Tuning Chip Box On Rav 2.0d4d Tricky Sensor Location

[slow rav4]

Hi all,

I am very new to this lovely forum and toyotas in general.

I recently pickup up a 2004 rav4 2.0 d4d and found it annoyingly slow.

I decided to get a diesel tuning box for the slow boy and ended up with buying one from eBay for 90 squids.

Installation took two hours instead of 5 minutes as the common rail sensor was positioned in the worst pleace ever seen ( shame on toyota for this)

After i finally managed to squeeze my big hand through the mice holes and put all conectors as required i took a car for a test drive and it's been a completely different animal.

Very pleased with performance.

However there is a serious safety concern in my mind about hot engine components and plastic electrical connectors and cables in that awkward place

Here are the pix so if anyone's got some experience with this could you please share your thoughts with me and let me know what you're thinking about this issue.

http://s714.photobucket.com/albums/ww150/i...?albumview=grid

Is there anything that gets very hot in front side of the engine? I see that exhaust and turbo are at the back but I am just want to be sore that i wont messit up.

Any thoughts highly appreciated

[bothwell_buyer]

Engines tend to get hot ...even diesels eventually! The cabling made for vehicles and the connectors are suitable for normal temps in the engine bay but ideally should be shielded or kept from touching things that get hot. If you've ever seen a burnt out car, then you'll have seen that the cabling will actually burn. I'd guess that the cables provided are fit for purpose and that the instructions are correct re routing the cables away from excessive heat source.

Also, now that the engine is creating more power, it will also be creating more heat, so make sure the engine doesn't overheat.

You will have noticed that most of the wiring is in a 'loom' in the car which gives some protection as well.

My own experience with my turbo RAVs is that both get to working temperature quickly. Number 1 is boosted higher and does run hotter....and it has a few wires in the engine bay un-protected. After a year of driving, I've not had any problems with the electrics on number 1 - although did have early problems with corrosion of the coil pack on number 2 RAV. More to do with age and moisture than heat!!

And lastly, welcome to the forum - have fun with your motor and don't forget to oil the hinges - 5 door models need extra oiling :lol:

[slow rav4]

Thank you very much for that.

I am just wondering is there anything that gets particularly hot in that front area of the engine? I think that the part which gets in contact with cables is the aircon compressor which shouldn't be to hot but as the car is vibrating while mooving i was scared if other hot bits.

The instructions provided were very generic ( for that price i wasn't expecting more anyway)

The connectors seam to be as good as the original ones with rubber seal inside

This is the box that i bought.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Diesel-Tuning-Perfor...%3A1|240%3A1318

I oiled the hinges as advised and they are much smoother now :-)

Cheers

[anchorman]

Welcome to the club.

A very interesting account and accompanied by good photos! The cable routing follows existing paths and with that armored conduit I'm sure it will be OK. I don't know if you intend leaving it in the poly bag but I wouldn't. I think it will collect moisture whereas no bag will let the air to it and keep it dry.

[slow rav4]

Welcome to the club.

A very interesting account and accompanied by good photos! The cable routing follows existing paths and with that armored conduit I'm sure it will be OK. I don't know if you intend leaving it in the poly bag but I wouldn't. I think it will collect moisture whereas no bag will let the air to it and keep it dry.

Thank you very much:-)

I removed it from the bag and secured it with a few cable ties.

Cheers

[bothwell_buyer]

you should ensure the bag is recycled.......

as for finding hot spots theres 2 ways

1. borrow a temp probe from yer local friendly chef to identify surface temps as ye'll find it difficult and daft to pierce the hoses with it

2. lick yer finger and touch various engines parts - when it hurts, you'll know its hot....or the belt has caught yer hand!!

[BillMak]

Hi all,

I am very new to this lovely forum and toyotas in general.

I recently pickup up a 2004 rav4 2.0 d4d and found it annoyingly slow.

I decided to get a diesel tuning box for the slow boy and ended up with buying one from ebay for 90 squids.

Installation took two hours instead of 5 minutes as the common rail sensor was positioned in the worst pleace ever seen ( shame on toyota for this)

After i finally managed to squeeze my big hand through the mice holes and put all conectors as required i took a car for a test drive and it's been a completely different animal.

Very pleased with performance.

However there is a serious safety concern in my mind about hot engine components and plastic electrical connectors and cables in that awkward place

Here are the pix so if anyone's got some experience with this could you please share your thoughts with me and let me know what you're thinking about this issue.

http://s714.photobucket.com/albums/ww150/i...?albumview=grid

Is there anything that gets very hot in front side of the engine? I see that exhaust and turbo are at the back but I am just want to be sore that i wont messit up.

Any thoughts highly appreciated

After reading about your highly praised chip, I bit the bullet and purchased one for myself. As far as performance goes, when I accelerate, it definitely is a bit more perky. but on reaching approx 3,500rpm the motor just cuts out completely! I have to be pretty handy on the ignition switch to turn the motor back on again, a bit scary i think you will agree? mpgwise I reckon getting a least another 5-10 more mpg.At one point hitting 50.66 on the indicator which we all know is a bit optimistic. However the fear of hard acceleration has put me off the chip forever so i have removed it from the engine which as you will know is not a task to be undertaken lightly, but I now feel far safer from a complete dead stop in the fast lane. I have tried to get in touch with SJmotorsports but they are now uncontactable on email! This probably proves my fear about the chip. I wonder if you have any comments to make about my experiences. If they are the same as mine I think we can say goodbye to any refunds or action to alleviate the problem and write off the cost to experience.

BIll Mak

[DaronB]

Its the old story , you get what you pay for ! I noticed too the unit uses a computer connector to the loom , that will not last long in a damp and hot engine bay , those connectors are designed for use on PC's.

[shcm]

I noticed too the unit uses a computer connector to the loom , that will not last long in a damp and hot engine bay , those connectors are designed for use on PC's.

Sigh! Yes, indeed, I agree and also pointed out previously:

http://toyotaownersclub.com/forums/index.p...st&p=748562

I've very often used a serial 'D' type on a piece of ECU test kit in the lab - it's quick and easy for connecting up something like a CAN bus connection lash up, but IMHO it's asking for trouble later if it is used permanently under bonnet. After all, it's not that it is difficult to find an alternative - there are enough automotive connectors around. It just says to me that, if the maker doesn't know this about the connector, what else don't they know about electronics in an auto environment?

[HEMI]

Hi all,

I am very new to this lovely forum and toyotas in general.

I recently pickup up a 2004 rav4 2.0 d4d and found it annoyingly slow.

I decided to get a diesel tuning box for the slow boy and ended up with buying one from ebay for 90 squids.

Installation took two hours instead of 5 minutes as the common rail sensor was positioned in the worst pleace ever seen ( shame on toyota for this)

After i finally managed to squeeze my big hand through the mice holes and put all conectors as required i took a car for a test drive and it's been a completely different animal.

Very pleased with performance.

However there is a serious safety concern in my mind about hot engine components and plastic electrical connectors and cables in that awkward place

Here are the pix so if anyone's got some experience with this could you please share your thoughts with me and let me know what you're thinking about this issue.

http://s714.photobucket.com/albums/ww150/i...?albumview=grid

Is there anything that gets very hot in front side of the engine? I see that exhaust and turbo are at the back but I am just want to be sore that i wont messit up.

Any thoughts highly appreciated

After reading about your highly praised chip, I bit the bullet and purchased one for myself. As far as performance goes, when I accelerate, it definitely is a bit more perky. but on reaching approx 3,500rpm the motor just cuts out completely! I have to be pretty handy on the ignition switch to turn the motor back on again, a bit scary i think you will agree? mpgwise I reckon getting a least another 5-10 more mpg.At one point hitting 50.66 on the indicator which we all know is a bit optimistic. However the fear of hard acceleration has put me off the chip forever so i have removed it from the engine which as you will know is not a task to be undertaken lightly, but I now feel far safer from a complete dead stop in the fast lane. I have tried to get in touch with SJmotorsports but they are now uncontactable on email! This probably proves my fear about the chip. I wonder if you have any comments to make about my experiences. If they are the same as mine I think we can say goodbye to any refunds or action to alleviate the problem and write off the cost to experience.

BIll Mak

has your chip got the "adjusting screw" on the bottom?,if so you have to "adjust it" until it runs properly,I have the "adjusting"type on my Fiat camper and when adjusted right it runs really sweet

[Parts-King]

This is an age old problem, and one too that I have commented on in the past

The cheap analogue type boxes normally have these cheap computer connectors, they are supplied from who knows where when you get them off that famous auction website. As you have found out to your cost, getting any help by email or telephone is usually impossible, once they have your money you are on your own!

The pressure rail sensor types of unit are very tricky to fit on earlier models in particular, but what if you get a problem at the side of the road?, you would need to remove it before continuing on your journey, and that could take an age in the lashing rain

The kits we supply are digital, have proper automotive quality connectors and if they do go faulty, you can just unplug the loom from the tuning box and everything is back to normal! Simples!!! :D: It takes seconds, we are also here at the end of a telephone (and have been for over 30 odd years) so you can be assured that when you need a little bit of help, an email or phone call is all you have to do. Our kits are not the cheapest in the world, but you get a quality kit that will ensure your car runs perfectly for years to come

Kingo

[BEXvapes]

I have a power box fitted to mine , i kept adjusting the screw until the engine cut out when floored then backed off screw a little transformed the car

[jase hutch]

I'd always considered a Tunit box having read a lot of favourable reviews , but the Lindop item sounds like the favourite amongst owners here , how do they compare on price and performance , can anyone tell me ?

[Big Kev]

I think the Tunit one NEW is a bit more expensive, Jase, but Mistermena Tim seemed to imply they came up quite often on eBay at good second hand prices. Can only vouch for the RELIABILITY of Kingo's Chip, in that mine is now with its third owner and working faultlessfully.

[IMweasel]

Reviving an old thread, because i was delighted to find it, but the links to pictures are dead!

I'm in the same situation,and trying to make the best of it. Especially registered just for this!

I recently started to look for the location to plug and mount the tuningkit.

At first i could not find the common rail at all, it is located just under the bonnet/intercooler. Like in most cars,but with this car it requires some tools to remove those two.

I scoured the internet and finally found the instructions on a polish site, v-techtuning.com. (see attached PDF)

I finally got a (somewhat) better view on the common rail after unmounting the intercooler and the bonnet.

But the main plug of the common rail can absolutely not be reached, for me it is it is impossible to move my hand around the plug.(see picture 1)

Then i started checking the wire that v-techtuning states. (See picture 2)

And i noticed that when you move this wire, the wire at the main plug moves as well. The colors of the wire match, so i am 100% sure this second plug can be used to plug the tuningkit.

This second plug is actually an extension cord, i can feel it is mounted to the bottom side of the common rail. This is probably a way to make the sensor's circuitry reachable for engineers. As nobody would be able to reach the main plug anyway!

The tuningkit manufacturer has sent me the correct plug, that should fit on the common rail itself

But i need to use the alternate plug,i hope they want to send me different cabling that fits on it ;-)

Any more experience or advice on this matter is greatly appreciated!

Toyota RAV4 2.0 D4D 116HP-1.pdf

[handy man]

On 24/08/2009 at 6:46 PM, BillMak said:

After reading about your highly praised chip, I bit the bullet and purchased one for myself. As far as performance goes, when I accelerate, it definitely is a bit more perky. but on reaching approx 3,500rpm the motor just cuts out completely! I have to be pretty handy on the ignition switch to turn the motor back on again, a bit scary i think you will agree? mpgwise I reckon getting a least another 5-10 more mpg.At one point hitting 50.66 on the indicator which we all know is a bit optimistic. However the fear of hard acceleration has put me off the chip forever so i have removed it from the engine which as you will know is not a task to be undertaken lightly, but I now feel far safer from a complete dead stop in the fast lane. I have tried to get in touch with SJmotorsports but they are now uncontactable on email! This probably proves my fear about the chip. I wonder if you have any comments to make about my experiences. If they are the same as mine I think we can say goodbye to any refunds or action to alleviate the problem and write off the cost to experience.

BIll Mak

i paid £350 for tuning box  from dt tuning has eight settings power amazing difference fuel  good    you only get what you pay for cheap aint always best option

[Avalon]

I reckon he's sorted it out now, it was 2009 after all ;)

As to paying £350 that's Van Aarken money back in the day (TTE used to re-brand them and they were one of the few that had direct ECU connection). The ones that plug into the fuel rail are a lot more crude.