Delica L300. Engine stopped on the highway.

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PECTOPAH
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Delica L300. Engine stopped on the highway.

Post by PECTOPAH »

Hello all,

I've been a Delica owner for 1.5 years now. Bought in Toronto and now she lives in Belize, C.A.

First, about the car:
Exceed
Manual Transmission (Direct from the battery) glow plug feed.

I was driving on a highway (Belize Hwy, 80Km/hour) when the engine stopped suddenly. I felt like it ran out of fuel.
Replaced fuel filter and primed it well, recharded batteries (drained them trying) and the engine is turning but won't start.

Now, before you tell me to go see the mechanic, I have to tell you that I live practically in the jungle and the nearest mechanic I can trust is about 200Km.
I feel that the problem is simple, but don't know how to diagnose it.

Please help!

Radu
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sub-arctic
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Re: Delica L300. Engine stopped on the highway.

Post by sub-arctic »

Did you prime the system at the injectors? or just using the primer pump on the fuel filter, If you did indeed run out of fuel completely you may need to re prime the injectors at each line. also may be worth looking at your timing belt to make sure that is still intact, if the timing belt broke that would stop it dead in its tracks too.

I can't really speak to specifics though unfortunately because I have yet to have this happen. Best of luck!
yojimbo
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Re: Delica L300. Engine stopped on the highway.

Post by yojimbo »

As above crack the injectors and spin it over. Sounds like you have no fuel and my first thought (if you didnt hear lots of horrible sound) is the fuel stop solenoid isnt working. If priming at the injectors has fuel you can count that out.
1994 L300 Jasper
1986 Scimitar 1.8Ti
PECTOPAH
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Re: Delica L300. Engine stopped on the highway.

Post by PECTOPAH »

Thank you for your replies.

- No, I did not prime it at the injectors, just at the filter.
- I did not run out of fuel. I had 3/4 in the tank (I checked).
- Did not check the timing belt. I thought if the belt breaks, the engine won't turn. It turns. But I'll check (as soon as the rain stops).
- I replaced the air filter, just to make sure that it's not the issue. Same thing. The engine is turning, but won't start.
Just saw the reply from yojimbo (TVM).

Never worked on injectors before, and will give it a try (again, once the rain stops).

Thanks a lot!
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sub-arctic
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Re: Delica L300. Engine stopped on the highway.

Post by sub-arctic »

Also if you have a turbo timer, you might want to try unplugging it, in case there is a fault with that preventing the fuel solenoid from working properly
yojimbo
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Re: Delica L300. Engine stopped on the highway.

Post by yojimbo »

Yeah if the belt breaks its usually a lot more dramatic! You just need to crack the injector unions off a little, to see if fuel is leaving the injector pump, and to expel the air from the pipe. The fuel stop solenoid should click when 12v is applied to it. A faulty turbo timer could also do this as sub arctic says, its a reason I am not a fan, ive had stop solenoid problems before and it does what it says. It stops!
1994 L300 Jasper
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Rattlenbang
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Re: Delica L300. Engine stopped on the highway.

Post by Rattlenbang »

X2 for the fuel shutoff solenoid; there are a total of 3 connectors before 12v gets to the solenoid and any one of those can be bad. Use a meter and make sure. I've never had to bleed air out of the injector lines; they self purge.
My new novel A Dark and Promised Land has just been released by Dundurn Press. "On the eve of war he is compelled to reclaim her love, setting himself against his people amid a conflict that will form a nation." http://www.darkpromisedland.com/
PECTOPAH
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Re: Delica L300. Engine stopped on the highway.

Post by PECTOPAH »

Thanks to all for the replies.

First thing in the morning tried to bleed the injectors.
Unlocked the nuts that hold the lines to the injectors and turned the engine. Got just a drop of fuel from them.
Didn't know what to expect. Is a drop enough? Was it suppose to squirt?
I think that was what was in the lines that leaked out when I cranked the engine. Didn't look like there was a lot of pressure.

Read the rest of the comments. Thank you all.

Must admit that I don't know how the fuel shut off solenoid or the turbo timer looks like and where they are located.

Another thing, my batteries although charged overnight, did not hold their charge at all and need replacing. I will try to get them by the end of the week (yep, there is no Canadian Tire here in the jungle) if I am lucky.

There is also a guy that is (according the locals) a pretty good electrical specialist. He will visit me as soon as he fixes his bicycle. He may tell me where the solenoid and the turbo timer is.

Thanks again and i will post the progress as soon as things happen (which may take a while).

R.
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sub-arctic
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Re: Delica L300. Engine stopped on the highway.

Post by sub-arctic »

The turbo timer will be a box mounted on your dash usually beside your steering column, its probably got 3 buttons and a little LED screen on it. it should just have a connector on the back you can remove. I dont remember the exact location of the fuel shutoff solenoid, but it is on the injection pump
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Re: Delica L300. Engine stopped on the highway.

Post by yojimbo »

They are usually pretty easy to find, ive always seen them mounted at the point where the 4 injector lines leave the pump body, and from memory, on the 4d56 it screws into the top of that block. They are just a solenoid that pushes something in the pump that lets fuel out, diesels need this kind of system as otherwise they run on forever! Well until fuel runs out. While the solenoid might click ok, if the centre pin bit is busted it can stop fuel flowing too.
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PECTOPAH
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Re: Delica L300. Engine stopped on the highway.

Post by PECTOPAH »

Hello everyone,

I found the problem and it's the worst of them all. The timing belt failed.

I didn't hear any bad noises when it happened, so I am hoping that a good mechanic can fix it.

As a side note, I replaced the batteries and tried to start the engine (not knowing yet that the timing belt had failed) and the engine was turning hard, then it start spinning freely. That's what tipped me off that the belt is busted.

Question to the group:

Is it possible that timing belt failure did not damage the engine? I know it's a long shot, but I would like to know if anyone had this experience.

Thank you all,

R.
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Re: Delica L300. Engine stopped on the highway.

Post by Rattlenbang »

Sorry, interference engine. Worst case is new head. Best case a new valve. If you need bits and pieces from a head let me know as I kept my old head that developed a crack, for parts.
My new novel A Dark and Promised Land has just been released by Dundurn Press. "On the eve of war he is compelled to reclaim her love, setting himself against his people amid a conflict that will form a nation." http://www.darkpromisedland.com/
PECTOPAH
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Re: Delica L300. Engine stopped on the highway.

Post by PECTOPAH »

Thank you Rattlebang.
I an not in Canada now, I am in Central America. Drove my Delica through US and Mexico to Belize a year ago to the day.
There are plenty of Mitsubishi trucks here (L200) with the same engine, so finding parts won't be an issue.

R.
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Re: Delica L300. Engine stopped on the highway.

Post by Rattlenbang »

PECTOPAH wrote:Thank you Rattlebang.
I an not in Canada now, I am in Central America. Drove my Delica through US and Mexico to Belize a year ago to the day.
There are plenty of Mitsubishi trucks here (L200) with the same engine, so finding parts won't be an issue.

R.
I knew you were remote, which is why I offered; getting parts to remote places can be tough sometimes. That there are many Mistu trucks there that use the same engine blows me away! If they are imported to the Americas and are LHD, why not up here?
My new novel A Dark and Promised Land has just been released by Dundurn Press. "On the eve of war he is compelled to reclaim her love, setting himself against his people amid a conflict that will form a nation." http://www.darkpromisedland.com/
PECTOPAH
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Re: Delica L300. Engine stopped on the highway.

Post by PECTOPAH »

Hello all,

My mistake. It's not the timing belt that failed. It's the balance shaft belt.

I started taking the thing apart waiting for the mechanic to show up and I realized that the broken belt is narrower than the timing belt (still there, intact, but a bit off center). So, I pulled the belt out to find out it's the "baby" belt.

According to other posts here, it should not have damaged anything, apart from offset the timing. Turns out I got spares for both belts and just waiting for the guy to show up and replace them both.

I dropped my phone in the sea yesterday, so don't have a way of calling him, but sent emails to friends to do it for me. Amazingly, they have 3G services that reach my neck of the jungle.

R.
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