2011 Hilux Problems with Turbo

Hey guys,

Just trying to figure out the issue with one of our family cars. My brother was driving it in regional NSW and it lost power and stopped. Local mechanic said the scan tool said it was turbo related and changed the turbo motor. Car went well another week or so and then did it again, leaving us with an expensive towing bill. It only seems to do it on longer drives too.

Just thought you guys may have experienced similar and be able to point me towards common faults surrounding these turbos before we shell out to replace the whole setup.

Cheers

Comments

  • +6

    TIL turbos have motors.

    Please hold the line, @pegaxs should be along shortly to give advice.

    • +2

      Love isn't always on time

      • +1

        Toto

    • @pegaxs should be along shortly to give advice.

      Buy a Great Wall… Would be cheaper than a turbo for an old dunger Hilux…

      Also, no idea on the code that was pulled from the ECU or what it said, so don't know. Need more info.

    • NIL not TIL
      But OP did pay the till

      • "TIL" = "Today I Learned"

        • +1

          I thought it was ‘things I learned’.

          TIL TIL was not TIL

  • +4

    Any help on a Hilux forum? Or google search?

    • +5

      No Ozbargain is a much more appropriate place for this kind of question.

  • +6

    So many variables including the local mechanic stuffed up the installation of the replacement turbo.

  • Cheers guys, YouTube mentions the map filter and also wiring issues. Apparently can be either an electrical or mechanical issue.

    His mate that does his mechanical work suggested just changing the lot. But ive always been a fan of troubleshooting first in case it's something simple. Especially if a replacement will be in the thousands.

    • I prefer to actually find the fault too but Replace the lot might mean less times towed.

    • +1

      And you think Ozbargain is a good place to troubleshoot the notoriously unreliable (despite being a Toyota) D4D engine? Do you think a guy who uses the term 'turbo motor' and uses YouTube for mechanical advice is the best guy to troubleshoot anything?

      • who uses the term 'turbo motor'

        There is a motor on the turbo. The d4d is hardly notoriously unreliable.

        • No, the turbo is on the motor. And https://4x4earth.com/forum/index.php?threads/problems-with-h…

          Amongst many other posts about D4D problems. Probably Toyota's worst engine.

          • +2

            @[Deactivated]: The turbo is on the engine. An electric motor controls the variable vanes of the turbo. This is the motor that has been replaced.

            Yeah, I think I'll go off actual experience rather than 4x4earth. They had some injector seal issues, head gasket issues when overheated (what a surprise), and less common turbo issues. I'm no Toyota fanboy, and I think they are a gutless thing, but to say they are unreliable, have many problems, and are "Toyota's worst engine" is pretty silly.

            • +1

              @brendanm: I would still rather the D4D 1KD over that blob of shit they put in the same era Mitsubishi Tritons. I don’t think I have ever had to replace a 1KD… but I swap out DI-D 4D56’s like they are AA batteries.

    • Seems to me the issue must be heat related as its only on long trips when the turbo will be getting used lots and so getting rather hot.

  • So it goes into limp mode?

    I know grenade patrols have issues with MAF (Air flow sensors) and go into limp mode, replace or clean
    Not sure if this i an issue with luxes or not

    Edit: they do have mass air flow sensor

    google only has 29348230948 hits on limp mode

    • If it lost power and stopped doesn’t that indicate it didn’t enter limp mode? Unless OP means it lost power so his brother stopped driving.

  • Changed the "turbo motor"? Turbos don't have motors. Superchargers have motors, but turbos just have turbine wheels.

    I don't know anything about Hiluxes but I once had a turbo that slipped into limp home mode not long after I bought the car - turns out it had a crack in the MAF circuit board. Very easy to replace.

    • -1

      Actuator arm motor possibly? I'm not sure

      • +1

        I didn't neg you there, @Shane34.

    • OP likely has a 1KD-FTV 3.0 turbo diesel which came with a VNT turbo which have a stepper motor to vary the vane angle. https://www.turbochargersplus.com/electronic-actuator-steppe…

      I had a 1KF-FTV in a Prado and had to have the turbo replaced at 172,000km. Ended up having it replaced with an OEM at a cost of around $3600 including diagnosis and installation by a turbo and engine specialist - MTQ.

      • Ah, I hadn't thought or heard of that!

  • What was the error codes exactly, prior and after repair?

    As others said not enough info. Can buy a $30 Ebay OBD2 dongle and scan yourself.

  • +2

    Is it going into actual limp mode (MIL/check engine light on) or just driving like a crap?

    Is it stopping because the engine is shutting down and stopping or because it's not being driven any further?

    Any other symptoms, smoke, getting hot, making noises, anything unusual?

    How many km? Regularly serviced?

    Just cruising or when pulling loads?

    Long trips, like 100km or 500km?

    What did the last mechanic actually do to it to get it going again? Got an actual code that they pulled (Should look something like: P0607)

    Guesses include, waste gate issues, hosing issues, exhaust issues, fuel issues, variable vane issues, injector issues, sensor issues…

    • Hi mate, yes the engine light comes on when it does it. The engine doesn't actually stop but just revs out and goes 5k an hour from what I understood.

      It's about 240,000km. And yes. Just long trips so far. Did it about 600km from home after driving that far. Got a stepper motor replaced. And was fine driving in that area for a week,. And failed again after driving 5 hours on the way back home. And after coming home on a towtruck Friday night, the engine lights now off and it drives normal again.

      I don't have the error code. But the regional mechanic and my brother's mate both said it's a turbo error code. Stepper motor intermittent?

      Thanks for the tips. He's already down about $1600 in towing and repairs. Just didn't want him blowing another 2k on a new unit if it's something simple a wise mechanic can pinpoint.

      • Warranty from the last mechanic?

      • +1

        Depends on the fault code (something like P1251/P2588) It could be a simple wiring issue, as some of the 1KD engines had a wiring harness issue where the stepper for the turbo runs around under the sump and can rub through. Sometimes is a stepper motor failure or the plug gets full of crap or the wires break at the back of the plug. Check that the stepper motor isn’t loose and that all the parts on the stepper motor are all connected and not loose.

        There is not really a lot you can do here if you don’t have the tools and knowledge. It’s not just a quick fix kind of job. No silver bullet for this one. And at an estimate, it’s going to be about another $1500~2500 at a minimum if it is the stepper motor, worse of it’s the while turbo setup. Best case it is just a wiring fault,

        • Thanks mate,

          I'll print this off and see if we can get them ruled out before going for a full replacement :)

  • +1

    Go and post on NewHilux forum they will fix you up

  • +1

    Go and post on NewHilux forum they will fix you up

  • Check videos on you tube by a guy, the prado hospital.

    Nothing he doesn’t know about the 1kd

    If it has a catch can or chip/tune it could be the beginning of the end

  • +1

    Mate, this is why you buy a Toyota

  • +1

    These things have an electric motor to operate the variable vane part of the turbo. They also have a seperate ecu to operate this motor, that talks to the main engine ecu. I've had the turbo control ecu give faults.

    Does it actually stall, or it's just got so little power it's hard to drive?

    • Hi mate,
      From what I understood is it just loses power, didn't actually cut out

      • Does check engine light come on, or just drops power? You can actually move the motor manually by applying power to it momentarily from memory, which can help in diagnosis.

        • Yeah mate the light comes on when it acts up. Lights off and running normal now but apparently still showing a stepper motor error code on the diagnostic machine.

          • +1

            @Shane34: If the motor has been replaced, and you are still getting errors, I would suspect either the turbo control ecu, or the wiring harness. Both will require actual diagnostic work, which lots of people don't seem to like to do these days.

            • @brendanm: I like doing the diagnostic work (i am a diagnostic technician). I find that people just don’t want to pay me to do it…

              “What? You didn’t fix it, you only found the problem and now you want to charge me $300 for just finding the issue…”

              Or them bringing a vehicle in, giving me a vague description of an issue it is having and ask if I can just have a quick look. “Quick look” in the customer dictionary means “can you diagnose it for free and let me know, so I can get my uncle to replace that part for no labour charge…”

              • @pegaxs: If backyard methods fail would you recommend us taking it to an auto electrician or a general mechanical workshop?

                • @Shane34: Take it to a diesel specialist, preferably someone with lots of Toyota experience. Do NOT take it to a stealership.

              • @pegaxs: Just an update,. A mechanic mate of ours is still convinced it's the stepper motor. Not sure if the one that we got changed was a new or refurbished part. Latter might explain continuing issues.

                Anyway, going to replace that with a brand new part and replace or clean EGR valve too.

                If it stops throwing the code hopefully it's fixed. If it does, more detective work. The joys of motoring eh :)

  • i would start with looking into a heat soak issue

  • -1

    Overheating…. check all coolants, and oils

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