Brake, ESP, ABS, Traction, Check Engine, and I'm in limp home mode (LHM)

jdscco

New member
I have the BRAKE, ESP, ABS, TRACTION, CHECK ENGINE lights all on and I am in LHM with the transmission in 2nd gear only. I noticed that the heater is blowing hot air even with the temp control set at the coldest level.

When I turn on the heater blower to high (4 on the dial) ALL lights go out and van drives normal. Turn the heater OFF (0 on the dial) ALL these lights come back ON and I am again in LHM. Turn heater blower to high ALL is normal except the heater is still blowing hot air.

I do not have to be driving for this to happen. While parked and reving the engine to 2000 RPM ALL these lights come ON. Turn the heater blower on while still at 2000 RPM the lights go OUT. Heater blower off lights come ON.

Any HELP out there.
 

CJPJ

2008 3500 170 EXTD 3.0 V6 OM642.993 4.182
When I turn on the heater blower to high ALL lights go out and van drives normal. Turn the heater OFF ALL these lights come back ON and I am again in LHM. Turn heater blower to high ALL is normal except the heater is still blowing hot air....While parked and reving the engine to 2000 RPM ALL these lights come ON. Turn the heater blower on while still at 2000 RPM the lights go OUT. Heater blower off lights come ON.

Any HELP out there.
That is wild , Mercedes-Benz computers or CAN bus busses at work...:idunno: ... I'm not much help to you other then bumping this so others might chime in .:thumbup:
 

220629

Well-known member
I would think that calling Doktor A would be a good next step.

It could be a bad ground, or possibly a shorted harness. :idunno: Have you checked for blown fuses? Sometimes a bad fuse will give odd symptoms. Check ALL THE FUSES CLOSELY both under the steering column and under the driver seat. The fuse maps are sometimes not clear with information of what feeds what.

Good luck. vic
 

hkpierce

'02 140 Hi BlueBlk Pass
I have the BRAKE, ESP, ABS, TRACTION, CHECK ENGINE lights all on and I am in LHM with the transmission in 2nd gear only. I noticed that the heater is blowing hot air even with the temp control set at the coldest level.
Simple stuff first - if all the stuff is not related, then BRAKE, ESP, ABS, TRACTION may be your brake switch. Re-position it and see what happens.
 

jdscco

New member
Simple stuff first - if all the stuff is not related, then BRAKE, ESP, ABS, TRACTION may be your brake switch. Re-position it and see what happens.
Drove it 37 miles to MB dealer. They want 1500 to replace other parts before they can even try to solve my issue.
 
We own a 2012 Sprinter 3500 - after returning from seven weeks on Alaska trek with about 22,000 miles on Sprinter. I started it up to run to store - ABS/ASR/ESP lights were on - I tried to drive it to the store (thinking it was a quirk), but would not shift. I drove about 20 mph at 2,000 rpm - first time for me to experience LHM. When I got home I checked the vehicle to discover - no brake lights. I was relieved thinking all I needed was a brake light switch. Ordered one and put it in - everything was the same. Have checked all the fuses under dash and beside each seat - all appear to be OK. Now I read that it may require a *Sprinter code reader* to clear all codes before it will return to normal?

Would appreciate hearing back from anyone about a possible *workaround*, since I am about 80 miles from nearest MB/Sprinter dealership. Anyone near Lansing, Michigan who can read/clear codes? Thanks, Bill
 
I forgot to mention - CEL is also on - along with ABS/ASR/ESP.

While at Colter Bay in Wyoming - driving about 10 mph on dry pavement the yellow triangle came on for a bit a couple times, but remedied itself with re-starts. That was about 2,000 miles ago and it has not come on since.

I have recently read that MB/Sprinter has some new flash software updates. Will this/these solve the problems we are seeing? I do my own service, since dealer is so far away - so don't have the opportunity to ask to have TSBs checked on my vehicle. Is there a way MB/Sprinter will notify us owners of current TSB/Recall notices via email or snail mail?? Thanks! Bill
 
This is a total guess...but all of those systems rely on some of the same components. Could it be something like a damaged tone wheel or wheel speed sensor? I know that the transmission will go into LHM and will stick in gear.
 

jmoller99

Own a DAD ODB2 Unit.
The yellow Triangle (ASR) comes on when one of your rear wheels spins much faster than the other, and the Sprinter applies braking to the faster spinning wheel - the goal is to prevent one wheel just spinning on slick roads (in some ways trying to simulate posi-traction). I only ever see it in the winter when the roads have ice on them.

I have seen all the lights you describe come on and stay on as a result if there are Tranmission related errors. When that happened on mine, it was because the valve body (the board that holds the shift solenoids) inside the transmission was bad. In order to clear it, I used my DAD unit (Sprinter compatible OBDII system) to read the transmission errors and reset them after replacing the valve body - A Generic ODBII reader can't access the codes or reset them.

Your Sprinter dealer should have a tool to read/reset these errors. However, if your Valve body needs to be cleaned, or there is some other problem, the dash lights will come on again.

This situation caused a LHM issue for me - Only 2nd gear, Neutral and Reverse worked at the time and I was struck unable to travel faster than 30 miles per hour.

Find someone with a DAD unit to read your codes, or go to a Sprinter dealer/service center that has the right ODBII tool and find out what is wrong.
 

jdscco

New member
All. Problem solved. I took it to a Mercedes dealer to read the codes. Found the alternator was OVER VOLTING. 18 Volts it was making. When this happened the computers did not like that so they shut down. Replaced the alternator and the van, or bus as we call it works fine.
p.s. Mercedes wanted over $800 just for the alternator with core. I told them close it up and I went and got it. Found one on EBAY $139. I kept the core. Works great
 

sailquik

Well-known member
jdscco,
Hope that the $139 alternator you found on EBay is a genuine Bosch and of the correct amp ouput capacity (AMP rating).
If so...great!
If not, you may be looking for the genuine article in the correct output capacity range!
Bosch makes them in 90/120/180.....all the way up to 220 amp capacity.
Roger
 

JAM

New member
jdscco,
Hope that the $139 alternator you found on EBay is a genuine Bosch and of the correct amp ouput capacity (AMP rating).
If so...great!
If not, you may be looking for the genuine article in the correct output capacity range!
Bosch makes them in 90/120/180.....all the way up to 220 amp capacity.
Roger
Roger is correct. I been through 3 rebuilt ones that took a crap before I said screw it and got a Bosch on amazon for under $200.
 

jdscco

New member
jdscco,
Hope that the $139 alternator you found on EBay is a genuine Bosch and of the correct amp ouput capacity (AMP rating).
If so...great!
If not, you may be looking for the genuine article in the correct output capacity range!
Bosch makes them in 90/120/180.....all the way up to 220 amp capacity.
Roger
Good update. My master mechanic found it, purchased it, and bench tested it, and it was a 150 amp, the same as the one pulled off. 8 weeks into it no problems. will keep an eye on it though.
thanks again
 

jdscco

New member
Roger is correct. I been through 3 rebuilt ones that took a crap before I said screw it and got a Bosch on amazon for under $200.
Thanks will keep an eye on it.
I see your from Michigan. I need a Sprinter mechanic near Lansing or flint. My guy is not always available. He is good but hard to schedule.
Any ideas
 

jdscco

New member
We own a 2012 Sprinter 3500 - after returning from seven weeks on Alaska trek with about 22,000 miles on Sprinter. I started it up to run to store - ABS/ASR/ESP lights were on - I tried to drive it to the store (thinking it was a quirk), but would not shift. I drove about 20 mph at 2,000 rpm - first time for me to experience LHM. When I got home I checked the vehicle to discover - no brake lights. I was relieved thinking all I needed was a brake light switch. Ordered one and put it in - everything was the same. Have checked all the fuses under dash and beside each seat - all appear to be OK. Now I read that it may require a *Sprinter code reader* to clear all codes before it will return to normal?

Would appreciate hearing back from anyone about a possible *workaround*, since I am about 80 miles from nearest MB/Sprinter dealership. Anyone near Lansing, Michigan who can read/clear codes? Thanks, Bill
All. Problem solved. I took it to a Mercedes dealer to read the codes. Found the alternator was OVER VOLTING. 18 Volts it was making. When this happened the computers did not like that so they shut down. Replaced the alternator and the van, or bus as we call it works fine.
p.s. Mercedes wanted over $800 just for the alternator with core. I told them close it up and I went and got it. Found one on EBAY $139. I kept the core. Works great

I do not know if this is your problem. But many parts stores can read and clear codes. ie Auto Value. But there are 2 computer codes that need to be read and cleared. One is easy the other required a $10000 code reader. A dealer is where I had these codes read.

Also, I need a Sprinter mechanic near Lansing also. Have you found one?
 

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