Corolla Tspirit 2l Diesel Problem

[NickSw]

Hello. We have a late 2002 T Spirit with 2.0L D4D diesel engine.

Grand little car and has been faultless up to recently. Owned from new and maintained by the local Toyota franchise that supplied it, although I change engine oil & filter between services.

Last serviced by Toyota Aug 08.

Just before Christmas it refused to start after a very frosty night. Not quite true, it fired then ran for a few seconds and died. Went into local Toyota for repair who diagnosed the problem as degradation to the fuel system.

Tank drained, all fuel lines flushed, new fuel filter etc.

Running perfectly until 5th Jan., then exactly the same problem.

After some cranking and no go, put the Battery on charge and a fan heater under the car. After a short while I tried starting it and it fired immediately. Continued to run well through the day.

Last night, another frosty one, gave the old thing a good covering over the bonnet.

This morning it started, ran for a few seconds and died.

Put Battery charger and fan heater to use again and yet again it fires up shortly afterwards.

I suspect water in the fuel filter. Remove filter (is there an easy way to do this?) and check contents carefully. Absolutely clean and pure.

The top of the filter housing was wet not fuel but it didn't taste good. Rest of engine bay dry, wondered about a cracked filter housing but nothing visible.

New Battery will be fitted tomorrow but I don't think that is anything to do with the current problem.

Any ideas please?

Does this perhaps have an inline fuel filter that I've not come across?

Many thanks,

Nick.

[compressor mad]

is it noisy when you start it from cold? is it the same Battery thats been in the car from new?

im sure there is a water trap in those filters anyways its a wee white screw looking device at the base of the filter

[NickSw]

I wouldn't call it noisy but it does sound a little 'tappety' from cold, this clears within a short while.

Why do you ask, should I be aware of something?

Yep, original Battery. I should have the new one tomorrow, although the existing is by no means knacked.

The fuel filter does indeed have a drain screw. Unfortunately this is not accessible from either above or beneath.

Unless one has arms like Twizzle (sorry, showing my age).

Remove electrics, remove pipework, unbolt filter housing as a whole. Remove filter etc.

Good practice to renew filter whilst doing so, even though the old one was fitted in August.

I was surprised that this was not a genuine Toyota part although fitted by Toyota in their workshops.

Nick.

[Rolla_SR]

I wouldn't call it noisy but it does sound a little 'tappety' from cold, this clears within a short while.

Why do you ask, should I be aware of something?

Yep, original battery. I should have the new one tomorrow, although the existing is by no means knacked.

The fuel filter does indeed have a drain screw. Unfortunately this is not accessible from either above or beneath.

Unless one has arms like Twizzle (sorry, showing my age).

Remove electrics, remove pipework, unbolt filter housing as a whole. Remove filter etc.

Good practice to renew filter whilst doing so, even though the old one was fitted in August.

I was surprised that this was not a genuine Toyota part although fitted by Toyota in their workshops.

Nick.

From the sounds of this you don't have the same problem as I was having, but mine started from the cold weather I believe. I took it in to my local Toyota garage and they ended up keeping the car in for a number of days to identify the error codes as there were a few coming up. I had the fuel pump changed and system flushed, was all good for a few weeks then the same problems occured again.

So the latest thing I've had done is the fuel rail being replaced, and touch wood the problem has not come back!

Hope you have luck in resolving you problem.

[T1sh0]

Hello. We have a late 2002 T Spirit with 2.0L D4D diesel engine.

Grand little car and has been faultless up to recently. Owned from new and maintained by the local Toyota franchise that supplied it, although I change engine oil & filter between services.

Last serviced by Toyota Aug 08.

Just before Christmas it refused to start after a very frosty night. Not quite true, it fired then ran for a few seconds and died. Went into local Toyota for repair who diagnosed the problem as degradation to the fuel system.

Tank drained, all fuel lines flushed, new fuel filter etc.

Running perfectly until 5th Jan., then exactly the same problem.

After some cranking and no go, put the battery on charge and a fan heater under the car. After a short while I tried starting it and it fired immediately. Continued to run well through the day.

Last night, another frosty one, gave the old thing a good covering over the bonnet.

This morning it started, ran for a few seconds and died.

Put battery charger and fan heater to use again and yet again it fires up shortly afterwards.

I suspect water in the fuel filter. Remove filter (is there an easy way to do this?) and check contents carefully. Absolutely clean and pure.

The top of the filter housing was wet not fuel but it didn't taste good. Rest of engine bay dry, wondered about a cracked filter housing but nothing visible.

New battery will be fitted tomorrow but I don't think that is anything to do with the current problem.

Any ideas please?

Does this perhaps have an inline fuel filter that I've not come across?

Many thanks,

Nick.

Hello Nick,

I am having similar problem.. I think that is either the starter or something with the fuel line. When I bought mine 2002 d4d after 2 weeks started to have problems starting the car. The engine was cranking without starting it so I took it back and from the garage have replaced the fuel filter. Everything was good for almost a year. Then the service came and I asked the fuel filter to be changed...and guess what the same problem started 1 week after. I am going to a friend mechanic to check what is wrong this time.

At the moment I can start the car after few times. The starter is turning, but doesn't crank the engine and I suspect that fuel doesn't go to the engine. When eventually I manage to get it going there is no problem until I turned it off and try almost immediately to start it again. Well it takes another few tries to do so.

Strange it happens around January 6th....

Thanks

Tiho