No power - fuel pump sensor?

[DELTA DELTA]

Hi crew,

It has been a while since I was last on here. Big issue with my garage not understanding where the loss of power was coming from.

My surf has been at my friends for a while who is quite handy with 4x4's.

The problem seemed the be a leak in the fuel pump and it was likely sucking air in also. My mate has replaced all the seals on the pump and it is slightly better but stil struggling to get to 50mph and any sort of incline just kills it.

My friend (who is probably on this forum) thinks it could be the sensor on the bottom of the pump being gunged up?

What happens is it starts to pull and then it just all of a sudden limits itself. Sometimes the check engine light comes on sometimes not. But it's like there is a click and then it just kills the power in the engine.

My friend thinks/hopes if I run it on fuel cleaner for a week or too it may clean the sensor and gradually get back to normal but was looking for the views of the Gurus on the forum.

It's a K reg 2.4 ssrx

Many thanks

DD

[BUSHWHACKER]

Have carried out a diagnostics check?
If the check light is coming on then the ECU will tell you where to look.

Does the green turbo light come on at all when driving?

[DELTA DELTA]

The green turbo light does come on even stays on sometimes when the power dies then about 3000 revs the check engine light comes on.

I asked him and he said the error he got was the sensor on the bottom of the pump. He said it can be hard to get to and expensive to replace?

[NiftyNev]

That sensor is the timer control valve. If the pump had new seals then it must have been removed from engine, so before you do anyting else check the timing. Could be the timing belt was not done properly. If the timing on the pump is out it can register a TCV fault.

Nev

[ohalrightthen]

Lack of power---Slow acceleration

Bitten by the Surf Bug --Heres my story surrounding problems that you might find familiar

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Ok so ive had the Mitsubishis etc but always fancied a Surf. Bought one with a few problems but willing to put right to keep the old girl rolling.
So the radiator went on the way back from the guy who sold it me (unlucky eh)
Replaced radiator,cam belt, hoses and auxilliary belts what else could there be me innocently thinks, so now you old surf hands are smiling.
Well ok I then replaced the head as the 2.4 unit is possibly the best pressure cooker i have ever witnessed oh and the turbo just for good messure, adjusted the fuel pump timing and she seems to do ok except that orange light will not go out. Checked vac lines they seem to go to and from where they should however still seems to take an age to get over 60mph turbo pressure 9psi not excessively smokey or noisy, revs well in lower gears but struggles to get to 3k on kick down, any suggetions guys this novice is stumped.

Well success at last, heres how the story unfolds.

Her indoors now giving me grief cos of all the time im spending on the Surf (I guess that s a familiar situation for many of you) why did you buy that pile of
S...t in the first place? You spend more time on the ###### car than you do with us!!!! Get the picture guys!

So at the suggestion of her who must be obeyed I bit the bullet and called in the cavalry in the form of an auto electrician with Toyota experience.

Visit one: After an hour and a half of humming and hahing, head scratching and looking at all the things I had checked he left to return the following day after consulting another mechanic also with toyota experience.

Visit two: "Ha" he exclaims Im pretty sure your vac lines will have a leak or you will have one that has popped off. "Fill your boots" says I all the lines are new in the correct place and connected. So now Im loosing the will to live it would appear that this guy knows less than me about the Surf (and thats not a lot) "Do you have a manual"? he asks "would you like sugar with that"says me.

Well another hour goes by with the guy obviously beaten and actually looking embarassed. He leaves with my manual to do some homework telling me he will call in a couple of days, OK says I and with a tear in my eye wave him away.

So her indoors asks "is it fixed then?" Is the pope a muslim says I "No" she says dont be stupid, You started it I said.

So now im back in the garage, time to check all sensors me thinks (Wish I had a manual) any way all sensors with a resistance are checked and are OK so I now take off the throttle position sensor and start checking BINGO an open circuit on the rotary track. Such a feeling of elation that Ive found the problem. Ebay and four days later sees a brand new second hand sensor at my door, with an eager willingness and a grin like a Cheshire cat I entered the Valley of Doom (The Garage) fitted the sensor, cleared the ECU fault codes and fired her up and guess what.....................No ###### difference, well thats not strictly true from fault code 12 its now 13 Lucky me!!

So after I had calmed down, told the wife I was sorry..........I didnt mean to call you all those names, please come home the dog misses you.

I was back at it under the bonnet, only one sensor left now, that awkward little Bas.... under the fuel pump the crank shaft position sensor (starting to sound too much like I know what im talking about now) so after minimal stripout to create the space to squeeze my dislocated arm by the side of the engine I manage to unplug the sensor, at this point I may add that searing shreak of "YOUR TEAS READY" wrang out accross the garden, have you noticed that when us guys are busy doing whatever, her indoors looses the use of her legs and has to scream her dialogue at you at the most inappropriate moments........Bless Her!!!!

Ah says me to myself (Im on my own cos every one else is having tea) this wiring harness feels a little flimsy and then.......I know youre dying to know..............a broken wire. So out comes the soldering iron and a repair is performed, I slide my dislocated arm down the side of the engine again and with the same caution and trepidation as that first nervous encounter that all guys experience as teenagers (usaully at the school dance) I plugged it in.

Faults cleared and fired up........................Im now dancing around the garage floor all faults are gone its ticking over sweet as a nut, The turbo light works no more of that nasty orange engine symbol YAHOOOOOOO.

Out on the road and smiling all is well, so lets re-cap for the sake of any other poor unsuspecting wretch like me who buys a surf and then!!!!!!!

So the head was cracked and was replaced it had a severe lack of power both before and after the change out, No fault indication prior to head change out just a lack of power It now appears that the throttle position sensor was guilty of this.

The Polish mechanic that changed the head was guilty of mixing up the VAC lines, these were replaced but it was still gutless.

How the harness became broke well it did look as if it had been under strain...........bit like me really, so its possible that happened in the garage.

So I hope youve been entertained by my experiences with my Surf that oh by the way Her indoors loves it now its all working (Fickle bitch) and I hope its been of use to all amateur Surf mechanics Im Off to get my manual back. All the best

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Last edited by ohalrightthen; 10th March 2012 at 15:59.. Reason: Update

Hi crew,

It has been a while since I was last on here. Big issue with my garage not understanding where the loss of power was coming from.

My surf has been at my friends for a while who is quite handy with 4x4's.

The problem seemed the be a leak in the fuel pump and it was likely sucking air in also. My mate has replaced all the seals on the pump and it is slightly better but stil struggling to get to 50mph and any sort of incline just kills it.

My friend (who is probably on this forum) thinks it could be the sensor on the bottom of the pump being gunged up?

What happens is it starts to pull and then it just all of a sudden limits itself. Sometimes the check engine light comes on sometimes not. But it's like there is a click and then it just kills the power in the engine.

My friend thinks/hopes if I run it on fuel cleaner for a week or too it may clean the sensor and gradually get back to normal but was looking for the views of the Gurus on the forum.

It's a K reg 2.4 ssrx

Many thanks

DD

[Ploddit]

A good read - made me smile you should write.

[TonyN]

Could have just said the 'check the wiring loom around the fuel pump.'



They get brittle with age/heat, and if tugged hard to unplug you can break them easily, never pull on the wires when unplugging stuff.

[ohalrightthen]

Glad you liked it

A good read - made me smile you should write.

Where in France are you ?

I have a place in Vieure 03430

[Ploddit]

Nice .... down South