Under rare circumstances, diesel engines, especially turbocharged diesel engines, can experience a phenomenon called runaway, ...

Diesel engine runaway is a rare occurrence, especially among the advanced modern turbodiesel engines that are now produced and sold on both the private and commercial market.

Without proper maintenance, diesel engines can experience something called runaway -- the engine continually revs, no matter what the driver does.

Diesel engine runaway causes So, here we are getting close to the problem of diesel runaway: as long as the air is supplied and there is some sort of fuel to ignite, the engine will turn.

If your diesel engine experiences a runaway, that's not just a "sign" of failure; it's a gigantic glowing billboard. Get it to a garage immediately, preferably without starting it up again.

Runaway engine events occur when an uncontrolled amount of fuel is dumped into the cylinders. That could be diesel fuel, or it could be another combustible source like oil.

In some cases, drivers could experience diesel engine runaway – which is just as scary as it sounds. Causes of blow-by and how to check for too much. Toa55/Getty Images.

Runaway diesel engines happen when fuel is introduced into the engine from a source other than its fuel system, sometimes from a leak or broken seal. The fuel causes the engine to run out of control.