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Dodge Sprinter

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  • see2xusee2xu Member Posts: 3
    FedEx and UPS are using Sprinters, not Savannas or Econolines. Sure, they buy them cheaper than we can, but you think GM or Ford aren't diving deep for orders in the thousands, too? It's fuel consumption, lower maintenance costs, and longer life that put Sprinters in the large commercial fleets.
  • see2xusee2xu Member Posts: 3
    The next generation is just now being launched in Europe. DCX is converting the former American LaFrance fire truck plant in Charleston, SC, to build it here, starting early next year. They will continue to produce the current model as Dodge and Freightliner at a Freightliner plant near Spartanburg, SC, until the other plant is refitted and running. I've only seen so-called "Works Cars" on the road in Europe, and I just got back from a three day trip this week.
  • tronno22556tronno22556 Member Posts: 32
    Also the cargo volume and payload capacities.
  • jimxojimxo Member Posts: 423
    http://www.daimlerchryslertvmedia.com/en/www/projekte_start.php?nav=40

    Click on "Business division" from home page

    then click on "Film Division"

    Go to bootm of that page to see

    "Making of NCV3 - The new Sprinter"

    German only not English
  • jimxojimxo Member Posts: 423
    I think this was posted before but worth another look.
  • jim314jim314 Member Posts: 491
    The inside height, especially the high roof model, should make them excellent as a tour vehicle. However, the windows do not open so if the a/c would fail or if people want to take pictures, then they are out of luck.

    If slide open windows are an option, I would certainly get them.
  • spondlecatspondlecat Member Posts: 5
    Is there anyone using B100 in their sprinter. I found a gas station selling B-99 for the last four months. Among their customers are Freightliner Cargo vans, and a few Sprinters. I have access to a constant source of used canola oil, and would like to start making my own fuel, however, after investing $35,000 in a vehicle I am concerned about this fuel. Any anticipated problems, or reservations? I understand that Biodiesel has been used in Europe for several years, and the rate of production is going up at about 35% per year. The owner's manual states that only #2 diesel fuel is to be used, but then later it approves up to 50% kerosene in cold climates. Any info would be appreciated.
  • hawk8hawk8 Member Posts: 31
    We ordered ours with no windows, we plan to use rv style windows, slide for travel and torque for camping.
  • jim314jim314 Member Posts: 491
    Did you order it with full sheet metal sides? What about seats?

    Does a customizer shop cut out spaces for the windows and install a window system which allows insertion of two different kinds of window? By "slide" windows I assume these have a fixed half and a sliding half which opens half of the window area. What are "torque" windows?
  • touroptourop Member Posts: 2
    Hi,

    Thanks for the suggestion. I appreciate it.

    Ron
  • hawk8hawk8 Member Posts: 31
    Yes it was ordered full sheet metal, you can do it your self or take it a body shop, torque windows allows you to keep some air circulation when parked even with a light drizzle, but you can't use'em while vehicle is moving see> www.hehr-international.com also www.crlaurence.com/ProductPages/showLine.asp?GroupID=16124&Path=::2085::16124
  • sonnywood2sonnywood2 Member Posts: 38
    the reason is the 80 pounds of air in the tires. you can lower it but it will effect mpg
  • sonnywood2sonnywood2 Member Posts: 38
    i went to my local marine store and bought a control unit that the boaters use to add an extra battery. it charges the battery and switchs to the extra battery when engine is not running so the main battery stays charged. no other connections are needed. i run all my 115 volt units from an inverter that runs off the number two battery. have had it running overnight and main battery stays fully charged. it is late now but if you want a product id i can get it for you tommorrow.
  • shariefsharief Member Posts: 1
    Could you provide the product ID for the control unit? I am trying to setup exactly this. Thanks!
  • sonnywood2sonnywood2 Member Posts: 38
    www.bluesea.com
    cl-series batterylink acr
    pn7600
    if you want to add a battery to run a power inverter and etc.
    this is an easy hookup just hooks in series with the main battery. no other hook up needed.
  • tronno22556tronno22556 Member Posts: 32
    Are you sure?

    I went here:
    https://resources.myeporia.com/company_57/6330.pdf

    and it looks like there are about 4 other wires that need connecting as well.
  • jim314jim314 Member Posts: 491
    "if you want to add a battery to run a power inverter and etc. this is an easy hookup just hooks in series with the main battery. no other hook up needed."

    I'm not trying to be picky but I think you must mean connected in parallel with the existing battery, that is positive of additional battery to positive of existing battery, and negative to negative. That way the total voltage is still 12 V. This is the way you connect jumper cables to start one car with another.

    I would think (but I don't know for certain) that the smaller wires from the original battery would not need to be additionally connected to the new battery because the parallel connection accomplishes this.

    A series connection would give 24 V. Individual cells in a flashlight are connected in series and the voltage is the sum of the voltages of the individual ones. A lead acid car batttery is a battery of 6 lead acid cells connected in series (positive on one cell connected to negative of the preceeding one. Each cell generates 2 V. The combination of two 12 V car batteries connected in parallel generates 12 V, but the available current is the sum of the current supplied by each battery.

    Addition in editing

    Two things I would wonder about are 1) whether the charging system (alternator, voltage regular, etc.) would work exactly the same with two 12 V batteries in parallel, 2) whether one of the wires connecting the new battery to the existing one should have a fusible link or fuse in it to protect the other battery if one battery develops a short. Without a fusible link a high current could flow through the batteries in a loop and maybe cause one or both to seriously overheat or melt wires, and perhaps start a fire.

    The whole idea of putting in a second battery should be done according to guidelines or instructions from those who really know how this should be done. It may be dead simple, but it may not.
  • jim314jim314 Member Posts: 491
    I couldn't make the link work. See my post #497.
  • sonnywood2sonnywood2 Member Posts: 38
    it goes from positive of the main battery and to positive of the number 2 battery that is why i said in series. this goes in the middle of the positive lead going to the 2 battery's. in simple terms connect the 2 batterys positive to positive. cut the lead and place one end on the 1 battery on one end of the acr and the other end on the acr to the other end of the positive battery. you put a fuse on either side of the link. it explains it all in the directions. it has a couple of small wires that can be hooked up as a control line and status line. if you go to thier site www.bluesea.com and click on batterylink acr pn7600 it might have diagrams that are the same as packaged with the unit.
    all i know is i have it hooked as i just explained and it works.
  • kenbakerkenbaker Member Posts: 239
    With the type of (active) battery Isolator that he is telling us he has installed, it is not quite the same issue as a traditional battery isolator.

    With the traditional battery isolator, it is triggered to connect in the second battery when the vehicle is running regardless of battery condition/charge level. This can be very taxing on an alternator/V.C. Regulator.

    With the type of battery isolator he has installed, you have another kind of automatic control. The presumably solid-state components inside the isolator connect the second battery when the voltage on the alternator/1st battery side is higher than that of the second battery and charges the second battery. High charging current is only allowed for short periods, then scaled back to lower charge rates. When the engine is off and the alternator is not supplying voltage, then the disconnect occurs.

    It seems unique in that the second battery is automatically added back into the primary battery system if it has more voltage than the primary system (also appears adjustable). That seems unique for such a simple packaged isolator.

    The manufacturers web-site/info says that a fusible link, slo-blo, or self-resetting circuit braker is recommended for safety reasons. applause follows... simple, correct and gives proper guidelines.

    For someone who caught the inaccuracy of calling a parallel connection a "serial connection", I am confused as to how you propose that "high current could flow through the batteries in a loop"? In parallel, they share a common ground and, of course, a common input (pos.) voltage/current source. This type of isolator (with a single fusible connection on the +Voltage side to the second battery as recommended) is quite easier to run than the older mechanical solenoid based versions I have seen before.

    On your last point, you are correct but just a bit snippy... Using the manufacturer's simple, but complete instructions (which were made available to you in the listed URL/website) would obliterate your objections as long as the manufacturer/dealer stands behind the product.

    For example, they recommend proper short-out protection, wire gauge, wiring voltage drops, current carrying capacity, and have a product that states that it will limit currents in a manner consistent with reasonable practices. They even mention that you need to consider whether or not you have adequate alternator capacity... Simple but reasonable requirements presented along with very simple wiring requirements looks very good to me as well.

    KenB

    I am not affiliated with the company mentioned in this thread or any of its distributors or their competition.
  • jim314jim314 Member Posts: 491
    I was just discussing the second battery connection in basic terms as if one were going to do the connection oneself, which is what it seemed someone was proposing, but maybe I misunderstood.

    'For someone who caught the inaccuracy of calling a parallel connection a "serial connection", I am confused as to how you propose that "high current could flow through the batteries in a loop"? In parallel, they share a common ground and, of course, a common input (pos.) voltage/current source. This type of isolator (with a single fusible connection on the +Voltage side to the second battery as recommended) is quite easier to run than the older mechanical solenoid based versions I have seen before.'

    The loop I was imagining was if one battery would short out and have reduced emf (voltage) then the other battery would send current (possibly high current) into the positive side of the bad battery in the same direction that current flows while charging. I don't know if this actually ever happens but it seemed to me to be a possibility.
  • spondlecatspondlecat Member Posts: 5
    Is any one using biodiesel in this mercedes engine? Getting conflicting answers from Mercedes-Benz,and Dodge.
    I have some customers that are using home made biodiesel in a variety of Mercedes engines, and they seem to be having good luck. There is a biodiesel workshop next weekend in my city. I hope to find some answers then.
  • kenbakerkenbaker Member Posts: 239
    He was proposing to use a battery isolator as recommended by a marine shop, and by the looks of it, it is very nice though I have not yet found a price. Maybe he can give us a ballpark price???

    look at:

    http://www.bluesea.com/product.asp?Product_id=53476

    This is a Current Limiting device... will not continue to draw a high current in the second battery for more than a short time. It also doesn't draw power from the second battery back to the first/starter unless the voltage of the first battery drops and the starter needs help (of course the second battery has to have power to contribute to the start sequence as well.

    It appears to me that it would be very helpful to have the status and switch panel installed as well. As indicated in another post, that entails about 4 more small gauge wires and putting the panel somewhere useful.

    Thanks,
    KenB
  • sonnywood2sonnywood2 Member Posts: 38
    west marine sells it for $92.49 they are a big chain and i am sure there are others that carry it also.
  • sonnywood2sonnywood2 Member Posts: 38
    i also bought the marine battery case to put the battery in. it comes from the factory with the optional battery under the passenger seat but i bolted mine behind the drivers seat for easy excess.
  • sonnywood2sonnywood2 Member Posts: 38
    i did a search to see how easy it would be to find the 7600 battery link in an internet search and this place has it for about half what i paid. $59.00
    http://store.wmjmarine.com/s7600.html
  • hawk8hawk8 Member Posts: 31
    we took delivery last friday 04-14-06, with the Manual came this card, it says:

    ---------------------- OWNERS MANUAL ADDENDUM -------------------------THIS ADDENDUM UPDATES INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUEL REQUIREMENTS IN SECTION 5 OF YOUR OWNER'S MANUAL.
    Maximum Content of Bio-Diesel for Dodge Sprinter with Engine Types OM612 and OM647:
    This statement is issued to communicate that fules with a maximum valume percentage of 2% Bio-Diesel can be used for Sprinter engines type OM612 and OM647. per WWFC (World-Wide Fuel Charter) category 1-3 "Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME) used in commercial must meet ASTM D 6751 specifications"
  • darktwinkiedarktwinkie Member Posts: 1
    I am looking for some custom wheels to fill the wells on my 158" 2500. But i'm having a real hard time finding anyone who makes wheels for the sprinter period. They are very peculiar in bolt pattern size (5 on 130mm) and offset (60-70mm) as well as needing a 2250lb load capacity.
    Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions?
  • jim314jim314 Member Posts: 491
    My suggestion is to have the wheels specially painted. That way you could change the look from time to time.
  • kenbakerkenbaker Member Posts: 239
    What look are you LOOKING for...??? ;)

    eBay is a place to start looking.

    KenB
  • nescosmonescosmo Member Posts: 453
    I do own a Jeep liberty and an sprinter 3500. Today I took the sprinter to the interstate and I notice that when I was doing 69 miles, my tack was reading about 2900 rpm well in my jeep liberty at 69 miles my tack read about 1800 rpm. Could I been missing the od on the sprinter?, is the tranny some how damage or this is normal. Please Help.....
  • sonnywood2sonnywood2 Member Posts: 38
    the reason is the 15" wheels you have on the 3500 sprinter and the 2500 sprinters have 16" wheels. it has the 15" wheels to give it more power to handle the heavier loads. wide open mine turns 3000 at 82 on the speedo and 80 on the gps
  • tronno22556tronno22556 Member Posts: 32
    How many cylinders in that Jeep?

    My 4 cylinder Aveo would do about 2500 RPM at 55 and the 5 cylinder Sprinter would do about 2000 RPM. Our 8 cylinder Explorer does even lower. I think 1700. (All the numbers are approximations based on a guess, and not the actual reading, so don't jump on me for that.)
  • jim314jim314 Member Posts: 491
    Running 2900 rpms at cruising speed would give poor fuel economy, and doesn't sound right to me. I think you should check with other 3500 owners. Are you sure you hadn't downshifted with the "manumatic"? Get up to that speed and try upshifting with the manumatic and see if it goes into a higher gear. If so, then your AT is not working.
  • nescosmonescosmo Member Posts: 453
    :confuse: my Jeep is diesel 2.8 and a 4 cylinder, I was on D when I was at high way speed, I tried on city the manumatic and it seems that it shift ok I get about 150 miles per quarter tank of fuel on city driving and some spressway. I do not know if the tranny have an over drive but it seems to me that rpm is too high. should I take it to the dealer. I do not like dealer so I prefer to avoid them.
  • sonnywood2sonnywood2 Member Posts: 38
    your rpm depends on a number of things. number of cylinders dose not make a different. it is the size of the tire, rear end ratio and final drive. by having 15" wheels or 16" wheels or having 3.72 or 4.11 rear end gears and transmission final drive ratio. look on your build sheet and find out what you have. all sprinters will have the same final drive but the gears and wheels are options available that will change the speed/rpm from one sprinter to another.
  • nescosmonescosmo Member Posts: 453
    Sonnywood.... My sprinter 3500 have the 15" wheels and the 3.7 ratio don't you think that the rpm is too high. The tranny is 5 speed and seems that it shift ok, maybe the 2900 rpm is normal but I am worry.
  • hawk8hawk8 Member Posts: 31
    [it has the 15" wheels to give it more power to handle the heavier loads.]
    Please explain how !
  • sonnywood2sonnywood2 Member Posts: 38
    with the 15" wheels it is like putting different gears in the rear. everything else the same you will not go as far in one reverlotion. so your engine turns the same rpm but you dont go as fast or as far. so it would be like 3rd gear instead of 4th gear. if you don't need it for the extra power i would put the 16" wheels on it. at 3000 rpm i'm doing about 80 mph. it will not go over 3000 rpm on the highway because of the speed limit er. yours might not go 80 mph with those tires.
  • sonnywood2sonnywood2 Member Posts: 38
    if you go to this site you will need to measure the tire height etc.
    http://www.ringpinion.com/content/calculators/rpm.asp
    fill in the numbers 3.72 axle tire height etc
  • 2000_valk2000_valk Member Posts: 67
    I am looking into a GPS unit. Looking at the garmin C330. Do you recommend a roof antenna for better sat. reception? Your input will help. I would like it to be a portable unit I can put in the car when needed. Thanks, Tom
  • nescosmonescosmo Member Posts: 453
    Sonnywood2.... Thank you for the input, now it make sense
  • kenbakerkenbaker Member Posts: 239
    In my father's Ford van we have had no problem getting GPS satellite signals sufficient to have good resolution almost all the time (we have the most experience with this van). With the Sprinter, we have used a dash top position and this provides an even greater area of open windshield over it's position than in the Ford. Using GARMIN e-Trex about the size of a small Nokia cellphone, no external antenna.

    A word of warning was given elsewhere that you may have problems if you have the heated windshield option (metal coating that warms the window?).

    KenB :shades:
  • kenbob88kenbob88 Member Posts: 21
    There are not too many options available.
    Danny Steyn reports on 5 different wheels.
    Here's his site:
    http://www.danny-steyn.com/mercedes-sprinter-van-conversion-to-mercedes-sprinter- -van.htm#7
  • kenbob88kenbob88 Member Posts: 21
    Thanks for posting, hawk8.
    This is good news indeed.
    I copied your post on the Yahoo forum as well.
    Ken
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    I was cruising through the Hill Country of Texas with my MB Cruiser. It is a conversion built on the Dodge Sprinter. I pulled into a driveway and there was a very loud bang in the front end. I was able to drive carefully though the front end was much lower, and scraped when I turned corners. I did not see anything broken. I called the hot line and was put in touch with the closest dealer, about 100 miles away. I nursed the vehicle very carefully to Boerne Chrysler in Boerne Texas, just outside San Antonio. Great people that do a lot of Sprinter work. The service manager told me that UPS has that spring break occasionally. It is a transverse monoleaf spring that is made of ceramic. I left it with them and rented a vehicle. They had me all back on the road in less than 48 hours. Great 5 star dealership. Last tank I drove a little slower. Kept it under 65 MPH most of the day. Filled up with 410 miles registered. Got my best mileage so far, 24.58 MPG. Not bad for an 8000 lb vehicle.
  • hawk8hawk8 Member Posts: 31
    any recommendations where to get a Trailer Hitch for a 158WB 3500? has any one dealt with Sprinteraccessories.com?
  • sonnywood2sonnywood2 Member Posts: 38
    just go to ebay and put in search dodge sprinter van trailer hitch
  • fireguyfireguy Member Posts: 3
    RE: the rust, their are not telling the truth. Get a second opinion, then consider getting another dealership for your service work.
  • fireguyfireguy Member Posts: 3
    The rumble strip noise is very common, my 2003 and 2005 have the noise/vibration. I did put a VanAAcken chip in the 2003. That cured the Rumble strip for a while. Easy driving seems to be one cause, be more aggressive. I had the transmission module changed, and that cured the vibration for about 3 blocks. Then either the converter or flex plate and transmission fluid was changed.
    Cured for about 1/4 mile. I just live w/the vibration.

    Fire guy
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