Mitsubishi Delica Owners Club UK™

[DRB-IT]

I have a 1991 Delica 2.5TD EXCEED Auto (L300).  :D
I've had it for 3 years now and although I've had a few problems along the way I would not part with it for a Kings ransom. (Go on then, make me an offer.)
When I first got it I would struggle to get 20mpg but soon got that up to 25 once I gave up on the garage I bought it from. (At least Dick Turpin had the decency to wear a mask.)
Since then I have got to the stage where as long as I stay within the speed limit I can get 30mpg in 2WD on the road. 4WD off road, especially in low ratio is another matter. I spend a lot of time on soft sand and that's difficult enough to walk on.
However (if anyone is still reading this) I have a related query. All the info I read on my Deli suggests it should hold 70 litres of liquid gold but I have never beed able to get more than 50 in mine and that was when I deliberately ran out of fuel to make sure that the guage was not lying to me.
How much does everybody else manage to get in theirs?

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Who needs roads? They only get clogged up with traffic!

[Google]

[DRB-IT]

It appears that I should have said "Richard Turpin"
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Who needs roads? They only get clogged up with traffic!

[Jev]

The most I have noticed squeezing in once the fuel light comes on is 57litres (keep in mind I have an L400) - but you have raised an interesting question
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1995 Super Exceed LWB Chrome Pack

[Jacks]

We also have an L400. I've never run down to completely empty, but from close to empty I get around 50 litres in. The most ever was 53 litres. Wish we could get 30 mpg!!

Hope that's some help.
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97 Super Exceed Green over Grey
not nearly enough toys YET....

[numptys numnuts]

Before fitting New filters all round and an EGR blanking plate I managed 380 miles before light came on with a 55 litres fill up. Round town travelling

Now after fitting new filters including the unifilter and EGR plate I am lucky if I manage 300 on a tank.

Still got to do a check on the fuel system and its in for its MOT next week but don't know if I can go back to the puffs of black smoke on little acceleration.

All parts a Mitsubishi parts and even the new air filter before I decided to try one of these reusable ones.
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Delica 2.8 TD Automatic Super Exceed
La Guardia Silver with Chrome Pack

KD-PE8W-HSEXF 2 H81E
(It's a Beast from the East)
Rolled off Production 03/02/95

[numptys numnuts]

Forgot to mention that I drove round after hitting 300 thinking my fuel gauge was wrong luckily I found a fuel station and stuck in 63 litres which was a bit of a shock.
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Delica 2.8 TD Automatic Super Exceed
La Guardia Silver with Chrome Pack

KD-PE8W-HSEXF 2 H81E
(It's a Beast from the East)
Rolled off Production 03/02/95

[Dave C]

i ahve got 65 litres in how u get 30mpg is a mystery anything slightly over 20 is good for me 22 is best ever it passed emissions test in mot don't think anything is wrong theyre just dear to run but a good time doesn't come cheap ask wayne rooney
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Star Wagon super exceed auto(Now sadly gone),Galaxy Ghia 130,Hyundai i800

[DRB-IT]

I seem to have sparked something off here. There seems to be as wide a variation of fuel tank capacities as there is of fuel consumption.
When I first picked up my beast I was very lucky to get 20 mpg. As the garage assured me that they had done a “full” service and replaced all the consumables I was beginning to think this was “Normal” if a little disappointing. However, having reported a few problems to the garage and seen the results of their rectification of those problems I began to wonder if they would know the inside from the outside of a vehicle. So I started to check the items they said they had replaced. The fuel, air and oil filters didn’t look new and had Japanese writing on them. I suspect the oil came from a can with Japanese writing on it too. So I did a service and changed the preheat plugs for the right ones and once I had replaced the battery it was running like a different vehicle and I had found another 5 mpg.
I did various other things to it, some of necessity and others by design. I had a head gasket go on me and this resulted in the discovery of a crack in the head. New head built and setup with my valves, £500. While that was being done I sent the injectors away for rebuild. Put it al back together and it ran like a dream, But, I’m not that easily satisfied. The fuel consumption was still around 25 mpg and there was still some black stuff under heavy acceleration. Having been a peeping tom on POCUK for some time I had already blanked off the vacuum to the EGR and had been reading about changing the “fuelling”. I thought that as I would like even better economy and less smoke I should reduce the fuelling and in a mad fit of enthusiasm decided to have a look. Bad move, you can’t have a look as everything is just about out of sight. So, I had a feel. Decided I could do it so did it. Slackened off the lock nut and tightened the adjuster a quarter turn and nipped up the lock nut. (Those of you who are paying attention will realise that I have just described how to “increase” the fuelling!) Anyway off for a test drive. Wow. The engine response is dramatically better that before. Even manage wheel spin from stand still with an auto box. What the hell is going on? Play around and have some fun for a while and then back home to figure out what has happened. Eventually realise that I have “increased” the fuelling and decide to leave it like that for a while. It’s fun! Anyway after awhile I realise the smoke is a lot less than it was and after a few tanks full realise I am getting about 30 mpg.
I can only surmise that with the increased fuelling the engine is more efficient and I don’t have to keep the pedal to the metal to keep the thing moving. Certainly noticed that less pedal movement was required in normal driving.
A little food for thought. The best theorising may not lead in the right direction. Here I stumbled across something that worked for me by doing exactly the opposite to what I had intended. How many great discoveries have been made by accident?
Anyway to finish I have since fitted the club’s EGR blanking plate and am still getting 30ish mpg. Next is a free flow air filter. It has worked well on 2 other turbo diesel engines for me. Must investigate.
Thanks for reading this far.(I anybody has).

Dave
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Who needs roads? They only get clogged up with traffic!

[cracksman]

Hi I'm reading it and thanks for posting.

30 mpg sounds almost bearable you may have swayed my decision to buy.

[PinkPig]

Tyres can make quite a difference to. Dragging all terrain tyres around on tarmac can lose some mpg.
I know they don't *look* the part, but there are van tyres around with what I would describe as "road" tread on them . Much slicker, less rolling resistance so more mpg...in theory.
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The PINK PIG!
1988 Delica L300 Star Wagon 2.5TD 5sp Manual.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/__PinkPig___/
A never ending camper/restoration project
Project 1 - Pop-top camper conversion 2011-2015
Project 2 - Campervan the sequel - 2016 restoration, welding, respray, new interior, vertical pop...

[DRB-IT]

I have a compromise there. I have chunky tyres at the back and a less agressive pattern at the front. I didn't fit the front ones for reasons of fuel economy rather for the fact that the L300 seems to transfer a lot of front tyre noise into the cab.
I thought I had a front axle problem but once I changed the front tyres the noise went away and my front axle repaired itself. :D
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Who needs roads? They only get clogged up with traffic!

[Ginja Nutz]

I have read several threads over the time of this club (and it's earlier incarnation) about the 'standard' mpg and the need to get the last 1 or 2 mpg out of their vehicle.

Please take the following comments with light-heartedness with which they are given.................

I can perfectly understand the general interest in getting more mpg but, I for one (and I know many others too) bought a Deli because it's great looks and what it can do - be it off road fun , towing the family's caravan, or simply 'cos you got lots of sprogs - not because of the excellent fuel economy.

To berate a 2 ton, essentially utilitarian vehicle, because of the 'low' mpg seems strange.
As does the fact that, most owners a actively looking to worsen mpg by adding bigger wheels/tyres, towbars, roof boxes, bullbars & several tens of kilos in DVDs, Hifi gear and fridges - turning a areodynamic brick into a aerodynamic barn with the added weight of a combine !!

In my long gone youth, I was a Bug fanatic (VW not the 6 legged beasty types), a car that struggled to get 24mpg no matter how you drove 'em. I can never ever remember any of my friends, magazines or people you met at meets discussing the mpg !

A vehicle that is as fantastic, capable and versatile as either the L300 or L400 Delica, has to one down side. Unfortunately compared to modern 'family' tin boxes , it just can't compete when it comes to mpg.

The fact that you've all joined this club/forum shows that you are enthuiasts and not just owners. And so (and no offence to anybody, this is merely a passing comment, not any form of rebuke), if you are 'concerned' about the mpg of your truck, then I have to say I think you've may have bought the wrong vehicle or the right vehicle for the wrong reason.

Indeed it was sad to see elsewhere on the forum, that a new owner is having to get rid 'cos of his running costs. I hope they can get back what they paid for their Deli.


PS
The practice of fitting widely variable tread patterned/compound tyres on different axles is not good practice on 4WD. Even in 2WD wear rate will be different and so will the grip levels, potentially causing handling problems.
If the wear rate is vastly different, axle wind up could occur when running in 4WD.
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Any information in this posting is correct to the best of my knowledge and I accept no resposibilty for any actions or results based upon it.©

[DRB-IT]

while I partly agree with what you have to sayI have to disagree with the general train of thought. Had I adopted the same attitude when I bought the Deli I would probably be still struggling to get 20 mpg out of it. That would be to the detriment of the Deli, my Bank balance and the planet.
What causes axle wind up is a difference in circumference of the trye not the tread pattern. The difference in grip is going to be negligable and what do you think happens in 4WD anyway? If you are stuck in mud, sand, ice or snow and you need to use 4WD to get out it's because 1 or more wheels are not gripping and by definition axle wind up is what enables you to drive out in 4WD!
Anyway this is all a bit "off post" so how much fuel can you get in yours Ginga?

Dave
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Who needs roads? They only get clogged up with traffic!

[Pajeropah]

Done nothing but have a full service done on mine plus the egr plate and it returns an average 25 mpg, however I have to agree when it comes to how much mpg? I am constantly asked what the mpg is on the Deli where I work and when I say 25mpg everyone winces! I personally cannot see what the problem is (had a Mk 1 Pajero before, Range Rover before that, Ford bronco before that and a Shogun before that and they were all petrol models). Therefore at 25mpg this has to be the cheapest vehicle I've had to run in ages :D ..................but it wasn't bought for that reason!!!!
It was bought for it's versitility, practicality and..........because it stands out from the crowd!!!!! :D

[Ginja Nutz]

As far as different grip between front and back axles, I was referring to when driving in 2WD.
Axle wind-up is, as you correctly say, is due to differing diameters, which is why I said "If the wear rate is vastly different, axle wind up could occur when running in 4WD."

Anyway up or down - back on topic :D

In answer to your question Dave m8.........

Travelled Norwich to Plymouth (320 miles) at a fairly constant 75/95mph on the motorway at 23mpg.
Round town is the same.
I am running 30x9.5 15" road biased off road tyres.

I am also now running a high airflow Unifilter foam filter instead of the standard paper one. I've seen improved throttle response with neglible drop in mpg.

Next is a free-flowing stainless exhaust system (my current one is on the way out), then it will be fuel pump tuning, modifications to the intercooler system and maybe water injection system (more investigation needed on that one).

The last items should see a fall in mpg , but I'd rather have the extra power.
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Any information in this posting is correct to the best of my knowledge and I accept no resposibilty for any actions or results based upon it.©

[-Crewzin-]

prior to getting a pajero i had a Vauxhall Carlton 3000 GSI which apart from being as fast as hell it only gave me 12 miles per gallon, when i got around 25 out of the pajero, and around the same out of the Deli i was delighted!

Gordon,
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3rd Amigo of the Amigo Troop.
(not with poms poms) but will be in a feather bower and in a SmArT WiG

[PinkPig]

Just done the first tank (took a whole week!).

Approx figures:-
100 miles of town driving, 50miles dual carriageway, 64 fast A roads.
1 mile off road (well I had to have a quick play!)
Wife did most of the town driving in second (used to have an auto, so forgets to change gear). I did the dual carraigeway/fast A road - used to have a car so most of it lead footed at 80+.
All with roof rack on top. 215miles, 9 gallons of juice.
So overall - 24mpg.
Quite pleased with that for its age and size.
I would expect more with careful driving etc

--
1988 L300 Delica Star Wagon TurboD 5sp Manual
With 130000miles on the clock
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The PINK PIG!
1988 Delica L300 Star Wagon 2.5TD 5sp Manual.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/__PinkPig___/
A never ending camper/restoration project
Project 1 - Pop-top camper conversion 2011-2015
Project 2 - Campervan the sequel - 2016 restoration, welding, respray, new interior, vertical pop...

[saint]

which way did you turn the fuel
screw clock or anti clockwise to give
it more fuel// mine seems to be
starving under full throttle// it seems to
be weaned off a bit, the cap is off the
end so someone's been fiddling,
jb.
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just mad, no need for logs, I liked my axe.

[-Crewzin-]

done peterborough to blackpool about 200 miles on £36 quid and i didn't hang around. 80+ most of way
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3rd Amigo of the Amigo Troop.
(not with poms poms) but will be in a feather bower and in a SmArT WiG

[DRB-IT]