Hi all,
My name is Jack and Ive been lurking these forums with an interest in sprinter vans for around 4 months.
After reading for a couple months, I closed on this beauty in mid-December:
'04 Dodge 2500. Former DHL Truck, 195k on the odo, paid $8,200 in Texas.
Shortly after she became my daily driver.
I checked for signs of injector leakage before buying and all the heads were very clean. 2k miles since then and everything is still going smoothly.
Today when I was under the hood checking the oil condition I noticed some wet black gunk buildup around the injector cover. I immediately assumed the worst and was preparing to stare into the face of the 'black death', but after removing the injectors cover I was pleasantly surprised.
View attachment 106992
Given how clean the heads look I assume (could be wrong) the sludge is coming from somewhere else, however I have very little idea as to where.
Pics of black buildup:
View attachment 106993
View attachment 106994
and on the cover as well:
View attachment 106995
I'm pretty new to engine maintenance, but I assume the moistness of the sludge implies its recent build up. The dash isnt throwing a CEL or anything of the sort and the van drives great with no smells or noises as far as I can tell. I may just be being paranoid but thought it worth asking for a second more experienced opinion!
Nice to meet you all and thanks for reading!:
My name is Jack and Ive been lurking these forums with an interest in sprinter vans for around 4 months.
After reading for a couple months, I closed on this beauty in mid-December:
'04 Dodge 2500. Former DHL Truck, 195k on the odo, paid $8,200 in Texas.
Shortly after she became my daily driver.
I checked for signs of injector leakage before buying and all the heads were very clean. 2k miles since then and everything is still going smoothly.
Today when I was under the hood checking the oil condition I noticed some wet black gunk buildup around the injector cover. I immediately assumed the worst and was preparing to stare into the face of the 'black death', but after removing the injectors cover I was pleasantly surprised.
View attachment 106992
Given how clean the heads look I assume (could be wrong) the sludge is coming from somewhere else, however I have very little idea as to where.
Pics of black buildup:
View attachment 106993
View attachment 106994
and on the cover as well:
View attachment 106995
I'm pretty new to engine maintenance, but I assume the moistness of the sludge implies its recent build up. The dash isnt throwing a CEL or anything of the sort and the van drives great with no smells or noises as far as I can tell. I may just be being paranoid but thought it worth asking for a second more experienced opinion!
Nice to meet you all and thanks for reading!:
Last edited: