Stranded in limp mode, turbo leak!

I'm in Kentucky and 3hrs from st. Louis where there is a dealer. I've been in and out of limp mode all day. I replaced the hose clamps on the turbo hoping that they were the cause of the leak. I tightened them hard, but they appear to loosen. There's a small amount of oil leaking from the turbo but I see no cracks on the hoses.

Is it ok for me to keep going and try to get to saint Louis?

If y'all know mechanics in the area plz let me know.

Thanks!

508-816-9335
Ben
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
It's certainly OK to keep driving... all that's happening is that your engine is only getting half the air, and hence uses half the fuel, than it normally would.

If you are gentle on the pedal, you can sometimes keep the symptoms from actually showing up (depending upon where/how the leak is).

My resonator finally cracked enough to kick me to "no turbo/limp" mode 3 days into a 3 week mountain trip.
I stocked up on duct tape, JB Weld and cable ties, but the leak was (typical) on the lid of the resonator.
I didn't bother to try an on-the-road temporary repair, since i could drive with turbo by being careful.
By watching the ScanGauge i could keep my (usual) boost down to below 27 psi MAP and it would hang together.
If i hit (or attempted to exceed) 27 psi: blooey.
Stop, turn engine off, restart, resume.
But at 55 mph it would be pretty solid ... attempting above 60 mph was asking for it.
Given that, we completed the trip as planned, including two crossings of the Rockies.
Resonator replaced when i returned to Seattle. (half-hour job parked in the street).

--dick
 
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Hi Dick,

Thanks for the quick reply, I realized we've had quite a few back and fourths about different things.

Current situation
As you know I got stuck in limp mode a handful times yesterday. I'm theorizing that when I put the sprinter in cruise control it uses more of the turbo on hills resulting in me going into limp mode more often. So, I quit cruise control and made it 200 miles @ 70mph to St. Louis with no problem.

Theory on Diagnoses
I think its more than likely that my turbo resonator is cracked. It sounds like a common problem with the 2004s and I don't think the hoses are leaking. I'd like to make it the 850 miles to boulder CO before taking her into the dealer and thinking of risking it.

I run the risk of...

- having misdiagnosed the problem and getting stranded and/or damaging the sprinter, although it seems like there are only a handful of reasons the sprinter goes into limp mode and its very probable that it is indeed my turbo.

- the turbo resonator crack getting worse and getting stranded and burning my turbo out.


I know you haven't seen the sprinter, but if we're on the right with this theory, is the issue stable? or can/will it worsen?

Thanks again!
Ben
 

sailquik

Well-known member
bcolebuild,
If you decide to continue, when you come to an uphill grade, manually downshift to 4th gear to keep the % engine load from increasing to the point that the
MAP increases enough to put you in LHM.
Try to stay out of Cruse control as the CC will run your % engine Load and turbo boost pressure (MAP) right up to 100% which is sure to trigger another
LHM episode.
If you suspect the turbo resonator, you might stop at an auto parts store and see if they have (or can find nearby) one of the Dorman aftermarket turbo resonators.
You won't hurt anything by continuing on and remember, you can pull over and shut your engine off then restart it to restore your boost.
Hope this helps,
Roger
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
Current situation
As you know I got stuck in limp mode a handful times yesterday. I'm theorizing that when I put the sprinter in cruise control it uses more of the turbo on hills resulting in me going into limp mode more often. So, I quit cruise control and made it 200 miles @ 70mph to St. Louis with no problem.
The cruise control does not downshift when it could/should (after all, *you* can *see* the hill you're approaching), so it has no qualms about forcing the engine to 100% load.
"Gentle" it ain't.
Theory on Diagnoses
I think its more than likely that my turbo resonator is cracked. It sounds like a common problem with the 2004s and I don't think the hoses are leaking. I'd like to make it the 850 miles to boulder CO before taking her into the dealer and thinking of risking it.
Since being gentle lets you get to 70, that's most likely the case and Boulder an achievable goal.

- having misdiagnosed the problem and getting stranded and/or damaging the sprinter, although it seems like there are only a handful of reasons the sprinter goes into limp mode and its very probable that it is indeed my turbo.
Many folks would say "there are far too many reasons the sprinter goes into limp mode..."
..and you're not really seeing "limp mode" .. you're seeing more or less "whimp" mode (see after next quote)
((true Limp Mode entails "stuck in 2nd gear" and "cannot exceed 2800 (or 2000) rpm))
- the turbo resonator crack getting worse and getting stranded and burning my turbo out.
Your turbo is safe... "whimp mode" happens due to the engine control module (ECM) deciding to *stop* trying to use the turbo.
So your diesel becomes a "normally aspirated" engine ... the ECU sets the turbo to "don't boost, just coast" ... no way it's going to get burned out.

I know you haven't seen the sprinter, but if we're on the right with this theory, is the issue stable? or can/will it worsen?
Mine went from "so lightly cracked that it wasn't noticeable (except for a suspicious light build-up of tarry oil deposits nearby)" to "blooey at 65 mph" by driving over a significantly bumpy railroad crossing (and even then didn't really "show up" for another 60 miles).
So: yes, it is possible for it to suddenly get worse (we're talking plastic expanding a crack... so significant shocks while boost is pumping could certainly enlarge it).

But: Cleaning it, adding JB Weld, some wire-wrapping and duct tape have shown to effect permanent repairs for other folks (which is why i went shopping for such when mine blew ... but "gentle(r)" meant that i could drive another 1000 miles (Glacier Park, Waterton, Dinosaur Park, Edmunton, Jasper, Banff, over the Rockies, up Mt Baker, home) without actually having to stop and apply the patches. I was lucky (crack didn't expand further), but i was also prepared in case i got unlucky.

Attitude helps ("Yes, Sprinter: i promise i'll fix it when we get home. Your job is to get me home.")

--dick
(recommended reading: John Muir's "How to Keep your Volkswagen Alive for the Compleat Idiot" and Robert Pirsig's "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance")
 
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Haha, dick your great. Thanks for all the help.

Do you have a good resource for identifying the resonator crack and figuring out how when to apply said duct tape etc?

Thanks
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
Do you have a good resource for identifying the resonator crack and figuring out how when to apply said duct tape etc?
Identifying is easy: it's somewhere under the "top" lip seal.

I can't find the specific post that showed a glued-and-wrapped resonator, so here's "2nd best":

TurboResonatorWelded.jpg

(from this thread, worth reading)

Normal consumer Duct tape would probably have a problem with the engine heat.

The secret to the JB Weld repair is to thoroughly clean the seam area, fill the gap space and spread it out to give it lots of grip.
As the above photo shows: fill the entire seam ... all the way around the resonator.

Here's another (posted yesterday afternoon) thread/message showing a typical crack:

TurboResCracked.JPG

(my own was cracked far less than that, and elsewhere on the seam)

--dick
 
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Hi Dick,

I made it to boulder! then to Taos and now back in Oakland. I was able to stay off the turbo most of the way, although the 108 degrees of the mojave desert seemed to worsen the issues. Anyways, now that I'm home and going to replace the turbo resonator, do you recommend the aftermarket aluminum replacement?

Thanks for all the help out there.
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
... going to replace the turbo resonator, do you recommend the aftermarket aluminum replacement?
I consider that a "personal taste" issue.

Me? I chose the (much) less expensive Dorman
(a) wife happier (less turbo whine)
(b) less expensive ($30 vs $130)
(c) *maybe* in the last 10 years i've heard of *one* Dorman failure (but cannot recall where/when)
(d) did i mention (a)??
(e) i'm willing to accept the (small) risk of another leak (but i'll bet a hose will fail first)
(f) i don't heavily load my Sprinter, and my driving style is usually fairly gentle on the engine (consciously)

Your mileage (and choices) may differ...
--dick
 

Gabe Athouse

New member
I have the metal one, it's not that loud. I like the sound because it tells me when the turbo is spooling up and I can back off it for best mpg.
 


Here is a photo of the blown Mercedes vs the Dorman. You can see how the seam on the Mercedes is much more exposed and defined than the Dorman. I installed the Dorman hoping that the $120 aluminum one was over kill.
 
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