2.0 D4D Misfire

[Call me Ishmael]

Hello folks,

My '04 Avensis D4D has developed a misfire after a cold start.

Symptoms:

1. Starts easily from cold.

2. Drives off and gives ONE misfire between first and second gear when taking up the drive in second.

3. May repeat this one more time in the first mile from the cold start.

4. The engine management light sometimes comes on with the misfire, but goes off again later.

5. Occasional rough idling when cold, which goes away when hot.

6. Drives perfectly for the rest of the day.

I've changed the fuel filter, tried bypassing the fuel filter and changed the glow plugs, all to no avail.

I'm stumped.

Any ideas?

[Devon Aygo]

Get the engine ECU read to see what fault code is being set when the light comes on, the fault is stored even if the light goes out. With the fault code we may have a better idea of what is going on.

[Mistermena]

In the mean time clean out the EGR valve, stick some Shell V-Power derv in it with a tin of BG244. Spray the MAF with CRC cleaner and check the condition of air filter and see where that takes you...

[Call me Ishmael]

Thanks for taking the time to reply lads.

She's with the mechanic at the moment. He's changing the rubber fuel pipes between the filter and the injection pump and also between the tank and the filter.

I'll pass on your suggestions.

Thanks again.

[Exvec]

Thanks for taking the time to reply lads.

She's with the mechanic at the moment. He's changing the rubber fuel pipes between the filter and the injection pump and also between the tank and the filter.

I'll pass on your suggestions.

Thanks again.

?Did you get anywhere with your problem bud.

[Call me Ishmael]

Thanks for asking, Exvec.

We thought we'd got it sorted because it ran perfectly all last week after having one of the rubber fuel hoses replaced (suspected air leaking into the fuel system). But then over the weekend it started the same carry on, only this time it gave the single misfire and then the engine dropped to a rough idle with lots of black smoke and no throttle response. I stopped the engine and restarted and away she went normally.

Presumably some electronic thing senses the misfire and decides to add more diesel to the point where the engine 'hangs itself'? The mechanic has given up and advised me to sell it, which seems a bit extreme given that she performs perfectly the rest of the time and is in really good nick!

[Druid Boy]

Have you eliminated the EGR valve as a possible cause? They cause chaos when they are clogged up - and make the engine pour out black smoke.

[Call me Ishmael]

Cleaning the EGR valve might be worth a try. Although it only coughs when the engine's cold and runs perfectly well after it's got the single misfire out of the system.

[Druid Boy]

Hmmm. Its a strange one that's for sure. Sounds as though it is linked to the cold start mechanism but I know nothing about them on the Avensis. May be worth popping the EGr off just to have a look. If it looks ok then stick it back on and go to the pub.

[Call me Ishmael]

An update for those that are interested:

The good news is the 'misfire' and attendant rough iding is cured! This was after a change of fuel filter, glow plugs and countless visits to my local mechanic who 'could find nothing wrong' - but I always did on the way home from his place!

The bad news is it was caused by 3 of the 4 fuel injectors overfuelling (one of them was grossly out of calibration, hence the misfire). I took the car to a Toyota specialist (not a main stealer). He diagnosed the injectors, took them out and sent them off to be reconditioned at the only Toyota-approved injection specilaist in Ireland. So instead of paying £400 per injector for new ones, I got them properly overhauled and calibrated for £130 each.

Apparently the cause of their premature failure is the old problem we have out here - poor quality laundered diesel, i.e. agricultural diesel which has been chemically treated to remove the red dye, not to mention the lubricating and quality additives!

For the record, I only ever got my fuel from what are supposedly 'reputable' service stations here and avoided anything that was suspiciously cheap.

Lesson 1. Keep away from service stations on the Irish border (some may be genuine, but there too many cowboys who spoil the business for the honest ones) and you have no way of knowing the difference until it's too late).

Lesson 2. When the car misbehaves, if you can't find the problem yourself, get it to a specialist (not necessarily a main dealer).

Anyway, the car drives like new and that sickening misfire (which I always knew was coming in the first half mile) has gone!

[JAPCAR]

An update for those that are interested:

The bad news is it was caused by 3 of the 4 fuel injectors overfuelling (one of them was grossly out of calibration, hence the misfire)

Can you give the values of overfuelling injectors and of the good one? (If garage man doesn't keep it secret? )

[Devon Aygo]

The exact values vary by model and engine type but an injector compensation figure within + or - 3.0 from 0 is a good injector anything greater than that shows a failing injector

[JAPCAR]

The exact values vary by model and engine type but an injector compensation figure within + or - 3.0 from 0 is a good injector anything greater than that shows a failing injector

I know about + or - 3.0 from 0 but asked particularly about yours.

Do you mean "injector compensation figure" is "Injection Feedback Val" I see on Techstream live Data List?

Thanks

[Call me Ishmael]

The guy said one of them was just over 5 and two were at 3.5. Presumably that's the volume of diesel in mm³?

[Devon Aygo]

The figures you quote will be the injector compensations, these aren't a measurement but a numerical expression of how the injectors are compensating from a base figure of 0. The figures you quote show 3 of your injectors are out of specification being beyond + or - 3.0

[JAPCAR]

The figures you quote will be the injector compensations, these aren't a measurement but a numerical expression of how the injectors are compensating from a base figure of 0. The figures you quote show 3 of your injectors are out of specification being beyond + or - 3.0

What does it mean when compensation is + and when is -. What is compensation when injector overfueling/leaking?

[Call me Ishmael]

I think there's a lot to be said for old-fashioned diesels without all this electronic nonsense. My other car's a 13 year old Skoda nearing 200,000 miles on the original engine, high pressure pump and injectors. No gimmicks, just good solid engineering.

[Exvec]

I think there's a lot to be said for old-fashioned diesels without all this electronic nonsense. My other car's a 13 year old Skoda nearing 200,000 miles on the original engine, high pressure pump and injectors. No gimmicks, just good solid engineering.

If somebody had said this to me 15 odd years ago about a Skoda I'd have laughed that loud i would've wet me self,but you are sooo right,just emphasises how big an influence VAG group have had over the Czech company.