZD30 engine was going to blow up. I maintained my Patrol with regular preventative maintenance, I chipped it , I towed with it, had bigger tyres etc plus it was close to it's load limit with all the gadgets and gizmos, never missed a beat from the day I bought it until I sold it, great vehicle. My D3 is the same, great vehicle, when mine toasted itself I searched forums, I made contact with LR in the UK trying to find out if this was a regular thing. Nothing alarming came back from anywhere, to be honest this is the first time I've heard about the fuel pump issue, will I be selling mine tomorrow because of this? No I won't, the pros far out weigh the cons. Didn't get to be 4WD of the year for eva by being overpriced and unreliable did it.
On forums you will find the majority of people have got problems or who have had problems, you will also find people who've got a genuine interest in helping people. Some forums I've been on look at suspension and tyres and lift kits and how far you can push something until it breaks. This LR forum for me has been great, the majority of assistance and comments have been of a constructive nature which sits well with me, the comaradary (spelling) is 100% fits with the marque.
If you update buy wisely, look to the forum for assistance, if you do get into strife I'm sure someone out there in Land Rover land can and will help you.
Good luck with your update.........

[rmp]

Good points and remember that people generally post only when they have a problem hence problems seem magnified. Not all forums have a DiscoSaffa ;-)

[DiscoSaffa]

If you update buy wisely, look to the forum for assistance, if you do get into strife I'm sure someone out there in Land Rover land can and will help you.
Good luck with your update.........

Great post Nomad, and you have hit a key point on the head about buying wisely. I have had 4 Land Rovers now, including the notorious 1.8l Freelander..... with due care and attention that little car never gave a moment's trouble, despite all the warnings and horror stories regarding head gaskets. Land Rovers offer something special that other marques don't, you just get so much more for your money, and with a little care (and a all the information and help here and out there from other owners) you cannot do better!

If I may, I am gonna make this today's topic in:

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2011/10/96.jpg (http://www.aulro.com/afvb/d3-d4-zone/#) Why I love my D3, and why I drive a Landy (http://www.aulro.com/afvb/d3-d4-zone/96690-why-i-love-my-d3-why-i-drive-landy.html)

DS

[bruiser69]

Thanks guys. It appears that issue has been acknowledged by LR, so provided any vehicle I purchase has full LR dealer history the fuel pump should have been modified. How does Euro3 & Euro4 relate to MY.... date?
For vehicles that were recalled for leaking fuel issue will there be a sticker affixed somewhere, or do I need to to get VIN & get LR to run it thru computer?
Cheers..B

[CaverD3]

If you PM me the VIN I'll se what I can find out. :D

[bruiser69]

If you PM me the VIN I'll se what I can find out. :D

Hi Caver,

Thanks for the offer. I've had to delay my upgrade plans for a few months as just received Company tax bill for 2009..bit more than planned for. When I find suitable vehicle I will email the VIN # to you.
Thanks..B

[CaverD3]

Sorry to hear Wayne wants more. :(

[bruiser69]

Sorry to hear Wayne wants more. :(

Yeah Bummer! Just when I'd talked the Handbrake (who is also company secretary) into D3 TDV6 & had her blessing. I even had my Son lined up to buy my D2, but when he heard I had to postpone for a few months, he went out & bought another one last weekend. Oh well..life was not meant to be easy..
Cheers..B