Pro-Active in Calgary - cautionary tale

[turf'd]

Back in January, when it was Siberia cold in Calgary, I took Bork in to have an inline coolant heater installed at Pro-Active Auto. While it was in the shop I figured I should have a few other things checked out as well.

I'd just like to say that as far as I can tell they did a good job on the heater. All of a sudden I could start on cold days. Nice.

But the other things:
-Oil change - expensive - they over filled, causing oil to leak, and it never did prior to going to their shop.

-Starter motor (I was seeing sparks on the solenoid when starting the van, generally not a very good thing) - on my receipt it says that they checked the connections and everything was okay. I assumed this was true. In March the van would have trouble starting intermittently, then it just crapped out all together. Upon closer inspection, the solenoid was completely destroyed by current arcing through the terminal that was MISSING A BOLT. The thing wasn't even attached, just basically flopping around. The corrosion from current arcing through the disconnected terminal had wrecked the solenoid. There's no way that much damage could have happened in such a short time, and there's no way the connections were checked at the shop, because they would have seen the damage and at least put a bolt on there. Had to buy and install a new starter.

-Temperature guage check - the guage on my dash never moves from C at the bottom. Ever. Pro-Active said they checked it and it was fine, that diesels just take a long time to warm up. Well, after 3 hours of highway driving I'd expect the guage to read a little hotter than C.

-Oil Change (other items) - I really doubt that they checked the air filter or fuel filter like they said on the receipt, because if they didn't even look at the starter motor, which you can see quite easily, I really doubt they checked all the things that require more effort than that.

I feel there should be a little balance here, and so I'll mention that they did fix my back tire that had a screw in it that I didn't know about.

I'm not saying that Pro-Active is in the habit of doing these kinds of things, I just wanted to list my experience with them so that people can make an informed decision. I'm not ever going back there, as they aren't, in my opinion, very trustworthy at all. They're also one of the most expensive shops around, and booking 2 weeks in advance for an inspection seems a bit absurd. It would almost be cheaper for me to drive to the coast to have the work done there by a Delica specialist than to take it to Pro-Active. It would be much more enjoyable, that's for sure.

I have yet to find a shop in town that I'm comfortable with, but when I do I'll be sure to post it on this message board.

[mararmeisto]

Nicely balanced post.

Sad to read of your woes, but it is difficult sometimes to find a mechanic one can become comfortable with. Vehicles invoke a certain amount of emotive force, so we look for someone we can 'trust' with our ride. The thing is, I imagine, being in the Delica-barren-lands such as Alberta is going to make your search a bit more difficult than for those of us in BC.

Don't fret, talk with others in your area and I'm sure you'll find someone who can care for your van the way you want them to.

What is this inline heater you speak of? Does it circulate the coolant through the block while heating it?

[turf'd]

What is this inline heater you speak of? Does it circulate the coolant through the block while heating it?

Yep. Heats up the coolant and circulates it through the block. Plugged in for an hour or so before starting in mildly cold conditions (-10 to -15) Bork starts no problem.

Apparently, as the coolant lines are so far back in a Delica, the cord that came with the coolant heater didn't reach to the front of the van. So they put an extension cord in there, which neatly wraps around the front license plate holder. Nice for that thing to have something to do, with no front plate to go there, and I don't have to bring an extension cord with me.

[Green1]

I have yet to find a shop in town that I'm comfortable with, but when I do I'll be sure to post it on this message board.

try kirkham automotive, they currently do the servicing for at least 3 Delicas in Calgary and I've been quite happy with them so far as has Ruminante... err... whatever he's calling himself today... (he's the one who introduced me to them as they serviced his previous vehicle as well)

They don't claim to be Delica, or even diesel, specialists, but they aren't affraid of different, and they've been quite honest and straight forward so far, if they can't do something they're honest enough to let you know, but so far they've been able to do everything except source parts.

They have also said that if they get any more Delicas come in they'll consider sending their people for specialized training.

[JMK]

Probably one more season before our Private mechanic's garage hangs up it's shingle and retires. In the meantime it is hands down the best situation you could ever hope to find. Like a good dentist that everyone wants to use, because they are so busy it's by invite only, you'd need to PM me and I would present it to them. They will not do the proprietary parts sourcing though and that is left to the client to arrange (the common stuff is OK).

[The Pinkfingers]

Man, I feel for you. It took me a looong time before I found a mechanic I like and trust. Before that I just went to the best of the worst. The only problem with my mechanic is he's not a diesel mechanic, and I'm buying a delica... JMK is right - finding a mechanic is like finding a dentist... and just as expensive.

Did you take your bill and complaints back to the garage and get their side of the story?

[JMK]

mararmeisto,

I also have the same system, mine is a 750 Watt Zero Start Unit, I went with the lowest watts so my Honda 1000W Generator would be sure to handle it and leave me some to run my computer while I'm waiting. It is also near the back of the engine nacelle on the driver's right if I remember correctly. Position is critical to ensure proper circulation with these.

Right now my ECM is out for analysis, so I have no glow plugs. If I try and start the Deli when temp's are cold, it's 'No Go'. I plug the unit in for 30 minutes and it fires right up. Heater blows warm air almost immediately as a side benefit.

I think I posted in another thread in this forum a list of additional parts, along with their NAPA part numbers, required to install these in a Deli. As noted, you also need to extend the cord.

On Pro Active, I sold a JDM HDJ81 Toyota Land Cruiser to a knowledgable Helicopter Mechanic in January. He in fact was disappointed I did not use Pro Active to do the OOP because he felt they would identify potential flaws better, but as you have to wait so long to get them to do it I agree with the above comment that it is silly to wait that long (then it was more like a month). As it had leaky seals in the injector pump he used Pro Active to repair them, and he did seem pretty happy with the service. I'll have to ask him how he felt about the service in retrospect and get back.

I can't think how someone could just 'check' the fuel filter without just replacing it. Having done it, with fuel gushing out all over the place while you are not in the best position (so you may get it all over you too), I would not think that 'checking' it would be all that feasible.

Before I replaced my water pump, thermostat, belts, and had the radiator flushed, my temp guage read about 1/4 under normal operation. After I did the above, it read about 1/3 normal, and climbs quickly to 1/2 and stays there when it is cranking away under almost full throttle going up big hills. No matter how steep the hill, it does not go above 1/2, and quickly drops back to about 1/3 when you hit the downhill section, which strangely always seems to follow an uphill grade.

[piyeguyo]

Well, I was happy with them in the beginning but I have to agree they're not the best. Very expensive and not very good customer service. I am also planning to go to Richmond, BC to do some work in the car. I was talking to Pajerist the other day and he was complaining as well.

The only problem is they're the only "JDM experts" here in Cow Town... At least, that's what they say.

To make the long story short, as Calgary owners we're basically screwed... No parts or reliable service around.

[Green1]

To make the long story short, as Calgary owners we're basically screwed... No parts or reliable service around.

I have to disagree, I've found a garage (kirkham) who seems to be having no trouble working on these, and Platinum Mitsubishi has been able to bring in parts (assuming you have a part number (Thank you delica.ca!!))

So I really don't get that "screwed" feeling...

In fact I have had better luck sourcing parts, and better success with repairs on the Delica then I ever managed on my CDM Mercedes, I had 1 dealer physically damage it twice without owning up, the other dealer tell me that no power, hard starting, and tons of thick black smoke were "normal" (despite not doing it for the first 17 years of the vehicle's life!), the other garage I tried charged for work they never did. and neither dealer could reliably source parts, they always required pre-payment, and the parts were usually the wrong ones, and they would never refund money or order the right ones without more money. (And this includes the dealer that originally sold the vehicle when it was brand new and had serviced it most of it's life!)

I could go on, but suffice it to say that with the Delica I've had amazing success with parts and service compared to that one, and it was a North American vehicle originally sold by a dealer right here in Calgary.

[piyeguyo]

Then let's call it semi-screwed...

See more below.

[JMK]

As much as I hate to ever agree with Green, I do agree. I've had so far almost zero problems and I've completed some major work on my unit since last January. In my opinion you just have to be resourceful and do your homework and exercise diligence I think.

[piyeguyo]

Then let's call it "semi-screwed".

I went to Kirkham too, and I liked their service. But I was supposed to get my own parts to fix the A/C problem, and I don't know where to find them. And they told me they only do certain things on the van, not everything. So I still have to go to Pro-Active.

Tell me this: Have you had luck fixing your A/C?

And where do you go here to get a hitch? Roof rack? Ladder?

I found a place for the hitch and the guy did a lousy job. The paint had rust a couple of days later and he didn't install any cables. He told me he'd charge me extra $100 to hook up the cables, that's it.

Radio installation @ Visions: Lousy job. The radio fell after my first off-road trip.

As soon as they see the Delica, they either laugh or they want to charge you $1000 for something you'll pay half in BC... (And maybe 100 times what you'd pay in a different country, but that's something for another different discussion)

I know not all is bad... I got great service when I changed the exhaust. The guy told me he'd worked on Delicas before, and I didn't find the place in this website. It was just good luck.

But again, this is from my experience so far...

[JMK]

Pro Active gets their parts from Rocky Mountain Imports, just the same as you could do, except you'd pay less. I use them, as do most of the garages, even NAPA buys from them. They don't get a lot of mention in this forum and because they are so busy and professional they don't need to troll in this forum for business (or have cheerleaders do it for them), but they are simply THE JDM parts supplier for Canada no matter where you are located.

For the hitch I'm buying the Buyer's Class IV that is presently on sale from Princess Auto for $119.00, and getting our welder at work to modify it as required and install it. You could also go to the hitch shop.

For the rack I found a guy on eBay that sells Yakima parts at half the price of the Racks Unlimited in Calgary. I got the Yakima hi rise rain gutter towers with locks for $119.00 that included shipping and used the bars from my Chevy Truck.

For your injectors you can use a Calgary based firm, GLC Pump services.

For mechanic if it's something I don't want to tackle, then I am lucky to have access to both private mechanics where I work, and if they are too busy, a private garage in Calgary, so I am fortunate in that regard I realize.

So it's mainly a matter of building up a network of contacts and suppliers over time that you end up being comfortable with.

[piyeguyo]

Well like I said, I'm just talking about my experience.

The people I've dealt with were great, I have nothing against them. It's just that some of them they have poor customer service and that sometimes means lousy results.

Mike from Pro-Active is a great guy and I'm going to continue going to his place, as it's basically the only place where they work on Japanese imports here in YYC. I think that's why they're so expensive.

I could continue giving examples, but I think I've said enough. Maybe if I find better service somewhere else, I'll mention it here.

[Erebus]

For the hitch I'm buying the Buyer's Class IV that is presently on sale from Princess Auto for $119.00, and getting our welder at work to modify it as required and install it. You could also go to the hitch shop.

I've now had two hitches custom made, and both times they just used a spray can of black paint which does indeed start to show rust after the first rain. So this time I got a can of Tremclad and a brush and slathered it on the easy to reach parts. So far so good. And on the Mothership it stayed black for a couple of years (never bothered to repaint)

For your injectors you can use a Calgary based firm, GLC Pump services.

Kirkham suggested them too. As did a friend who is a heavy diesel truck mechanic, so that sounds like pretty reliable advice.

I'm also troubled by Pro-Active. They put in a coolant heater, and I've got a coolant leak. Suspect loose clamps -- just haven't crawled under. I also asked them about cold starting and smoking and they said they checked it and it was normal, but it has always smoked more than the other Delicas I've seen.

Kirkham is seriously considering getting some diesel training for some of their mechanics. With the new ULSD diesel, we'll be seeing many more diesel vehicles on the road in the next couple of years. So if we just get a few more Delica owners going there, it will happen really soon! (No they don't pay me, they just fix my vehicles!)

I went to Kirkham too, and I liked their service. But I was supposed to get my own parts to fix the A/C problem, and I don't know where to find them. And they told me they only do certain things on the van, not everything. So I still have to go to Pro-Active.

That's what I like about Kirkham, they'll tell you straight up if they can't do it, or that something is needed they can't source. They don't tell you it is fixed when it isn't. I know they aren't happy they haven't managed to fix Green1's AC. They could spend hours tracing wires, but they'd rather if we can find a wiring diagram and save everyone time and money.

As for what they will or won't do, the "will" list is growing.