Toyota RAV4 D4D diesel Clutch Problem

ruarigh.mcd

just a post for information for people out there who may be unaware of this problem with rav's......

The Problem- Dual-Mass flywheel giving out in the rav4. if you dont know what this is, do a search to get a comprehensive description but it basically is involved in the clutching of the car and changes the gears...these are giving HUGE problems in many newer cars (not just RAVs but most new diesels); they were introduced to reduce vibration in the vehicle and to reduce strain on the engine.
it can begin to give problems after a few miles or after 100,000; you must be vigilant for the warning signs...my car was 5.5 years old with 55,000 genuine miles!

My Experience- i began to notice a rattling in the car & more vibration than usual in the cockpit (i could see it in a bottle of water for example). the problem wasn't noticeable in the gears but began to get worse as days went on- eventually a knocking sound from the engine block and difficulty in shifting gears.
i brought it to the Toyota dealership. They identified the problem as the dual mass flywheel; and the cost to solve...2500 + VAT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

needless to say i did alot of Internet research to identify another solution and i decided to go for a converter kit. this is basically a solid mass flywheel kit that replaces the dual mass crap that is installed. they have been tried and tested in many other cars (toyota and others) without problems but i really couldn't find anyone who went ahead with a conversion like this in a RAV and then posted their experience online as a guide to others. so i said i would...

Aftermath- the kit was inexpensive although installation can be tricky, altogether the job was about 1000 euro (not with toyota but with a mechanic i know does good work).

i have noticed one slight difference in the drive compared to before and that is 1st gear take off is a little more shuddery/more diesel-like. to combat this you have to give slightly more revs but its nothing that im loosing sleep over....Outside of this, all is perfection-no vibration like before, better fuel consumption and smooth gear shifts.

Warning- anyone out there with a rav get it checked as toyota wasn't too helpful in offering financial assistance getting this problem fixed although it is a long standing fault with vehicles...

Jimmy Garlic

A conversion kit isn't really needed, the dual mass flywheel can be welded in most cases.

Mr Benevolent

Jimmy Garlic wrote: »

A conversion kit isn't really needed, the dual mass flywheel can be welded in most cases.

There's a good chance that the welding would unbalance the DMF though.

I like the OP's post style though, we should all adopt it in future!

Jimmy Garlic

Confab wrote: »

There's a good chance that the welding would unbalance the DMF though.

Yup, there is a chance, depends on the quality of the workmanship, flywheel design and state of degradation really. I know a few avensis's that are still belting away years after having their DMFs welded. Welding seems to work fine on Toyotas.

colm_mcm

AFAIK Toyota offer a solid flywheel for some models.

trimballs

hi,
where did you get this conversion kit?
i need one now and dont know where to start looking!

Plug

Ebay, toyota dealer maybe.