A Burning Question About Ford Transits

[eddyramrod]

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?

[doobietoo]

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...

[danthecapriman]

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.

[DodgeRover]

Mk3 Lwb was the last proper transit!

[danthecapriman]

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.

[twosmoke300]

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]

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.

[Snipes]

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.

[twosmoke300]

Some lower power ones had a smf anyway

[danthecapriman]

Friend of mine had a steady supply of customers converting to single mass flywheel.

Does doing that cause any problems?

[twosmoke300]

Nope - see above

 

Ford actually list a smf as a heavy duty upgrade kit.

[danthecapriman]

Nope - see above

Ford 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.

[wuvvum]

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.

[sierraman]

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.

[eddyramrod]

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?

[Christine]

Yes, a Vauxhall Zafira part  will fit....oh, wait a minute 

[Guest Hooli]

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 ).

[sierraman]

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.

[eddyramrod]

( especially as a lot are girl wheel drive ).

Yeah, mine is...

[doobietoo]

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...

[Guest Hooli]

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.

[Mally]

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]

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.

[Arthur Foxhake]

I had a mk5 go up in flames of its own accord stemming from the same place. Electrics according to the fire investigation.

[Junkman]

My neighbour's builders company Transies did it often enough to be replaced with - Renaults.

[danthecapriman]

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.

[danthecapriman]

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?

[twosmoke300]

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

[Lacquer Peel]

I saw a row of mk7 (?) Fiestas at Sports Car Breakers with burnt out engine bays. Is there a problem?

 

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[George-Roper]

Recall here - http://www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/apps/recalls/searches/expand.asp?uniqueID=864C339E59DA549380256BB900268CB7&freeText=Blank&tx=