When a car is sold as having catastrophic engine failure, most buyers picture a pricey replacement motor. Two mechanics in Kent, England, took on a 2019 Range Rover Evoque with exactly that label and decided to find out for themselves.
Rob and Chris run a Land Rover workshop and post as @sruk. Rob says a woman contacted him because the Evoque had been sitting on her driveway after it broke down.
“But catastrophic engine failure as usual.”
A Nice Range Rover Evoque With A Bad Reputation
For starters, the SUV is an HSE Dynamic with a glass roof, and Rob calls it the very last of that body shape. The interior is clean. However, the paint is not. He says the seller told him children on bikes had scraped it while it sat.
“My kids have ruined it.”
According to the seller’s account, the car had started going very slowly on the road before it quit. The oil was at the minimum mark, and she had been told the engine was gone. Rob and Chris suspected the turbocharger, a failure they say they have seen many times on these engines, often linked to a blocked particulate filter.
Locked Solid, Then A Clue
Chris put a bar on the crank and the engine would not turn. With the intake pipe off, a small camera showed oil around the turbo, and a pick revealed a wobbly turbo shaft.
Next, they pulled all four injectors. Number four was coated in oil, which matched what a Land Rover specialist friend had told them: when the turbo fails, oil can fill the charge cooler and flood the first cylinder in line, locking the engine. With the fuel pump fuse pulled and a rag over the injector holes, they spun it over. Oil spat out of number four.
Then they drained the intercooler. Rob says probably a liter of oil poured out of it, and it kept dripping.
“That’s where the missing oil is.”
A Backup Engine Just In Case
Still, they were not counting on luck. Rob says they had bought a Discovery Sport from a friend for 2,000 pounds, mainly so they would have its engine if the Range Rover Evoque needed one, and they could sell the rest of that car for scrap.
After that, they fitted new injector seals, bolted everything back together and turned the key. The engine started. It sounded choppy at first, which Rob traced to an injector he had not torqued down yet, but it was not knocking.
“I think we got lucky with the result here, mate. Turbo it is.”
Meanwhile, Chris read the mileage as 56,000. Their plan now is a new turbocharger, a cleaned particulate filter, a good service and a lot of paint work.
What Owners Can Learn From This Range Rover Evoque
- Check the oil level often on turbocharged engines. A dropping level can be an early sign of trouble.
- If a turbo fails, stop driving. Oil can collect in the intake and cause far worse damage.
- A ‘blown engine’ diagnosis is worth a second opinion. Here the bottom end turned out to be fine.
- Keep up with services and oil changes. The mechanics say these engines last when they are looked after.
- Ask about the particulate filter on diesels. A blocked filter can stress the turbo.
Where Things Stand
The Range Rover Evoque runs and is waiting for its turn on the lift. The mechanics plan to remove and clean the particulate filter, fit a new turbo, repair the paint and then pass the car on to a new owner.
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