Delica Canada | Mitsubishi Van Club

joedelica wrote:Hi Claude,

I have a similar problem with mine; the smell of coolant inside the cab when the system is on. No wet carpets and no loss of coolant. I'm not quite sure what bleeding the system via the engine bay has to do with this type of leaking??? But did it work for your leak?

Thanks,

Joe

Hi Joe,
I have not bleed the system yet, I will do it tomorrow and let you know.
So far I am kinda lost about the leak. I have no idea what is this plastic jar is for and how to stop this dripping

Cheer
Claude

I will pull my glove box and have a look this weekend.

Joe

claude wrote:

joedelica wrote:Hi Claude,

I have a similar problem with mine; the smell of coolant inside the cab when the system is on. No wet carpets and no loss of coolant. I'm not quite sure what bleeding the system via the engine bay has to do with this type of leaking??? But did it work for your leak?

Thanks,

Joe

Hi Joe,
I have not bleed the system yet, I will do it tomorrow and let you know.
So far I am kinda lost about the leak. I have no idea what is this plastic jar is for and how to stop this dripping

Cheer
Claude

INSIDE the "plastic jar" is your heater core...it is a really small radiator and has a leak. The plastic jar is the heater unit that funnels air from the fan through the really little radiator called a heater core.

YOUR HEATER CORE HAS A HOLE IN IT.

Pg 34 of the service manual: http://www.delica.ca/manuals/L-400%20Ma ... IR_CON.pdf

thedjjack wrote:

claude wrote:

joedelica wrote:Hi Claude,

I have a similar problem with mine; the smell of coolant inside the cab when the system is on. No wet carpets and no loss of coolant. I'm not quite sure what bleeding the system via the engine bay has to do with this type of leaking??? But did it work for your leak?

Thanks,

Joe

Hi Joe,
I have not bleed the system yet, I will do it tomorrow and let you know.
So far I am kinda lost about the leak. I have no idea what is this plastic jar is for and how to stop this dripping

Cheer
Claude

INSIDE the "plastic jar" is your heater core...it is a really small radiator and has a leak. The plastic jar is the heater unit that funnels air from the fan through the really little radiator called a heater core.

YOUR HEATER CORE HAS A HOLE IN IT.

Pg 34 of the service manual: http://www.delica.ca/manuals/L-400%20Ma ... IR_CON.pdf

Thanks a bunch for the lesson.
I keep learning everyday

Hope it helps....If you cannot source a heater core from an importer any decent radiator shop should be able to fix or build you one.

When I first got my L300 I had my radiator guy give it a flush for me and rebuild the stock radiator. He was more then happy to work on the Delica.

Good luck heat will be important soon enough

thedjjack wrote:Hope it helps....If you cannot source a heater core from an importer any decent radiator shop should be able to fix or build you one.

When I first got my L300 I had my radiator guy give it a flush for me and rebuild the stock radiator. He was more then happy to work on the Delica.

Good luck heat will be important soon enough

Where I live we do need the heat already mornings are crisp -5 and the snow is close by. I just bought the van month ago in New west. Soon I started my trip back home it started to smell coolant in the cabin. I will have to drive the delica back to the dealer soon

for the cost of the drive ask the dealer to ship the heater core and get it locally installed....

Install should be straight forward...some are easier then others to get too...

thedjjack wrote:for the cost of the drive ask the dealer to ship the heater core and get it locally installed....

Install should be straight forward...some are easier then others to get too...

.

Great idea, but in Goldbrige ( population 49) there is no mechanic.
I still have to get the van look after, it drinks to much ( Close to 19 litres for 100 km)

claude wrote:

thedjjack wrote:for the cost of the drive ask the dealer to ship the heater core and get it locally installed....

Install should be straight forward...some are easier then others to get too...

.

Great idea, but in Goldbrige ( population 49) there is no mechanic.
I still have to get the van look after, it drinks to much ( Close to 19 litres for 100 km)

WOW 19L/100km

We just bought "Angry Bird" a 2wd 1997 Ford Aerostar as the second car (my Delica is a camper) and it got 13.8L/100km for the first tank...

Keep us posted with how it goes.

Make sure you are not noticing loss of fluid because of an air pocket (under hood bleed system) so you do not do damage driving back. Maybe some L400 owners could chime in on the bleed system...Jesse?

thedjjack wrote:

claude wrote:

thedjjack wrote:for the cost of the drive ask the dealer to ship the heater core and get it locally installed....

Install should be straight forward...some are easier then others to get too...

.

Great idea, but in Goldbrige ( population 49) there is no mechanic.
I still have to get the van look after, it drinks to much ( Close to 19 litres for 100 km)

WOW 19L/100km

We just bought "Angry Bird" a 2wd 1997 Ford Aerostar as the second car (my Delica is a camper) and it got 13.8L/100km for the first tank...

Keep us posted with how it goes.

Make sure you are not noticing loss of fluid because of an air pocket (under hood bleed system) so you do not do damage driving back. Maybe some L400 owners could chime in on the bleed system...Jesse?

How can I get inside the "Plastic Jar" to look if it is the heater core or a hose?.

look back at my post page 34 shows the steps they are brief and for a LHD van. I am an L300 owner so worked on the L400.


Be careful and slow and you should be able to get in (some cars heater cores are really easy to get to others nightmares...not sure about the L400)

Good luck

thedjjack wrote:look back at my post page 34 shows the steps they are brief and for a LHD van. I am an L300 owner so worked on the L400.


Be careful and slow and you should be able to get in (some cars heater cores are really easy to get to others nightmares...not sure about the L400)

Good luck

it look like I have to take all the dashboard out

I would expect the glove box..then it should be removable from inside under neith... Just go slow and stay organized and you should be able to get it out...

The dealer that you bought your L400 from should be addressing this issue and your horrible fuel economy.

Get it done before Nov/December hits up there. I know what your winter is like.

If that's your picture (coolant leaking from the heater core casing (plastic) then your heater core is shot and needs to be replaced.

As for bleeding the system, you may have either an air leak or your thermostat is opening prematurely in which case you need to get all the air bubbles out of the system.

If everything is working well and you have no leaks, the closed loop system (coolant expansion bottle) should be venting any air that was trapped in the cooling system by now.

19L/100km your injectors are probably gummed up(nozzles not spraying correct pattern if at all), injection pump/timing may be retarded (needs to be advanced), dirty diesel in tank, clogged fuel filter, clogged air filter.

At the absolute worst (in 4x4 low) offroad I was getting 16.7L/100km last winter. On the average in mountain range area (where you are) you should be getting between 12-14L/100km on average.

19L/100km is unacceptable. That's worse than the V6 gas model.

jfarsang wrote:The dealer that you bought your L400 from should be addressing this issue and your horrible fuel economy.

Get it done before Nov/December hits up there. I know what your winter is like.

If that's your picture (coolant leaking from the heater core casing (plastic) then your heater core is shot and needs to be replaced.

As for bleeding the system, you may have either an air leak or your thermostat is opening prematurely in which case you need to get all the air bubbles out of the system.

If everything is working well and you have no leaks, the closed loop system (coolant expansion bottle) should be venting any air that was trapped in the cooling system by now.

19L/100km your injectors are probably gummed up(nozzles not spraying correct pattern if at all), injection pump/timing may be retarded (needs to be advanced), dirty diesel in tank, clogged fuel filter, clogged air filter.

At the absolute worst (in 4x4 low) offroad I was getting 16.7L/100km last winter. On the average in mountain range area (where you are) you should be getting between 12-14L/100km on average.

19L/100km is unacceptable. That's worse than the V6 gas model.

Thanks for the advises.
I will get down to the coast at the end of next week and get the van to the dealer
I was happy to get into the Delica mood but so far i am wondering if made the right decision .