Stuck on side of road.

domromer

New member
I'm hoping someone here can help me. We are stuck and the van won't start. When I turn the key I get a clicking sound and a start error comes up. I've checked the battery and it's fine. I've disconnected the negative cable and reconnected and that did nothing. I hit the starter with a hammer thinking it might be that. I'm not sure what to do next. It sounds like it may be an an issue with the screem module. I'm in Canada in a very rural area so getting back on the road is my goal. I'm hoping someone here can offer some help.
 

Rickpcmp3

2005 158" Cargo FedEx
This may not matter, but try disconnecting the positive and negative cables from the battery, and hook them together for 15-60 seconds. Then connect the negative and then the positive cable back to the battery.
 
Is the clicking coming from the fuse panel under the driver's seat? If so check & carefully reseat that relay, unfortunately it's not interchangeable with any others on the van due to it amp rating.

You can also try running a wire long enough from the terminal on the starter solenoid that is long enough to reach the positive terminal on the battery.

Once you have that connected to the starter, turn the key to full start & leave it at run... then go out and carefully tap the positive battery terminal with the wire to complete the circuit.
If the starter spins, and it's not the ECM the van should start.
If it does start be sure to cover and secure that wire attached to the starter.

https://thetruckmechanictoolbox.blogspot.com/2013/01/2005-sprinter-no-crank-no-start.html
 

vanski

If it’s winter, I’m probably skiing..
I had the same problem a couple months back and it was the actual negative cable from the battery to the ground post on the firewall. it looked fine, but it wasn't.... Replaced and van started right up. This may not be your issue but it's such an easy swap it's worth a shot.
 

icarus

Well-known member
Hit the starter with a hammer, or use a long screw driver to rap on the starter, in case the solenoid is stuck. Also, you could use the under hood jump point to rule out a bad battery positive cable, or connect a jumper cable (carefully) to the hot side of the starter.

Icarus
 

surlyoldbill

Well-known member
Might be the ECU relay or steering column fuse block. Very common. The way to tell is if you turn the key to the ON position, the electric fan at the radiator comes on.

If it DOES, then you can try to wiggle the ECU relay with your finger when trying to start, or swap it with the turn signal relay. Often it's fuse block itself that is bad, old cracked solder. A replacement is about $100.

If the clicking is coming from the starter, not getting enough juice. the ground strap from the battery to the chassis and the strap from the chassis to the engine might have corroded contact and not enough juice is getting through. Are the headlights bright?
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
It can also be a broken ground strap between the engine and the frame, which bridges the driver-side engine mount:



--dick
 

surlyoldbill

Well-known member
Jumper cables to connect NEG battery post and the engine via lift point on top might be a good test to see if it's a grounding problem.
 

Midwestdrifter

Engineer In Residence
I always assume it's the battery to start with. Get a jump with good cables. Voltage will not tell you if the battery is short on cranking power due to an internal fault.
 
I had a similar problem with my 04. It would click but not turn over and a jump would start the van right up. The battery checked out fine and it ended up being the starter.
 

surlyoldbill

Well-known member
It's usually easy to tell a low battery or poor connection, because the dash lights will go out when you try the starter. If all other systems are getting power but the engine won't turn over, AND the elec radiator fan comes on, it's most likely the fuse block.
 

domromer

New member
Just wanted to give you guys an update. The rv started yesterday out of the blue after 100 times trying. We were testing the see if the starter was getting power and I went to turn it on and it actually started. So last night we drovetto Quebec city to the Mercedes dealership and they could not replicate the issue. It started over and over for them. They plug the diagnostic tool in and everything came up fine. We drove from Quebec to Plattsburgh today and it started and stopped over and over to issue. I pulled into a friend's driveway and it wouldn't start up again. This time I made a video so you guys can see exactly what I'm seeing and hearing.

I'm not sure how to imbed it, here is the link.


https://youtu.be/nxMV5sEoRwM



http://https://youtu.be/nxMV5sEoRwM
 
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Eka

New member
I wonder if the starter relay or another relay in the starting system is going out? All the starting attempts finally broke through enough of the oxidation on the contacts so it started. Use it a few more times, and it oxidizes up and fails again. Just speculation because I don't know MB wiring yet.

A switch for sensing the brake pedal being depressed or for sensing the transmission is in neutral may also not be working all the time.
 

Patrick of M

2005 T1N 2500 (NA spec)
+1 Icarus. Starters (solenoid really) have a tendency to warn you that they are getting ready to fail. A non start here and there, until one day you're done. A boost helps as the extra juice is appreciated....a marginal battery will expose a weakening starter.
 

surlyoldbill

Well-known member
would the dash lights flash if the starter solenoid went bad? I think they would just act like they normally do when you turn the ignition.
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
Good video....

The lights blinking makes me think that the starter has a shorted coil or some other ridiculous condition... when the solenoid makes the high-power connection, the load is dragging the Sprinter's system voltage to way below 10v.

That could be caused by a bad battery connection, bad cables (such as the negative) or a short somewhere in the system
The T1N does NOT have a fuse in the starter circuit (at least the high power part).
A broken ground strap would not pull the instrument cluster down like that.

It could even be relatively weird like a broken commutator (or ingested metal debris) where the starter's brushes ride on its rotor.

--dick
 

domromer

New member
I don't remember mine flashing. Just a click.

Next time it happens try jumping the van.
It's an rv so I can start the van off the house batteries if the engine battery is dead. I've done that a few times during the non starting episodes and that didn't seem to help.
 

domromer

New member
Good video....

The lights blinking makes me think that the starter has a shorted coil or some other ridiculous condition... when the solenoid makes the high-power connection, the load is dragging the Sprinter's system voltage to way below 10v.

That could be caused by a bad battery connection, bad cables (such as the negative) or a short somewhere in the system
The T1N does NOT have a fuse in the starter circuit (at least the high power part).
A broken ground strap would not pull the instrument cluster down like that.

It could even be relatively weird like a broken commutator (or ingested metal debris) where the starter's brushes ride on its rotor.

--dick
My plan is o replace the negative ground and the engine ground, sort of go by process of elimination. Do you think I should replace the starter? The mechanic at Mercedes said it might be the starter, but they weren't sure enough to warrant replacing it.
 

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