Help me with a stalling problem, please!

When my parents Hiace is taken out for a long drive, it stalls at junctions.

After about 30 mins of driving, usually involving some 50mph+ driving, the engine dies when you stop.

With a 2.4L TD automatic, this obviously isn't normal It never overheats either.

It can be saved by gliding up to junctions/roundabouts in N and then keeping it in neutral until you are ready to go. That's when you have to rev a little and go into D. This really doesn't sound healthy for the gearbox...

Or, just stay at about 50mph and it usually doesn't do it either

The weirder part is that it cures itself after doing it most of the time. E.g. if you don't stop it from stalling, it'll carry on fine afterwards.


Yesterday, me and my mum were out in the hiace and went for a 30/40 mile journey with 20 mins of dual carriageway and the rest country roads & hills. So a pretty straining journey.
After the dual carriageway section (my mum went at about 65mph for half of it) it kept sounding like it was going to stall, so we found a layby to let it do it so that it would 'cure' itself.
It wouldn't do it and we both sat there like lemons putting it through the gears and going forward and back
But it definately sounded like it wanted to stall, so mum turned the engine off and started up again and we carried on.

The rest of the journey, it was fine with no problems (even when she reversed into my cousins drive, which is the gear that normally is certain to stall it).

So, we are absolutely lost as to what is wrong...

I read somewhere on a hilux forum about EGR valves being taken off and the holes plated up to stop engines losing power and sometimes stalling. Could this be related?

I'll try to think of another way of describing how it goes briefly and what other symptoms there are.

Thanks,
Kyle

Sorry for the essay! But I tried to give you as much info as possible!

Definately not the ERG.
What year is the vehicle?

One of two things I suspect
1 Air in the fuel line somewhere. Check for leaks, there should be a vacuum in the fuel tank when you take the fuel cap off, if not there is a chance that air is entering the fuel lines.
2 The Automatic Advance/ Inreased Tickover Cylinder on the fuel pump has a blockage or airlock in the coolant. If your tickover is OK from cold, when the engine hots up the tickover is reduced by the ThermoWax controller, if its too low the engine will stall.Could need the tickover increasing slightly.

My money's on air in the fuel line as it happened to my Hiace Camper.

i would start with the cheap fixes first.have you serviced it recently if not try changing the filters (oil,air,diesel).next i would add a good diesel additive(millers every day ).i would also reccomend trying to read the ecu for faults incase any have been recorded(dont use your local monkeys its easy enough to do yourself).finally if all else fails call diesel bob,he`s yer man

Ah yeah I know about the fuel tank vacuum thing. When you take the cap off after a drive it should suck air in? Or not...

I'll try and check the fuel lines before me and my mum go for a 25ish mile drive on Wednesday.

I forgot to mention the hiace is a 1992 K reg model

And the last time it was serviced is coming onto a year so it will be done soon.
Last time, the fuel filter was ruined and obviously hadn't been done for a long time.

maximus- how do you read the ecu? (in simple 16 year old understandable terms )

Just another thing to add to the list...
Oil leak needs doing next


Thanks guys

here`s the link on our site(cor ive just read em and it was my first post...suppose you have to start somewhere.....and its usually with a problem ) https://hiace-super-custom.forumotion.com/grease-monkey-sorry-couldnt-resist-its-a-bf2142-thing-f1/fault-codes-t97.htm .hope this helps

I know it's not related now, but is the EGR valve blocking:
http://www.toyotasurf.asn.au/techsite/egr.htm
worth doing?

Anyhoo, the hiace was too hot earlier to check stuff in the engine, my mum went out and got back as it got dark too...

Just going to have to cross our fingers on the journey tomorrow

Thanks so much guys!
I'll print these suggestions off and go through them when I finish college for the weekend

I'm with JohnHRef999 on this one. Check for air leaks where the fuel lines go in and out of the fuel filter. Or.... when was the last time the fuel filter was changed? It might be partially blocked. Simple first.

RE: blocking the ERG. I have not yet done this. Sounds good in theory but the valve is there for good reason (environmental).

doing the e.g.r is only worth doing when all else fails.i did read somewhere that they thought that was a possible cause of the 2.4 cracking heads but mine has been spanked for 4years now without any head related probs.only thing ive done is regular oil services and millers.works for me

I checked today with the fuel tank vacuum and there is one, so that sort of rules out air leaks

I don't hink a service would help much as it was doing last year before we serviced it...

So I need to get understanding the fault code thing

I was serious about the fuel filter. When was the last time it was changed?

Last year, but it was stalling before and after the filter change...

By last year, I mean about this time last year...not end of december last year