pls pls help...red light driving me nuts!!

[dave78au]

Hi everyone, i've been reading through this site for a week or two now and have just signed up. I'm really really hoping someone here can give me some advice on how to go about correcting a major problem i have with my new car.
A month ago i bought a 1992 surf, 2.4lt TD. the thing's pretty much immaculate and the only problem i am having with it is a doozy.

It drives absolutely beautifully on level/flat ground, but the moment it is under load...i.e towing even an empty trailer on relatively level ground, heading up even a slight hill or every now and then, just for the hell of it as it appears its little red light comes on and kills me.

It will be driving beautifully then all of a sudden seems like it's surging a little then the red check light comes on and looses all power - have read this is called "fail-safe" mode??

i can then pull over, take it out of gear, the red light then dissapears and i can take off again as though nothings wrong, but only lasts a few metres then it starts all over again.

The most annoying thing is i have taken it to a mechanics twice now but they just can't work it out. I have jumped the terminals on the ECU and have been given two codes - code (8) - apparently the "air intake temp sensor", and code (12) - apparently the "knock sensor". I have tried disconnecting the air temp sensor, but to no avail, put a brand new fuel pump, air filter, oil filter, all fluids, but no matter what i do it still does it.

I have been told it could be a few things - turbo pressure sensor, fuel pump, injectors, blah blah blah...but to be honest, if two different mechanics couldn't find it, my deisel mechanic friend cant work it out, the people on other sites can't work it out, it is just plain and simply driving me insane.
The real bad thing about this all is i just got rid of a '76 hilux tray top with a 2.4lt v8 petrol put in it, got rid of it coz i just wanted a newer modern reliable car, but now i can't even make it up the hill to get home.

I would appreciate any help on this more than i can say, and really hope someone has some ideas or has come across a similar problem and solved it.

Thanks a heap in advance,
Davo

[BUSHWHACKER]

Hi Davo, whats the acceleration like when pulling away from rest on flat ground, sluggish? adequate? brisk?

Auto transmission or manual?

[MattF]

Hi Davo, whats the acceleration like when pulling away from rest on flat ground, sluggish? adequate? brisk?

Do I detect a vac pipe thought?

[BUSHWHACKER]

Do I detect a vac pipe thought?

Possibly, but if two mechanics have looked at it, I assume it would have been noticed.

Could be fuel line blockage, in-tank filter/strainer gummed up (there's one on the end of the pick-up tube in the tank) or vacuum in the tank preventing full fuel flow.

[Cooler]

could it possibly be an over boost problem, caused when you have to use more throttle for load towing or going up a hill, just a thought as i had to take my boost down on the 2.4 cos engine would cut out all the time

[Apache]

Could even be something as simple as fuel filter full of cr@p. The right symptoms anyway...

[dave78au]

grrrr

hi guys..thanksheaps for your help.

a. - its a 5 spd manual
b. - a pain in the butt! (jk)
c. - have put brand new fuel filter on but hasnt fixed it - though on that note i must say, i have drivin it for a 600k trip, did it all the way there, and on the way back when it did it i would stop, release the drainage plug on the bottom of the fuel filter, prime it - using the pump on top, start it up again and all would be fine again for another 60 or so k's.
d. - have checked all vac pipes, all seem ok.

and also tonight...was running rather cra$$y, then started doing the same problem even down hill. is guttless taking off, extremely hard to start now...as in 30secs of holding key on, even after excessively glowing plugs, no power, and even does it pulling out of a side street on flat level ground.

damn this is annoying hey hahahaha

thanks for the help guys, would appreciate any more.
davo

[BUSHWHACKER]

Could still be fuel starvation.
Try removing the hoses from the fuel filter, remove the fuel filler cap and blow down the hoses with an air line to make sure they're clear.