New to Prado and d4d. Have a concerning rattle

[Torque-a Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Torque-a]

Hi all, I have just purchased a 2008 Prado with 140,000kms on the clock. I am thinking I may have this injector issue I have since been hearing about. The local Toyota dealer tells me I should have nothing to worry about as it is a late 2008 build and the problem was rectified by then (although I have been hearing that is not the case). At idle the d4d sounds o.k to me but under load at about 2000rpm there is a terrible rattle similar to the tappets on my old holden when I was a kid. Can anyone point me in the direction as to what this may be. I was told by a friend last night it could be an oil pick up problem. I am lost where do I start??

[cfryback Find all posts View Profile Close cfryback]

Is there a history with it?

80k KM service the injectors should have been pulled to do the valve clearance.

Get someone reputable to put an inspection camera up the oil drain and demand pictures. Also get the injector values, demand a printout of cold and hot.

[Torque-a Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Torque-a]

There is service history. Although I did notice one service had been missed. I do have an inspection Camera I can stick up the oil drain but to be honest Im not really sure what I would be looking for.

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

Mine was among the last built in 2008 and delivered January 2009. Engine went bang at 73,000km in July 2012. So build date is not a true indicator. The engines/injectors etc could have sat around for a couple of years before being stuck in a car.

[Torque-a Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Torque-a]

Oh s*!t!! Did Toyota recognise the problem or compensate you in anyway. Or would I be on another planet thinking that would happen??

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

Fortunately for me I had extended warranty so it cost them $11,800 for a new short motor and 2 new injectors. It only took them 8 weeks to fix the car. I was stuck out in the desert when it went south. Took 4 days to get home. Mine was injector problems causing a fuelling issue which blew 2 pistons. The faulty injector seals cause a problem with oil pickup screen which blocks stopping the motor from getting lubrication. This will kill your pistons and bearings.

[Torque-a Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Torque-a]

Was there any hint of trouble with engine. i.e noises as mentioned above??? A little more concerned now

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

There's the thing. Mine didn't give a single rattle or blow any smoke until it finally stalled whilst driving along. Rattled furiously and blew heaps of white smoke on trying to re-start. The rattle is notoriously associated either with injector failure with resultant piston failure or the engine has been deprived of enough lube to cause the pistons to score the bores and hence rattle as they move up and down and, un-fortunately - sideways. Have a read through the D4D engine rattle thread. There's heaps in there. The clue to the lubrication fault is by looking into the sump through the drain plug with a suitable camera probe you will see that the oil pump pick-up filter screen is completely blocked with residue. If it's the actual injectors then a cold test using a scanner such as Techstream will show the values are out of spec.

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

I should have said that many reported the death rattle upon cold start and resultant rattle not going away as the engine warms up along with blowing some white smoke.

[Guest Close Guest]

Here's a pic of an oil pickup screen
http://www.pradopoint.com/showthread...l=1#post345982

If you bought it from a dealer, use the 3 months warranty to get it replaced.

[MRW82 Member Find all posts View Profile Close MRW82]

Is the pickup screen visible without a camera?

[cfryback Find all posts View Profile Close cfryback]

Yeah, you'll need a torch and a good eye.

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

Don't rely on a Toyota service to pull injectors as part of the valve clearance check. From my research none do. Those that actually check clearances have a work around that doesn't require the injector removal.

My 120 went much the same way as Daves. I had no symptoms whatsoever. I found out because I asked for the injector feedback values to be read at the 120,000 service when the dealer had it overnight and cold for the valve clearance check (injectors untouched by human hands). They forgot or hoped I would forget. At the 130,000 km service I left the car overnight and made the same request. Lo two injectors were out of spec! Then the argument about changing out all the injectors... Story told before and too many times... Ultimately Toyota Extracare footed the bill for a full set of Denso injectors (same as Toyota without the $1,000,000 packaging) and seats and pipes etc. we picked the car up the day after when it was stone cold, well as cold as it gets in Brisbane. Neither my wife nor I could pick any difference in noise, vibration, smoke, fuel consumption etc.

I reckon the basic health check needs to be get the feedback values checked when the dealer has it cold for the 40,000 km (and multiples thereof) services. Ask for the sump screen to be checked for build up which is best done with an inspection camera but can be done by eye with the aid of a mirror, a good torch and a modicum of dexterity. A glass with some Ron Zacappa XO on ice helps too but isn't mandatory.

To me the basics are:

Change the fuel filters more often than Toyota require. I change either the under bonnet and between tanks filters at each service alternating between the two;
Buy diesel from a good source and if the tanker is disgorging into the service station drive away and get fuel later once everything has settled;
Get the service agent to check the sump screen every service;
Insist the service agent does the 40,000 km interval services by the book and they pull the injectors and replace the seats (sheets in a Toyota speak);
Get the injector feedback values checked at the 40,000 km interval services.

Yes it costs more but not that much and you shouldn't get caught with a dead D4D somewhere in the middle of Oz.

[Torque-a Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Torque-a]

Colonoscopy up the sump of the D4D.

There's the thing. Mine didn't give a single rattle or blow any smoke until it finally stalled whilst driving along. Rattled furiously and blew heaps of white smoke on trying to re-start. The rattle is notoriously associated either with injector failure with resultant piston failure or the engine has been deprived of enough lube to cause the pistons to score the bores and hence rattle as they move up and down and, un-fortunately - sideways. Have a read through the D4D engine rattle thread. There's heaps in there. The clue to the lubrication fault is by looking into the sump through the drain plug with a suitable camera probe you will see that the oil pump pick-up filter screen is completely blocked with residue. If it's the actual injectors then a cold test using a scanner such as Techstream will show the values are out of spec.

O.K. So I performed a bit of a colonoscopy on the d4d. I found the pick up screen to be reasonably clean. Although there was a small section right in the centre of the screen with some black Gunk! Would you say I have caught the beginning of the problem or is a small amount of crap on the screen normal??

[Anth120playdo Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Anth120playdo]

If u have any gunk u have problems. Don't drive it till u get it all checked properly.