eddyramrod Posted September 18, 2017 Share Posted September 18, 2017 In the streets around me, over the last week or so, two noughties Transits have suffered underbonnet fires. Both vans - one pre- and one post-facelift - are fatally damaged (hopefully not for anyone who was in or near them at the time!) and the seat of the fire appears to have been in the same place on both vans: behind and inboard of the left headlight.My work van is a Transit of the same type, on a 63 plate so last of the post-facelift style before the new Turkish Transit was launched. I am, therefore, wondering: what is located in that part of the engine bay that could be prone to catching fire? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doobietoo Posted September 18, 2017 Share Posted September 18, 2017 Fusable glow plug wire... known problem, instead of a fuse they made the wire fusable then bundled it with the rest of the loom... genius... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthecapriman Posted September 18, 2017 Share Posted September 18, 2017 On my last company one (52 reg 2.4) they were very prone to duel mass flywheel/starter faults. The duel mass flywheel breaks up and all the bits of shit that come off work their way into the starter motor which then jams up and overheats, sometimes causing a fire to start.We lost three of these vans in our depot alone due to this. That's what I was told by our garage anyway! I don't really like Transits after the good old smiley DI type. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeRover Posted September 18, 2017 Share Posted September 18, 2017 Mk3 Lwb was the last proper transit! Cavcraft and danthecapriman 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthecapriman Posted September 18, 2017 Share Posted September 18, 2017 Mk3 Lwb was the last proper transit!I like them upto the end of the 'smiley' type. Whenever that was, Y reg? Basically if it's got a 2.5DI it's good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twosmoke300 Posted September 18, 2017 Share Posted September 18, 2017 While I agree with that in principle ( served my time on smiley transits and love them ) , driving one now is an eye opener . So noisy and slow compared to modern vans . danthecapriman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthecapriman Posted September 18, 2017 Share Posted September 18, 2017 While I agree with that in principle ( served my time on smiley transits and love them ) , driving one now is an eye opener . So noisy and slow compared to modern vans .Definitely. I've had a 60 and 66 reg Sprinters since my last Smiley left me and they are just like big cars. Fast, quiet and the drive is very car like. You can throw them around like a car too. Try doing that in my mk2 and you'll kill yourself! Leaf springs front and rear, steering box without PAS etc etc!Mind you its swings and roundabouts. The old vans are much tougher and more rugged, and they are much cheaper and easier to fix. But you've got to be able to weld!The Sprinters we've had have been very expensive on maintenance so far.I still say though that a good smiley Transit kept in good nik is all the van you'll ever need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Snipes Posted September 18, 2017 Share Posted September 18, 2017 On my last company one (52 reg 2.4) they were very prone to duel mass flywheel/starter faults. The duel mass flywheel breaks up and all the bits of shit that come off work their way into the starter motor which then jams up and overheats, sometimes causing a fire to start.We lost three of these vans in our depot alone due to this. That's what I was told by our garage anyway! I don't really like Transits after the good old smiley DI type.Friend of mine had a steady supply of customers converting to single mass flywheel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twosmoke300 Posted September 18, 2017 Share Posted September 18, 2017 Some lower power ones had a smf anyway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthecapriman Posted September 18, 2017 Share Posted September 18, 2017 Friend of mine had a steady supply of customers converting to single mass flywheel.Does doing that cause any problems? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twosmoke300 Posted September 18, 2017 Share Posted September 18, 2017 Nope - see above Ford actually list a smf as a heavy duty upgrade kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthecapriman Posted September 18, 2017 Share Posted September 18, 2017 Nope - see aboveFord actually list a smf as a heavy duty upgrade kit.I read something about it causing vibrations and knocking the crank out! Sounded like bollocks to me tbh but I'm not really up on modern stuff. The last Transits I worked on were smileys, most of them were the purple British Gas ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuvvum Posted September 18, 2017 Share Posted September 18, 2017 While I agree with that in principle ( served my time on smiley transits and love them ) , driving one now is an eye opener . So noisy and slow compared to modern vans .Easy way round that is to buy either a TD or (for added quietness) a twin cam with an LPG conversion. danthecapriman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sierraman Posted September 18, 2017 Share Posted September 18, 2017 This happened to me, fire to do with the glow plug relay. Burnt out all the wiring loom. Did it at about 120k, van was an 04 plate, wrote it off IIRC it was 5 years old at the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddyramrod Posted September 18, 2017 Author Share Posted September 18, 2017 Fusable glow plug wire... known problem, instead of a fuse they made the wire fusable then bundled it with the rest of the loom... genius... This happened to me, fire to do with the glow plug relay. Burnt out all the wiring loom. Did it at about 120k, van was an 04 plate, wrote it off IIRC it was 5 years old at the time.Thanks guys. Is it something that can be anticipated, or modified out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted September 18, 2017 Share Posted September 18, 2017 Yes, a Vauxhall Zafira part will fit....oh, wait a minute doobietoo, Cavcraft, eddyramrod and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hooli Posted September 18, 2017 Share Posted September 18, 2017 Smiley transits are still one of the best things to drive sideways, the new ones aren't nearly as fun ( especially as a lot are girl wheel drive ). Barry Cade, cros and danthecapriman 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sierraman Posted September 18, 2017 Share Posted September 18, 2017 I've no idea. I'd been running the van for 6 hours or so when it happened, caught fire round the back of work while it was idling. Wasn't bothered, it was fucked anyway, I'd took it within an inch of its life 6 days a week for 120k. Catching fire was salvation for it after the treatment it got. Got a new 57 plate week after so alls well that ends well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddyramrod Posted September 18, 2017 Author Share Posted September 18, 2017 ( especially as a lot are girl wheel drive ).Yeah, mine is... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doobietoo Posted September 18, 2017 Share Posted September 18, 2017 You can replace the fuseable wire with a normal one with an inline fuse but it is better to use 4 wires all with individual fuses then if a glow plug goes bad you still have the three. Or you can remove the wire altogether as if the rest of the engine is in good condition it will happily start without them... eddyramrod 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hooli Posted September 18, 2017 Share Posted September 18, 2017 Yeah, mine is... Sorry to hear that. Dulux did the same to me years ago, I buggered off bus driving to get away from the awful fwd thing. eddyramrod 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mally Posted September 18, 2017 Share Posted September 18, 2017 Ours is 2011 2.4 RWD, still going strong.............I'll let you know if it lasts 10 years same as the last one did. eddyramrod 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddyramrod Posted September 18, 2017 Author Share Posted September 18, 2017 You can replace the fuseable wire with a normal one with an inline fuse but it is better to use 4 wires all with individual fuses then if a glow plug goes bad you still have the three. Or you can remove the wire altogether as if the rest of the engine is in good condition it will happily start without them...It's excellent, and does start without, but for peace of mind I think I'll be talking to the boss about this tomorrow, and the garage thereafter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Foxhake Posted September 18, 2017 Share Posted September 18, 2017 I had a mk5 go up in flames of its own accord stemming from the same place. Electrics according to the fire investigation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junkman Posted September 18, 2017 Share Posted September 18, 2017 My neighbour's builders company Transies did it often enough to be replaced with - Renaults. eddyramrod and Lacquer Peel 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthecapriman Posted September 18, 2017 Share Posted September 18, 2017 I had a Corsa van when I first started in my current job. I hated it dearly then one day that set itself alight. Started as a burnt brown bit of paint in the middle of the bonnet but very quickly turned into an inferno. The whole front half of the van was well ablaze by the time the fire brigade arrived. Total loss obviously.Best thing that ever happened to the hateful piece of shit.Apparently that was an electrical fault, some recall it missed I think? Such a waste of the full tank of diesel I'd put in it that morning too. Junkman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthecapriman Posted September 18, 2017 Share Posted September 18, 2017 What kind of van is this? I can't tell, other than that it's not a Turkish Transit because the copper is looking straight at it without vomiting. https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/perth-kinross/509380/m90-closed-ways-due-fears-blazing-van-gas-canisters/Iveco isn't it? catsinthewelder, eddyramrod and Lacquer Peel 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twosmoke300 Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 Ours is 2011 2.4 RWD, still going strong.............I'll let you know if it lasts 10 years same as the last one did.Wow ten years ! Hardly an epic . Talking of epics - I wouldn't touch a td smiley with a barge pole . Lucas epic pump made of cheese with a ten second delay between power on and movement .I'd rock a petrol one but those engines aren't fords finest hour either . Truth be told I wouldn't have a transit at all now . I've always done ok with sevel vans . 2.0 hdi is a nice basic quiet lump and the 2.3 fiat engine in the later ones is tough but I wouldn't want a high mileage mk3 Ducato / boxer/ relay as they get a bit flakey past 150k Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lacquer Peel Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 I saw a row of mk7 (?) Fiestas at Sports Car Breakers with burnt out engine bays. Is there a problem? Sent from my VTR-L09 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George-Roper Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 Recall here - http://www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/apps/recalls/searches/expand.asp?uniqueID=864C339E59DA549380256BB900268CB7&freeText=Blank&tx= Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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