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Dodge Sprinter

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Comments

  • sonnywood2sonnywood2 Member Posts: 38
    dose anyone know when the new models will hit the dealerships?
    i have to store mine away from my home address because it is over 96" high. that sure is a big pain. it is my personal transportation. i know i will take a big hit trading a 2006 hightop for a 2007 standard but there is not much else i can do. it would be worst to trade for another 2006 low top. if i turn it into a camper,toilet, stove, bed and etc. i can keep it in the rear yard, but that requires installing a driveway and getting permits etc. i will have to price it out and see.
  • tidwellstidwells Member Posts: 5
    I'm converting my 2002 cargo Sprinter into a mini-RV. I was considering removing the black plywood floor before installing padding and carpet in order to gain a little more headroom. Does anyone know if the floor has a lot of uneven ridges, or is it pretty smooth? Thanks.
    Doug
  • earlwearlw Member Posts: 8
    When at the factory and seeing the vans converted to mini motor homes I think I remember the floor having ridges. Also the plywood will help to reduce the highway noise and add a little insulation. I do know they leave it in at the factory. And it will be easier to attach things to the wooden floor than the metal floor. Hopes this helps.
  • nescosmonescosmo Member Posts: 453
    I don't wish any body bad things it just a saying. So far with the lord help my situation have become stable the county have left me along. I can park in my driveway after I install the fence and about the fence stay as is, for how long , don't know but so far so good. I am looking for a house away from the city when i find it, i'm gone.
  • nescosmonescosmo Member Posts: 453
    Sonnywood2.... the 2007 are going to be very over price and they will be with gas and diesel engines I think that you should move. If you buy a new model is going to cost you a lot. keep it in the rear yard and lock the yard and don't let them go in and if you do, find an old stove and dump it in the van, they are stupid any way, they work for the city.
  • sonnywood2sonnywood2 Member Posts: 38
    i would sell and move if i thought i could get an equal home for the same money. the market is not real good here now. i also just put in a new pool last year. they told me that if i am going to make it a camper it would have to be inspected when done before i can park it there and i don't care if they do that. what gets my goat is they want me to give them plans of the drive etc. so they can ok it. i went around the area last week and seen 25 or 30 cars parked on the grass in there yards yet they say i can't drive on the grass to get to the back yard. it has to be an approved driveway. if i could only afford a lawyer i think i would have a case of discrimation.
  • rafalmarcjanekrafalmarcjanek Member Posts: 2
  • rafalmarcjanekrafalmarcjanek Member Posts: 2
    I recently bought a 2006 sprinter 2500. I have gone to a bestbuy to have them install a alarm system, however the installers their were completely confused as to how to install the alarm on the car, so i never let them install it. I am just wondering has any one installed a alarm on this car, and if so what was the brand that was used. I store tools and materials in the back that are worth a lot a money, and i need them to be safe. Now i have a cargo wall to seperate the front from the back but i need something to alarm the entire truck. motion sensors will not work, as the tools have a lot of wood dust on them and the sensors would get covered by the dust, and make them not operate properly. As well the alarm can not be activated by the lights turning on inside the truck, as the workers that i employ sometimes turn them off and forget. The car is equiped with keyless entry. Any ideas?
  • surlyoldbillsurlyoldbill Member Posts: 36
    Get an old style alarm that requires pins to be put in the door jams. When any door is opened, it sets off the alarm whether the lights come on or not; because it's independent of the sprinter's system other than to get the 12v power. I got an alarm on Ebay for $20 that works great. I don't need the remote start or ignition kill or any other fancy circuitry, although it cam with it. Alarm wiring diagrams can be found online that are specific to the sprinter if you want to install using the factory wiring harness; they tell you what color wire to hook to, and where it can be located. It took me about an hour and a half, and that included taking the dash and trim apart and drilling mounting holes for the flashing LED's where anyone could see them (on top of the dash above the steering wheel, and inside the window of each opening door).
  • punter1punter1 Member Posts: 50
    There are a million Sprinters in Europe.
    I would search British truck modifiers for alarm information.
  • nescosmonescosmo Member Posts: 453
    Sonny..... Do the next best thing go to the tv station and make a case out of it or call your congress man and tell them that you have been discriminated it. complain about code enforcement, tell them that they are finger pointing you. Don't let this shear butt breakers control your life.
  • grasspressgrasspress Member Posts: 11
    hi, tidwells:

    nearly all van floors have ridges, since it is an easy way for manufacturers to gain strength and rigidity for flat metal surfaces. to be sure, crawl under and look up.

    you might want to think twice about removing the plywood floor: it is slip-proof and easy to sweep up. i kept it in my sprinter and when i put in place my camping conversion equipment, it works just fine for me. i know we're all different, but you might want to give it a double-think before removing. the height you will gain is only 1/2".

    grasspress
  • grasspressgrasspress Member Posts: 11
    hi, sprinter owners:

    is mobil-1 synthetic oil approved for the sprinter diesel?

    i bought a purolater L25536 filter for 25$ but it hasn't arrived yet. does anyone know if this filter meets sprinter diesel specs?

    and what, exactly, are the procedures for changing oil? is it basically the same as for other vehicles: drain oil, replace filter, replace oil. are there other issues a bit different from other vehicles that might foul-up a first-time oil change. is the oil filter cap to the right of the engine after opening the hood? and i suppose the oil drain plug is the small plug to the driver's side of the oil pan (no plug on the bottom of the oil pan as in most older vehicles).

    this will be an oil change at 5000 miles; i'm just doing this as a boost to drain dirty oil from the break-in period. i plan to take the van to dealer for official oil changes for the duration of the warranty period.

    thanks to any help.

    grasspress
  • kenbakerkenbaker Member Posts: 239
    easy, just have big drip pan and don't do if windy as the oil will string out when it gets "thready" toward the end of the draining.

    Get the tool for opening the filter housing and make sure to keep track of the "O" rings when you remove them and put the NEW ones back in the same places.

    Fill with the recommended 9.5 quarts, then double check after the engine is run hot again.

    KenB
  • kenbakerkenbaker Member Posts: 239
    1) Mobil 1 (fully synthetic) is approved if of the correct viscosity. "diesel engine" oil is not required for this Mercedes diesel.

    2) Your purolator number looks OK according to nother website. That is a lot of $ for the filter element though. The D/C, Dodge, or Mercedes is a Mann (OEM) filter and they are generally not that expensive. My O-Reilly's quoted me $18.75 approx. for the filter element.

    3) the oil change is not special as far as I know except that you will want the wrench for opening the filter housing and will have "O" rings to retrieve and to put the new ones in the same places as you put it back together. Filter on right, filler front and center, drain on oil pan, dipstick is normal (transmission, of course, is not).

    4) If you are using the dealer for warranty period oil changes, then what is this oil change for? In case of a "boost" in oil clarity alone, then why use a new fliter? Why not just drain and refill? If you are unsure of the filter/o-rings, then you don't have that problem... Have the new filter handy just in case you are caught away from a Sprinter dealer when you need a change.

    The oil filter is typically just fine for 15,000 miles in most modern cars. Many recommend 7,500 mile oil changes and a filter every other oil change... manufacturers recommend this and get LONG life out of this scheme. The Sprinter with ASSYST can easily go to 15,000 miles on an oil change under light use conditions. Short oil change intervals are a thing of the past - or for severe duty - like: gravel dump trucks and taxis.

    My friends with the Cummins diesel Dodge trucks are getting their best mileage only after 20,000 miles (or 15,000 if you run them hard/pull trailers). Postponing complete break-in is not very helpful.

    I still have my GMC Safari running great on long oil changes: 7,500 miles (filter every time), 120,000 miles and running great. doesn't use oil or leak. does eat alternators too often. Regular change of ALL filters, oil, air, fuel, etc. Tight space leads to early engine mount (rubber part) failure (100,000 miles). Always runs in the correct tmep range and the oil pressure is good.

    KenB :shades:
  • nescosmonescosmo Member Posts: 453
    Grasspress You pay too much go to Autozone and get an STP S8481 filter it comes with the O rings also buy the cap wrench # A251 put on top of the filter cap and use a 3/8 extension to removed it. Once you take the canister out pull the filter straight out, replace the O rings and that is it. I use Chevron delo 15w-40 oil dino. I have 10k and replace the oil 2 times in case. I will replace the oil at about 12k that is when tha assist tell me to replace it. After that I will replace my oil at 5k I do not trust computers telling me when to replace the oil. I think that they want your engine not to last with this 10 or 12k oil change. Oil is a cheep insurance and I will change my oil every 5k or so.
  • kenbakerkenbaker Member Posts: 239
    Oil is, ostensibly, "cheap insurance"... however, throwing away 9.5 quarts of dirty oil extra during each 10,000 miles of driving is potentially more harmful to the environment in the long run. If the ASSYST tells you you can go 15,000 between changes, then your 5,000 mile changes waste 19 quarts of dirty oil.

    The 10,000 mile oil change intervals result in 500,000 mile longevity in about 50% of the Sprinters in a fleet (Mercedes numbers for major failures in fleet conditions, not just engines). Engine life is reportedly near million mile levels at recommended service levels. At this rate, your chassis will be pretty beaten up (and major repairs done, many times) long before the engine gives up.

    Of course we hear about failure of many parts in non-lubricated areas: sensors, injectors, harmonic balanacers, etc., but here I am talking about drive-train related problems. What we don't hear much of are internal oil-related problems... because modern oils, coupled with modern service levels and higher standards for filters and machining tolerances result in LONG life.

    The truth; as far as it can be discovered; is that 3,000 mile oil change intervals are a royal SCAM, 5K miles or more should be normal, and really great engines like the Mercedes 2.7l inline Turbo diesel are quite likely to run a VERY long time on 10,000 or even 15,000 mile intervals. 3,000 mile oil changes go back to the days of non-filtered oil systems.

    Your 5,000 mile plan is good, but even if you don't trust the ASSYST computer program, you'll be equally safe at 10,000 mile intervals. Chevron Delo 15W-40 is quite a bit thicker than it needs to be in Oklahoma, so I presume that you are in a Hot climate with no cold weather. We have cold weather here, so 0W-40 or 5W-40 is better, or in older vehicle we might use 10-40. In the summer we used to always use straight 30 weight (it was more resistant to break down because the viscosity modifiers were the most likely part of the oil to deteriorate in the summer Heat).

    15W-40 is likely to give Slightly Lower mileage... hahaha Realistically, I have never been able to find a noticeable diff. in mileage between 10W-40 and 5W-30!

    KenB :shades:
  • nescosmonescosmo Member Posts: 453
    KenB...Very good reply. I am from florida and the 15w-40 is very good for me. This past 2 week have been 98 and above which is very high for florida, humidity 80% so you can see how that engine work. I love chevron delo, in my engine it hardly get black, at 3k mile you still see the golden in the oil. My mileage is very good, better that the E150 that I had I think is about 20 to 25 mpg. Today I notice a knocking in the engine when I was at the red light, i put it in neutral and the knock stop. i'll see what will happen tomorrow
  • kenbakerkenbaker Member Posts: 239
    Thanks Nescosmo... I think I remember your comments on Florida's diesel fuel problems... at 98 F., 80% humidity, and IDLE (in drive) you will expect some (light) diesel knock made worse by fuel problems and the fact that the pavement under your vehicle is even hotter than 98 F.

    Any experience with Power Service Diesel Fuel Treatment (with Slickdiesel)? Advertised as anti-gelling, cetane boosting, lubricating, etc. Also supposed to be equivalent (fur running the engine) to 50/50 mix of no.1/no.2 Diesel?

    My dad's diesel mechanic has recommended it for his Ford E350 Diesel van and it has certainly helped his mileage (2-3 MPG). This is not an advertisement, I just want to get feedback prior to trying this out for my Sprinter.

    KenB :shades:
  • sonnywood2sonnywood2 Member Posts: 38
    i have been using power service for about 10000 in my 2006 hauling a trailer. i get in the low 20's. without trailer got 26.5 keeping it under 2000 rpm on take offs and sticking to the speed limits.
  • nescosmonescosmo Member Posts: 453
    Kenb... I don't need anti-gelling i have seen the power service without the anti-gelling, is that one ok?
  • nescosmonescosmo Member Posts: 453
    Sonny... is hard for me to keep the rpm under 2k; I have an 3500 sprinter with the 15" wheels
  • bspertybsperty Member Posts: 20
    FYI My dealer is replacing my 2500 windshield. A crack appeared from the drivers side bottom corner originating from behind the post.I saw another sprinter with the same crack in a parking lot.
  • bertmbcbertmbc Member Posts: 9
    I have reviewed the second battery thread and checked out the Blue Sea Batterylink device. I have looked on the shop manual and see that the device is connected to a red wire coming off the alternator.

    Under the drivers seat there is an Optional Equipment Fuse bank with numerous red wires. First of all is there a spare red wire somewhere? Do you run a new red wire all the way from the alternator? Do you splice a selected red wire.?

    The Blue sea schematic also indicates an optional switch and LED. Are these suggested for the Sprinter second battery application?

    Lastly, for practical purposes where specifically was the second battery installed?
  • bertmbcbertmbc Member Posts: 9
    I have a new 2006 Sprinter 2500.

    At the base of the drivers seat and extending into the step well is a black bracket. Near the top it has a vertical slot and four screws, This looks a lot like a CB radio mike bracket.

    The section that extends into the well has several punched hole patterns. One of the hole patterns does match that on a CB radio bracket.

    I really don't think that is what it is for because the space is too small, even fo a small radio.

    Any clues">
  • surlyoldbillsurlyoldbill Member Posts: 36
    I had that, too. I took it out.
  • kenbakerkenbaker Member Posts: 239
    That basically is one of my questions too... In the experience of the group, does the Power Service additives make a difference? Does the $1.25 per tank (8 oz. per tank fill (26 gal.) and $15/96 oz.(12 treatments)) pay off?

    Power Service additive is $15 at O-Reilly's Auto Parts... here in Oklahoma they just carry the diesel fuel system cleaner and the anti-gelling, cetane boosting version , with Slickdiesel (TM?).

    Thanks,
    KenB :shades:
  • kenbakerkenbaker Member Posts: 239
    Run the new wire from the block on the front of the battery under the hood all the way to your new aux. battery. Use a fuse (or fusible link) appropriate for the run of wire you are adding. That block on the front of the battery under the hood usually has one open slot on it that you can use for the aux. battery. Add your fuse (probably 20 or 30 Amps) from the hot side to the new red wire on the open side going on to your new battery position. Refer to the manufacturers specs for the weight (gauge) of the wire going to the new battery, and the size of the fuse required, they are prepared to guide you or else they should not be making the product.

    Adding the battery under the front passenger seat is great for some people, but you may want the power further back in your van if you are using it in the rear part of the vehicle (for RV, conversion, or mobile office pusposes).

    The OPTIMA (TM?) type batterys are great because they basically can't spill. but as with all batteries, you MUST make sure that they NEVER short against anything metal whether attached to the vehicle or not.

    KenB :shades:
  • sonnywood2sonnywood2 Member Posts: 38
    i have been using the power service and get 2-3 more miles to the gallon. don't know if it pays or not. i use it for the lube quality's of the fuel system and injectors.
  • earlwearlw Member Posts: 8
    Putting the battery under the passenger seat is done by a lot of people using them for a RV. I know my battery under the passenger seat also has a plastic vent tube that directs the gasses from the battery through the floor. Batteries that I have used in the past are the absorbed glass matt type battery. They don't have to be vented and can be mounted in any position and are maintance free. They cost a little more but hold up better than a regular deep cycle battery. Check on the W.W.W. for Lifeline battery.
  • kenbakerkenbaker Member Posts: 239
    That seems like roughly a gallon or two in savings per tankful, so the payoff would be real... $1.25 for a treatment, versus $3.09 for a gallon of diesel.

    What do you see for the price of the treatment? About 8 onces/tankful?

    KenB :shades:
  • jemepajemepa Member Posts: 4
    Hi everyone,
    I just change oil,filters and also fuel filter.When I try to start my 2002 sprinter it didn't start.I looked at the Clear fuel line There is no fuel going in to engine.Can any one knows anything about this problem.
    Thank You.
  • rtohrtoh Member Posts: 2
    It is a good practice to fill the new fuel filter with diesel or diesel additive before installing. This saves the fuel pump from working extra hard to get the fuel into the system.
  • bertmbcbertmbc Member Posts: 9
    I'm designing the interior for my newly aquired Sprinter and would like to hear other design thoughts.

    Using the second battery thread info, I'm adding a second battery, invertor for 110v. I think i'll have a shore power outlet and switch to change from onboard to shore power.

    My Sprinter is 140" hightop. In th rear space I'm going to mount one 36" flush door and one 30 0r32 " door on hinges so they will fold up against the side walls, out of the way.

    This platform will receive a queensize inflatable mattress.

    I'm going to install a dorm refrigerator and microwave. I don't know about builtin's but am looking at stock closet stuff. there is a wide array of shelving and drawer units available.

    I'm looking for sliding or vented windows for the rear or sliding door unit.

    I don't intend to fancy it up to commercial RV standards but do want it to allow extended travel convenience. No carpet or fancy wall treatment. I am wondering about insulating the roof.

    Just a few thoughts for discussion....
  • jemepajemepa Member Posts: 4
    Thank you for respond.
    I removed the little screw on top of the filter and sucked the fuel with small hose and I know filled the filter.When I crank the engine I don't see any fuel going from that clear hose.I am recharging the battery now so it will crank the angine little better.(I tryed it so many times.)
  • nescosmonescosmo Member Posts: 453
    Jemepa.... Next time all you have to do is to open the switch key and you will notes a noise, that is the siculating pump. Let it be for a few minutes and it will prime it self. Then close the key and start the engine and up up and away the engine will start.
  • jemepajemepa Member Posts: 4
    Hi nescosmo,I tried what you told me to try but no pump sound.They have the pump on the tank,right?Is it possible when I disconnect the fuel line from filter some how fuel pump is shut off?I check the fuses,they are fine,I just fill up the tank,recharge the battery,I disconnect the battery hoping it would reset something but no luck yet.I remember reading few funny things about 2002 sprinter electronics.
  • nescosmonescosmo Member Posts: 453
    Jemepa..... It should work some times you can not hear it and sometime make a wisiling noise. as far as i know there are two pump the low and high pressure pump. the manual tell you how to do it and that is the way to do it. read the manual is there.
  • hawk8hawk8 Member Posts: 31
    For windows try http://www.motionwindows.com/ or
    http://www.trucknvans.com/Van_Windows_04_05_Sprinter_Van_s/772.htm
    ask Jeff Kemp > jeff@motionwindows.com to email you more info. we'll be ordering from him.
  • jemepajemepa Member Posts: 4
    I checked everything,went under the van to hear any pump noise,disconnect the hose from fuel filter to see if it will pump fuel in a bottle but no luck yet.How is it possible that simple filter change causes a pump failure? I am still appreciated for you guys help.
  • hawk8hawk8 Member Posts: 31
    any suggestions as to where to place a propane bottle? is it legal to have place it on a Hitch Cargo Carrier?
  • sonnywood2sonnywood2 Member Posts: 38
    i would think you could find a rack to mount it on the rear door. i think that would be a lot easier than on a hitch.
  • hawk8hawk8 Member Posts: 31
    that would be great if i can find one. we just need this for one trip, later we want to install an Underbelly Propane Tank.
  • nescosmonescosmo Member Posts: 453
    Does any body knows were to buy a dip stick for the tranny to check the oil level. We are on september is the ulsd flowing on the pipes lines. I have not seen any sticker add for the ulsd yet.
  • tidwellstidwells Member Posts: 5
    While driving on I-20 in SC, part of my serpentine belt broke loose and starting making a "flapping noise". Within a minute, it cut through the rubber transmission fluid hose located beneath it! This seems like rather poor design....I guess I'm lucky it didn't break a fuel line. We were able to replace the hose with a custom-fabricated heavier-duty hose for $41. The local Dodge dealer wanted $53 to order a replacement to arrive the next day. Has this happened to anyone else? Or was this a freak occurence? I've only been driving this 02 Sprinter for about a month! Doug
  • methodvanmethodvan Member Posts: 12
    i have a 2006 2500 140wb shc bone stock with 16 inch rims and i've noticed that my speedometer is steadily 2-3 mph above the vehicles actual speed. i'm able to meter these figures because my local law enforcement agency has been kind enough to place radar machines all over town for everyone to enjoy. my other cars have been spot on accurate and i spoke with local cop whom explained to me the extreme calibrationing these machines go through before they go into the public. i may be wrong here, and if i am please correct me, but if if your car is traveling 25 mph for one hour burns just one gallon of fuel and the speedometer is reading (and recording) 28 mph then your apparent fuel milege is going to be 28 mpg when actually your MPG is only 25. so this means that... i either have defective speedometer and must return to the dealership... or the local cops bought 15 broken radar machines and it's slipped by so many people and i'm the first to notice the mistake or, just maybe all you folks that are getting 21 mpg are actually getting 18 mpg....

    my 97 powerstroke diesel e-350 gets 18 mpg on the highway loaded. my sprinter gets 21 mpg loaded. my PSD E-350's speedometer is accurate as per the radar machines (as compared to a 2003 honda, 97 s-10 pu and 1993 geo) so does this mean that if my speedometer is 3 MPH off my sprinter it is actually getting 18 MPG-- same as my ford diesel? hmmm? i guess i spent and extra $10k for a lighter duty, gutless van? not to mention it's fancy computer controlled assyt system that can count how many miles you need go before you're next service but can't figure out how fast the vehicle is going at 30 mph without a 10% error (radar says 27, speedo says 30. i did this five time one night)

    don't get me wrong... i like this van a lot... but the level of quality that i thought i bought is just not what it's priced to be. my dealer totally misrepresented this vehicle to me and i'm upset about that. i ve been to the dealer six times in the last two months only to have the dealer just finally tell that they don't have anyone that really knows about these vans and can't fix my problems (2 broken lumbars, un-fixable side and rear door rattling, trans vibrations) and that my next service is going to cost me $500. hooraay five star chrysler dealers.

    please, if anyone can get a chance do your own experiments with this please do. with a buddy's car, cell phones and cruise control you should be able to compare it with any other modern car.

    any ideas on this???
  • methodvanmethodvan Member Posts: 12
    this maybe happening to some of you out there so i tell you about my fix. early in the ownership of my van i noticed the side door was rattling. after 3 trips to the dealer they kind of fixed it and told me that the push-rod plunger for the power locks had come loose and was rattling. OK, the noise subsided a little but the door still made some noise. so i return to the dealer and they spend a whole day doing adjustments and it goes away for 3 days. finally i return and they said they're was nothing they could do. so, i told 'em, "if i'd run my business they way they do, by not knowing anything about the products they're selling, i couldn't afford their van."

    anyhow, so i decide to fix it myslef and it turns out that there are two metal pintles (male)on the leading edge of the door that align into two sockets (female) that cause the door to be guided and held in place when it's closed. the solution is to put a little duct tape (just one layer, maybe two) around the pintle and dampens the vibration rattle and reduces the tolerance. the door is now totally quiet. six days of down town at the dealer then fixed in 2 minutes by an graphic artist.... WTF???
  • punter1punter1 Member Posts: 50
    The big downside to the Sprinter is they build them in Germany and then to get around the tariffs on vans they break them down , ship them over and reassemble them. That cannot be good for quality or price. Also they were limited to only importing 20,000 a year so there was not that much repair experience. The new model initially will be limited to 30,000 at the new plant in South Carolina where they are importing them but it can expand. All that being said I am still going to order a 2007 as soon as I can if they are not too much money. They still have not started up the plant in SC so it will be a few months till we see a 2007. They have however been crash tested by NHTSA so they know what the configuration will be. October 1 is ULSD day in the USA!
  • kenbakerkenbaker Member Posts: 239
    Methodvan,
    I got the same help in Oklahoma City... take it back to dealer multiple times for rattles and they apparently only "fixed" one rear door alignment problem... but fail to adjust the blocks on the inside of the rear door that keep the doors from moving around when you hit bumps... I found that and "fixed" them.

    The Rear Door Block "fix" is certainly NOT permanent since the blocks apparently loosen over time and now the rear door rattles are back... perhaps I can fix them for another 6 months or so if I adjust them again.

    The side door rattle problem was evident from the beginning, but the dealer made NO ATTEMPT to fix this. The rubbing of the alignment tabs (pintles) in the sockets was evident from the beginning and I pointed this out to the service manager and writer. had not thought of try in duct tape to reduce the clearance, how do you get it to stay stuck?

    What I had thought of was trying to adjust the position of one (or both) of the tab/socket pairs so that they were in opposition to each other and would hold the door steady instead of letting the door jusmp up and down in both sockets.

    It also seems apparent that the internal locking mechanism(s) in the side door are rattling on other components or against themselves...

    KenB :confuse:
  • methodvanmethodvan Member Posts: 12
    i understand what you mean that car is built in germany and assembled here which increases the price and could reduce the quality but boo-hoo. would you be as understanding if you had to pay a contractor twice as much as the next guy to do job because he had to drive further to get to the jobsite and consequently couldn't produce the best quality work for the price? and i don't buy the no information/experience at the dealer bit because they're limited production... if the average sprinter cost $35K and they're selling 20,000 of them a year that makes over $70 million in gross sales annually... although that's small percentage of what dodge may sell a year they makes no excuse for them to not to respect they're product (and the F---ing $40,000 i spent on it!!!)

    i'll be honest, my dodge dealer doesn't like me. i've brought my sprinter in 6 times to get various things fixed that shouldn't be breaking in the first two months: my seat adjustment broke twice, couldn't fix my door rattle on 6 attempts, lumbar seats failing after two weeks, the list goes on.... anyhow, while they're scratching their heads trying to fix my van for 4-6 hours, i'm not waiting like a docile hindu cow in the customer lounge am i... no,no,no! i wait for prospective sprinter buyers on the lot and try to help them understand what they're buying and give them the important info rather than listen to the saleman's big deep-tissue massage about the all new important buzz word: "fuel economy"... it's easy to assymilate the "too good to be true" phrase when it comes to this car if you ask me. the fact is that the salesman don't know anything about these specialty vehicles and neglect to mention very important stuff to prospective cargo van buyer like... speed control @ 83 mph (not so good on the two lane roads and big interstates with 75 mph limits), 15 inch load range E tires ($1000+++ set of tires anyone?), a cassete player in the base model (what other $40,000 car has tape player? so who has tapes!?! i heard in the passenger model you can get VHS system to go with it!!) and best of all the $500 service every 10,000 miles. by the way, my dealer told me that the first oil change was on them... "great!" i thought... hmm... little did i know that when it came time to do it they decided to give me just $19.95 off my first $500 oil and misc filter change. one must realize that there might be few folks out there that might buy one of these things for their own personal use but the majority of us use 'em for work similar to how one may have, over a hundred years ago, used a mule... to carry stuff!!! i just feel like i got snowed from day one and should have just bought a ford or chevy for half the price and at least i would've known what i could expect. it really urks me to know how much i'm paying for this "mule" when i compare it to say, my personal car. A high economy cargo van that actually "works" here in america is still a bit of a pipe dream if you ask me... that is, until toyota or nissan or mitsubishi get into the market here in the US.


    i am however very greatful for this forum and the knowledgable folks in it. if it wasn't pooled information from other sprinter owners my dealer would haven't figured out that my trans fluid was low and it was causing a low speed grumble when cold... this could have cost me big in the future.

    although my attitude may be rather negative about the van so far i do still like it a lot and i think the idea of it has potential to really be something great... i just wish i could've waited until that point to buy one.

    by the way i bought it on june 6, 2006... does anyone think that could have made a difference (perhaps the devil is in my van?)

    cheers!
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