D4D Cutting Out

[v8will]

My 2005 D4D Yaris, just shy of 90,000 miles has been playing up over the past couple of weeks.

The 1st sign of trouble was the engine suddenly cutting out on the motorway. After coasting to the hard shoulder I was able to restart the engine with a little difficulty but was able to get home, the engine management light was now on. I checked the fault code with my OBDII reader which came up as P1229, I cleared the code and did a little research but couldn't find anything conclusive online.

On the suggestion of my local mechanic (he didn't have time to squeeze me in) I fitted a new genuine Toyota fuel filter, a little pre-emptive as the car is booked in for a oil change and pre MOT look over next week. The previous filter had done 30,000 so was overdue and was pretty dirty. The new filter seemed to cure the issue and I put in about 20 litres of non supermarket diesel as the level had dropped to 1 bar when the car cut out.

Over the past week I have monitored fuel consumption and it seems to have dropped to around 40mpg from it's usual 55mpg (calculated off litreage put in) and on my way home from work tonight the car cut out again and was a real pig to start - I was very close to having to call for recovery as the Battery had started to die. Fault code P1229 persists again.

Could the filter possibly be dirty again after only 200 miles? (I'll confirm this over the weekend, it'll have to come out for inspection) Is the cutting out the sign of something more sinister/expensive? Fuel pump, injectors etc? This evening when it happened there was plenty of fuel in the car.

Any ideas as I'm starting to get ****** off, I do have another car but the missus uses our Yaris to ferry the kids about and at the moment I can't trust it.

[Mistermena]

Hi and welcome to TOC.

You really do need to find out what that code is. There will be somone along in a min that will tell you what it is. The fuel filter wouldn't get dirty in 200 miles so thats not gonna be the problem. But you just need that code reading and go from there

[v8will]

Thanks, I'm a long time lurker here but the car has been fault free so far so no real need to post!

From some more googling, I'm getting alot of generic hits on 'supercharger intercooler pump not working' but the closest I can get specifically Toyota based (avensis BTW)

Short in supply pump (suction control valve) circuit

• Supply pump (suction control valve)

• Engine ECU

Some more digging is revealing a possible issue with a sensor on the fuel pump which is causing the rail pressure to fluctuate - maybe this is relating to the suction control valve.

Been a long day, will digest further over the weekend. Gut feeling is that this won't be cheap.

[Mistermena]

Thanks, I'm a long time lurker here but the car has been fault free so far so no real need to post!

From some more googling, I'm getting alot of generic hits on 'supercharger intercooler pump not working' but the closest I can get specifically Toyota based (avensis BTW)

Short in supply pump (suction control valve) circuit

• Supply pump (suction control valve)

• Engine ECU

Some more digging is revealing a possible issue with a sensor on the fuel pump which is causing the rail pressure to fluctuate - maybe this is relating to the suction control valve.

Been a long day, will digest further over the weekend. Gut feeling is that this won't be cheap.

With what you've said I would be more inclinded to think its the SCV over the ECU. I dont think they cost that much. Take a look on eBay

[ormi]

remove the fuel sender(under the rear seats in the fuel tank) and look at the pic up filter and look for sludge i done this today exact same fault and found lots of sludge around and on the pic up filter

[Madasafish]

Before you do anything different, check that the fuel filter has been replaced.. It may be blocked.

[v8will]

Before you do anything different, check that the fuel filter has been replaced.. It may be blocked.

Filter changed 200 miles ago which cured the problem temporarily.

I'll have a look at the pickup as suggested by ormi

[Mistermena]

Before you do anything different, check that the fuel filter has been replaced.. It may be blocked.

Filter changed 200 miles ago which cured the problem temporarily.

I'll have a look at the pickup as suggested by ormi

It has to be the pick up then if the filter has been changed!!!

[t-spiritpete]

Before you do anything different, check that the fuel filter has been replaced.. It may be blocked.

Filter changed 200 miles ago which cured the problem temporarily.

I'll have a look at the pickup as suggested by ormi

It has to be the pick up then if the filter has been changed!!!

I agree but don't rule out water in the fuel tank, so water could be back in the fuel filter by now.

Run the tank low again and then check the filter on the pickup pipe and clean the tank out.

Pete.

[Madasafish]

Before you do anything different, check that the fuel filter has been replaced.. It may be blocked.

Filter changed 200 miles ago which cured the problem temporarily.

I'll have a look at the pickup as suggested by ormi

It has to be the pick up then if the filter has been changed!!!

I agree but don't rule out water in the fuel tank, so water could be back in the fuel filter by now.

Run the tank low again and then check the filter on the pickup pipe and clean the tank out.

Pete.

You can check for water by undoing the drain tap on the filter with a plastic container underneath...and looking.

KISS.

[v8will]

As Madasafish has said, keep it simple, stupid!

Will report my findings ref the pickup in a few hours.

[t-spiritpete]

As Madasafish has said, keep it simple, stupid!

Will report my findings ref the pickup in a few hours.

Sounds good to me boys .

Pete.

[v8will]

Ok, it's getting too cold and dark to do much today. I got as far as removing the metal cover above the tank/below the rear seats. That area will need a cleanup before I start dismantling anymore, I don't want to introduce any more contamination. I guess to get at the pickup I just need to remove the pipe work and unscrew the large plastic cover??

Anyway before I came in I removed the drain plug from the filter and emptied the filter. No sign of water contamination but I did notice half a dozen or so crumb sized bits of black dirt come out, almost like limescale.

I'm guessing the problem is dirt related. So next clourse of action is to clean the tank and it's related elements and then another new filter.

Any tips for cleaning the tank without having to actually remove it?

[ormi]

most of the dirt will be in the place were you remove the pic up from as thats the lowest part of the tank remove the sender and let us know how you get on..mate

[Madasafish]

To clean dirt from a tank, a long turkey baster is ideal... Squeeze the bulb to expel the air and use it as a suction..

(Don't tell your wife/girlfriend/partner)

[v8will]

Problem, can't get the large blue screw top undone to remove the gubbins from the top of the tank for inspection. It's very tight.

Just about ready to admit defeat.

[v8will]

remove the fuel sender(under the rear seats in the fuel tank) and look at the pic up filter and look for sludge i done this today exact same fault and found lots of sludge around and on the pic up filter

I think your diagnosis is probably spot on.

After much faffing about I was able to undo the blue retainer for the sender and when I pulled the unit out and dismantled it I was shocked by the amount of sludge blocking the pickup.

I don't know if this type of work is in the service schedule for Toyota (or anyone else) but it should be.

Lack of light and bitter cold has meant I've had to abandon proceedings again. Tomorrow, drain tank and some reassembly.

Makes you wonder why some sort of filtration at the petrol stations isn't mandatory...

[ormi]

not part of the service till i think around 100k.....most of the time its a build up from !Removed! fuel mate also you notice it more in the colder weather..but glad to see you found the root of the problem....

remember be carefull putting the threaded ring back on its easy to cross thread

[v8will]

Fingers crossed that is the only problem! Snowing here now and I only have winter tyres for the Yaris, the Lexus will be a handful if the snow lies overnight.

Really many thanks for the pointer Ormi :)

[ormi]

it will be mate the fault is caused by fuel starvation.....fill the tank before putting the sender in and youll see all the gunge come into were the sender sits or clean the sender put it back in drive the car using a diesel cleaner(it brakes down the gunge)then next month remove the sender and clean again job done...

and no problem mate....

[Madasafish]

The solution is not to buy cheap fuel with minimal additives. I have driven diesels for 20 years with no issues. I used only Shell fuel or Texaco.. (both have better than standard additive packages so I have been told)

Sludge = dirty fuel, moisture or biofuel degrading with damp.. Diesel does grow a mould in damp conditions..

Oh and never buy fuel from little used filling stations: old fuel /old tanks = bad news.

[v8will]

The solution is not to buy cheap fuel with minimal additives. I have driven diesels for 20 years with no issues. I used only Shell fuel or Texaco.. (both have better than standard additive packages so I have been told)

Sludge = dirty fuel, moisture or biofuel degrading with damp.. Diesel does grow a mould in damp conditions..

Oh and never buy fuel from little used filling stations: old fuel /old tanks = bad news.

Indeed, I tend to use busy stations with a high fuel turnover for this very reason (parents owned a filling station 15 years ago and went to the expense of changing the tanks after failing a pressure test). The car has had maybe half a dozen supermarket fills in the past 6 months and the rest is from branded stations.

As a precaution we'll stick to our local Texaco from now on.

I do remember my father being warned by an Audi tech 10 years ago not to be using supermarket diesel due to a spate of pump failures, you'd have thought the supermarkets would be more careful...

Car seems to be going better, I'll monitor fuel consumption and general running and report back.

Job for tomorrow is to thoroughly decontaminate my new fluid extractor!

[Nick7]

On 6 December 2011 at 5:01 PM, v8will said:

Indeed, I tend to use busy stations with a high fuel turnover for this very reason (parents owned a filling station 15 years ago and went to the expense of changing the tanks after failing a pressure test). The car has had maybe half a dozen supermarket fills in the past 6 months and the rest is from branded stations.

As a precaution we'll stick to our local Texaco from now on.

I do remember my father being warned by an Audi tech 10 years ago not to be using supermarket diesel due to a spate of pump failures, you'd have thought the supermarkets would be more careful...

Car seems to be going better, I'll monitor fuel consumption and general running and report back.

Job for tomorrow is to thoroughly decontaminate my new fluid extractor!

Hi Will. Did you manage to sort this issue eventually?

changed the fuel filter but no good. keeps cutting out at low speeds with fault code p1229?

could it be the fuel pump or fuel pressure regulator or something else?

[FROSTYBALLS]

14 minutes ago, Nick7 said:

Hi Will. Did you manage to sort this issue eventually?

changed the fuel filter but no good. keeps cutting out at low speeds with fault code p1229?

could it be the fuel pump or fuel pressure regulator or something else?

V8wil last visited the club in2015 - so you're unlikely to receive a reply.