new recall for 2002-2003 models!!!

surlyoldbill

Well-known member
Any experience with running off-road / PUC diesel in our engines? My brother keeps offering to fill me up when I visit from his 5000gal tank used to fill his logging equipment. He has an F250 with 200k miles, and has almost used this PUC diesel exclusively with no problems. I think it's 500 parts per million. BTW: in case any one who cares is reading this, I'm certain that he only drove his pickup on forest roads, he surely would not want to cut out the government from it's road tax on automotive diesel :shhh:
 

jdcaples

Not Suitable w/220v Gen
Any experience with running off-road / PUC diesel in our engines? My brother keeps offering to fill me up when I visit from his 5000gal tank used to fill his logging equipment. He has an F250 with 200k miles, and has almost used this PUC diesel exclusively with no problems. I think it's 500 parts per million. BTW: in case any one who cares is reading this, I'm certain that he only drove his pickup on forest roads, he surely would not want to cut out the government from it's road tax on automotive diesel :shhh:
What was the sulfur count (parts per million) in 2002 for OTR diesel? Wasn't it 500 ppm? Or was it "reduced sulfur" at 150 ppm?

Regardless y'all got experience with what happens when there's too much sulfur in the fuel.... your intake manifolds got cancer.

Btw: other markets have diesel fuel rated at 5 or 10 ppm.

-Jon
 
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richard crowe

New member
Has anyone had this (intake manifold) done in central Ca.
I have just gotten the safety recall #201004002 and hunting for a service center.
Checked with Dodge in San Luis Obispo,Ca and they will not do them.
thanks Rich
 

Altered Sprinter

Happy Little Vegemite
What was the sulfur count (parts per million) in 2002 for OTR diesel? Wasn't it 500 ppm? Or was it "reduced sulfur" at 150 ppm?

Regardless y'all got experience with what happens when there's too much sulfur in the fuel.... your intake manifolds got cancer.

Btw: other markets have diesel fuel rated at 5 or 10 ppm.

-Jon
Yep officially its 8/ppm down under but the Refinery's state 10 /ppm as to Summer grade Winter and Alpine blends. [Three of]
DSC00336 (Custom).JPG
Hence rounding out at 10/ppm , even this fuel is not always readily available in Australian outer CBD's. Mercedes is caught with a small percentage of Sprinter owners still using 15/ppm Truckers Diesel fuels: That do not include the latest anti wash lubricants as in 10/ppm extra low sulfur fuels, which have the potential to lead to the usual tell-tail detention of an engine with no crank starts inside of 2 seconds.of which results in bearing failure, with the ultimate destruction of blowing a piston out of the block .
Bio Diesel is not favored in Australia as to inconstant standards where the original intent alters the performance of the engines fuel due to sludge build up [Fuel microbes] in certain areas of Australia, OLD, NSW, and Victoria.
B51.JPG
Richard
 

Silver

New member
Could this be possibly why my '03 Sprinter had a fuel leak in the lines at the top front of the engine? Also if this is true would it be possible that this is what is causing my Sprinter to not fire? My local dodge dealer doesn't work on Sprinters anymore and my closest deal is 90min away and that would be a very expensive tow just to find out that's not what is causing my van not to fire. I know most of this is a guessing game but I'm trying to get as much information into my hands before calling for a tow truck and the dealer.
 

A.Hayes

Member
Hi all,
Just wanted to post my intake manifold recall experience for those out there considering it. I had heard about the recall here on the forum last year, but when I called the local FL dealer, my VIN was not covered at the time. Apparently the recall was expanded because I received a letter in Oct and finally decided to take the plunge a couple of weeks ago.

I called McCoy FL here in Portland to schedule, thinking it would be a few weeks out, but they had availability to do the work sooner than I expected. They needed the van for one day, and asked that I drop off the night before so they could get going on it first thing the next morning. They recommended replacing a rear coolant hose, which they said was difficult to remove without damaging it. This part is not covered under the recall, so I paid about $20 or so (no addt'l labor). Since some of the coolant was coming out, I had them go ahead and replace the coolant with new. Again no addt'l labor was charged. They did ask if the van was running fine, which it was, and mentioned that MB required that everything otherwise be OK to perform the recall. They also offered to replace any missing freightliner badges (which are prone to falling off) I believe free of charge. My front was fine, and the rear badge (base and badge) was long gone and I said don't worry about it.

I dropped off in the evening before close, and was called mid afternoon the following day to pick up. Total out the door cost (hose and new coolant): $50. My moderate RSN was mentioned after the tech test drove, which I was well aware of already (haven't gotten around to getting a DARF). It actually seemed a tad worse for a few days?? but maybe this was more related to recent colder weather. Seems better now anyway. This was a couple of weeks back, and since then all has been fine. The engine is maybe running a little smoother? I'm guessing after 10 years there was probably some gunk in the old manifold. This week I had some other routine service done at Upscale, and took the opportunity to have them check it too, and they said everything looked fine.

Anyway, that was my experience. I waited a bit after receiving my notice partially due to being busy, and partially to not be the guinea pig. McCoy's Sprinter Center has been around (I think) since Sprinters started being sold in the states, so I'm probably lucky to have them close by, and not to be dealing with Dodge or newer MB techs who may not be as familiar with early T1Ns. Just my $.02
 

galvinize

Active member
I have a 2002 Freightliner and just received my recall from Daimler Vans USA, LLC today. Has anyone had this recall done yet?
Last year, I posted my experience with the manifold recall. I phoned the local (Hartford, CT) Dodge dealer, and they said they were not prepared to do the work (Daimler-Chrysler are no longer affiliated). So I had the work done at the Freightliner dealer. The work took several days, but they did a good job (have put 25,000 miles on the van with no problems). I would recommend you have the work done at Freightliner because they still service the Sprinter. The only glitch is that you have to pay Freightliner and get reimbursed from Dodge, which was done promptly.
 

ddev

New member
Got my notice in Oct. for my 2004 Leisure Travel Freightliner (2003 chassis). Called the local Mercedes dealer in Chantilly, VA that sells sprinters and had the new intake installed a month ago. They had know problem doing the recall work on my Freightliner. They told me it would take two days but it took four. So far so good.
 

owner

Oz '03 316CDI LWB ex-Ambo Patient Transport
Pretty sure I'm right in thinking that this is caused by EGR, rather than clean air?

My Oz delivered '03 om612 doesn't have EGR as far as I can tell. I guess it must have been exempt from certain local emissions laws, and MB would have jumped at the chance to delete it.
 

220629

Well-known member
Pretty sure I'm right in thinking that this is caused by EGR, rather than clean air?

...
Did someone suggest that the corrosion failures are caused by our polluted North American atmosphere? If our air is so acidic that it rots out metal parts in a manifold our lungs would be toast even sooner than a Sprinter manifold plug.

If the recall hasn't applied to Sprinters in non-EGR countires I'm thinkin' you're on the right track. Then again, I have no data. vic
 

talkinghorse43

Well-known member
If the recall hasn't applied to Sprinters in non-EGR countires I'm thinkin' you're on the right track. Then again, I have no data. vic
We (NA) were given EGR to lower NOX and HAD higher sulfur fuel. There is an exhaust passage in the intake manifold feeding exhaust to the intake through the EGR valve. That exhaust passage has a steel plug to seal the hole where a casting core was placed during casting the manifold. The sulfur in the exhaust has, in some cases (not yet in mine), rotted out the steel plug. That's why the recall. No EGR, no exhaust passage, no recall, but higher NOX in OZ's air.
 

owner

Oz '03 316CDI LWB ex-Ambo Patient Transport
No EGR, no exhaust passage, no recall, but higher NOX in OZ's air.
I have the same om612 in my '02 oz ml270, and that has egr (but I've disabled it).

So I'm thinking the laws at the time were different for commercial vehicles.
Sure, very localised sox and nox would be higher, but this should be offset by the greater fuel efficiency and engine condition/life of that generation of egr-free oz commercial vehicles.
 

owner

Oz '03 316CDI LWB ex-Ambo Patient Transport
Steel plug in the back of the manifold?
The intake manifold is entirely made of plastic in the ml270's om612. So the egr is not routed through the manifold until it goes through the egr cooler and then the valve.
 

talkinghorse43

Well-known member
Except when passing a short distance through the head, the exhaust flow in the passage in the manifold is not actively cooled in our 612s and the steel plug is at the entry to that passage, so elevated temperature is undoubtedly a factor in the corrosion of that plug.
 

mawsea

sprinter guru
Re: Lynnwood, Lynnwood, WA (Dealership)

So what about Town & Country Dodge on Aurora ? Anybody have experience with them?
 

NelsonSprinter

Former Nelson BC Sprinter
Re: Lynnwood, Lynnwood, WA (Dealership)

Never mind , I just talked to them on the phone , because it's a Dodge they can't do the recall work.
Because it's a Dodge they don't want to do the recall work.
Because it's a Sprinter they must do the recall work I think Daimler says, but don't expect great service if they don't want to do it.
Town & Country Dodge isn't an authorized Sprinter dealer so cannot do the recall.
email MBLynnwood service at the email at the top page, and see if Lynnwood'll reject you in writing, if so, forward it to Daimler's Sprinter headquarters for complaint.
 
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jdcaples

Not Suitable w/220v Gen
Re: Lynnwood, Lynnwood, WA (Dealership)

Because it's a Dodge they don't want to do the recall work.
Because it's a Sprinter they must do the recall work I think Daimler says, but don't expect great service if they don't want to do it.
Town & Country Dodge isn't an authorized Sprinter dealer so cannot do the recall.
email MBLynnwood service at the email at the top page, and see if Lynnwood'll reject you in writing, if so, forward it to Daimler's Sprinter headquarters for complaint.
MBUSA, LLC informed all MB Sprinter dealerships to refer recall work to Dodge.

All the recall instructions for Dodge-year Sprinters (2003-2009) have a highlighted directive for MB dealerships on their service computer. Here is a sample. There are dozens just like it.

sorry.jpg

The MB or Freightliner dealership can't get re-imbursed for labor or parts from MB or Chrylser.

It's unfortunate, but that is the policy.

No MB dealership can do anything but charge the owner or lose money on the deal.

-Jon

ps: All the recalls for Dodge years, found on the MB dealership system are here:
https://sprinter-source.com/forums/sho...90&postcount=7
 
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