not much power

I have a 2005 3500 series w/ 170,000 miles. This problem just started the other day, It is hard to get it started in the morning (temps in the teens & I have a block heater that is working), once I get it running the max. speed is about 40 mph. At idle I can rev the engine to about 2800 rpms but once it's in gear the engine doesn't have much power. I manually shift it to keep it in a lower gear & it helps some. Going up a incline I loose power & have to down shift. I've changed the fuel & air filter & I have looked at the turbo hoses & they look ok. In the past I have replaced the plastic resonator w/ the metal one. It seems like the turbo is not working. Anyone have any ideas?
Thanks,
Matt Murphy

It may be ice/water in the fuel filter or a clogged fuel filter.
It may be the turbo is not coming on or the hoses have a leak.

Matt,
Check to see if the linkage (the rod link from the electronic turbocharger actuator with the ball/socket joint on the top end) is moving up and down to
regulate the turbocharger boost.
The bell crank (on the front of the hot/rusty rear turbo chamber) should move up and down as you have someone rev your motor a bit.
If not, try some Liquid Wrench or other penetrating oil on the bell crank spindle/bearing, on the ball/socket joint.
With 170k miles in the Midwest, your actuator linkage could be getting sticky or partially seizing so the actuator cannot regulate your boost pressure.
Might try a local auto parts store for a quick (free hopefully) scan of the boost pressure.
You might want to consider a Scan Gauge II or similar so you could monitor what the boost pressure is and if it's being regulated.
Also you would see any Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC's).
Are you sure all the hose clamps on the induction (turbo) plumbing are tight? Cold temps can cause your turbo hoses to get very stiff and
the aluminum Riordan Turbo Resonator Eliminator will shrink quite a bit compared to the steel click clamp that holds the hose on the end.
Normal boost will be in the range of 14.7 PSIA (Absolute Pressure here) to 37.0 PSIA (PSIG (Gauge pressure) 0.0 PSIG to ~20-21 PSIG.
If your boost is not going above ~18 PSIA (~3-5 PSIG) then your electronic actuator may be bad.
You also might want to read up (here on the forum) on cleaning your EGR valve.
Do you see any black smoke as you try to accelerate.....this would indicate over fueling as your turbo output is not balancing the increase in
fueling rate.
Hope this helps,
Roger
P.S. Best overall repair strategy would be to visit an authorized MB Sprinter Commercial dealer and pay for a full systems scan with their
MB SDS system.
They might also do the intake tract smoke test to see if you have any split hoses or other leaks in the turbo plumbing.
They may try to sell you a complete turbocharger, but if what's not working is just the actuator, you can buy them for a lot less separately.
Garrett Turbochargers and your MB dealer suggest that the turbocharger and the turbocharger actuator are calibrated to work together and
there for must be replaced as a set, but many Sprinter owners have successfully replaced just the actuator with no issues.
Are you using any fuel additives? Could be your fuel is so cold it's gelling and preventing it from easily going through your new fuel filter.

It can also be a faulty intake air temp (IAT) sensor.
Your ScanGauge lets you look at what value it's reporting (also at your Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) to verify boost).

When my IAT died (once per year for two years) the symptoms were that i'd lose power on hills and have to downshift.
Are you seeing a Check Engine light?
(when my second one died, i had the ScanGauge which let me catch it early (it was registering 145F on a 40F morning) before full symptoms developed).

--dick

autostaretx said:

It can also be a faulty intake air temp (IAT) sensor.
Your ScanGauge lets you look at what value it's reporting (also at your Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) to verify boost).

When my IAT died (once per year for two years) the symptoms were that i'd lose power on hills and have to downshift.
Are you seeing a Check Engine light?
(when my second one died, i had the ScanGauge which let me catch it early (it was registering 145F on a 40F morning) before full symptoms developed).

--dick

Click to expand...

I just did some more testing & I pulled the 2 turbo hoses & plastic box that the 2 hoses connect to (on the drivers side (USA) under the radiator overflow), naturally they had some oil in them, cleaned them up & reinstalled. I had a problem similar to this about 4 years ago & talked to the good Dr. in Pittsburg. He had me unplug one of the sensors in the plastic box & retry it. At that time it didn't make a difference. So I tried doing it today & the van has good power when the sensor is unplugged, as soon a I plug it back in the problem is back. this sensor has 3 wires & has a Mercedes # of 5056. Is this the intake air sensor? If so is it a faulty sensor & can I drive it until I get a new sensor?
Thanks & Happy Holidays to all!!!!

Matt Murphy

He had me unplug one of the sensors in the plastic box & retry it.

Click to expand...

Which plastic box? On the driver's side or passenger side? (both have sensors).
Unplugging the IAT will make it read *low*, which the Sprinter can deal with (it defaults to a "reasonable" attitude).

Here's the driver's-side plastic section of the turbo plumbing. You'll have to tell us which you unplugged
(i seem to recall that the IAT only had two wires)



--dick
p.s. the box on the passenger side might have been the MAF (Mass Air Flow) sensor.

It was the boost pressure sensor. But that didn't solve the problem like I thought.
I did get my DAD working & 2 codes came up:
P2511 & P0105
I erased the codes & the P2511 came back (left EAS positioner). Not sure what this is.
Thanks
Matt Murphy

IAT is on the driver side on the plastic housing before the final hose to the manifold.
EGR block-off test may tell you if it's a worn out EGR.

katmat said:

I did get my DAD working & 2 codes came up:
P2511 & P0105
I erased the codes & the P2511 came back (left EAS positioner). Not sure what this is.

Click to expand...

My code list has P2511 as being "Egr Valve Signal Circuit Shorted To Ground"
... so possibly it's a damaged cable harness between the EGR and the ECM.

and the list has P0105 as being one of:
P0105-Boost Pressure Sensor Can Message Error
P0105-Boost Pressure Sensor Plausibility
P0105-Boost Pressure Sensor Signal Voltage Too High
P0105-Boost Pressure Sensor Signal Voltage Too Low
(all reasonable if you had unplugged it)

--dick

autostaretx said:

My code list has P2511 as being "Egr Valve Signal Circuit Shorted To Ground"
... so possibly it's a damaged cable harness between the EGR and the ECM.

--dick

Click to expand...

I used a carbon cleaner on it & the first time I started it upit ran good, but after I cycled the key a couple of times it ran port again. I cleared the P2511 code & it would run good until I turned the key
on & off. I'm thinking the ERG valve Do they short out internally & "short to Ground"?
Thanks

I have a similar problem on my 2003 158". I replaced the driver side turbo hose with a crack in it but since then it has an intermittent turbo problem. When the turbo doesn't work, it still shows 10-15 psi of boost, but the trans won't downshift and power doesn't build even with manual downshift. When it does work, it has 15-20 PSI and the trans works fine with lots of power.

teammontana said:

I have a similar problem on my 2003 158". I replaced the driver side turbo hose with a crack in it but since then it has an intermittent turbo problem. When the turbo doesn't work, it still shows 10-15 psi of boost, but the trans won't downshift and power doesn't build even with manual downshift. When it does work, it has 15-20 PSI and the trans works fine with lots of power.

Click to expand...

Make sure the vacuum hose to the Turbo Actuator is tight and not cracked as seen under the van near the alternater.
Make sure the hose from the turbo to the intercooler is not split