Brass Flecks In Diesel Tank

[DMace]

I have a 10 plate Avensis Tourer 2.0 diesel that at 36k miles developed a 'hunting' type problem when the motor was under any sort of load. The motor also lacked any kind of power making overtaking, even on a flat motorway, a no-go.

My local Toyota dealer found brass flecks in the fuel tank that had completely chocked the fuel filter. These flecks look very similar to brass swarf produced when machining brass on a lathe. Since replacing the fuel filter I haven't had any problems.

Has anyone had a similar issue?

The delaer tells me, via Toyota, that there are no metallic parts in the fuel system that could have caused this situation. Is this correct? Where is the fuel pump on this Avensis?

Thanks

Dave Mace

[Jamesbelfast]

Metal perticles in the fuel tank of a diesel can be a sign the internal seals of the high pressure fuel pump is beginning to fail. There is a risk some of the fuel system components may have not been cleaned properly during manufacture.

Yes there are loads of metallic components in the fuel system - what the heck is the fuel pump and injectors made of - Chocolate.

Keep a very close eye on things - if it the pump expect a brake-down.

Just make sure your warrabty is top notch - repairs can cause up to £3500 plus.:)

[Druid Boy]

Ummm, simply replacing the fuel filter doesn't sound very thorough to me. More like treating the symptom and not the cause. Your car is still under warranty. I would be insisting on a more detailed examination of the problem or at the very least a subsequent check to show that the problem has not re-appeared. I think I would like something in writing from the dealer to state that they have resolved the problem. That way you should be covered if something goes wrong in the future. I don't wish to cause any undue worry but you do need to cover yourself, just in case. Good luck.

[Daveyonthemove]

Going back a few years, my Girlfriends Dad owned a Peugeot 307 HDI, and that developed a nasty hesitation that was getting dangerous to drive out of junctions etc.

Peugeot inspected the fuel filter and found shards of metal (a bit like you describe) and immediately handed him the keys to a courtesy car, and promised to call when the job was done. They had to replace the entire fuel system (under warranty) as the fuel pump in the tank had started to disintegrate, so all the fuel lines, injectors, pumps etc had to be replaced at a cost of £2500.

This sounds very similar, so i would suggest that you ask them to inspect the fuel pump, and if that is in good order, then i would look to your fuel supplier to provide a sample of fuel as it could be a problem at the pump.