New owner, beginning with cross country trip....advice

[63SWC]

Hello,
I am looking forward to joining the Delorean community. I am flying to Bend, OR Sunday (yes, I've seen the snow) to purchase 1417 and bring back to MS. Taking extra belts, wiper blades, zip ties, fuse assortment, flashlight, printout of shared parts, etc that I can get in my carry on bag.
Dealer has checked car and noted no mechanical issues.
What would you recommend I grab from the auto parts store before I hit the road on the way home? What size is the tensioner bolt in case I need to replace the belts?
Thinking- ratchet set, wrench set (std or metric), pliers, multi-tip screwdriver, hose clamp assortment, knife/blade, 50/50 coolant mix (maybe), jumper cables, ......
Check spare, battery, tire pressures, lighting, ......

I've done similar trips with mixed results but always a good time and stories. If you know anything about this car, please pass the info along here or through pm. Advice for the trip is most welcome.

[TTait]

Hello,
I am looking forward to joining the Delorean community. I am flying to Bend, OR Sunday (yes, I've seen the snow) to purchase 1417 and bring back to MS. Taking extra belts, wiper blades, zip ties, fuse assortment, flashlight, printout of shared parts, etc that I can get in my carry on bag.
Dealer has checked car and noted no mechanical issues.
What would you recommend I grab from the auto parts store before I hit the road on the way home? What size is the tensioner bolt in case I need to replace the belts?
Thinking- ratchet set, wrench set (std or metric), pliers, multi-tip screwdriver, hose clamp assortment, knife/blade, 50/50 coolant mix (maybe), jumper cables, ......
Check spare, battery, tire pressures, lighting, ......

I've done similar trips with mixed results but always a good time and stories. If you know anything about this car, please pass the info along here or through pm. Advice for the trip is most welcome.

Multimeter, wire stripper, crimper, connectors, metric wrenches, road flares, smartphone with data plan, and most importantly - a AAA card with 100 mile or more towing included. Don't try to use the spare tire.

Buy any and all tools you may need at a Sears in OR - you can return them unused if you like when you get home. if there is any doubt about a tool, throw it in - if you don't use it the tool on the trip it costs you nothing.

Before you head out install a cable tire around the coolant pipe below the AC compressor and between the two prongs on the otterstadt valve - see posts 32 and 43 in this thread http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?848-HELP-Car-Overheated-Today/page5

Take it to a jiffy lube or similar shop and get the angle drive and suspension lubed. Only use good quality gas - check your oil and water often.

Consider posting your intended route and trying to make contact with owners in advance here and there along the way - make a map showing where owners from this forum who reply live, with their cell numbers. a lot of problems can be vexing to a new owner or an average mechanic that are no big deal for seasoned owners.

[Bitsyncmaster]

Congratulations on your purchase. You won't get that tool bag as carry on. Also don't have flares in your luggage.

[63SWC]

Thanks TTait and Bitsyncmaster. I am planning on purchasing the tools once in Oregon. The TSA "no tool over 7 inches" eliminated taking my own unless I checked the bag which I plan to avoid.

I will add the items mentioned to my kit.

As far as route, first goal is to get out of Oregon. Heading south on 97 or southeast on 20/95 from Bend in direction of Las Vegas traveling through central Nevada. We would like to stop there, then continue east on I40 to Amarillo, and then through Wichita Falls and Dallas on to MS.

If you live along this route, and want to PM me a contact number, I will certainly "phone a friend" if need arises.

Thanks again for any suggestions or helpful tips.

[Jonathan]

Print this out and take it with you:

http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?9950-P-J-Grady-Emergency-Troubleshooting-Guide

Anything you think you might be able to tackle on the side of the road, try it and find out. Not in advance of course when you don't even have the car yet, but if you think you might jumper something or replace a belt, go through (at least in your mind) each step and ensure you have the tools or parts you'll need. No sense carrying replacement parts or tools in the car if it's something you would never repair yourself on the side of the road (like TABs or a pan gasket for example).

----> perhaps now that Rob Grady has joined the forum, he might take a look at the "break down cheat sheet" that was authored by his people and advise if a better PDF of the document can be uploaded. I have this better PDF document that was edited or revised (2001 V3.0) but will not post unless I have permission.

[63SWC]

Awesome Jonathan. I will print and carry along. Goes well with the list of interchangeable parts I got off the site as well. Thanks to all the hard working people who out this kind of resource together.

[Mike A]

Congrats. I would pick up a fire extinguisher just to be safe. If you have someone else with you on the road trip, they can look back and check for any smoke.

[Rich]

Hello,
I am looking forward to joining the Delorean community. I am flying to Bend, OR Sunday (yes, I've seen the snow) to purchase 1417 and bring back to MS. Taking extra belts, wiper blades, zip ties, fuse assortment, flashlight, printout of shared parts, etc that I can get in my carry on bag.
Dealer has checked car and noted no mechanical issues.

Great to hear of an imminent new owner - congrats in advance.

Not so much a note about equipment but rather a suggestion about some pre-trip checks that you or the dealer should undertake. "No mechanical issues..." is a good start.
This list is partial and it's focused on you and the car having a good trip together. There's stuff you can fix later and there's stuff you need to verify before going cross-country.

1. Pressure-test the cooling system. 15PSI at the filler cap with a regular test kit. You need to know it's tight.
2. Inspect brakes. Fluid level OK? Strong, straight stops from speed? You want no surprises in a road emergency.
3. Lighting and controls. Exterior lights all need to work incl high beams and all 4 brake lights plus 2 taillights. In fog or rain on your travels you'll want to see and be seen.
4. Wipers - learn how to enable the delay function, it's a bit weird, also check blades.
5. Hot start capability - a mechanic who doesn't take the car on a 15+ minute drive, then turn the car off and try starting it about 5 minutes later will not discover this problem. Check it out so you know what to expect.

Have a great trip.

[DMCMW Dave]

Great to hear of an imminent new owner - congrats in advance.

Not so much a note about equipment but rather a suggestion about some pre-trip checks that you or the dealer should undertake. "No mechanical issues..." is a good start.
This list is partial and it's focused on you and the car having a good trip together. There's stuff you can fix later and there's stuff you need to verify before going cross-country.

1. Pressure-test the cooling system. 15PSI at the filler cap with a regular test kit. You need to know it's tight.
2. Inspect brakes. Fluid level OK? Strong, straight stops from speed? You want no surprises in a road emergency.
3. Lighting and controls. Exterior lights all need to work incl high beams and all 4 brake lights plus 2 taillights. In fog or rain on your travels you'll want to see and be seen.
4. Wipers - learn how to enable the delay function, it's a bit weird, also check blades.
5. Hot start capability - a mechanic who doesn't take the car on a 15+ minute drive, then turn the car off and try starting it about 5 minutes later will not discover this problem. Check it out so you know what to expect.

Have a great trip.

Start the car and let the engine idle in place (not driving around) for at least 20-30 minutes. Make sure the cooling fans come on and off by themselves with the temp gauge not going over 220. You don't want to find dead cooling fans stuck in Las Vegas traffic.

After this test is a great time to do the above hot start test.

[63SWC]

Again I want to thank everyone who is replying in this thread. Lots of great suggestions to increase the likelihood of a smooth trip.
I will try to keep another thread going of the trip with photos.

[Jonathan]

Perhaps another familiarity type thought would be to have an idea of what lights are supposed to come on and when on the instrument cluster as well as where the gauge should normally sit while running.

When you turn the key to accessories, you should see the battery light come on. This is arguably the most important warning light as that bulb functioning correctly is a prerequisite for the alternator and charging system to work properly.

You may also see the door ajar light come on if the door is open and plungers are connected, same with the seatbelt light (and buzzer). The parking brake light should come on if you pull up on the brake handle and go off when you disengage the parking brake.

The oil pressure light should come on during the accessories power up, as when the engine is not yet running, there isn't any oil pressure.

The Lambda light coming on is about the least important thing there for you on day one. All it tells you is that your odometer got to 30,000 miles and you should change the oxygen sensor. Concern yourself with that some other time.

The low fuel light is an important one as you'd imagine. Like the oil pressure gauge, the fuel gauge serves as an additional check of the reading. Our fuel senders aren't terribly accurate in the sense that they often go up and down from the angle the car is on or the action of the fuel sloshing around while driving (with a tank having no baffles in it). If the fuel gauge points straight up (at 12 o'clock) that is generally telling you it isn't working. Full is more like around 1 or 2 o'clock, but not directly straight up.

Oil pressure is going to read either pretty much pegged high if you have an original oil pressure gauge sender (that weren't calibrated that well) or will read at 80% of the range while driving and then fall back down somewhat lower when idling at an intersection.

The battery gauge on the left side is not terribly consistent among different cars but will typically read past half way and perhaps in the neighborhood of 13 or 14 volts. If you see it dropping to under 10 for any considerable amount of time, then find out why. If a belt is a bit wet, it can slip for a few moments when you first start the car and show a lower voltage, but it should go up quickly after that brief amount of time.

One of the reasons I would say the battery warning light coming on while driving is the most important warning light is because while it is likely telling you there is a problem with the charging system, it might be because your alternator belt flew apart. You can drive a car without the charging system for some brief amount of time, but this is a very bad idea on our cars because if you lose that belt, it also means your coolant/water pump is no longer pumping. Last thing you want to do is overheat the engine. If you see that battery light come on, as quickly as you can possibly and safely do, get over to the shoulder or parking lot or something and shut the car off to have a look. Don't wait to limp home because you're almost there, pull over first and check it out. Many things are fairly easy to fix on our cars, but problems from overheated engines aren't often some of them.

Odometer and speedometer run together off the same signal/cable. If you lose the speedo, your odo won't move either. You can find on the forum here a chart to give you RPM versus speed for particular gears on both the automatics and manuals. Especially early on, if you don't know how fast you are going, you can tell from the engine speed in RPM (more or less). Another good reason to have a GPS on the dash, not just for directions, but for the speedometer part.

The other lights in the cluster are for turn signals, headlights and highbeams. The little dial in front of the shifter (left of the console clock if you have one) is called a rheostat and will control how "dimmed" the back lighting of the cluster is. If it's dark, the dial might need turning.

Oh, if your speedo is working and you feel so inclined to reset your trip meter, they get reset by pushing them and not by twisting them. Many cars that have a snapped off trip reset shaft are because someone tried to twist instead of push.

Hope that helps. You've got lots here you can read up on as you've probably already realized! :)

[Bruce Johnson]

Can't add more than what's already been said but congrats and safe journey from your younger...1420

[TTait]

when is the big day?

[63SWC]

Fly MS to Oregon tomorrow, leave Monday around 8am headed home. Looking forward to a great experience. I appreciate the advice and support I have been provided from members of this forum.

[63SWC]

What size is the bolt for the belt tensioners? Are all the bolts metric or will I need a standard wrench set as well? Size range for wrench set?
Lug size (in case lug wrench is not present, forgot to ask).
I've read a thread or two concerning the spare tire/age/size. Instead of searching for one from a late model Civic or other to replace mine with, can I simply go to a Firestone/tire shop and have tire replaced? This is my first collector car without a full sized spare.

Jonathan, thanks again for all the advice concerning checking electronics function, lighting and warnings, etc.

DMCMW and Rich, we will run through the tests you have mentioned. Please advise about what causes hot start issues (I will search after this reply is posted and may find the answer) and what, if any, is the workaround?

Thanks again CP

[OverlandMan]

Hello,
I am looking forward to joining the Delorean community. I am flying to Bend, OR Sunday (yes, I've seen the snow) to purchase 1417 and bring back to MS. Taking extra belts, wiper blades, zip ties, fuse assortment, flashlight, printout of shared parts, etc that I can get in my carry on bag.
Dealer has checked car and noted no mechanical issues.
What would you recommend I grab from the auto parts store before I hit the road on the way home? What size is the tensioner bolt in case I need to replace the belts?
Thinking- ratchet set, wrench set (std or metric), pliers, multi-tip screwdriver, hose clamp assortment, knife/blade, 50/50 coolant mix (maybe), jumper cables, ......
Check spare, battery, tire pressures, lighting, ......

I've done similar trips with mixed results but always a good time and stories. If you know anything about this car, please pass the info along here or through pm. Advice for the trip is most welcome.

Looking forward to hearing about your adventure. Good luck!

Get ready for lots of attention.

[Rich W]

What size is the bolt for the belt tensioners? Are all the bolts metric or will I need a standard wrench set as well? Size range for wrench set?
Lug size (in case lug wrench is not present, forgot to ask).
I've read a thread or two concerning the spare tire/age/size. Instead of searching for one from a late model Civic or other to replace mine with, can I simply go to a Firestone/tire shop and have tire replaced? This is my first collector car without a full sized spare.

Jonathan, thanks again for all the advice concerning checking electronics function, lighting and warnings, etc.

DMCMW and Rich, we will run through the tests you have mentioned. Please advise about what causes hot start issues (I will search after this reply is posted and may find the answer) and what, if any, is the workaround?

Thanks again CP

Good Luck with your cross-country drive this week.

As for a few of your questions yet unanswered, the vast majority of bolts are metric, with many of the "adjustment" bolts being 10mm, 11mm and 13mm.

You should probably check the age and condition of the tires, as well as the tire pressures. If you know how the car has been used in the past few years,
you will not have to guess if the tires have flat spots from sitting (even if tires are newer) and of course, this will impact the ride quality for the trip.

You should also see if there has been regular maintenance items replaced in the recent past, such as the alternator. If OEM, these can fail on a long trip
if the car has been in hibernation more than it has been used over the past three decades. Battery light may act different with a newer alternator too.

Best advice is to not "push the cars limits" whenever possible, especially when crossing desert areas or through the mountains with snowy or icy roads.
Also keep in mind that the car will get attention on the road and for fuel stops, etc., so be sure to expect your stops to take longer than minimum time.

Drive Safe and report in when you arrive home.

[63SWC]

Made it to LA, flight to Oregon in a few hours. Thanks again for all advice, First stop is Wal Mart for trip supplies/etc then pick up car in the morning. I will continue to watch this thread for info and start a new thread for the trip photos and details.

[Jonathan]

And regardless of how the trip unfolds exactly, keep reminding yourself to soak it in and enjoy it.

Like they say, "Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop to look around once and a while and you could miss it."

Most every owner I know can recall their day one experience. Take a minute to just stop and marvel at the sheer awesomeness of what you've done. And feel free to let out a little "F'n'ing A" every so often. :)

[Rich]

DMCMW and Rich, we will run through the tests you have mentioned. Please advise about what causes hot start issues (I will search after this reply is posted and may find the answer) and what, if any, is the workaround?

The most common cause of hot restart issue is loss of rest pressure in the fuel injection system. Which has less to do with the pumping pressure and more to do with subcomponents. The root cause investigation and fixes are not easily done during a trip.

We can go into why it's built that way another time. For your upcoming trip you asked the right question - how to work around it should it occur.

The primary workaround is simple and reliable; just wait for the engine/fuel system to cool off. It can take a while, like maybe half an hour or more. Then, in essence, it is no longer a hot-restart situation. It will start when it's cooled off as if there was never a problem. You can aid the cooldown a bit by opening the engine cover.

The other workaround is not to turn it off if you plan to drive again within the next 30-45 minutes. Or not to leave it shut off and hot-soaking long enough for fuel pressure to drop too far, a duration which you cannot know until it's too late, however.

What not to do if you hit a hot-start issue? Two things. Don't just keep cranking every few minutes. And don't panic.

Enjoy the ride!

[Bitsyncmaster]

My drive home from the seller I will never forget. Did not know how to turn on the headlights or how to open the engine lid. Found out the headlight switch after a lot of looking. Got home about 2:00 AM and don't think I slept much that night even though the 16 hours on the road were exhausting.

[refugeefromcalif]

I only had a 13 hr. 700+ mile drive from where I picked up my car. (And I got it a DeLorean vendor).
I can't imagine the drive that you will be doing.
I can't add anything beyond, Don't push it, drive Safe and watch out for the idiots trying to get pictures of your car...
Keep us updated on your Fantastic Journey... (Pics would be Great)!

George

[spedlot]

Ok can't resist. It's ferris bueller. One of the greatest movie quotes of all time.

[TTait]

You home yet? How did it go?

[63SWC]

TTait,
Yes, I am home safely. Please see my travel thread: http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?10986-Cross-country-Delorean-Adventure-2014
The trip was terrific.
CP