RAV4 Diesel Power Loss

RAV4 gurus, I'm pulling my hair out. My 2005 Toyota RAV4 diesel with 154k km is acting up. I'm experiencing reduced engine power, a rough idle, and jerking when I accelerate. There's a loud hissing when I accelerate, and my fuel consumption has gone through the roof! I suspect it might be related to the intake manifold flap control. Has anyone else run into this? Could a defective switch intake manifold control really be causing all these symptoms?

4 comment(s)

Hissing, jerking, and power loss, eh? Sounds familiar. I've got a RAV4 diesel as well. I had similar issues crop up a while back. You mention intake manifold flap control... where did you get that from? Did you check the error codes, or just going by the symptoms? Those symptoms can point to a few different things.

Thanks for the reply! I pulled the error codes and it's showing a fault with the intake manifold flap actuator. I've checked the wiring and connections as best I can, and they seem okay. That hissing sound is really bugging me, though. Was your hissing as noticeable, and did it also point to the intake manifold flap issue? Did you replace the whole manifold or could you get away with just replacing the actuator?

Okay, actuator fault code makes things clearer. Yes, the hissing was definitely noticeable, especially under load. Sounded like a punctured lung if I'm honest. In my case, the actuator was indeed the culprit. I tried to troubleshoot it myself, but honestly, it's a fiddly job and I didn't have the right tools. I took it to a workshop. They confirmed the intake manifold flap control was kaput. Do you really want to mess with it yourself, or just get it done?

Thanks so much for confirming that it was likely the same issue! Looks like I'll be taking it to a workshop. They quoted me around 465€ for the repair, which includes replacing the defective switch for the intake manifold control. Hopefully, that sorts it out. I'll post a resolution when it's done.

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