At least it has fuses!
At least it has fuses!
Did they ever make tall rear doors ?
That was the problem I had with a high roof van and trying to get a off-road Honda motorbike into the back ,
It seems that some vans made for a wheelchair ramp had extended doors,
In reply to californiamilleghia :
Aftermarket - yes. Factory - no. They are somewhat common on wheelchair conversions as often the stock door opening isn't tall enough for someone in a wheelchair on the lift mechanism.
I've loaded a DRZ400 through the OE rear doors, although it wasn't done solo, so I wasn't trying to push a 300 lb bike up a ramp while ducking under the door opening. But otherwise the bars cleared.
Minor update.
I found a car audio place near me that is willing to tackle the alarm system. The shop owner suspects it is original to the van. Right now, I have more money than time so I'm having them replace the alarm system with a new system, along with adding a back-up camera and replacing the stereo system with something more simple (just a CD/Bluetooth receiver and front speakers). Hopefully that will fix the battery drain. They are booked solid with remote start installations and the soonest they can take the van is in April. Oh well... I've waited this long and I'm not really in much of a hurry.
I also learned this van does NOT like cold weather. If I don't leave the block heater plugged in, it will not start no matter how long it cranks. Fun times.
Have you replaced the glow plugs & IAT? Not saying that would fix it. Every 7.3 I've had was impossible to start below @40 degrees unless it was plugged in, even with new glow plugs. Mine has new ones & very good tunes. But still hard starting below @45. I just installed the IAT sensor because when I installed the 4" intake & 4437 filter there is no place for it, it just hangs out zip tied to the other wires & it's the same air temp anyway. The new IAT did help some also because that is the only time it is used -when starting.
If I still worked nights in the cold, I would install an air heater like Cummins uses.
In reply to mdshaw :
No... still has the glow plugs that were in it when I bought it... I have noticed the "wait to start" light on the dash no longer lights up. Could that be the glow plug controller?
I'm a little confused about the IAT, CPS, other sensors and even a connector harness for the ECM. I cannot find any reference to the ECM itself for a 7.3 IDI.
I haven't left the house since last Thursday, but I'm planning to get take-out for dinner tonight, so I'll try starting it up. It's been plugged in for... days. The last time I left it plugged in this long it started up immediately and it was colder (and covered with snow).
Do you hear any clicking when you turn the key on? If not then may want to check the glow plug controller fuse.
Even just plugged in overnight should be enough. This morning mine was toasty & fired right up. I did replace the heater also so it works great. The old one had a frayed ac cord. Thought I should replace it before someone gets shocked by 110ac.
The IAT is the intake air temp sensor. There are a lot of sensors. This is a 97 Powerstroke so they probably have different sensors.
Hopefully it starts right up tonight. It's a bummer when the diesel won't fire up & no takeout.
In reply to mdshaw :
I'm hopeful that at least if it doesn't fire up for him it's only the difference between triumphant diesel takeout and the fallback vehicle consolation takeout.
It fired right up and settled into a nice idle. Take out was only a little over a mile away, so when I got there I just parked away from the food truck and let it run. I still need to burn off 3+ year old diesel, so it needs to run.
When it wasn't starting it would just crank. I'm not sure if there was a "click" but I'll check the glow plug controller fuse tomorrow.
The block heater cord is starting to look ratty as well, so I suppose I'll have to look into replace it.
They definitely like to be warm & don't smoke as much on startup if plugged in also. I think I got my replacement on Amazon. I made a cool little bracket for the connector in the grill also.
How much 3+ year old diesel do you need to burn? Sounds to me like the perfect excuse for a small roadtrip!
In reply to logdog (Forum Supporter) :
A little more than half a tank. And at nearly 20 MPG, it's amazing how long it'll go.
I installed a similar fixed plug on my TDI for the coolant heater. After bit of Googling, it seems like the cord tends to wear out more so than the block heater itself. Fortunately, it's available separately.
I just realized I have no idea where the fuse panel is located in this van... more digging required. Preferably indoors (it's cold and windy outside right now).
Ian F (Forum Supporter) said:A little more than half a tank. And at nearly 20 MPG, it's amazing how long it'll go.
*Sigh.* If I'm only a little sloppy with my math that pushes double what the pickup with the 460 gets. At least it really doesn't actually rack up many miles.
In reply to Jesse Ransom (FFS) :
Perhaps... Although I'm guessing you don't have to measure 0-60 times with a sundial...
In reply to Ian F (Forum Supporter) :
That's true, though I'm not sure how I feel about the yard work truck being probably the quickest vehicle I own... But that's an issue with the rest of the fleet.
I'm about done with this thing. Freshly charged batteries (since they get drained if it sits too long...) and the berker still won't start. Just cranks away with no hint of firing. It's 70 deg today, so I can't imagine it's too cold. Not looking forward to calling the audio shop tomorrow and canceling the appointment.
Thats a bummer! Can diesel go bad? I seem to remember bacteria or something can grow in it?
In reply to logdog (Forum Supporter) :
You can get biocide treatment treat algae and other growth and just like gas you need to be aware of water getting in the system from condensation ( less of an issue with modern evap).
Personally I wouldn't think twice if running a couple year old diesel. But I'd probably put a good bottle of treatment in there.
I am wondering if the 3 year old diesel is the issue and/or if water got into the system. It sat for so long with a full tank, there wasn't much air/humidity in the tank to condensate, but now there's about 1/4 to 1/3 of a tank of air, so...
My problem is I really don't have the space to tear into the van all that deep. For the next few years, I just need it to be a functional and reasonably reliable vehicle mechanically. I'm starting to wonder if this is why it was sold so cheap. The guy got tired of it and just wanted it gone.
Time to make some calls to see if I can find a decent diesel mechanic not too far away.
You'll need to log in to post.
