another brand new owner!

[flyaway]

that's all? thanks! sometimes a little bit of thinking would not hurt...

[flyaway]

...a little follow up on my new-ownership-delica-adventures: i had quite an introduction to my new van today! had to get towed back from Deep Cove as something in the motor started burning/smoking/smelling awfully. did not even dare to have a look at the insides, since it smoked so badly and stunk (i'm happy that my mom, who was with me, is a very hard-to-impress woman!). this four days after the van had been at CVI (lots of stuff done, new brake lines, some transmission stuff and a delica tune)... so i wonder whether i did anything wrong or they did or the car just had some other, hidden issues. guess i'll find out. now i know what it feels like (and costs) to own a car!!!

[Green1]

I'm sorry to hear that your first few days didn't go well. If you tell us more about what happened we may have a better idea as to what went wrong.

Unfortunately I know where you're coming from on this one, I cracked my head on the coquahalla on my way home after first picking up the delica, I bet your questioning your decision right now, but don't, you'll be back on the road in no time, and you'll really love having a delica.

[flyaway]

ok, i got the van back. it was the cables from the battery to the - hmm. how to explain this? there's a manual glow plug starter, so the car starts easier in cold temperatures. for some reason there was a short circuit in these cables, maybe because i had done some quite dynamical reverse-drive maneuvres a bit earlier. the glow plug switch is installed within the case where the stick for the transmission is, so the stick hit onto the switch sometimes when in reverse, apparently.
it was thus these wires that got really hot and melted all the plastic around them. hence the stench and black smoke. fortunately it's going to be a quick fix, i think, just replacing these cables. they didn't find anything else was wrong, at the shop, so they just gave me a jumper cable so the car can still be started when it's cold. i quite like that repair shop

Unfortunately I know where you're coming from on this one, I cracked my head on the coquahalla on my way home after first picking up the delica, I bet your questioning your decision right now, but don't, you'll be back on the road in no time, and you'll really love having a delica.

... i think i would probably have questioned the van, had it been an engine problem. i'm still happy about the buy, though, and hope i'll have time soon to start creating a little home out of the van! (should be writing up my thesis, instead...).

... little more feedback from a learner: I'm practising for the road test next week, so I'm driving A LOT. I'm currently driving the deli and my friends' car, so I'm switching back and forth between LHD and RHD. it's really not all that bad. I actually prefer to shift with left hand, as i'm better at steering right handedly. for traffic, sitting on the left i like better. but the mirrors and seat position of the Delica are way better than in any other car i've driven in my short driving life, so I'm getting quite comfortable in the van.

[mararmeisto]

An electrical problem? Well, not to be wholly unexpected after 15+ years. Difficult to find when things are working well, but usually pretty obvious, really quick when bad. That's the only problem I've had with my van since purchase: required a new alternator (and the old one was quite obviously the original).

Glad to hear that you're back on the road. I agree, switching back and forth isn't as much of a deal as most would like to make it. I too prefer the height and positioning of a Delica, and being on the right is not a big deal. Welcome to driverhood, although if mass transit is a good as you were describing earlier, I wish some of the transit 'experts' in Victoria would travel to Zurich to see how it's done properly (but that's a topic for another time).

[Green1]

I've seen those manual switches before, they're not needed unless there's something wrong with the original glow plug circuitry. I'd recommend getting the proper glow plug stuff sorted out, your choice though, the manual switch is probably cheaper...

[flyaway]

I've seen those manual switches before, they're not needed unless there's something wrong with the original glow plug circuitry. I'd recommend getting the proper glow plug stuff sorted out, your choice though, the manual switch is probably cheaper...

I don't know what's better or worse... It was done originally (by the previous owner) as a means to survive the Yukon in winter, and she found it useful. Since we're planning on spending some or a lot of time in the freezer (ie the Rockies in winter), it seemed to be a good thing to keep. I think most of the problem was the stick hitting the switch when in reverse gear, and me shifting with too much power. removing the plug from the reach of any moving/hitting piece should solve the problem, i hope. and, as you say, it's probably cheap to replace the wire... my roommates recommended a fuse.

[flyaway]

...so this is the first picture of my lovely deli on day 9 and the friendly payless guy.

[Green1]

I don't know what's better or worse... It was done originally (by the previous owner) as a means to survive the Yukon in winter, and she found it useful. Since we're planning on spending some or a lot of time in the freezer (ie the Rockies in winter), it seemed to be a good thing to keep. I think most of the problem was the stick hitting the switch when in reverse gear, and me shifting with too much power. removing the plug from the reach of any moving/hitting piece should solve the problem, i hope. and, as you say, it's probably cheap to replace the wire... my roommates recommended a fuse.

The stock glow plug system should work fine at any temperature (though at temps below about -20 or so I tend to double or triple glow the system)

And yes, fuses are essential on ALL wiring, I nearly burnt my Delica to the ground by forgetting to put a fuse in my ham radio wire the first time... lots of smoke when it grounded out against some metal... everything is fused now!