Sprinter regrets?

I put this in off topic because it is a question in general.

I bought a Sprinter for a service van for my electrical contracting company. I love the size and the fuel mileage. It's a great van for many reasons. I like it better than all the other van options out there.

But now I have a big concern over the diesel engine and exhaust system and other issues that might arise. There are no Sprinter mechanics nearby so my only option is the dealer, where everything costs an arm and a leg.

So now I am wondering if I would have been better off with a gasoline Ford Transit that I could have repaired at any local shop for a much lower price, especially without the diesel systems that I continually hear about failing and costing thousands to repair.

Should I consider selling my Sprinter while it's still relatively newer?

Get a gasser Ford Transit.

Bobnoxious said:

Get a gasser Ford Transit.

Click to expand...

Been there done that.

Graphite Dave said:

Been there done that.

Click to expand...

And Dave, you eliminated all of these potential CEL triggering devils. Just looks at all them wallet flushers.

I am thinking to transitioning to a gasser once MB fine tunes their assembly line. I want adaptive cruise control.

Bobnoxious said:

And Dave, you eliminated all of these potential CEL triggering devils. Just looks at all them wallet flushers.

I am thinking to transitioning to a gasser once MB fine tunes their assembly line. I want adaptive cruise control.

Click to expand...

IMO the key is to get rid of the diesel.

Drive both the Sprinter gas engine and both Ford gas engines. Then decide. If your use is an empty van then the Sprinter may serve you well. Pretend not to see the logo on the front of the vehicle. No prestige with a Transit.

I am lightly loaded, gassser will be fine.

As I mentioned, I really love the Sprinter and would love to get one in gas. But the other issue is that repairs are super expensive and the dealer is 30+ minutes away.

The idea of being able to take a Transit to one of the 150 mechanics in a 15 minutes radius is mind boggling at this point.

Where ever you take your Sprinter, ask if they subscribe to this $3,000 annual subscription (https://www.cvtekinfo.com/CVTek/). If not, move-on.

If you take it to the dealership, ask the Service Adviser-Writer if they review CVTec Monthly Web Casts? This will give you a sense if they are interested in keeping informed about latest info.

HardStart said:

As I mentioned, I really love the Sprinter and would love to get one in gas. But the other issue is that repairs are super expensive and the dealer is 30+ minutes away.

The idea of being able to take a Transit to one of the 150 mechanics in a 15 minutes radius is mind boggling at this point.

Click to expand...

No need to trade in a good vehicle with such low mileage.

Just get your sensor(s) replaced, a forced regen, and more importantly stop idling your engine.

OrioN said:

No need to trade in a good vehicle with such low mileage.

Just get your sensor(s) replaced, a forced regen, and more importantly stop idling your engine.

Click to expand...

Maybe I will do that, cause I really like the Sprinter and 21MPG is nice.

As for idling, now I know. I was always under the impression that it was better to leave diesels idling instead of shutting them down. Just gossip I guess.

HardStart said:

Maybe I will do that, cause I really like the Sprinter and 21MPG is nice.

As for idling, now I know. I was always under the impression that it was better to leave diesels idling instead of shutting them down. Just gossip I guess.

Click to expand...

I learned the hard way too abooot idling back in the first years. Fortunately it was during the warranty period and on MB's dime. Information on the potential issue wasn't available when I purchased a '2007 emission' vehicle.

OrioN said:

I learned the hard way too abooot idling back in the first years. Fortunately it was during the warranty period and on MB's dime. Information on the potential issue wasn't available when I purchased a '2007 emission' vehicle.

Click to expand...

What happened that needed to be fixed? Something more than a forced regen?

I regret NOT having a Sprinter yet.

Learn to clean EGR, use correct oil, can't speak to the DEF vehicles - and that's maybe about 90+% of the problems?

+1 on the costs of getting rid of a perfectly running vehicle. Wait until one of your $5k+ repair estimates for a bunch of lame guesses on stuff you don't need to fix the dirty EGR valve - maybe reconsider a swap to gasoline then. Make hay while the sun shines until.

HardStart said:

What happened that needed to be fixed? Something more than a forced regen?

Click to expand...

Fouled/sooted up exhaust sensor(s) I recall. Which ones specifically, I'd have to find some old paper work to see if the diagnostic/parts are listed. A forced regen doesn't fix anything that is causing the dpf to build up soot. It is only used after the suspect/underlining issue is resolved.