damned 0707 code

[Robbo9]

Hi There,

So I have the 0707 code coming up and no power. (2003 D22 ZD30)

This is the scenario.
Friday before the long weekend I go to fill up before going camping for the weekend. When I get to the servo I notice the tanker there, but fill up anyway. (It's Friday afternoon, just knocked off work for the long weekend, everyone has the same idea and I just want to get it done.) I thought to myself that the tanker hadn't filled the tanks yet, but I don't really know if he just pulled up or was just about to leave.

Anyway, that's all OK and I go away early Saturday morning. The ute goes fine all weekend (about 550k's since filling up. I have a 110 litre tank) until I'm an hour away from home and the engine light comes on. still running fine, so I turned off and restarted and all is good.

About another 80kms later it comes on again, but this time cuts the power (limp mode). I drove the last 10ks home slowly (towing camper trailer as well) and parked her up.

I pulled out the codes 0706, 0707, 0703, 0406, 0407, and then clear them all.
At this stage I'm thinking that It's still running fine except for the lack of power when it goes into limp mode, so I cross my fingers and hope the computer was just having a "moment"

So On Tuesday I go back to work, and it comes on again after driving around for a while. By Thursday It comes on every time I start it within about 30 seconds.

By now I'm only getting the 0707 code, nothing else shows up, so after trawling through a million threads here I change the fuel filter and check for air leaks.
After changing the fuel filter and not gaining the desired result, I thought back to the tanker at the servo, so I put a diesel treatment in and topped the tank up to the recommended dilution ratio.

By now it's Sunday, and I drive down to the beach, have a little tickle around in low range, take the mrs. to the cafe and come home again, all up about 45 mins and the light hasn't come on at all.
Awesome! I think to myself that maybe a bit of water or diesel bug, and the F10 treatment has done the trick.

Monday, and off to work again. Now it's blowing white smoke on startup, and the light comes on (with limp mode) after 5-10 seconds.

So. I've put clear tube on. First I tried from the injector pump returning to the tank, and it was fine.
I re-seated the new fuel filter and lubed the o rings.
I replaced all the sections of fuel hose that are in the engine bay.
I drained some fuel from the bottom of the tank.clean.
I removed, cleaned and reattached the earth strap to the block.

Then I put clear hose from the fuel filter outlet to the injector pump, looped it up under the windscreen wiper and went for a drive.
There were bubbles to start with, but I think they were just left over from an incomplete prime to start with. (the hand primer sux) after they went there were a very small amount of very fine bubbles, which I don't think were cause for concern, as I've starved the engine before on very steep hills, and not had this code come up.

So I'm optimistic that its not the injector pump (runs fine until limp mode limits power), or the ecu on the injector pump (it doesn't sound like any of the symptoms that I've found on the internet)

could it be an injector problem?
There are also a couple of hoses I haven't checked, because I'd need to drop the fuel tank out to get to them.

Interestingly, I changed the ecu, as I run rumpig's tune, and I swapped back to normal in case that had anything to do with it, which it didn't , but when I swapped it, the engine light went from constantly on, to flashing.

So, sorry for such a long post, but does anyone who's had this problem before have any other ideas? It's doing my head in.

Cheers,
Rob.

 

[Old.Tony]

If I'm reading the manual right, 0707 is a fuel injection timing error.

Immediately, my first thought is instantly "CAS" but your car uses a camshaft sensor. I'm pretty sure I've read a couple of threads in the not too distance past where this sensor had given the owner grief, but for the life of me I can't remember how they solved the problem (I'm not yet forgetting my wife's name so there's still hope).

The manual indicates that there might be several causes.

1) Harness or connectors (from pump to ECM). Disconnect and reconnect a couple of times to make sure all of the contacts are clean (both ends of the cable). Check the harness for physical damage (including crush damage if you can).

2) Pump fault (and they recommend replacing the pump)

3) Improper fuel quality

I'd clean the connectors (ECM-pump and the camshaft sensor cable) then run some Liqui-Moly Fuel System Treatment (about $25 at SCA). Don't fill the tank first - I ran one whole can of this stuff in about 60 litres of diesel and it worked very quickly (noticed changes within the first 100km).

If you're still seeing a problem, it could be the camshaft sensor itself, or the fuel pump.

 

[Robbo9]

Thanks old Tony.

1) I had checked the plug between the pump and ECU as you mentioned, but I didn't think of the camshaft sensor cable, I'll try that tomorrow.

2) I hope it's not the pump, as it's the most expensive component, I'll replace that last.

3)fuel quality. that's originally what I thought it was. I tipped in a bottle of F10 fuel treatment into the tank with about 20 litres of diesel left. I then drove to the servo (5 min drive) and put in another 40 litres to bring it up to about the 65 litre dilution it recommended on the packet.
The next day I thought it had all cleared up, as I drove for the best part of an hour and the light stayed off.
I wonder if I need another dose? or maybe a different brand? I'm a bit hesitant to mix different types in the same tank of fuel, but I'm almost ready to try anything.
I have used about half of the 60 litres that I treated.

Thanks again for your suggestions.

 

[Old.Tony]

I'd wait and see how that CPS cable goes, but I can't see a problem with putting more cleaner in. Having very high proportions of cleaner in fuel (eg half a litre of cleaner in 10L of diesel) would mean that the fuel pump internals won't be as well lubricated as they should, but in 30-40 litres it should be fine.

 

[Robbo9]

Okay, so I wasn't 100% which was the CPS, so I undid every plug on the engine and sprayed it with electrical contact cleaner, then dried with compressed air.
It made no difference.
I've put in some liqui moly diesel algae stop into the tank and I'll drive around on that for a couple of days and see if it helps.
So far I've only driven it for 10 mins after putting it in, so I guess it might take a bit longer than that.

 

[jonney]

you may need to completely flush out the fuel tank and fit a new fuel filter as i wouldn,t be surprised you still have some water laying in the tank and its getting sucked into the fuel lines now and then.

 

[Rumpig]

Did you check the old filter for water? As for the difference in check engine light when you swapped ecu's, the ecu keeps tally of how many starts with the same fault code, so swapping ecu's it would think the problem has only just occurred which might be why it changed to blinking. Do you have ecutalk to see what the ICV% is?

 

[vicszd30]

Sorry to interrupt but I have an '03 also so I'm always keen to learn any tricks I may need to know with the o'girl in readiness for my Aua trip.

Rum i'm real keen at pissing the chip I have in mine off and trying your set up- but for now can you tell me what the ICV is? cheers vic

 

[Robbo9]

I don't have ecutalk but I do have a generic scantool which may tell me what the ICV% is, but like vicszd30 I'm not sure what that is either?.
And jonney, after I put the first treatment in, I drained about 8 litres from the bottom of the tank, with no sign of water. Apparently that treatment is supposed to make water "dissolve" into diesel and then be burnt up by the combustion process, along with the dead algae.

 

[Robbo9]

There was a small amount of water in the bottom of the old filter, along with some reddish gunk. All the paper was black except for about the top 5mm. ( I cut it open to check)

 

[vicszd30]

I don't have ecutalk but I do have a generic scantool which may tell me what the ICV% is, but like vicszd30 I'm not sure what that is either?.
And jonney, after I put the first treatment in, I drained about 8 litres from the bottom of the tank, with no sign of water. Apparently that treatment is supposed to make water "dissolve" into diesel and then be burnt up by the combustion process, along with the dead algae.

HI , I had that bug in mine! I dropped the tank ($80 worth of fire starter) compressed air the lines with new filters- you will know if you have it as your fuel will be black...
I did run the liquid moly also for a tank or two, but "correct me if i'm wrong" if you don't drop the fuel and just add the bug killer you may have to change your filter twice??

I have ecu talk Robbo - where are you?

 

[Robbo9]

I'm in Perth mate. My diesel doesn't look black, but I might change the filter again tomorrow anyway.
By the way, I was close to buying a cc intercooler too, till I read yours and other posts on here.
It's a pity, it was just what I was after, apart from the quality.

 

[Rumpig]

ICV% is the injection timing duty cycle in percent. As the revs increase the "start of injection " has to increase and this is controlled by the timing valve with the spill valve controlling how much fuel to inject. This is done by compressing the fuel, if the timing piston is worn fuel can leak back, or if there is air in it, the air is compressible and the ecu won't be able to get the start of injection within an acceptable range which is one of the reasons for the 0707 code.
The ICV% should be between 40 and 70 % generally, once it gets below 30 things aren't looking good. Here's a link to a vp44 manual, explains it better than me.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/wx8y7i4lm6997fi/VP44 Service Manual.pdf?dl=0

 

[Robbo9]

Ahh thanks Rumpig,
That makes sense. I also followed a few of the other links that you posted around about the vp44.

I'm going to order an ecutalk cable to find out for sure, but it is starting to look like it may be the pump.
Ive done over 100kms now with a strong dose of fuel additive and it's not making any difference.
I just want to be totally sure the pump is knackered before I go forking out for a new one, and that seems to be the way to tell.
I'd be spewing to replace the pump, then find out it was just a crappy sensor...

 

[Rumpig]

The pump relies on fuel to cool and lubricate it, bad fuel or sucking air isn't good for them. It's probably one of the few fuel injected cars not to have a lift pump either.

 

[Robbo9]

Okay, so it looks like this repair might get put on hold for a while.
On the weekend I bought a new np300 ST, so that will be the new work ute. I just need to decide what to do with the d22, if I keep it for Bush bashing I'll probably put in a bailey's reconditioned pump, and think about reconditioning the engine too.
If I end up trying to sell it, I may just put in a 2nd hand fuel pump ( the local wrecker had one for $900)

 

[Robbo9]

A funny thing happened on Friday.
I'd already ordered an ecutalk cable and was waiting for it to arrive.
The weekend before, I bought a new np300 and was going to pick it up that afternoon.
I had already convinced myself that the injector pump was shot.
Anyway, after filling the ute (half) up on Thursday, and chucking in a bottle of wynns fuel system cleaner there was no difference.
Then on Friday as I had a couple of jobs to do in the morning before I had to pick up the new ute, it decides to run fine.
From about 15 starts, the engine light came on twice. A much better improvement from coming on every time within 5 seconds.

So all up now I've run about 100 litres through it, with 3 different additives and it seems it might be coming right.

I'll change the filter again after this tank, and maybe put another dose of additive in the next tank, and hope for the best.

 

[Iceman]

Give it a hit of liquid moly purge. Sposed to be the best for cleaning out any crap from the fuel system. Hope it comes right for you. Congrats on the np300. Heading off to the dealer tomorrow myself so who knows...

 

[Robbo9]

Thanks Iceman, Yeah I think it is coming right, I'll keep up with the additives. The Liqui moly stuff is more expensive, but it does look the goods.
I'm still waiting for my ECUtalk cable to arrive.
I'm not sure if they are doing 1% finance deals in NZ at the moment, but that was a big factor in helping me get an NP300. That and It's tax deductable for me.

 

[Robbo9]

ICV% is the injection timing duty cycle in percent. As the revs increase the "start of injection " has to increase and this is controlled by the timing valve with the spill valve controlling how much fuel to inject. This is done by compressing the fuel, if the timing piston is worn fuel can leak back, or if there is air in it, the air is compressible and the ecu won't be able to get the start of injection within an acceptable range which is one of the reasons for the 0707 code.
The ICV% should be between 40 and 70 % generally, once it gets below 30 things aren't looking good. Here's a link to a vp44 manual, explains it better than me.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/wx8y7i4lm6997fi/VP44 Service Manual.pdf?dl=0

I got me ECUtalk yesterday, and logged some data on my way to work this morning. The ICV% value seemed to mainly be between 7-15 with a couple of momentary spikes up to 40ish. I did notice when I down shifted on the brakes (obviously no throttle) it did get up to 94.9% a few times.

Anyway, I gues this means my VP44 has had it.