Hiccup

[NMaria]

I reported in an earlier topic that my engine was very clattery, and that it hiccuped gently now and again. The dealer, Alexander Wallace, eventually diagnosed that the injectors were operating right at their limits under certain conditions so off my poor litttle car went, into the Toyota Hospital.

Collected it the other day and the nice service manager had done everything he promised: new injectors, ECU reprogramming, EGR valve clean/check. The really good news is that nasty clattering/knocking sound seems to have disappeared (although it always was much worse in warm weather so we'll wait to see how we get on when summer arrives).

Sadly, though, the gentle hiccuping is still there, so it must be due to something else. It's just a little hiccup which only occurs at around 2000rpm when the engine is under light load. Sometimes it happens regularly, sometimes not at all for a while and on the rough roads up here it's hard to detect anyway so I hesitate to take it back to the dealer. You know how it is - when they take it out they find nothing wrong, and as soon as you go home with it the problem starts again.

By the way, I only use good quality, branded fuel and it's been happening for a few thousand miles.

So before I take it back - would any of you kind, knowledgeable, lovely people have any suggestions anyone as to what may lie at the root of this weird problem?

[bothwell_buyer]

Its the fresh air up there !!!! Must be too much oxygen getting into the engine :lol:

[anchorman]

I reported in an earlier topic that my engine was very clattery, and that it hiccuped gently now and again. The dealer, Alexander Wallace, eventually diagnosed that the injectors were operating right at their limits under certain conditions so off my poor litttle car went, into the Toyota Hospital.

Collected it the other day and the nice service manager had done everything he promised: new injectors, ECU reprogramming, EGR valve clean/check. The really good news is that nasty clattering/knocking sound seems to have disappeared (although it always was much worse in warm weather so we'll wait to see how we get on when summer arrives).

Sadly, though, the gentle hiccuping is still there, so it must be due to something else. It's just a little hiccup which only occurs at around 2000rpm when the engine is under light load. Sometimes it happens regularly, sometimes not at all for a while and on the rough roads up here it's hard to detect anyway so I hesitate to take it back to the dealer. You know how it is - when they take it out they find nothing wrong, and as soon as you go home with it the problem starts again.

By the way, I only use good quality, branded fuel and it's been happening for a few thousand miles.

So before I take it back - would any of you kind, knowledgeable, lovely people have any suggestions anyone as to what may lie at the root of this weird problem?

Well I blew the toothache syndrome out of the water today. I set off with raging toothache and it was still there when I tried to get him to take the blasted thing out (but he insisted that I should have a week on antibiotics of a type which forbids me from alcohol ) and I have still got it now

It sounds like a misfire from what you are describing and that would normally indicate an intermittent fault with an injector. This could be electrical or it could be to do with the flow of fuel and the latter might indicate air or contaminant (water or dirt). If they have changed the injectors and not just checked them (it should be shown on the paperwork) then really you should start at the very beginning (what a very fine place to start ).

Buy a good quality fuel filter and change that. It is reasonably accessible at the back of the engine bay but they recommend you first take the air filter box off for access then undo the pipes and remove the filter complete with the mounting braket;

Take out the bolt and separate the filter assembly from the braket then put the filter in a vice to unscrew the filter. After refitting pump the plack plunger until it goes stiff. Start the engine and expect it to cough a bit at first until all the air is purged.

Try it at that for a bit. If it still does it remove the wires from the EDU on the bulkhead just in front of where you sit;

............and squirt some WD40 in the plug and put it back. Pull the cover off the top of the engine (wait for it) and then do the same with the injector plugs in the middle of the same photo. Do not switch the ignition on with the wires disconnected or it will look like Piccadilly Circus on your dash!

try to avoid doing both at once or you won't know what fixes it. I know from the jobs you have done in the past that you can do these jobs.

If these fail you will have to go back to hospital but they will almost certainly change the filter and I reckon they will charge you for that.

Good luck Maria.

[NMaria]

Anchorman, thank you so much for your kind advice. Tomorrow morning I shall rush out with my toolbox and do exactly as you say. I'll let you know how I get on!

Thanks again

Maria

PS What's this about the toothache? Sounds dreadful - hope the antibiotics do the trick soon but it sounds as though you may be better off without the wretched tooth.

[anchorman]

Anchorman, thank you so much for your kind advice. Tomorrow morning I shall rush out with my toolbox and do exactly as you say. I'll let you know how I get on!

Thanks again

Maria

PS What's this about the toothache? Sounds dreadful - hope the antibiotics do the trick soon but it sounds as though you may be better off without the wretched tooth.

He won't take it out until the swelling has gone down so now I have a gaping hole through it to let the fluid out. It is coming out on wednesday so I have to suck my meals until then!!!

[bothwell_buyer]

Liquid diet dear don, liquid.

Alcohol kills all known germs dead. I rinse oot ma mooth every nicht wi the stuff.

I did have an implant done - wan o they titanium jobs - puir dead brill...... thuroughly recommend it.

[anchorman]

The only liquid I'm allowed is salt water mouth wash.

Don't your titanium implants feel a bit hard? You'll also need a special bra until you get the other one done!

[NMaria]

Well, anchorman, did just as you said and sadly - no difference. Will speak to the helpful people in Elgin to see what they suggest. When I mentioned the fault to the service manager there some months ago, the first thing he said was 'fuel pump'. When it then transpired that the injectors needed replacing we hoped that that might cure the hiccup too, but no such luck.

A bit disappointing, really. We bought a brand new car (as opposed to 2nd hand) and a Toyota to boot because we wanted reliability above all, and now look - duff injectors, duff fuel pump. In the last week the locking system has refused to work several times. Makes you wonder what else is going to go wrong.

Funnily enough (or not so funnily) the engine warning light on my husband's Octavia has also just started coming on. And the fault code is not in the book. It's too bad - we are becoming automotively depressed!

Are you thin as a rake by now? Can't imagine that salt water mouth wash is very nutritious, and it sounds positively revolting.

[anchorman]

Anything else you do is going to cost money so it is over to them. What you describe sounds like injector trouble so if they've done them (and assuming they have programmed them to the ECU) then it works back to the EDU and the ECU.

Losing a bit of weight won't harm but stopping eating won't happen until I stop living!!! I just have to miss the open tooth or leap through the ceiling.

[bothwell_buyer]

The only liquid I'm allowed is salt water mouth wash.

Don't your titanium implants feel a bit hard? You'll also need a special bra until you get the other one done!

The titanium implant is fine but too strong if trying love bites!!

[shcm]

Try it at that for a bit. If it still does it remove the wires from the EDU on the bulkhead just in front of where you sit;

............and squirt some WD40 in the plug and put it back. Pull the cover off the top of the engine (wait for it) and then do the same with the injector plugs in the middle of the same photo. Do not switch the ignition on with the wires disconnected or it will look like Piccadilly Circus on your dash!

Since the low level injector drive/timing signals connect directly from the engine management ECU to the EDU, you might also want to try the long shot of removing and reseating the engine management ECU connector as well as the EDU connector.