RAV 4 DWD 2003 there is NO fuel pump in the tank

[Jim of shrewsbury]

I'm just posting this for anyone who, like me, has been led to conclude from various advice sources and parts listing that some sort of diesel pickup pump is located in the tank. The conviction that this was the case has added about 6hrs to my repair time and led to considerable frustration, knuckle-grazing and very very cold hands. 

My advice is as follows. If you have a problem which is clearly associated with fuel supply, clean or replace the diesel filter by the engine. Once you are satisfied that you have overcome the priming process, if you still have fuel starvation symptoms, remove the fuel pick up unit from the NEARSIDE rear of fuel tank and dismantle and clean it before reinstalling it. Then go through the priming and bleeding procedures again. Do NOT remove the device on the OFFSIDE of the tank because you've been convinced there is a pump in there somewhere. There is NOT! The offside unit is just the fuel gauge sender. I did a lot of logical things based on what I thought was reliable information about a tank-based fuel pump. It was a total waste of time. There isn't one.

Hope this helps save others time. Thanks

Jim

[Jim of shrewsbury]

Sorry to reply to my own topic but I should add that I have no idea if OTHER models do have an in-tank pump. I'm just saying that in the 2003 1.9 diesel that I have....there is DEFINITELY no pump in the tank. I'm writing separately to haynes digital manuals to say that they too easily make references such as:

"procedure for removal of the in tank pump is the same in the diesel as for the petrol model".

Equally, many, many parts suppliers refer to the diesel fuel lift device as a "pump". It is NOT. Now I have recovered from hypothermia and come down from the intense anger I will explain my frustration. 

Believing as I did that there was a pump somewhere in the tank I spent a lot of time trying to prove electrically that there was a device in the tank that would either activate under power or reveal itself electrically by being open circuit. I built a test lead and applied multimeters as I was reluctant to undo the highly corroded fixings holding both the diesel lift device and the fuel level sender. After all this electrical assessment left me with no conclusive evidence I HAD to undo the fixings. In the case of the fuel sender I had to drill them out and then perform stud removal and anyone who is familiar with that situation will want to avoid it! In addition, I had applied an unrestrained full Battery current to the connector in the hope of hearing (or not) a pump motor activating. Those of used to grabbling around in the cold and dark because you are applying a rational diagnostic process based on what you believe to be good technical evidence from suppliers and experts will understand my position. RANT OVER. BEER is helping! Thanks for all the helpful material 

Jim

[Jim of shrewsbury]

On a related note. Does anyone know the proper science around bacterial contamination in diesel tanks please? I did a bit of research last night but would like to know some hard research. I'd never heard of it but when I lifted the diesel pick up unit from the tank it was really coated in a revolding blue grey slime and floating in the tank were some globules of similar material. Photos attached. I'm not bitter...but the latter shows what so many people seem to like to call a "fuel pump". Let it go Jim,let it go....

[Paul john]

5 minutes ago, Jim of shrewsbury said:

On a related note. Does anyone know the proper science around bacterial contamination in diesel tanks please? I did a bit of research last night but would like to know some hard research. I'd never heard of it but when I lifted the diesel pick up unit from the tank it was really coated in a revolding blue grey slime and floating in the tank were some globules of similar material. Photos attached. I'm not bitter...but the latter shows what so many people seem to like to call a "fuel pump". Let it go Jim,let it go....

https://www.fuel-guard.co.uk/diesel-bug.html

that guide details a product called diesel bug killer. 

Amazon have this  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Marine-16-Diesel-Treatment-Kills/dp/B076F4K31M

 

 

[Red_Corolla]

From what I've observed on modern cars in general, in-tank pumps tend to be mounted in the upper side of the tank (often accesible via the rear seat) and secured by a bayonet ring. The sender for the gauge is combined into the same unit, so you can expect to see one electrical connector and one or two fuel hoses, depending on the system, but always combined into the single unit. I think certain diesel systems had a gear pump built into the same unit as the high-pressure pump in order to drag the fuel supply up out of the tank; perhaps that's what your vehicle has?

[Jim of shrewsbury]

On 11/21/2024 at 7:35 PM, Red_Corolla said:

From what I've observed on modern cars in general, in-tank pumps tend to be mounted in the upper side of the tank (often accesible via the rear seat) and secured by a bayonet ring. The sender for the gauge is combined into the same unit, so you can expect to see one electrical connector and one or two fuel hoses, depending on the system, but always combined into the single unit. I think certain diesel systems had a gear pump built into the same unit as the high-pressure pump in order to drag the fuel supply up out of the tank; perhaps that's what your vehicle has?

Thanks for the suggestion....I know what a pump would or might look like. I want other 2003 rav4 diesel owners to know....there is NO tank based pump! 

Cheers

Jim