2006 Sprinter No Start, Intermittent electrical power??

2006 Sprinter not starting and acting like a switch is being turned on/off for electrical power.

I disconnected and cleaned terminals, tried jumping even though battery is at 12.4v and has power intermittently. After a bit it all went dead, not able to roll up windows, run heater blower fan ect.. I Let is sit for 2 hours and power came back but won't turn over starter. Shows "start error" then goes dead.

Is there a main power relay? I assume a bad connection or low voltage is triggering immobilizer. My next step is cleaning chassis ground strap. Any ideas?

Thank you
 

220629

Well-known member
It does sound like you have heavy cable or ground connection/conduction issues.

Wonky system voltages have been known to affect the SKREEM security module. Unfortunately spurious voltages also have some history of damaging the SKREEM module(s), but certainly not always. It is more likely that the SKREEM issues will go away after you resolve the voltage problem(s).

:cheers: vic

Added:
There is no main relay. On NAS aka NAFTA models, there is however a PDC Power Distribution Center that is mounted to the positive battery terminal.

Some info is here.

https://sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?p=508325#post508325
 
Last edited:

Nautamaran

2004 140” HRC 2500 (Crewed)
Loss of whole-system voltage points to the firewall ground (bundle of brown wires behind the battery).
Weak cranking and/or charging would point to the engine ground strap (around the engine mount below the battery).
There are a few power relays that switch on the ECM, the aux equipment, etc. but their failure doesn’t match your symptoms.
Working on my van, I’ve learned to inspect the grounds first...

-dave
 
***SOLVED***
The OEM cable bewtween negative battery terminal and firewall looked as if it had gotten too hot and melted the back of the housing.
I made new #2 guage cables to replace engine ground strap to frame and battery negative to fire wall. Problem is gone and van cranks over better than ever. Thanks for the Help!
 

outbound

06/2500/140
***SOLVED***
The OEM cable bewtween negative battery terminal and firewall looked as if it had gotten too hot and melted the back of the housing.
I made new #2 guage cables to replace engine ground strap to frame and battery negative to fire wall. Problem is gone and van cranks over better than ever. Thanks for the Help!
loose/bad connections will get ya quicker than anything...
used to get service calls that went like so...

'tried crankin it, but it just barely turned over..'

get over there and note that the post had been burnt right off the top of the battery.

12vdc connections MUST BE PERFECT, clean and TIGHT.

else stuff will either not go... or BURN.

:2cents:

:professor:
 

mishamazor

New member
Worked for me!!!
Undoing the screw holding the bundle of cables to cassis + black cable off the battery’s negative and polishing all connections solved this pesky and mysterious problem of sporadic loss of all electricity and inability to start without jumping.

Thanks so much for your help.

sprinter 3500 2006
 

Attachments


Top Bottom