Dodge Sprinter

kenbaker · September 2006

Punter1,
I guess you shouldn't be too sure about the downside of assembly or reassembly in the US... I have the passenger van which is built in Germany and shipped whole.

I have had some of the same rattles, the transmission vibration (most at @1,250 RPM and a little at @2,500 RPM), lumbar supports no good (still not fixed, bulb inflator falling apart, inside valve), transmission leak (o-rings), used 4 quarts of oil on the second oil change so far (8,000 miles).

And the dealer only has ONE (1) Sprinter tech. I am pretty sure that they did not use the promised Synthetic oil, and the regular oil change crew did the change, not the Sprinter tech (he was on vacation to Hawaii)... If any of you remember, my first oil change was free because of all the hassles I had just getting the transmission O-Rings fixed... I will do my own oil changes from now on.

KenB :confuse:

methodvan · September 2006

Ken B, i just wiped off the grease which was on the pintles and wraped a small strip of duct tape around it. i realize it's irritating to have to fix such an expensive car with such a botch but at least it's out of sight and it'll make the noise go away. metal to metal contact is never a good thing on something that vibrates (like say... a big unibody van)i thought about removing them and dipping the pintle part in some rubberized tool handle dip. but i don't have the desire just yet. good luck!!!

kenbaker · September 2006

GPS appears to confirm that the speedo is off for MPH. I have not remembered to gauge a known distance to the odometer to see if it is also off. On older cars, the two values were not linked to each other... but in a computerized odometer/speedometer I would expect the two values to be directly and accurately linked.

My van is about 3 MPH off at the top (82 MPH on speedo = 79 MPH on GPS). At least 2 MPH off at 45-55 MPH.

My intent is to drive a route with GPS totalling the miles and matching this to the odometer.

KenB :confuse:

surlyoldbill · September 2006

I had that problem on the rear. being an "old car" guy, I had already solved the problem on my '61 Chevy Corvair van; I went to the hardware store and bought a thin wall nylon bushing, basically a little cylinder, slit it open and put it on the door latch. It lasts longer than tape, but it will still wear out over time.

surlyoldbill · September 2006

My GPS shows about 68mph when odometer shows 70mph.

sonnywood2 · September 2006

also my gps showed my speed 2 to 3 off but i did check mile markers and the mile reading was good. i checked for about 5 miles on interstate 95

nescosmo · September 2006

nescosmo · September 2006

I know all yours problem but it is better than ford. I do not trust dealer, i run my and i eat the problem, i change my oil etc. I go to the dealer only if i have to. my van runs ok considering the situation so guys just keep driving it until it died.

surlyoldbill · September 2006

I'm usually pretty good about this kind of thing, but I can't pick a good location to mount aftermarket speakers.
I have the SHC passenger model; with the thick headliner. The headliner would be the obvious place, but there isn't a big enough "flat" place to mount 6.5" speakers in it. I'm tempted to just put up some surface mount speakers, but I don't want them in a place where they will bonk people in the head. Maybe mounted under the first bench seat on the frame? I'm assuming the front doors are too thin to allow mounting speakers in them; I need 2" clearance. Any ideas or solutions?

stevebeamer · September 2006

I was told (haven't tried it yet) that you turn on the vehicle. Push the miles button twice. Turn off the vehicle. Push and hold the mileage button while you turn it back on and that will clear the maintenance reminder.

Steve

kenbaker · September 2006

Bill...
I am looking to put my first extra pair in the front doors if possible and then limiting the bass that goes to the ones in the dash (small (correct) capacitor in series (with in-dash drivers) will do the trick). Like you, still not sure of the clearance in the front doors, may have to have a minimal trim ring/stand-off to set speakers out of door a bit?

For the rear i am leaning heavily toward surface mount speakers mounted up high in the rear on either side of the air conditioner system (I have the rear air option). The last thing will probably be a sub either under the front-most rear bench, or along the drivers side behind the drivers seat and back to the second bench (passenger van). This may be a "bazooka" tube.

KenB :shades:
2004 MWB 2500 HC Wagon (Dodge) in Mercedes clothes... (ebay Mercedes conversion package) stock 16" steel wheels with MB caps, Arctic White per dealer spec writer (I got the one the dealer had delivered to show prospective buyers... no imagination used to order)

surlyoldbill · September 2006

I have some indoor/outdoor small speakers that I got at Costco to use as surrounds at home. I hooked them up, and they sound fine (I'm no audiophile while driving in a loud van!). They are about 8x5x5, and I think I'll mount them on the ceiling by the rear air unit, since they won't hang down any lower than the rear part, anyway. I had purchased some 6.5" speakers to mount in the headliner, until I discovered that the trim rings exceeded the "flat" part. I think that I could put 5.25" speakers there without a problem, but I'll take measurements this time! The stock mercedes speakers that I pulled out of the rear walls fit there, but I'm sure they're crappy OEM speakers. Idealy, I would like to stick two sets up in the headliner, keep the dash speakers but add a crossover and surface tweeters to them, and stick a subwoofer somewhere. While looking at new cars lately, I noticed a lot of them have a stock subwoofer mounted below the dash in the center. I think that you could probably plug the air vent that goes into the cupholder, and mount an 8" in there with no problem. The other location would be under the passenger seat. I'm not a fan of subwoofers, I'd rather have a good pair of low-response speakers in conjunction with some fulls and tweeters, but as huge as this van is, there are surprisingly few places to mount speakers symetrically. I even toyed with the idea of getting a good 4.1 computer speaker set, like the Creative z-560's, and just running them off a power converter; sticking the subwoofer under the first row bench. Since I removed the two rear bench seats and screwed plywood cargo panels over the walls and rear windows, I suppose that I could mount speakers in the cavity area of the rear windows...but that would be more work removing them when I convert it back to a 10 passenger van when I need to (right now I just take out 8 screws to remove the plywood and put the seats back in).

sonnywood2 · September 2006

for a couple of days it has been running bad sometimes not going over 2ooo rpm. the engine light came on and then the next morning it was out. last night heard a big pop and the plastic piece between the turbo and the inter cooler broke apart. goes in the shop today.

sonnywood2 · September 2006

had it in the shop for the turbo problem and a first service. the cost of the service was $315.55. they charged me $97.00 labor to do the service. it would of been another $100.00 to have the air filter changed. they also said you have to have it serviced every 10,000 miles and reset my maint asst to do it that way. why did i pay for the maint asst for them to disable it. where can i go to get this resolved. what i have saved on fuel milage was lost in an oil change. i sure am not to happy having problems with this truck so early on.
will my warrenty stay good if i do my own service?
$101.50 $10.15 per quart of oil
$12.92 oil filter
$64.31 fuel filter
$90.00 replace fuel filter
$6.00 2 clamps and fuel
$14.55 supplies and disposal

nescosmo · September 2006

Sonny...buy your own filter at autozone put chevron delo 400 oil, it take 9.5 quarts of oil. I buy my fuel filter on the net, and the air filter. if you go to autozone they will order it for you. do not pay the dealer those prices, the warranty is on even if you don't take it to the dealer, about the maint asst look at the book it tell you how to reset it.

sonnywood2 · September 2006

i had the same failure with 10,000 miles and factory installed oil and premiun bp deisel. nothing changed from new

alfauno · September 2006

I had my Kenwood w/Sirius moved from my old Ford E-150 to my Sprinter by Abt electronics (Chicago area). I have a short WB passenger van. They replaced the stock dash speakers with higher quality units, and installed 6x9's in the wall panels just behind the second seat (just past the sliding door opening, and on the opposite wall). With bias set towards the rear, the sound is good at low and medium speeds. At highway speeds, you have to crank it if over 65-70 (my normal criuse speed). The tech said he had done other Sprinters - to put speakers in the doors, he once built custom surface mounted boxes because they are of shallow depth.

sonnywood2 · September 2006

i did the key off and on but it dose not change my oil change distance. i am going back to the dealer and demand him to put it back the way it was with the maint asst. if they won't do it i will call customer support and see what go's. the more i think about the $315.00 oil change the madder i get. the $97.00 labor charge is out of control after they charge about double for the oil and etc. that you can buy it for at any of the local auto stores.

bertmbc · September 2006

I'm looking to add ventilation as well. Did you ever arrive at a solution?

surlyoldbill · September 2006

No solution completed, but I think I am going to get small slider windows installed above the rear door windows. They'll be about 24" x 8", the opening part will be about 11" x 8" each, which is a lot of air flow. I still don't know if their going to suck in exhaust while moving, though. The other option is to get a sunroof put in, which might actually be cheaper. I would put in a powered roof vent, but I kind of want to keep the roof flat in case I need to put a rack on top and haul stuff.

johnkirk48 · September 2006

I replaced my factory dash speakers with Infinity two-way speakers. I installed 4-way 6x9's below the side windows of my wagon model behind the rear seat.
I have a bazooka tube woofer under the second seat with enough cable so that I can move it between the front seats if I need to remove the seats to carry something big.
I installed a Pioneer GPS/CD/DVD in the dash & a back-up camera.
It looks and sounds great.

sprintersrule · September 2006

when my abs sensor gets wet i get 4 lights on dash, brake abs, esp, and a tire. it was happening every now and then after driving all day in the rain i narrowed it down to the abs sensor because i spilled diesel when changing my fuel filter and hosed it off. then when i restarted the four lights came on. any advice would be appreciated i was thinking dielectric grease if thats what its called also could i just spray the whole outside with like a silicone to repel water?... thx in advance brian 05 140 high cargo 110k miles

surlyoldbill · September 2006

John, what size are the dash speakers? 4x6?

kenbaker · September 2006

Disconnect the sensor, inspect the connector for damaged or crimped seals and for worn, crimped, partially cut, or improperly sealed wires. All of that done, and if the connector does not need to be replaced, then use some dialectric grease or silicone grease to put the connector back together to keep water out.

As an alternative you may wrap the connector with self-sealing rubber tape, but it will be a bit harder to get back into the connector later. This tape is the soft black rubber tape with a red plastic backing that comes off... stretching the black rubber part activates it and as you wrap it in layers it sticks together and becomes one piece and seals very well.

If the problem does not go away with repairs to the connector, then you need a new sensor or connector. The sensor should be sealed properly and should not need special measures to "fix" it. Special measures to fix a sensor simply will not last and its integrity is very important.

KenB :shades:

kenbaker · September 2006

Bill,
Sprinter in-dash speakers are round and about 4", no visible retainers on top of speaker.

To access them, pull the plastic pillar-cover straight out carefully... the whole thing is held in place with spring clips punched into plastic body inserts or similar.

next, you will pry up the plastic speaker cover, also carefully as the plastic "ears" of the cover hold it in place.

Now the speakers are exposed and you can see why they just aren't very much for shucks... They don't even have a whizzer cone to extend the highs, and 4" is just not enough for bass even in a small space.

I haven't yet removed them for the upgrade, so I don't have details on removal/replacement. On my current budget, they will stay, with a capacitor added to limit bass. Not sure about adding a homemade whizzer cone to the voicecoil/cone junction, but it could help extend the highs by providing a very stiff/small cone to project the treble with less cone breakup.

KenB :shades:

kenbaker · September 2006

I've done my first oil change by myself (second oil change) at 18,700 (first was at 9,283)... This was easy except two things: 1) dealer used too much torque to crank down the oil drain plug and the oil filter cap; 2) Checking and cleaning out the air filter box and the cabin air filter are both a pain...

The oil filter cap (with its internal filter mounting) is ALL o-ring sealed. O-rings do NOT require tightening to seal, they seal through fit in a machined space, not through pressure against a contact surface(s).

I got all the oil and filter from Auto Zone (about $70 total). 10 quarts of Mobil 1 0W-40 (about 5.99/quart, 6 qts/35.99), meeting all the MB 229.51 specs, fully synthetic of course (all Mobil 1 is).

The filter (about $11) came with more o-rings than required, so a little careful selection of which ones to use (three) is in order. this thing is very neat and clean... you loosen the cap and un-screw it slowly and when the bottom o-ring disengages, it drains the entire oil filter housing into the pan... now you lift up and let the oil drip off of the filter element a bit... then remove and turn the whole thing over (cap down) and any other drips stay in the cap while you pull the old element off. Use a pick to remove the old o-rings, install the new ones (carefully chosen to fit the three places on the cap/holder from the o-rings supplied), then put the new element on (put fresh oil on the o-rings so they will slide back in easily during the install).

Now put the filter/cap back into the housing and screw it in slowly/carefully. when the seals hit their sealing spaces, the turning will get harder and you might want the filter wrench to continue running the cap in, but do NOT use the wrench to "tighten" the cap!

After adding back the first 9 quarts of oil I restarted the engine and let it idle to ensure that the oil was all circulated... NO LOW PRESSURE warning EVER came on during this process. Wait a few minutes to let the oil run back down, and check the oil level (low, not off of stick, but low end of stick). From experience, this means it is at LEAST 1 Quart LOW... Add ENTIRE 10th quart, and the level is now in the middle of the (correct) area of the dipstick (not completely maxed out, but well about minimum).

SO, 9.5 quarts is WRONG at least on my dipstick, it is at least 10 quarts, more like 10.5 or 11 quarts. at the end of the week I will fill up for a trip (fuel stop) and also double check the oil level (after only about 200 miles) and top off the oil to full (max normal).

After that top-off I will report.

Also talked to the AMS-OIL guys at the State Fair of Oklahoma yesterday and got more good oil info, including oil change intervals out to 25,000 miles or one year... any believers out there? They are probably about $45-50 for 2.5 gals (10 quarts), and meet all european and MB/DC specs, like MB 229.51. They are supposed to get me specs for filters as well, theirs are micron (nano-fiber) filters that certainly look like Fleece Filters that people have talked about here in the forum. If you have experience with AMS-OIL, please respond.

This is simply a request for info, I am NOT related to any one with AMS-OIL as far as I know... unless I have an un-known relative or something like that.

Thanks,
KenB :shades:

sonnywood2 · September 2006

thanks kenb
i have gotten 2 calls back from my dealer on the complaint of the cost of the service and them changing my maint asst to only do 10,000 mile changes. they are going to check into it and let me know.
thanks for the info. i will do it myself from now on.
thanks
sonnywood2

kenbaker · September 2006

I can only see that kind of cost on a 30,000 mile service which includes the air filter and the cabin air filter (along with a full oil change).

Having tried out the air filter change routine this time (at nearly 20,000, not due until 30,000miles), I know it is not easy/simple... You will have to remove the turbo shield, cut loose at least one cable tie (replace later), keep track of at least one bolt and two nuts, disconnect the rubber air hose from air box (goes to turbo), disconnect two connectors (electrical, mass air and intake air temp I think) and still it is tight to manuever the tope of the air box out so you can remove the filter.

I then vacuumed out the box, inspected the filter and gently blew out the dust (no compressed air) and put it all back together until the proper 30,000 mile change interval.

Finding and taking out the cabin air filter to check on it was equally fun, except its position over the middle of the engine compartment is easy to get to... finding the touch fastener material (generic velcro-like I presume) is a bit fun the first time. This fastener area is where the panel comes off. A spring clip front and rear of the left side of the air pan remove, more (velcro-like material) separates from the housing above, and then the panel slides to the left. The filter may then fall out, mine did.

Brush and vacuum out the pan, blow out the filter from the back side, and then the tricky part... Put it back in and get the pan back on without letting the filter fall out againI promise it is not easy. It is however possible that the factory mis-installed mine, and that the ends of the filter are slightly crimped where they should go around two posts that are designed to hold them in, but this is not clear from the part as it fell out. This will be tried when I put in a new filter at 30,000 miles.

Thanks,
KenB :shades:

nescosmo · September 2006

Kenbaker....Be very careful when you add the oil. If you put 9.5 quarts of oil and run the engine for five minutes, the mark will read maybe half or above half, not full; you will have the take the van for a ride and let the temp go up to its 180 another word to normal temp and then stop the van wait a few minutes and check the oil; you will see that the oil level will be be to full. if you add to much oil your ccv will send the oil to the turbo and you will have problem in the future. I use delo chevron oil 15w-40 deno and i change the oil at about 5 to 6k and it run like silk.

nescosmo

kenbaker · September 2006

nescosmo,
thanks for the warning, but even after a day or two and running several miles at a time, the 10 quarts (allowed to drain back into the pan) is never over full. When Cold, it is near to 1/2 way between min and max.

I appreciate the gravity of the situation concerning over-fill. I certainly have read the warnings and understand that oil may be pushed or drawn back through the intake system and damage the catalytic convertor.

I also carefully re-read the manual last night and know that I should see a "HI" indicator if the oil is too full. Also, 9 quarts (1/2 quart low) is acceptable to start and run the engine (per detailed info in the manual that one quart low (MIN) is also OK, but also the level at which to add one quart).

With 9 quarts in and WELL circulated in a hot engine (during new oil change) I got a reading just on the stick and maybe to the MIN mark. After adding 10th quart, I got to the mid point of MIN/MAX. Even all hot I am still not reading over MAX.

I hope this shows that I have been Very carefull in proceeding forward.

What I have yet to acknowlege to the group so far is that I used at least 4 quarts of oil in about 7,500 miles (from 9293 (first oil change) to 17,000 (approx., 1,579 miles prior to second oil change) I had to add 4 quarts to keep near max). My first 2 quarts was only 1,000 miles after first oil change, when the light came on warning it was low. Imagine my surprise since the engine used little or no oil for the first 9,293 miles. Should I believe now that the Dodge dealer may not have used the proper prescribed oil? I am almost certain that the dealer did NOT fully fill to the MAX mark.

Since adding 4 quarts of full synthetic oil over the timespan, and seeing how beautiful the oil was at the second oil change... (my personal change), then I am just not sure what oild they used... my oil added was certainly to spec.

Certainly the oil has soot, and it is kind of black, but this is minimal IMHO and the oil is still sweet smelling, no burnt character, no discoloration (other than soot), it feels silky smooth on the fingers. The soot is very well dispersed, the oil shows through clean and clear when you spread it thin, and the soot will almost seem to "tatoo" you since it is very tiny and sinks into pores easily. I am so used to always running an old gasoline engine that this experience is just nearly mind-boggling.

I am looking forward to seeing whether or not I use any oil during this oil change cycle on Mobil 1, 0W-40, MB 229.51 certified oil.

Thanks,
KenB :confuse:

methodvan · September 2006

kenb,

sounds like either your dealer screwed up or van is screwed up. 2 quarts in 1000 miles in any vehicle after it broken in is ridiulous. 4 quarts in 7000. something is wrong.

sounds like another cost cutting technique employed by a chrylser dealer by having the lot porter work on the car... sprinter tech must be on vacation again (whose heard that line before??? are there any sprinter tech here in the US or are they mythical creatures like unicorns and leperchauns????)

if i were in your situation i'd starting barking my way up the DC chain of command until i got both answers and actions. if this happened MBZ dealer i sure the car would get thorough inspection for day while you were given a loaner car. instead the dodge dealer will put his well qualified ear under the hood and listen (with his eyes closed, mind you!!!) while you sit in the lounge for 3 hours only to tell you that they can't find any problems.... because they don't even know where to start looking.

i wish chrysler would realize that the buyers for this new kind of van are mostly business onwers who are ready to step up to what's percieved as a superior piece of equipment. my experiece has alway led me to believe that you get what you pay for. it would be great with that MBZ price we could get MBZ treatment or at least sprinter tech at the dealer ALL THE TIME!!!

hope everything works out OK for your van ken. i do beleive that the MBZ diesel is tough enough survive almost anything that the dodge dealer does to it!!!

sonnywood2 · September 2006

i checked my air filter and did it another way that was not hard. just had to remove window washer container 2 or 3 bolts, pump and hood arm bolt and the top of the airbox opened and filter came out easy. window washer shoul be empty or it makes a mess when you unplug it.

nescosmo · September 2006

Kenb...
big mistake 0w-40 is for the birds; to begin with it is not a c4+ oil, I know it is MB 229.51 but is to thing for the van. You have to use 15w-40 at list for the first 10k that oil is the honey for this engine; my run with 15w-40 and stay golden brown for at list 8k and then it start to change to black not too black and when i replace it at 10k it is ready to be dump. My engine have never use any oil and it has not give me any problem. I own a Jeep liberty CRD and the 0w-40w oil that jeep recommend almost all owner have rejected it because it is a low class oil ever the engine manufactory recommend for the jeep 10w-40 syn oil.

GOOD L.

surlyoldbill · September 2006

I have yet to see a post by nescosmo that does not reference 15-40 oil. If mercedes specs 0-40 synthetic for this motor in this vehicle, then that is what should be used. Personal opinions are fine, but what is gained by repeatedly telling us what oil he uses? It's starting to get irritating; like a car or real estate salesman.

nescosmo · September 2006

I would never try to persuade you to use 15-40 but then it is also on the mercedes specs. You go on and keep using the 0-40 and see what would happen in 2 years or less.

bertmbc · September 2006

Thats an interesting solution. What is your source?

I'll check out these products in C. R. Laurence. They make a ton of such products.

ron52 · September 2006

I just wanted to say hi and that as I wait for delivery of my new Sprinter I have had some buyers remorse looking at some of your posts. The saving grace is now I know where to look for help. I have done oil changes in the past on my cars. How difficult is it to do on these critters? I don't like the sound of a 129 plus fees oil change. I was thinking about doing them more often than 10k miles if it wasn't too big of a hassle. I am also concerned with power to climb sizable hills and mountains with a load. I am glad you are out there. Ron

kenbaker · September 2006

Ron,
The oil change was not difficult... choosing an oil that meets MB/D-C specs is a bit of fun... Auto Zone having the filter in stock is a bonus compared to a year ago (at least here in Oklahoma).

Paying attention to oil viscosity is still important, but meeting the specs MB 228+, fully synthetic if you use the ASSYST system is most important to the warranty period.

Using shorter drain intervals is OK if you want to spend the money. It will slightly increase engine life. On a Million Mile engine like the MB-CDI/diesel, this is pretty much moot. Modern engine, oil, filter, etc. just don't require the short oil changes that the same systems used to. A big part of this change is sensors/computer control. Oil is also better and very high injection pressures result in cleaner hotter burn temps. Engine managament and computer modelling helps keep the heat where it belongs, doing its job of moving you down the road.

Properly deigned equipment is more efficient and this also leads to decreases in bad byproducts... used oil, bad emissions, etc.

KenB :shades:

ron52 · September 2006

Thanks Ken for your reply and knowledge. What is your overall opinion of the Sprinter? It seems like they have a very strong following despite certain problems. When I test drove one as soon as I started up a hill it lost power and the "check engine light" came on. I had to limp on back to the dealer who never did give me a reason for the problem.

methodvan · September 2006

ron52,

i agree that the 10k mile maint is fairly easy. the dealer charges $550 to do it (Huntington beach dodge, california)it's just different than working on what we're use to here in america but if you can do it on ford or toyota then you'll have no problems. i have 2006 and no special tools are needed to do the 10k mi service. you will need a torx head bit assortment though (common)

some will say that you need a special tool to remove the cap from the oil filter recepticle but i can remove it with just my hand and strong grip or maybe some channel locks with rag around the top (how my dodge dealer told me to do it)

also i found to remove the air filter you'll have to remove the turbo heat shield (two nuts, one bolt), clip a couple zip-ties and remove the intake hose. it's easy, just go slow and be smart.

for the fuel filter... you'll have to break the factory clamps with a pair of dikes or needle nose pliers or ??? (because they're one time use only.. so remember to get a four pack from you auto store before you start) and remove the hoses. at that point, disconnect the electrical connector, loosen the torx head tightening bolt on the side then slide it up and out. remove the dust cap in the middle, top of your new filter and fill it with diesel until it comes out the top. then fill it again until you can see the diesel inside. remove the sensor device from your old unit which should unscrew at first, then remove two torx screws, twist it about 20 degress then pull ir straight out (after seeing this you'll know what i mean). it has o-rings like your oil filter and you should replace em (o rings come with the mopar filter). put it all back together and at that point i put some small rubber vaccuum caps on all of the hose barbs so that when you manuever this thing back in the engine compartment you don't spill diesel evrywhere. then reconnect all the hoses, connectors and securing clamp and you're redy to rock.

you'll see an inverted (male) torx head harware all over the car that looks like special tool is required but a metric 6 point hex socket is all you'll need to remove it.

you'll just have to get over the anxiety of working on brand new car. @10k i do my oil & filter, air filter and fuel filter. i buy my parts rom the dealer and it come out $100. synthetic oil is about $60 for 10 quarts. you could save couple bucks and buy parts from the local auto store but they have to order it and they are more likely (in my opinion) to screw up and order the wrong stuff. my dealer said i should replace my AC filter as well but i hardly use AC so phooey on trying to find it.

also, i'm using mobil 1 0-40W because that's what the dealer said came in the car from factory. no burned oil in 10k miles. i find it hard to beleive that they are putting in the wrong, more expensive, grade of oil from the start...

using a lightweight, synthetic oil for the break-in period sounds like a smart thing to do... maybe 15-40w after 50-100k miles. japanese cars (the few i've owned) have always put disclaimers in the owners maunals about putting in oil that was to thick. (of course after 10 years, 200k miles and burning a quart every 1000 miles you're on your own) it sure would have been nice if MBZ would have put an oil prressure guage in this thing.

but honestly... i've known folks who damn near drove their MBZ diesels out of oil on a regular basis and have still put 200k miles on afterwards and still sold the car running great. shoot, you could probably put 10 quart of canola oil in this thing and it'll run. i see a lot of MBZ diesels on the road with 300k+ and i'm sure they can't soley attest that their longevity is due to hyper critical oil choices.

eventhough the MBZ diesel may go million miles i don't think the body/chassis on one of these vans will make it to 300k without falling apart in real work enviroment. are you really planning to drive you're sprinter 1,000,000 miles? or 500,000 miles? or even 300,000 miles? i'd like to see what one of these looks like with 300k plus on it.

do we have any fleet techs out there who have stories/records/photos of the life of a US imported sprinter after 300k miles, 500k miles? just for fun, good luck.

punter1 · September 2006

Hopefully you will have enough buyers remore to get out of the deal.

The completely redesigned model will be in the USA in 4 months.

They spent 2 billion on the redesign.

25000 mile service intervals.

It is way better.

They have been on sale in Europe since May.

Why get the old one?

You can configure the new one ( if you know German ) here:

http://www.mercedes-benz.de/content/germany/mpc/mpc_germany_website/de/home_mpc/- vans/home/products/nya_transportbilar/New_Sprinter.html

.

methodvan · September 2006

does anyone know how much the new 2007 model is gonna cost? imagine there gonna be price spike.

nescosmo · September 2006

Methodvan... As it is the van was not worth it dealer told me that strip will be around 41k personally i will never buy another one, van is ok BUT the dealer just because is made by MB they charging an arm and a leg for service. I ask the other day how much for a brake job and they said $1300.00 for the front and $1300.00 for the back. I ask what type of tranny oil it take and they told me fluid is a secret only MB make it and only dealers can change the oil. I can not ever check the tranny oil level because is lock. What kind of a deal is this?. I think is arm robery.

kenbaker · September 2006

Overall, a very good van platform and drive train. I have only experienced a check engine light apparently associated with a fuel tank sensor that thought the fuel cap was off.

Your limp home symptoms are sounding consistent with the turbo/intake related problems that have occured for some dirvers... any of the following: intake sensors (temp/air flow/pressure), turbo oulet box cracks/failure, loose hose/clamps, etc.

I sounds quite likely that the turbo spooled up to pressure and flexxed the output box (causing a leak), a hose/clamp leaked pressure, or the mass/air sensor has a problem and failed to give a proper signal. The service tech could certainly plug into the OBD (On-Board Diagnostics) connector and quickly tell what the computer thinks was wrong. Not EXACTLY what the SALESMAN wants to be doing during a SALE...

Did you test a passenger model or a cargo/chassis? Passenger model is built in Stuttgardt (Sp?) and shipped. cargo/chassis models are shipped as kits and assembled in the Carolinas... a few more hose/clamp problems have been suspected by some of our Sprinter compadres.

If you care about rattles, you will have some things to work on every now and then and you may want to add insulation/damping pads to the larger panels.

If you have specific questions please ask.

KenB :shades:

ron52 · September 2006

Thank you for all your responses. You all have been very informative. Time will tell whether I will regret my purchase. Oh well, it is only money

kenbaker · September 2006

I finally found somewhere that the MB-tranny fluid is some normal company's (can't remember which, may Shell?) fully synthetic DEXRON-III. If I find the ref again, I will post it.

The brake job is still a DYI if you are saavy. Change pads, rotors, and (maybe) sensors as a group and still come out WAY ahead of $1300/axle.

Dealers are currently getting the repuation that leeches, sharks, used car salesmen, and lawyers used to have exclusive territorial rights to... But, they can't all be bad and they should have D/C backing to do better. Otherwise, they are goiong to have a tough time paying for a $2-Billion re-working of this van... They did this partly so that Dodge would not have to re-work the Dodge RamVan models.

KenB :shades:

surlyoldbill · September 2006

Although I like my 140SHC, I miss the vesatility of my pickup. D/C has a concept vehicle for Jeep called the Gladiator, which is a diesel pickup. This is a standard pickup design, though.
I think that using the drivetrain of the sprinter in a crossover van/pickup would be excellent; a nearly cab-over pickup would allow a lot of cargo space in a shorter, easier to park vehicle; and the fuel effeciency of the 5 cyl. motor in a light vehicle would be outstanding. I know that cab & chassis sprinters are available, and adding a utility bed would make it a great pickup type vehicle (there are a few driving around where I live), but I think something designed from the ground up to be a modular utility vehicle would be more efficient.
If I were to design it: cab-over or transverse mounted engine (short hood), front buckets plus room for bench or two more bucket seats in back, door in back of cab that opens to the bed, removable shell option that converts the open bed into a weather tight cargo or passenger area, interior of vehicle 2 meters wide (to allow a person room to lay down crossways), minimum 8' bed length (for sheet goods like plywood), 4wd or AWD optional, diesel motor and all the ABS, ESP, ASR and all the other safety circuitry.

Note on the cargo area of the current Sprinter; I happily found that I can haul 16' lengths of moulding inside the 140SHC, even though the ends are up on the dash. 12' boards are not a problem, either, as they can stack up between the front seats, with just enough clearance to not hit the cupholder attachment.

methodvan · September 2006

i think Dc blew it when then did their marketing reasearch for this van in zillion ways.

first of all this is a work vehicle, plain and simple. for those folks that have work vehicles for their small businesses they want high quality product for cheap with reasonable maint costs and easy to get parts. not vice-versa. when my dealer wants $500 for a 10k mi service (huntington beach dodge, HB california, "sprinter headquaqrters")which includes 3 hrs labor to change each filter and parts, when i did it myself the FIRST TIME in 40 minutes... something is wrong. $1300 per axle for brakes... guess i'll be doing that myself too. parts? a dodge what???

i think dodge dealers overlook the importance of sprinter qualified sales staff and tech people because they may only sell a small percentage of sprinters when considering the total volume of sales. and for some reason people are sypathetic over this. well, i'm not... if you cant support you're product then don't F****in' sell it. it's still the most expensive car on the lot with exception of the VIPER. to watch the dealer scrath their head when i bring it in for door rattles, broken seats, etc and then turn around and ask me for the $500 to change the oil and filters is INFURIATING!!!

i think DC knows about the dealer problems but refuses to address it because it will turn into greater problems with their sales of remaing 2006 models. "maybe if we ignore it it'll go away" it's just like the turbo failure that seems to plague so many sprinters. my dealers service mangr and his tech swear that they'd never heard of such a thing and haven't had single one come back with problems (sprinter HQ). then, i turned to this forums and a startling percentage of folks have had this problem. who should i beleive? recall to costly? maybe most vans will make it to 36k mi before it goes and then we can charge for this inherent repair??? gee, does sounds like we're playing black jack with a dealer whose stacked the deck, here????

DC has really buried itself with me and that's what i tell everyone who asks me about my van. at least ford, GM or toyota never made me feeled like i was deliberately being screwed.

DC are YOU listening out there.... here are some keywords...

"RESPECT YOUR CUSTOMERS AND THEIR TIME AND MONEY!!!!!!"

punter1 · September 2006

dodge.com says you can get extended warranties to 100K that include routine service - but I have no idea what they cost. If I get a Sprinter I will try to get that.
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I think part of the problem is that in the USA it is illegal for a manufacturer to own the dealer. In Europe it is not and the manufacturer has better control of service.
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It sounds like it might be the dealer and not the manufacturer who is doing the poor job.
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punter1 · September 2006

This URL may be useful to some of the people with problems. It has detailed information on the warranty and service contract options ( except cost unfortunately ) as well as 800 numbers to directly contact DaimlerChrysler.

http://www-5.servicecontracts.chrysler.com/gn/gn_dcscQuestions.html#gnQ_03

I hope it helps.

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Dodge Sprinter

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