Probably a dumb question - re. diesel.

[professorpunishment]

Hello all,

I've been driving my van for several months now, and through the winter, it has been a little hard starting. Looking for some general pointers here - this is my first diesel. And mind you this is a mild Tokyo winter we're talking about.

1) On other diesels, you turn the key a notch, wait to see the glow-plug light, then start the engine. Not with the Delica? Can't see any lights for glow plugs, so I presume I'm just supposed to fire it up?

2) The choke. Works well, but I'm not sure I'm using as well as I can. Any recommendations here?

Thanks,

Ian

[delicat]

Hi Ian,

In the L300 Delica you don't have a glow plug light on your dash. What you have is two "click" sound. When it's cold or 1st time for the day, turn you key just before it fires up (full accessories), you'll hear a first "click" followed a few seconds later by a 2nd "click", now you can fire it up. This is the normal way to start your Delica. If you need to start it again later on or if the weather is warm you don't need to wait for the second "click".

It's not a choke by the way, it's hand throttle for starting in colder condition. Anyway, this is how you'd want to do it in winter condition:

1. Turn your key and wait for the second "click" (that's your glow plugs activating)
2. Accelerator to the floor.
3. Crank engine. When it catches, release accelerator after shaking
subsides (should only take a second or two) to maintain 1500 RPM. Use
hand throttle to hold speed.
4. As the engine warms up, the revs will creep up. Use hand
throttle to stay in 1200 to 1500 range.
5. Once the engine has calmed down (30 seconds to a minute),
release hand throttle, drive off. Drive gently for the first couple of
kilometers.
6. In warm weather you don't need the accelerator or hand throttle.
If the engine is warm, you don't even need the glowplugs.

Hope this will help!
And welcome to this site!!!

[BadgeStar]

Some Delica's have a glowplug light (mine has) but some don't. Regardless, turn your key to 'on' you should hear the glowplug relay click on (the relay is behind the driver's seat on R/H drive vehicles) wait a few seconds and you will hear a second click - that is the relay clicking off. As soon as you hear that second click turn your key to start the engine. If all is working properly the engine should fire up straight away.
The 'choke' you refer to is not really a choke (diesels don't have 'em) although it has the same effect for cold starting. It is actually just a hand throttle. When you pull it out you should see the throttle pedal (accelerator) move downwards as if you were pressing it.
When starting the engine from cold it will start easier if you pull the hand throttle out a bit and then as it gets going and warms up push the knob back in. Once the engine has been started you probably won't have to use the hand throttle again for the rest of the day.

HTH,
Barry.

Edit: Delicat must have answered while I was still typing and beat me to it

[EricN]

Do not floor it and crank. This will make things worse, unless you have a fuel problem to begin with. If you fuel and glow system is ok, turn on key, wait about 5 seconds, crank it, feed in a bit of throttle when it lights up.

[Jester]

Hello all,

I've been driving my van for several months now, and through the winter, it has been a little hard starting. Looking for some general pointers here - this is my first diesel. And mind you this is a mild Tokyo winter we're talking about.

1) On other diesels, you turn the key a notch, wait to see the glow-plug light, then start the engine. Not with the Delica? Can't see any lights for glow plugs, so I presume I'm just supposed to fire it up?

as above, you crank it after 2nd click, with just a little accelerator, not flooring.

2) The choke. Works well, but I'm not sure I'm using as well as I can. Any recommendations here?

It's not really choke. it is a throttle lock. Notice if you push the accelerator down , then pull the knob out and lock it, the accelerator pedal will remain in the same position after you take your foot off of it.

question for you: where do you live and what kind of temperatures we're talking about?
if you're in L.M., you should have no major problems starting, even if you park the van outside overnight.
Also, if you have lots of black smoke when starting, you may need an injector pump timing adjustment.
Search for "black smoke" there was lots of talk about all this a while back.

Thanks,

Ian

[Jaz]

Just as a thought - the throttle control is most likely there as a controller when idling along rocky tracks as well - pull it on a bit and it will keep speed at approximately the same rate as you would with your foot, but you don't get that uncomfortable bouncing you sometimes get when your body is being bounced up around and hence your foot, so the car is getting shuddery accel input.

Works well up inclines where you can't be bothered keeping your foot on the gas as well