Pajero Owners Club of South Africa

Is it possible to change the Timing Control Valve without opening and rebuilding the injection pump? Car is logging code 43 (Timing Control Valve)and goes into limp mode with traction and skid lights on.

The short answer is know.
Herewith a layman's understanding of this error code based on an explanation from a Mitsu pump expert I spoke to today.
Code 43 is logged when the ECU does not get the desired effect from the Timing Control Valve when it demands fuel and timing adjustments for extreme power demands. Yes it could be an operational problem with the TCV itself, but most often it is due to the pump's efficiency not being able to meet the pressure demands for the TCV to pass on. The mechanical side of the pump cannot be monitored electronically so the closest sensor to the problem is the TCV. So this poor bugger gets the blame. Long story short _ Code 43 is going to cost you! (an Injection pump overall). The TCV cannot be removed without stripping the pump.

Do we have any idea how common this problem is or what is the main culprit?

Well judging from the number of post along this line and the number of Pajeros with the same problem pointed out to me by AB staff, it is far to common to my liking. I also learnt today that the gen 2 pump is different and more mechanical than the gen 3 which has an electronic governor with a TCV built in. What is also worrying it does not seem to have too much to do with mileage. There were cases that happened at distances as low as 30,000 km onwards apparently. Obviously these are the exceptions. The Ultra Low Sulpher diesel fuel can be a contributing factor due to its lower lubrication levels. So 2SO is not such a bad idea.

While on holiday in Damaraland the last few weeks - my buddy mentioned that an engineer advised him to not run his DiD's diesel tank below 1/4, as this can result in heated diesel which is bad for the pump/injectors.

I then remembered a word.doc I found on the 4x4forum a year or what ago.

Here it is, brilliant reading and it clearly warns against all kinds of spooky things, but also heated diesel:

The pump is becoming a very common issue. Because of the cost of repair people don't want to accept it has happened to them. I had to get mine done last year.
The main cause is water causing corrosion in the pump rotor head. Water can enter the system from the fuel its self condensation in the tank and very commonly in the UK from rotten fuel filler pipes.
I comment a lot on pocuk.com about it, sometimes feeling like a broken record the amount of times it comes up.