Frozen deli, need mechanic in nw calgary

[byariver]

Hey folks,
Visiting friends in NW Calgary and the cold snap has caught us out. Tried to boost it and burnt out one of the negative battery terminals and discovered a loose starter motor wire. Tightened the wire, replaced the terminal, and picked up a magnetic pan heater. It now has not started for two days and if another AMA boost won't start it, it'll need towing somewhere. Anyone have any mechanics they recommend in NW Calgary or close, for a thaw out and engine/electric check out?
Fingers crossed, otherwise it may a trip to a subaru or toyota dealer, I'm reaching the end of the tether with these vehicles and people unwilling to work on them
Thanks for your time, happy driving.

Nick

[jessef]

Is it turning over ?

Have you tried fitting a new or someone else's good battery ? Yours may be completely dead ?

[Meanman]

Don't give up yet...try some Ether "starting fluid" sprayed into the intake while cranking.

[byariver]

Hi guys,
Thanks for the response. Yes the van is turning over, all be it very slowly. It seems the starter doesn't have the power to crank the engine. I'm off to change out the oil and see if that makes a difference and put in some new batteries (current ones are 2 winters old and have seen alot of long winter starts and the occasional boost). Hopefully that makes the difference, otherwise it's a tow to a mechanic.

[Jungle Jon]

Sorry to hear about your troubles, a fresh battery should get you running again.
If not, myself and others have had good experiences with Kirkham Automotive, not exactly in your neighbourhood, but they are not afraid of Delicas.
They on Horton Road near Heritage Dr. and Macleod Tr. in the SW. 403-253-2033
If you can wait until Thursday, it's supposed to be above zero then. I took one look at the -30 this morning, and decided to call in and work from home. Enough winter already!

[snelson]

With it being below -25 in cowtown last night, I bet there's a few Deli's not starting today. Mine included - but I can wait for a few days until it warms up around here. I'm going to be putting in some new glow plugs later this week.

I think all the steps you're taking will help, more likely just needs a warm garage for a few hours, even try placing a 100W bulb in the engine bay or a decent space/shop heater for some heat.

If all else fails you have ProActive in the NE, Kirkham Automotive (403-253-2033) (I'd recommend these guys) in the South who have experience with Delis. There's one other place, but I'm sorry I can't remember the name - just search this forum for Calgary mechanic and I'm sure you'll find it.
Best of luck

[Green1]

the other place is Stevos, I gather they are NE, but I haven't been there yet, Erebus has though.

best things you can do to get a vehicle started in Calgary right now:
- oil change, make sure it's a light weight oil.
- new batteries, I went to walmart and bought a pair of 850CCA batteries for less than $100 each, they have been amazing!
- following that, fully charged batteries (leave 'em on a charger overnight)
- heat... there are several methods here
- wait until the end of the week when it's supposed to be warm (+8 on friday!)
- magnetic oil pan heaters are cheap, not as good as a block heater, but anything helps
- a 100W light bulb in the engine compartment can do wonders

I didn't mention glow plugs because of your description of it turning over very slowly which tends not to be a glow plug issue, but if it's spinning at a decent rate but not wanting to catch they can make a big difference.

beyond that there is technique:
- run the glow plugs 2-3 times
- hold the starter until either the engine starts, or the batteries are completely flat dead, don't stop unless one of those 2 things happens! every time you let go of the key you loose any progress you might have made.

[patty]

for sure go with a REALLY light oil. every one on here runs 15W40, but thats way to thick for these tiny engines in -30. i dropped to 10W40 and there was a noticeable starting difference. i would have gone lower but then your in synthetics and i dont have that kind of coin.

good luck, i too know how irritating these things are in the cold (took a tow truck 45 min to jump me last week with two sets of jumper cables goin, one to each battery.

[White Mule]

PM me. Include a contact number.

[Firesong]

Hi
This morning in Saskatoon is -32.
I am new to the deli scene but have 2 batteries, a magnetic pan heater and am
running the shell synthetic 0w40. Took a few tries but fired up and running this morning.
Got the oil from Partsource. Not too pricy for a diesel rated synth.
One technique if you cant get it into a shop/garage passed down from my dad is to back another vehicle up to the front of the bus (oops VW lingo) and let it run that way for an hour or so. The exhaust will heat up the motor quite surprisingly. Maybe try the suggestion of one of the other members with a blast of ether.

J

[jessef]

Another option instead of shelling out $200 for a pair of run of the mill batteries, you can fork out $200 for a heavy duty single AGM battery that will kick a pair of normal batteries out of the park.

[Green1]

Another option instead of shelling out $200 for a pair of run of the mill batteries, you can fork out $200 for a heavy duty single AGM battery that will kick a pair of normal batteries out of the park.

I was planning to do that.. but I couldn't find an AGM battery with even the capacity of a single battery, let alone any that were anywhere near as cheap, the cheapest I found was over $250 and was 500CCA, I paid less than that and have 1700CCA and the largest capacity AGM I found in Calgary was about 650CCA, I can't remember the price.

Size for size AGM was always lower capacity than the regular batteries, and always significantly more money.

For my money, AGM just isn't worth it.

[byariver]

Hi folks,
Thanks for all the assistance. We ended up getting it towed to Kirkham, where they thawed it out, charged the batteries, and checked out the starter. It turns out the solenoid is on it's way out. The bolt that holds the wiring plate(?) is loose, and tightening the nuts doesn't seem to help. They got it started by hitting it, and we high tailed it out of Cowtown, not turning the van off till Pemberton.
So, the next dilemma, where to find a replacement starter motor, as I believe the solenoid can't be rebuilt or replaced. Whilst the starter is out, I'm going to put in a block heater as it has had some trouble starting below -10 this winter, and will be ready for the next one.
BTW, props to the guys at Kirkham, they were great to deal with, and dropped everything to get us back on the road. Even washed the winter crust off the van, which was soon replaced on the way home over the Duffy!
Again, thanks to all for your input, this forum and it's community continues to amaze me. Think I'll hold off the trip to the subie dealer for a little longer

[vixentd]

Either or starting fluid should never be used. It is a perfect way of breaking your piston rings. Many years of vw diesels have taught this lesson to many who have screwed up their engines.

[jessef]

but I couldn't find an AGM battery with even the capacity of a single battery, let alone any that were anywhere near as cheap, the cheapest I found was over $250 and was 500CCA, I paid less than that and have 1700CCA and the largest capacity AGM I found in Calgary was about 650CCA, I can't remember the price.

Size for size AGM was always lower capacity than the regular batteries, and always significantly more money.

For my money, AGM just isn't worth it.

$210 + tax. includes 4 year warranty.

best warranty on the planet. full replacement no questions.

http://www.odysseybatteries.com/battery ... series.htm

To compare, home depot lists then at $459 + tax. So there is a huge markup on these batteries.

http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/stor ... PartNumber

I know in WA and OR search & rescue use them because they can't kill them.


PC 1500 Specs:

These are 'true' cold cranking amps. Tested in and made in the US.

1500 cranking amps for 5 seconds
1280 cranking amps for 10 seconds
1170 cranking amps for 20 seconds
1100 cranking amps for 30 seconds
Short circuit current over 5000A
Absorbent glass mat (AGM) technology
12V battery pure lead VRLA
BCI Group 34 footprint - dual purpose
BCI Group 34/78 footprint - dual purpose
Rugged construction
Can be mounted in any orientation except inverted.
Lifting handle
US DOT and IATA certified non-spillable
Shipped fully charged - just install and go!
Container and cover made from oil resistant plastic

I went to Polar as well. Have been buying batteries there for a while.

Picked up one of these to replace the 'pair' in the Chamonix.

The one Odyssey battery is the equivalent to about 4-5 normal batteries + more. 1,500 cold crankin' amps for 5 seconds !

http://www.odysseybatteries.com/battery ... series.htm

It doubles as a deep cycle battery as well. 4 year free replacement warranty. Can't beat that.

Came out to $210 + taxes for the PC1500 version with dual terminal posts.

Not bad considering the retail/list is $500 and current online is $350+

AGL (glass pack) can be mounted any orientation except inverted and US DOT and IATA certified non-spillable.





Review :

Odyssey Batteries use Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) Technology to offer the characteristics of two disparate battery designs. The Odyssey can deep cycle without damage, as well as provide enormous cranking power for starting and winching. Should an Odyssey Battery become deeply discharged, simply recharge it following the instructions in the owner's manual and it will be returned to full power.

Odyssey Batteries are completely sealed and do not leak. There is no fear of acid spillage, as Odyssey Batteries recycle the internal gas during operation and charging. With an Odyssey, you will not see your terminals or battery tray corrode as you would with standard batteries. Odyssey Batteries may be installed in any orientation except inverted without leakage or sacrificing performance attributes. The US Department of Transportation has certified Odyssey Batteries as a nonspillable item, so it may be shipped worry-free by air or overnight service if required.

The PC1500 is almost identical in size to the Group 34 sized Optima 750U Yellow Top Battery and the 800U Red Top Battery.

Unlike the 750U Yellow Top and 800U Red Top battery from Optima, the PC1500 operates as both a deep cycle and a starting battery, all in one.

The PC1500 may be deeply discharged multiple times without damage to the battery.

A PC1500 has the best characteristics of the two Optima batteries in a single battery.

They have some neat accessories. I like their hold down tray.