Delica Canada | Mitsubishi Van Club

Hi everyone,

I'm a newbie living in Kelowna and have been drooling over these Delicas for about 3 years now. I'm a patient guy but this summer I finally plan on indulging and getting myself one. However, I've been doing some research with friends and on the internet and my good buddy from New Zeland told me that they are very, very popular over there. Also told me they don't have the best of names. (Kind of like an Aerostar van here I guess

Anyways, I thought I would send out a question to all. What is your odometer reading right now? I see they typically ship from Japan in the 70-115k range but I'm curious as to what happens next.

My current vehicle is a Honda Civic with 232,000 km without so much as one single problem in it's entire 10 year life. Are there any Delicas out there with that type of KM's? I know they are diesel and supposed to last forever but I thought I would send a big query to you guys to see how many clicks are really possible with these beautiful vans.

Thank you very much for your help and I will be posting more and more as I approach "D" day.

Cheers,
Emmanuel

I'm sure I'm not even close, but I have 189,000km, bought it at 164,000km.

97,000 at delivery, 104,000 now.

Hardly broken in.

...laura

219,xxx
just broken in for a diesel.

My 5T delivery truck is at 386,xxx and running like new.
The power of diesel! you treat it right, and it'll return the favour.

24,296 on delivery, 35,000 now. Yes, I'm not missing a digit.

Keep in mind that Japan is a small country, so it is harder to run up the mileage. Also, since much of the cost of a Delica here is in the shipping, inspection, etc., it doesn't make a lot of sense to buy a high mileage Delica when you can get a 100k km one for basically the same price.

149 000 on delivery a month ago and now 155 000, no problems. check out terra2imports.com in vernon. good service and happy to help you find your perfect deli!
OG

Moon Machine had 192XXX km when we got it from 5 Star--now it's got 206XXX km. Agree with the other post, at 200000km a diesel engine is just getting warmed up.

I've heard of International Jeeps and trucks with over 500000km on them! Course, the body looks like a dried-up scab about to flake off, but the engine is still awesome and purrs like a big o' cat. Treat 'em right and a diesel will run for a very, very, very, very long time--almost ALWAYS longer than a gasoline engine.

With regard to the low kms on one of these, I've heard that can sometimes be misleading with regards to how much running time the engine has seen. Speculation is that although it only registers 50XXXkm on the odometer, it may have been running those entire 15 yrs, idling in downtown traffic, or by the curb while loading/unloading, etc. The odometer only indicates how far the vehicle has travelled forward; it doesn't indicate how long the engine has been running. For obvious reasons, in the Navy we have "time elapsed" or "time running" meters on our diesel engines which I think is more directly representative of engine wear, and maintenance is carried out based on hours not kms (or nautical miles as the case would be).

I'm going to put on my 'green' hat now: as can be seen from this site Idle Free BC, idling can impact fuel efficiency (which is fuel used for distance travelled) by more than 20%. So some of these vehicle may have only travelled a relatively short distance in 15yrs, but may have been running for comparatively long times! A mechanic worth his or her toolbox will have the 'eye' to tell the difference...

Consider ours just broken in also, having put on comparatively trouble free 140,000 km between the two. CCauto's personal Delica has over 2 hundred km and IMO looks like a new vehicle. The pictured Delica sat in front of our hotel for days with the window open, was a diesel without 4x4, and over 800,000 km on the odometer; and running sounded just like ours.

201,000 and purring like a kitten,no engine probs at all in 6 yrs.




Mick.

mararmeisto wrote:Moon Machine had 192XXX km when we got it from 5 Star--now it's got 206XXX km. Agree with the other post, at 200000km a diesel engine is just getting warmed up.

I've heard of International Jeeps and trucks with over 500000km on them! Course, the body looks like a dried-up scab about to flake off, but the engine is still awesome and purrs like a big o' cat. Treat 'em right and a diesel will run for a very, very, very, very long time--almost ALWAYS longer than a gasoline engine.

With regard to the low kms on one of these, I've heard that can sometimes be misleading with regards to how much running time the engine has seen. Speculation is that although it only registers 50XXXkm on the odometer, it may have been running those entire 15 yrs, idling in downtown traffic, or by the curb while loading/unloading, etc. The odometer only indicates how far the vehicle has travelled forward; it doesn't indicate how long the engine has been running. For obvious reasons, in the Navy we have "time elapsed" or "time running" meters on our diesel engines which I think is more directly representative of engine wear, and maintenance is carried out based on hours not kms (or nautical miles as the case would be).

I'm going to put on my 'green' hat now: as can be seen from this site Idle Free BC, idling can impact fuel efficiency (which is fuel used for distance travelled) by more than 20%. So some of these vehicle may have only travelled a relatively short distance in 15yrs, but may have been running for comparatively long times! A mechanic worth his or her toolbox will have the 'eye' to tell the difference...

I drive commercial diesels and there is trucks i have driven with 70,000-90,000kms on them and less than 2 years old but with over 4000hrs on the engine..

most commercial diesels come with an hour meter.. a true measurement for time on a diesel.. generators, tractors, semi's. all oil changes and servicing are done on them based on running time not distance traveled over land. usually in the range of 400-500 hrs per oil change.

So yes i guess i am just backing up what was just said. :)
I haven't been posting much lately but have been reading everyday.

I do have my Hitch and kick ass bike rack.. holds 4 bikes.. on my Van now..
next is my bed to be done soon.. and then make up an awning that rolls out over the sliding door..

peace..

I know its not a Delica. But my 90 pajero (4d56t) Has 192,000 and still running stong. Have all records showing oil changes done every 3k. However, how much run time this engines had is anyones guess. I worry sometimes about how much more engine life I should expect to get.
I know a cummins diesel will run forever but heard mixed reviews on engine life for a 4d56.

kram wrote:I know its not a Delica. But my 90 pajero...

Close enough.

BCDelica wrote:Consider ours just broken in also, having put on comparatively trouble free 140,000 km between the two. CCauto's personal Delica has over 2 hundred km and IMO looks like a new vehicle. The pictured Delica sat in front of our hotel for days with the window open, was a diesel without 4x4, and over 800,000 km on the odometer; and running sounded just like ours.

BCDelica.... with the size of those tyres on that van I would guesstimate that he gets 800+ kilometres to 60 litres of fuel. But still, 500 kliks on the clock is pretty damn good.

The Miss Lil' Bitchi arrived with sixty and change on the clock. I have logged another five grand on her ~ slowly breaking her in with the "Falco method".

I have put just under 60,000 kms on my van in two years putting it a 130 000 total kms with very little apperant engine issues. Of course as so many people have already mentioned the fact that the vehicle is 15 (well 17 now) years old means there are a number of other possible issues. I have replaced engine seals, fuel pump seals, hoses, etc that really would still be good on a vehicle with this type of mileage in North America. Only because that vehicle would probably be less than 5 years old! I anticipate with care and attention my van should have alot more life in it!

Andy

I can't find a B50 number on any of the Mitsu diesels. If such a number does exist it would give you a pretty good idea of how durable the engine is compared to its peers as the testing is standardized.

B50

Industry calculations are conducted to determine the expected life of a vehicle before overhaul or replacement of the engine is required. Established by the engine manufacturer, B50 is the estimated mileage at which 50 percent of the engines are expected to fail or require major repairs. This test is done on a dynamometer running the engine under a full load. B50 varies by manufacturer and engine model.

Example is here. http://ohe.cat.com/cda/files/379141/7/LEDT3892-01.pdf
Look at the overhaul interval. These are medium duty truck engines and typically have a B50 somewhere around 300K-500K miles or so.

A light duty truck engine is generally less than that.

As previously mentioned, the number of hours makes a huge difference to life expectancy. Diesels like to be run under 60% or higher load, and various unpleasant things can happen to a diesel engine that spends most of its life idling.

George