White smoke from Engine Bay

roll_withit

New member
Recently got a 04 Freightliner Sprinter and had some crazy white smoke coming out of the engine compartment today. You can see where the smoke is coming from here . Also getting some strange humming sound for up to half an hour after I turn off the ignition...maybe you will be able to hear it in this video

Sorry if this is posted somewhere, but I cant seem to find much on it. Thanks!
 

BrennWagon

He’s just this guy, you know?
That’s your ESPAR heater. Depending on which options you have, the switch is the red dog bone in the center of the far right HVAC controls. If the red light is on, the heater turns on and has a shut down cycle after you turn off the ignition.
 

Zundfolge

Always learning...
Lucky you, you have a functioning Espar coolant heater! The white smoke is from the Espar's exhaust, and the whine at least appears to be coming from it too, that's the sound of its fan. On your dash on the right there is a circular stack of 3 buttons, the one in the middle looks like a bow-tie. Is the bow-tie switch illuminated?

Some other info is here, but if you search Espar D5 in the search bar above you will get lots more info. That's at least a start for ya...

https://sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50837

Info on how to wire it without the timeout:

https://sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?t=668
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
Recently got a 04 Freightliner Sprinter and had some crazy white smoke coming out of the engine compartment today. You can see where the smoke is coming from here .
Yes, that's the Espar's muffler in the driver's front wheel well.

IF switched on (the red wavy button if you have the 7-day timer, otherwise a switch on the dash), the Auxiliary heater option will operate for up to two hours.

Also getting some strange humming sound for up to half an hour after I turn off the ignition...maybe you will be able to hear it in this video

Sorry if this is posted somewhere, but I cant seem to find much on it. Thanks!
You might download your Sprinter's datacard by supplying you VIN to https://www.datamb.com/
... that will identify the options they built into *your* Sprinter.

Owner's manuals can be found at http://www.diysprinter.co.uk/reference/

--dick
 

Nautamaran

2004 140” HRC 2500 (Crewed)
The heater, and its little muffler in the wheel well, can collect unburned fuel during failed starts, then produce alarming clouds of smoke for a minute or two during the next successful heater startup. Allowing the unit to reach operating temperature takes about five minutes, and after a few cycles should start up with only a quick puff of smoke.

Here’s my van’s cheat sheet on how to program the 7-day timer, if you’ve got one. It’s on the center console by the shift lever... otherwise you’ll just have a coin box, though you could also have the optional wavy-line “aux heater” button among your switches that runs the furnace in aux heater mode when parked.

The Espar itself is a small diesel furnace that heats the engine coolant. When operated with the engine running it reduces warmup times (“boost heater” mode) or with the optional timer/button can also run when parked, key off (“aux heater” mode).

Espar units REALLY like being run periodically to keep their parts moving (fuel pump, combustion fan, glow plug, and temperature sensors). Running it for 15 minutes at least once a month will help extend its working life.

-dave
 

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