Rav 4 Auto 2Ltr 1999 Just Keeps Breaking Down

[mennace]

Hello All

I am posting this on behalf of the ex girlfriend. She has a great little Rav 4 3 door auto that recently has started to break down on a daily basis. Its weird ? the car always starts first time but rarely finishes a journey on the same day. Ok the problem we think is a fuel starvation one. It can go say 10 miles then conk out it seems mainly when stuck in traffic. It will start again after a few minutes most times. We think it started when the fuel level got very low and sucked some crap through the system. She has had 3 independent mechanics flush the system through plus changed the plugs fuel filters etc but to no avail. The car has done 80K and we got it when it had only done 48K so know the car pretty well. Problem is that I live down in Dorset and she now lives in Dorking and we cannot trust the car to make down here so is there a Toyota specialist who can go to Dorking and Diagnose the problem? She now feels that that she cannot trust the car understandably and has been dumped round at her daughters house. I think that it requires a proper Toyota diagnostic check rather than the Generic diagnostic machines that these 3 mechanics used. Its a great car and needs saving rather than throwing away. Can anyone please help ? Many thanks in advance Dave

[gjnorthall]

Unfortunately, diagnostic equipment won't always be able to pick up intermittent problems. Presumably the engine management light isn't illuminated so the internal diagnostics aren't picking up a fault (some faults wouldn't be picked up anyway). It makes life a lot easier if the problem can be reproduced so that diagnostic work can be carried out whilst under fault conditions (will the car cut out if you leave it idling, thus replicating the stuck in traffic issue you mention?). Presumably, other than the stalling when standing in traffic - the car drives OK?

It sounds as if the stalling occurs when the engine temperature rises and is then OK after the engine has cooled. This is often the failure mode of electronic equipment such as ignition coils. (OK cold but not when hot or vice versa).

The fuel issue may or may not have any bearing. When the engine won't start, it would be a simple job to slacken the union on the fuel filter outlet to show that there is (or isn't) fuel pressure to the injectors.

[mennace]

• Hmmmm never considered the engine temperature ? good point thank you