samittelstaedt
New member
I have scoured the forum to answeres for this starting issue and have not been able to figure it out yet, any help/ideas is much appreciated!
I have a 2005 Dodge Sprinter with 250,000+ miles. The van has trouble starting below 60 degrees, around 50 degrees it gets especially bad (I have not been able to start it below 35 degrees). The engine turns over and sometimes turns on for a few seconds and then dies. I have to unplug the the sensor at the EGR valve and eventually I am able to get it started. It also seems we have had more difficulty in elevation, especially above 10,000 feet. A few times in serious cold it has helped to unplug what I think is the charge air hose(?). There is a lot of either white or black smoke coming out of the exhaust depending on the day when it first starts - lately it has more often been black. Sometimes it dies when I put it in gear right after starting it and other times there is no power for a few seconds. Once the engine is warm, there have been zero problems in any temperature. Also, it has gone into limp home mode 3 times over the last 4 months, the last time about 2 months ago.
Things I have done. 5 Latin American Sprinter mechanics have looked at it and not pinpointed the issue. The EGR valve has been cleaned and is functioning correctly. There is no Black Death and I have performed a injector leak off test and found no problems. Many sensors and connections have been cleaned. I have changed, cleaned, and inspected air filters and have a new fuel filter arriving in a couple days. High pressure fuel pump was rebuilt, injectors, fuel rail assembly, and turbo resonator have less than 50,000 miles on them. Latin American mechanics (who deal with different Sprinter engines) have suggested replacing different sensors around the turbo, common rail, injectors, and EGR valve.
I do not have a lot of auto mechanic skills or knowledge but would love any ideas of tests or fixes I can try, thanks!
Also, I am currently in Cusco, Peru so mechanics familiar with the engine are non-existent and parts can be hard to get here.
I have a 2005 Dodge Sprinter with 250,000+ miles. The van has trouble starting below 60 degrees, around 50 degrees it gets especially bad (I have not been able to start it below 35 degrees). The engine turns over and sometimes turns on for a few seconds and then dies. I have to unplug the the sensor at the EGR valve and eventually I am able to get it started. It also seems we have had more difficulty in elevation, especially above 10,000 feet. A few times in serious cold it has helped to unplug what I think is the charge air hose(?). There is a lot of either white or black smoke coming out of the exhaust depending on the day when it first starts - lately it has more often been black. Sometimes it dies when I put it in gear right after starting it and other times there is no power for a few seconds. Once the engine is warm, there have been zero problems in any temperature. Also, it has gone into limp home mode 3 times over the last 4 months, the last time about 2 months ago.
Things I have done. 5 Latin American Sprinter mechanics have looked at it and not pinpointed the issue. The EGR valve has been cleaned and is functioning correctly. There is no Black Death and I have performed a injector leak off test and found no problems. Many sensors and connections have been cleaned. I have changed, cleaned, and inspected air filters and have a new fuel filter arriving in a couple days. High pressure fuel pump was rebuilt, injectors, fuel rail assembly, and turbo resonator have less than 50,000 miles on them. Latin American mechanics (who deal with different Sprinter engines) have suggested replacing different sensors around the turbo, common rail, injectors, and EGR valve.
I do not have a lot of auto mechanic skills or knowledge but would love any ideas of tests or fixes I can try, thanks!
Also, I am currently in Cusco, Peru so mechanics familiar with the engine are non-existent and parts can be hard to get here.