Injector Problem

[lyonsy Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close lyonsy]

I think this maybe an interesting question to pose to one and all and I would be very interested to know if anybody else has experienced this situation.
Firstly I would like to say that generally I do not believe in coincidences, but, I'm sure they must exist. I have a 12/08 D4D Prado, 1 owner, 100,00ks with full service history.
A month ago I installed a diode, that came well recommended, so that I could charge the batteries in my camper at a slightly higher rate than what the alternator was originally delivering. I installed it as per the instructions and everything checked out fine. I was now getting an extra 0.4 of a volt.
I do not work and the car has only driven roughly 120ks since installing the diode, and that is by way of 4 trips into the local town. After 2 trips to town I noticed that the car was idling a bit rough, once up and running everything was fine. The car had only just been serviced prior to me installing the diode and the car at that stage had a clean bill of health. I thought that the roughness was no big deal but that I should get it checked out by the mechanic.
Sheer laziness prevented me from calling in to see the mechanic on my 3rd trip to town. On my way home from 4th trip to town the engine light came on whereby I went back and saw my mechanic who tested the vehicle only to find one injector completely shot a 2nd one not much better and was told not to drive it any further. It now sits there awaiting a new set of injectors. So, now down $2700.
So I ask one and all as injectors have a direct link to voltage is this a coincidence as to the diode I installed, just bad luck, or do cars get manufactured in a certain way for certain reasons and we shouldn't tamper with them.
I would love as many opinions as you are able to give, and anyone else with similar experiences.

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

Coincidence. The injectors can be out of specification and display no symptoms (mine were like this) and thus seem perfectly normal. A little colder in the morning and the damage becomes manifest through rougher running etc. I suspect as the injectors wear they begin to wear faster and faster so the transition from a little rough to broken can be very short. Is your local mechanic using Baileys injectors? Have they done this before? Get them to check the oil pick up strainer in the sump while the work is being done too because you will have the old style seats and while these will be changed any gunk on the pick up or in the galleries will find its way to the strainer.

Oh and I didn't have the diode. While the injectors might see an extra 0.4V on the bus there would be a range over which the injectors are expected to work and I would think the maximum input would be much higher than an extra 0.4V but I could be wrong.

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

Given the number of people running diodes if they were going to cause the injectors to go from OK to stuffed in 120kms I think we would know about it. Also if my memory serves me correctly the Diode only boosts voltage to the upper end of the levels recommended by Toyota, so if that's the case it also shouldn't cause an issue.

If you get onto the Baileys web site, or read their posts here, they will tell you that injector problems are basically a wear issue caused by high pressure and/or contamination. These guys probably know as much or more about these injectors than anyone else, and I don't ever recall reading or hearing that the electrical input had any effect on the injectors operating.

Having said all that, I wouldn't claim to know enough about the complex electrical goings on of the modern motor to completely dismiss that there could be some connection, but I would think it highly unlikely and even more unlikely that it could happen in such a short time frame.

Cheers Andrew

[LeighW Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LeighW]

I haven't actually looked at how the injectors are supplied with power but
as the duration of the injector timing has to be very precisely timed the current pulse supplied to the injector will be regulated by the engine management ECU.

The engine management system has to be able to operate under a varying power supply conditions, for example during cranking the battery voltage may be only 10V, at idle 13.8V engine at speed 14.4V, cold morning in Japan 15.2V. To accomplish this the ECU has its own internal voltage regulator that precisely controls the ECU operating voltage, regardless of what the alternator is producing. The injectors themselves are not supplied with constant voltage like a light globe, motor or radio etc, they a driven by a precisely controlled current pulse which is not affect by the battery voltage, the pulse length is determined by the amount of fuel that needs to be injected into the cylinder.

In reality just about every electronic item in your vehicle has its own in built voltage regulator for the reasons listed above, about the only things that won't will be the items that won't be fussed by wide voltage variations ie, wiper motor, heater fan, lights, windscreen demisters and horn etc

I find it strange that is now the third post from memory by different new members of PP with only only a few posts trying to scare PP members away from booster diodes or obtain information from members?

I keep detailed information of any reported issue that have occurred after my product
has been installed, there has only been three trouble reports and none involved injectors, and the others were:

1/ A faulty alternator.

2/ A OEM alternator had been replaced with a non OEM unit and a booster wasn't required.

3/ A faulty ECU that was replaced by Nissan under warranty.

If the vehicles has only just been purchased then should be under warranty unless a private sale. If the later then looks like the previous owner knew when to sell or trade up.

Now sounds like someone trying to pin the repair costs of a well known problem onto a third party, or scare members off diode boosters for some ulterior motive?

Cheers
Leigh

[raydes Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close raydes]

From AJ120 ......basically a wear issue caused by high pressure and/or contamination.... Just serviced 120ks ago, contaminants while changing the fuel filter would be my first guess.

[Bushbasher Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Bushbasher]

If my diode blew my engine after 73,000km then I'm halfway to blowing it up again!

[OziOffroad Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close OziOffroad]

Our toaster is on the blink and I was wondering if Leigh's voltage booster is to blame?

Mick

[Bear63 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bear63]

The injectors circuits run at 60-90 volts off memory , they have their own driver circuits as well so i can't see how a .4v increase could affect the injectors

[Guest Close Guest]

Leigh please pm me with info..
I'll start to do some ip checking..

[leachy_9 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close leachy_9]

Applying the same logic:

[lyonsy Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close lyonsy]

Leigh,
You say that I am trying to scare PP Members away from diodes or obtain information from members. I don't appreciate the inference. You are being far too precious. A forum regardless of whether it is about Prados, fishing, camping, or how to bake a cake is about obtaining and sharing information. So I don't see your point there. Secondly, regarding the attempt at maybe scaring members away from diodes at no stage have I inferred that. I have simply stated a situation and asked if it was coincidental or not, so now I can take it as a complete coincidence, and I will continue to use the diode. So Leigh, show a bit more class I really don't like to be made to look like a fool even if I am a newby.

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

Your not really a newbie, you've been a member longer than I have, you just don't post much. As you said a forum is about sharing, something to ponder maybe

Cheers Andrew

[lyonsy Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close lyonsy]

Fair comment Andrew I would like to share my little pearls of wisdom. Truth be known I havent been on this site for a couple of years due to the fact that we have been travelling and not had a computer. This little foray I have posted is like just becoming a member and starting all over again. Feisty bunch aren't youz.
Cheers Ian

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

Feisty bunch aren't youz.
Cheers Ian

Nah, were mostly harmless.................... Mostly

Cheers Andrew

[LeighW Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LeighW]

lyonsy,

Your original post made it quite clear that you suspected the booster as the cause of
your problem, a simple search would have returned reams of info on injector failures in the 120 and
alerted a potential buyer to the issue.

Once the seeds of doubt are sown they are out on the net forever, the reputation of many a
good product has been destroyed similar.

Cheers
Leigh