Stuck in Neutral - temporary. Transmission Fluid ??

My wife was driving our 2004 sprinter [about 20,000 miles total] at very mild speed yesterday, [not over 45mph, I'd say considering the country road] and suddenly the van acted like it was in neutral - began to slow down & speeding up engine did nothing.

Not knowing what else to do, she drifted to the side of the road, shut off the engine and re-started: then it seemed OK & she drove on home.

I have noticed a very slow leaking from the Tranny oil pan, a few spots in the driveway - [can't tighten the screws any more], wondering if this could be the problem.

We have not experienced "Rumble-Strip Noise" which is all I can find on the forum which seems to indicate low fluid.

I have copied the dipstick PDF, the whole thing sounds complicated [temperature & all.]

I hate to think of having to spend all that money to replace the gasket [which sounds like it will just be a transmission fluid replacement at 20K, rather than at 60K]

Read on the "Dipstic PDF" thread that a PINT of tranny fluid made a huge difference on the guy's dipstick reading - what about just adding an ounce or two of fluid from time to time??

Anyone have any ideas?

-Oly

I would not add any transmission fluid at this time. A few drips of fluid on the driveway is likely not enough to cause a significant drop in the transmission fluid level.

Your description sounds to me like your Sprinter went into Limp Home Mode. You can do a search for more details, but it is basically a reduced power mode that the computer sets to help keep you from damaging the engine/drivetrain if it senses there is a problem. I'm quite certain it can go into Limp Home Mode and not show any trouble lights on the dash.

To begin trying to figure out the problem you first need to get someone to read your trouble codes. Many automobile parts stores will read the codes for you with a generic code reader. That would be an inexpensive first step. A list of codes is here:

https://sprinter-source.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5369

Hope this does some good. vic

ohlsonmh said:

My wife was driving our 2004 sprinter [about 20,000 miles total] at very mild speed yesterday, [not over 45mph, I'd say considering the country road] and suddenly the van acted like it was in neutral - began to slow down & speeding up engine did nothing.

Not knowing what else to do, she drifted to the side of the road, shut off the engine and re-started: then it seemed OK & she drove on home.

I have noticed a very slow leaking from the Tranny oil pan, a few spots in the driveway - [can't tighten the screws any more], wondering if this could be the problem.

We have not experienced "Rumble-Strip Noise" which is all I can find on the forum which seems to indicate low fluid.

I have copied the dipstick PDF, the whole thing sounds complicated [temperature & all.]

I hate to think of having to spend all that money to replace the gasket [which sounds like it will just be a transmission fluid replacement at 20K, rather than at 60K]

Read on the "Dipstic PDF" thread that a PINT of tranny fluid made a huge difference on the guy's dipstick reading - what about just adding an ounce or two of fluid from time to time??

Anyone have any ideas?

-Oly

Click to expand...

Thanks, Vic.

Those codes look like at least a great start!

I dunno'. I'm retired as a "Thousandaire" too, but I was OK a year ago, now my IRA's are at about 1/2 down & I wonder if I can outlive my funds. Been retired 10 years & of course I'm too far behind in my field to get work that pays anything, not that I want to work!

And everything on this Sprinter costs like solid gold, plus I have very little confidence in my local dealer. That's been my worry about a Mercedes product all along.

Right now, the van is only being used for short local hops (went cross-country & back last fall) so I think I'll wait & see.

I guess I'd better build a tranny dip-stick & figure out how to use it!

-Oly

there is a common problem with a electrical plug that controls the transmission shifting- it leaks . This plug is on the passenger side of the transmission on the side near the front of the transmission . Check to see if fluid is leaking from this plug, it is only a few o rings to repair this. Not sure about the other issue though.

Oh!, Boy! Thank you, poiuytrewq !!

I will have to check this, because - sure enough, my leak is on the Passenger side - the pan holding bolts which are the "low spots" are wet & occasionally drip - sounds like it could be what you suggest. I did check the sides of the tranny above the seal, but I will definately look for this switch.

My wife has the van just now, and I'm pouring wine for a winery party tomorrow, but soon......

-Oly

My cheap trick solution for a dip stick is the last post here:

https://sprinter-source.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3414

As I indicate in the post, without a flat tip it is a bit harder to read, but I can't bring myself to spend the money for a commercial stick. I believe it was rlent that suggested he learned to lay the end of your dipstick against a piece of paper to show the wet spot and indicate level.

If you search around there are other things people have used. I believe someone suggested a speedometer cable works well.

The transmission connector replacement is not really that difficult. It is recommended that you replace the entire connector body, not just the O-rings, because the plastic body can deform. My opinion is that if you have less than 30,000, maybe even 40,000 miles on your transmission fluid you can save the drained transmission fluid and re-use it. The tranny fluid is so expensive that re-use makes sense for me.

Some transmission related links are here:
https://sprinter-source.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5027
https://sprinter-source.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2557
https://sprinter-source.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2476

My funds are not what they once were either. We've all taken the double hit that not only did we lose principle, the rates of return have tanked also. It's not quite so bad that I need to change my quote to "hundredaire" ....... yet. Hope this does some good. vic

Hi Oly,

Does your '04 allow to you to shift gears by bumping your shifter lever to the right or left? Once I bumped my '06 shifter into another gear while reaching for the accessory controls. Luckily I was sitting at a traffic light when I did it. I haven't intentionally used this feature yet.
My tranny connector leaked too.

Bill

118", standard roof
weekend camper (in progress)

"Luckily I was sitting at a traffic light when I did it."

Not to worry. Unless there is something wrong with your Sprinter transmission controls if you bump the shift lever up or down you can't force the transmission to shift into a gear that is a problem. The computer still maintains control. That said, an errant bump and resulting downshift may startle you if unexpected.

Someone pointed out a while ago that by holding the shift lever constantly to the left (-) position the transmission will only step down to the lowest gear appropriate for your speed. I tried that and it works nicely. If you hold the lever constantly against the right (+) position the indicator will step up to "D", but the gears will only change as appropriate for your increasing speed.

I find it handy while towing a trailer in hilly areas to bump up or down a gear. Sailquik has posted some threads about watching a Scangauge percent load indicator to help keep lower loads on your engine while towing. Hope this does some good. vic

The leaking tranny connector is very common and a fairly inexpensive fix. Typically it can be replaced with a minimum loss of tranny fluid. I had to do my 2006.

Bumping the lever is a great way to downshift on a hill or slow down without abusing the brakes but you cannot shift to neutral by "bumping."

I agree that the loss of a small amount of tranny fluid should not cause the problem you experienced. I would be curious as to what the fluid level is. I broke down and bought the factory dipstick and carry it with me. Remember that the dipstick tube caps use a locking pin that has to be broken to access the tube. A little modification and you can make it reusable but you'll want to buy a couple from Europarts or a similar dealer to experiment with. They cost 90¢ each.

Check the fluid and the codes and go from there.

Tim

wild-bill said:

Hi Oly,

Does your '04 allow to you to shift gears by bumping your shifter lever to the right or left? Once I bumped my '06 shifter into another gear while reaching for the accessory controls. Luckily I was sitting at a traffic light when I did it. I haven't intentionally used this feature yet.
My tranny connector leaked too.

Bill

118", standard roof
weekend camper (in progress)

Click to expand...

Bill, Yes, that feature works just fine & my wife knows all about it.

Unfortunately, "so does my dog"

We have one of those dogs who is interested in the passing scene & when she props her feet on the console, she often shifts for us. I guess the guys who say it won't shift into trouble, are right, but the engine sure does roar when she downshifts two gears :

My wife is not one of those wives I read about on another thread who would put gasoline in a Diesel! Many years ago we had a three-cylinder, two-stroke SAAB & she had a lot of fun convincing gas station attendants [remember those?? ] to pour the quart of oil into the gas tank!

Thanks to all these replies, I have something to check! Whatta deal!

Thanks, Folks! -Oly

Bill - how elaborate a camper are you building? I have a bed in the back of mine which can be installed/removed in less than 15 minutes, and a couple of cabinets with drawers for silverware & such. And a toilet. That's it. This is my 4th conversion & they get less complicated each time. We definately don't worry about a sink & stove and all that. We carry water in plastic bottles & everything else in plastic tubs under the bed - usually cook outside on a backpack stove, but can cook inside if it rains. When we had little kids we had a 2-burner Coleman stove. I have a Mitsubishi van in Australia [Tasmania] rigged almost exactly like the Sprinter, but smaller.

Aqua Puttana said:

I believe it was rlent that suggested he learned to lay the end of your dipstick against a piece of paper to show the wet spot and indicate level.

Click to expand...

I would think that could work - my original suggestion was to lay it against your (dry) finger, perhaps a bit easier and you'll never hunt for one, unlike a sheet of paper.

The transmission connector replacement is not really that difficult.

Click to expand...

It is not - however it may require a good amount of force to insert it once you have the guide slots lined up with the keys in the connector plate inside the transmission. I ran into this today when I was putting mine back together - it wasn't going in - I didn't remember it being quite that tough to insert. Since I had replaced the piece that it was going into, and had the old piece inside on the kitchen table, I went in to look at it and make sure I wasn't doing something wrong - I wasn't - it just required considerable force to insert the socket - in the old connector plate, as well as the new one.

This may have come up before with at least one other user who had tried three times to make sure he had reconnected the plug going into the transmission, after he had dropped the valvebody - it turned out the "connector" or transmission plug retainer, was not fully seated and consequently the plug on the wiring harness was not making a good connection.

My opinion is that if you have less than 30,000, maybe even 40,000 miles on your transmission fluid you can save the drained transmission fluid and re-use it.

Click to expand...

I would agree - just make sure to clean the area around the drainplug (brake or electrical contact with a rag works well and doesn't leave a residue), to avoid contamination and then seal or cover whatever you drained it into. I used one of my wife's soup pots and covered it with a fresh, clean garbage bag.

The tranny fluid is so expensive that re-use makes sense for me.

Click to expand...

Without a doubt - even at the bargain price of $14 per liter from Europarts, it is rather salty ......