Toyota Innova Gas Tank woes

[Mile2]

Here's another problem with Innova gas tank and I knew Toyota Phils. knows this problem and still keeping their silence.

Here in Tsikot, there are already a lot of owners who do experience this problem not just once but twice or three times during the warranty period. But some like me have shoulder the cost of replacing it because I'm not aware that this is due to faulty design and components.

Here's my first gas tank, replaced using my Insurance claim and paid for my participation. Toyota only replaced my gas tank assembly.


Then after less than 9 months, the gas tank again warped on the same spot. This time I already knew that this is a real defect from components and negative pressure build up is flipping my gas tank floor inward, I tried opening the gas filler cap and instantaneously a loud flipping sound of metal from the gas tank could be heard. This explains the cracks and fuel leak, the constant flipping out and flipping in of gas tank floor weakens the cornered portion of the gas tank just beneath the front strap.

Here's the picture of my second gas tank, claimed under warranty that took me around 2 months to battle my claims with TMP. See how deep the the dent on the gas tank floor due to negative pressure. Together with replacing my gas tank, TMP also replaced my Charcoal Canister assembly and Filler Cap. I'm still hoping it won't happen again


Picture of warped gas tank showing how large is the dent due to negative pressure.



Other owners who experienced this, just show up and be counted, and to other owners who will experience this and your unit is still under warranty, be firm to claim it under warranty as this is really due to faulty components.

To the moderators, please have this thread sticky to warn others and to let them know that they should claim it under warranty.

[mikelsy]

Is this limited to petrol or diesel only?

[wolfhound]

May i know what is the effect of his problem? Does it only waste your fuel?

I encountered a problem also but I'm not sure if it's related to this. My fuel gauge displays a warning light so i went to a gas station. I told the gas boy "full tank until 1st click" and so he did. Surprisingly, the nozzle clicked eventhough my fuel gauge only displays 3/4 filled. So I left there anyway and drove home. After several km i drove, i went back to the same station to have it refilled until 1st click. But still it stopped until 3/4 display of the gauge. He said that this kickback is normal if the nozzle detects pressure in the gas tank. Is this true? Have you experienced this? so i told him to continue refilling it and there, it clicked and gauge says full.

Any inputs will be appreciated!

[bmacavanza]

fyi

lahat ng fuel tank meron breather for purpose of vacuum. Otherwise parang zesto yan. maging chicharon ang tank.

[Gecko Guy]

So does this mean sa breather ang problem?

[ghosthunter]

Yes, I was wondering about the same thing.

The fuel tank should not have a vacuum pressure inside. This could mean the fuel tank breather tube or breather check valve is either faulty or installed improperly (wrong direction).

[Memphis Raines]

Constant expansion/retraction will lead to metal fatigue.

This should really be addressed by TMP.

Thread is a sticky now.

Speak up and be counted.

[shibby75]

i think the filler cap also has the breather hole.

[Gecko Guy]

If there are others out there with this same problems, better post here...Hopefully ma-correct agad to kung faulty design nga...

[Mile2]

The defective part would either be the "Filler Cap" or the "Charcoal Canister" or both. These two components were not replaced on my first warped gas tank problem.

At the dealer, the service manager and crew disassembled the Filler Cap and found out that the breather holes were clogged with dusty soot like charcoal formation.

See pictures below.



Cloged breather holes exposed after removing the tiny plastic filter mesh.


These are the pictures after cleaning the breather holes and the tiny plastic filter mesh.



Why it was getting clogged with soot like formation was a big question, but certainly there's none written on the owners manual to service this and certainly it was not part of any Toyota PMS recommendation, therefore is was like a ticking bomb.

During my battle in claiming warranty that took almost 2 months, as remedial measure they removed the tiny plastic filter mesh.

[meledson]

pare pareho ba ang mga gastank lid ng lahat ng toyota na sasakyan?

[fireblade]

Update on our meeting :

Met with a senior executive of TMP and her group manager at 10am today. Meeting was very cordial as they are very much willing to listen. Showed them the posts here in FCP and in Tsikot and have agreed that they will seriously look into it. They will take this up with senior management so positive action will be planned and executed.

Couple of suggestions that I made which they will seriously consider :

1. Setting up of a quick action center or hotline to address the D4D problem
a. I will be forwarding to them the numbers of those who are affected and they should get in touch with these owners for possible remedies
b. Instead of the dealership calling, it will be TMP customer service who will be dedicated to solve the issues

2. Extension of warranty for those beyond three years (just for the supply pump) until they can say that the D4d problem is close to zero

3. They will generate the database from their dealerships of owners who have complained and possibly still awaiting actions

4. Possible Focus Group Discussion with concerned owners and TMP to address common issues

5. They will monitor both FCP and tsikot for other concerns that I have not raised. (btw , I also included the issue on the Innova gas tank)

Meeting adjourned at 1120am


I will keep you posted as they have given me numbers if nothing has been done.

Thank you for your support.

[Mile2]

Thank you very much Bong (Fireblade)

[wakin]

i had this problem also. just after my PMS and when Im about to start my car I smelled gasoline. I look underneath to check if that smell is comming from my car, lo and behold! my gas tank is leaking. I told TPT that i brought my unit for PMS and after being serviced nabutas yung tank!!! I have no choice but to leave my unit sa TPT. The next afternoon nakuha ko na sya. thet replaced the canister, cap and the tank. Buti na lang at under warranty! and I need not argue my case with TPT. hopefully di na ito maulit. Imagine the gas tank costs around 20K!

I had owned many cars before (80 corolla, 83 & 87 lancer, 80 & 81 gemini, 88 l300, 89 corolla, 2000 revo pero sa INNOVA lang ako nakaranas ng ganito!

[Mile2]

Good for us that we noticed the leaking fuel, but what if we did not notice it?, that it would make us part of the statics with car catching fire while on the road.

If I remember correctly here in tsikot, there are 2 Innova's that went on fire while on the road, one in Ortigas road and one in Bago Bantay.

[scharnhorst]

sir, petrol ba tong mga innova na to?

[Mile2]

Mine is Gasoline, VVTi engine.

[scharnhorst]

nuts. it seems that petrol innovas are the ones prone to this.

am definitely checking our diesel innova this weekend.

[meledson]

The defective part would either be the "Filler Cap" or the "Charcoal Canister" or both. These two components were not replaced on my first warped gas tank problem.

At the dealer, the service manager and crew disassembled the Filler Cap and found out that the breather holes were clogged with dusty soot like charcoal formation.

See pictures below.



Cloged breather holes exposed after removing the tiny plastic filter mesh.


These are the pictures after cleaning the breather holes and the tiny plastic filter mesh.



Why it was getting clogged with soot like formation was a big question, but certainly there's none written on the owners manual to service this and certainly it was not part of any Toyota PMS recommendation, therefore is was like a ticking bomb.

During my battle in claiming warranty that took almost 2 months, as remedial measure they removed the tiny plastic filter mesh.

Yesterday, after ng ilan hours ng nakapark ang avanza ko sa shade, I opened the filler cover. narinig ko ang pasok ng air, so parang may partial vacuum sa loob ng gas tank.

Parang same lang ang filler cover ng avanza at innova.

But the filter is clean w/o the black soot as illustrated.

[Mile2]

Yesterday, after ng ilan hours ng nakapark ang avanza ko sa shade, I opened the filler cover. narinig ko ang pasok ng air, so parang may partial vacuum sa loob ng gas tank.

Parang same lang ang filler cover ng avanza at innova.

But the filter is clean w/o the black soot as illustrated.

According to the owner's manual, it is normal to hear escaping gas when you release the filler cap. What's not normal is when you hear metal popping sound coming from the gas tank.

When I did my 2nd tank replacement, there were also another Innova on the service bay with leaking gas tank. Notably the dent portion and the leak portion is identical to mine. The other Innova on the service bay was also Gasoline variant, I could smell the gasoline fumes and the service crew pull it down and gave it away to a sub con man that I interviewed and the sub con man says it was a backup job and they would seal again the leaky portion