rant

Ya know, i haven't bitched about sprinter door locks in awhile so I gotta say, on my 3rd sprinter and I have always been in suspense when I press that dam button
I wasn't even gonna gripe about the alternator-to-starter wire that Mercedes saw fit to route directly in front of the torque converter bolt access hole which had me scratching my head yesterday. This was their clean-sheet design?
But today as I was monkeying with those satanic headlight connectors I threw my favorite flat tip screwdriver and have now lost it. Like all their stupid connectors I got it figured out, but only after sitting on my stool and pondering it awhile. Visualize Rodin's thinker with any Mercedes electrical connector in his hand.
Thanks for listening men. I feel better already.

Maybe we could add a new section called "Random Rants"

random said:

... Visualize Rodin's thinker with any Mercedes electrical connector in his hand.

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Got it.



Been there. Done that.

If it helps, I hear 'ya.

I shouldn't admit it, but I've screwed up more than a few connectors on vehicles. At times I swear that the plastic does get brittle over time. Other times I know that I am the problem. In most cases a properly placed cable tie remains my best friend.

random said:

Thanks for listening men. I feel better already.

Click to expand...

Misery loves company.

vic

P.S. - Wait until you need to change out a T1N brake light switch. Having iron worker ham hands is a disadvantage over slender delicate fingers.

I had a 1989 Nissan mini van. It had 2 spark plugs per cylinder for its 2.4 liter 4 cylinder engine. Engine access was between the front seats, To change the spark plugs for the cylinder furthest from the front, I had to take the passengers seat belt assembly off to remove a cover to get the plugs (The ones I took out were likely the originals - there was very little left of the electrodes by the time it hit 100,000 miles). It started a lot better with all the plugs changed. When I had to change the alternator on the same vehicle, I had to remove the passenger side tire to get to an access cover, otherwise there was no way to pull the alternator out. - I bought it used, with around 70K miles on it.

My daughters 1997 Rav4 needs to have the passenger tire removed, part of the exhaust system disassembled and engine hoist lifting it off of 2 motor mounts to change the timing belt (the power steering pump was leaking too - I had to pop out the tie rod to get to the 2 bolts that holds it in - hours of swearing to get it back in and tighend up).

Every vehicle I have owned since 1992 (Jeep Cherokee) has had major in-accessability issues when I went to change a very minor part.

The Sprinter is no worse than anything else I have encountered. Having to take out the headlights to replace the turbo hoses is pretty unique, but my other daughters 2013 VW TDI Beetle has no access to most of the engine at all - I don't look forward to when it comes out of warrenty and I end up working on it (It took a service person almost an hour to swap out its battery when it went open last year).

I miss the simplicity of the 1973 VW bug we had (and the 1976 VW camper bus).

I've done the upper turbo hose 4 times with the headlight in. Not certain what that's about. Needing a turbo hose every 50k that is.

I actually thought the transmission removal was very easy, that's why I gave Mercedes a (temporary) rant exemption on the plastic wire loom blocking the converter bolts. I think, in my heart of hearts, that the loss of my trusty yellow flattip caused me so much anguish that I entered a dissociative fugue as a defense mechanism, and it was there that I plotted the bombing of the MB connector plug design headquarters.
But today is a new day, and I love my big white van again.

My 49 Crosley Hotshot was much simpler. Once had to rebuild engine when in college. Took out engine and carried it up to my 3 rd. floor rented room and worked on it. Only problem was the oil/grease smell in the room for months after I was done.
There were disadvantages also. The place I lived served dinner every night to the resident college students and others that lived nearby. Parking was a problem so one night the nearby students just lifted up the Crosley and put it on the sidewalk and parked where it had been. San Luis cop drives up and writes a ticket for parking on the sidewalk and could not be convinced I did not park it there. House owner had connections so she got ticket cancelled.
Back to the subject on Sprinter electrical connections. When are you going to organize the raid on the design office? Maybe we could borrow a B17 to complete the task.

after seeing some cars over there, the sprinter have more room indeed to work inside the engine compartiment ( i miss the Word).

How Celia Cruz said: my english is not good looking.

312d said:

after seeing some cars over there, the sprinter have more room indeed to work inside the engine compartiment ( i miss the Word).

How Celia Cruz said: my english is not good looking.

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Welcome. Your English is fine. This is not a site that gets upset about spelling. Let us know about Sprinters in your country.

312d said:

... ( i miss the Word).

Click to expand...

The word is LOVE.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivyih9hdbn0

312d said:

...How Celia Cruz said: my english is not good looking.

Click to expand...

That is a quote that I never get tired of seeing.

vic

On my 1989 MB207 (Sprinter grandfather) I was able to replace all injectors without leaving the warm cabin.
On my 2010 I had oil cooler blown at 33000 mi.
Had to use an inspection camera to see rear turbo bolts.
Took me 3 hours to disassemble, 4 hours to reassemble, $6.35 for parts... AND 4 DAYS TO DRILL OUT ONE BROKEN EXHOUST BOLT

No wonder the manufacturers are concealing repair information.

LOL. "the word is love" YES!
Did you liked my quote on Celia Cruz, ha!

Good to see everyone's had their days. I say let no man judge me who has not yet installed a sprinter transmission lying in wet gravel with a cheap floorjack in the dark, peering with his flashlight into the despair of that cursed torque converter access hole.
I found my screwdriver! That made my day.

just to cheer up, dance the chacarron,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njrmL1y3ul8

312 that actually did cheer me up. I don't know what he's moaning about but south american women and their shapely backsides always perk me up. That's it, I'm moving to south america.

LOL, actually he is not saying anything the only thing i understand "chacarron macarron". The artist name is "el mudo", that means "the mute."