Kluger losing power - mainly on hills

[Ralph C]

Good afternoon, I have just joined the club.

I have been having trouble with my (2005 I admit) Kluger for a few months.

It was going very well until then. First it would not start, so a new starter motor was fitted. Then one day it suddenly started losing power, particularly on hills. I could be doing 110kph on the expressway, then it would lose power, slowly - over about 500m - until it got down to 15kph or so. Going up a steepish hill it would dramatically slow.

I nursed it halfway home, when I noticed that I needed to refill the tank. As soon as I filled up it went OK again. I found over the next week or so that it was OK until the tank got to half-full, when the problem started again. I had a new fuel pump fitted but it would not start, so had to take it an auto electrician. I picked it up and as soon as I got to a hill it started again.

The mechanic suggests fitting new sensors - I think he said Oxygen and Fuel sensors. My son suggested I try his mechanic, who said this is not the problem but that the problem was with "fuel flow". He said there is a pair of (I forget what the are called). He replaced one and said it would help, but I would need to replace the other (more expensive to fit) one. As soon as the car got below half-full the problem came back, worse than ever.

Does anyone have any comments? (Other than getting a new car) I would like to find what the problem is as the wait for a hybrid Rav4 is several months.  

[campbeam]

Your description indicates a low fuel pressure problem. Was the fuel filter also replaced? Looks like you are going to have to take your son's mechanic's advice and also replace that other part.