Another won't start thread !

Convincent

New member
So I've recently acquired a 2005 T1N with 375000. It's never started for me but it turns over .
Before I bore you with what to do next questions is there a write up or trouble shooting guide that I could follow to narrow down the problem? There are a lot of won't start threads but they are all piecemeal and I don't want to miss something obvious.
 
So I've recently acquired a 2005 T1N with 375000. It's never started for me but it turns over .
Before I bore you with what to do next questions is there a write up or trouble shooting guide that I could follow to narrow down the problem? There are a lot of won't start threads but they are all piecemeal and I don't want to miss something obvious.
You're asking us to teach you diesel no-start diagnosis over the internet? :wtf:
 

Zundfolge

Always learning...
Is there diesel in the tank?

There is no guide, you need to describe your symptoms in as much detail as you can type.

Does the tach needle move when you crank it over?

Do you have a sprinter capable scanner? Is there a check engine light?
 
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It takes three things to make an internal-combustion engine run- compression, ignition, and fuel.

In the case of diesel engines, the ignition comes from the engine's compression itself.

So if it's delivering fuel, then it might be prudent to perform a compression test and/or leakdown test of the engine, to determine the engine's mechanical integrity, to see if the engine is actually capable of running. You don't want to be throwing expensive parts at something that isn't capable of running.
 

Zundfolge

Always learning...
It takes three things to make an internal-combustion engine run- compression, ignition, and fuel.
That simplification is true of IDI engines (12V Cummins, OM617's, Ford IDI's, etc) but falls short in more modern commonrail/computer controlled injection beasts. What is missing in that equation - and a large percentage of no-start issues with a sprinter - is ELECTRONICS
 

Convincent

New member
lol, sorry for asking a dumb question, I dont expect to fix the problem with a quick guide, but rather a list of questions like you guys have started listing that I can run down and get answers to without wasting peoples time.

I've got a 2003 Jetta diesel that I do all the maintenance on and I've read probably too much about t1n's that their various problems so have a decent idea of which tree to go barking up but thought that there may be a list of basics or a guide that I was missing somewhere that would make the whole process faster.

SO the long story... van was running used by fedex then bough and used by and expediter for a few years, it had black death that probably got pretty bad and went to the a guy to get worked on. Story is the guy was doing it all wrong and cracked the valve cover (due to stuck injectors) and the owner got pissed that he was messing things up and took the van back. His son then posted it for sale because he knew his dad wouldn't have time to work on it. They replaced quite a few suspension parts and the rust is really not too bad on it so I bought it for $2500 to have a shot at fixing it up.

Right now the injectors are all stuck (except #4) and unbolted (cant be re-bolted without first cleaning out the threads and all the rest of the black crap (which is on the todo list). Fuel is getting to the injectors at an unknown pressure.
When turned on (but not started) the PARK, Battery, ESP, Engine and ABS? (slipping wheel?) lights are on.

Obviously the compression is super suspect as all the injectors are unbolted, even if they are stuck.
Diesel flow is good, although pressure is unknown.
I have just a basic bluetooth OBDII
Initial codes were U0423, P0336, P0303, P0087, P0672, P0671, P0380
After clearing the following returned: P0087, P0672, P0671, P0380
I'm in SE Indianapolis if there is anyone in the area with a proper sprinter computer that would be fantastic!
Tac does bounce up to about 200ish when cranking the engine.

I was hoping (dreaming?) that I could get the engine to start and run it till its hot and or the injectors pop loose so that I can finish cleaning up the and replacing the valve cover and put in new washers and bolts on the injectors.
 

BrennWagon

He’s just this guy, you know?
Have you checked your grounds? The 671 and 672 can be concurrent with a poor engine chassis ground strap. Engine often turns over but won’t start with a bad ground. A quick and easy check is to run a jumper cable from clean bare metal on the engine to the negative battery terminal.

This is just based on my experience but it’s free and easy. Good luck
 

Convincent

New member
I tried the grounding jumper cable, cleared the codes and the following showed back up:
P0672
P0671
P0380

Battery is about out so had to stop cranking. Not sure if (P0087 is Fuel Rail/System Pressure - Too Low ) disappeared due to the jumper cable or just hasn't shown back up.


weirdly now the drivers side door won't unlock or open even from the inside, but that is probably random and unrelated. The doors and locks need a lot of work too but I figured I better focus on getting it to run before sorting out all the other parts.
 

Nautamaran

2004 140” HRC 2500 (Crewed)
Some guesses/checks to make:
- Fuel rail pressure needs to reach (3500?) psi before the ECM will trigger the injectors...
- injector wiring may have been damaged during black death repairs
- cam position sensor wiring damaged / unplugged
- air in injector hard lines (easily primed by cycling the key ON with fittings loose to run tank pump)
- low compression (injector seals passing?)

A tiny whiff of ether into the fender intake grill during cranking may give you the cranking speed needed to overcome leaking injector seats, build fuel pressure/compression, and get it to fire? Note that too much starting fluid CAN damage the engine.
PB Blaster and oven cleaner are weapons of choice in dealing with the coke/carbon/tar. Perhaps a small pencil torch, low on the injector body (stay below the fuel fitting to protect the solenoid cap) can get heat down into the bore to soften the tar back to a goo, then use a clawed slide hammer?

If the cover crack isn’t too bad it might be sealed with epoxy? JB Weld has been used by some after prying against the cover and cracking it.

-dave
 
lol, sorry for asking a dumb question,...
No apology necessary- your question is not dumb, and there are a lot of smart people here that are willing to help. :thumbup:

As I'm sure you've noticed, a variety of posts in response to your question (most of which were posted by people with no vocational background in auto repair) are sending you in a different direction. The reason they're all sending you in different directions, is because they are guessing. And guessing is by far the most time-consuming and expensive method of vehicle repair. I recommend diagnosis instead. Diagnosis follows a logical path, and it starts with the basics.

It is not my intention to cause anyone embarrassment, but I'll share with you that at least one of the guessers is a self-admitted user of illegal narcotic psychotropic drugs, so I wouldn't place any value on anything he says. :crazy:

There is a logical progression of steps in auto repair. They are referred to as "the four C's". The four C's are Complaint (your symptoms), Cause (determining the Cause of your Complaint via diagnosis), Correction (the repair to resolve the Cause of your Complaint), and Confirmation (the road-test to confirm that the Correction resolved the Cause of your Complaint). If you skip one step, or get one step wrong, you're gonna have problems.

You did a pretty good job of describing your Complaint- the vehicle doesn't run, but it does crank over. You also described the age and miles, and gave the background information that it's never run for you. I think you communicated that stuff pretty well. :thumbup:

So now it's time for the second step- determining the Cause of your Complaint. For the reasons I stated above, it's important to follow a logical progression of diagnosis, instead of just guessing.

My recommendation, as I stated previously, is to find out if the engine is even capable of running, before you go spending any other money on it or wasting any more time fooling around with any of the peripheral subsystems. If fuel is being delivered, I would recommend determining the sealing ability of the engine, by running a compression test and/or by performing a leak-down test.
 
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That simplification is true of IDI engines (12V Cummins, OM617's, Ford IDI's, etc) but falls short in more modern commonrail/computer controlled injection beasts.
No, it's true of all internal-combustion diesel engines.

What is missing in that equation - and a large percentage of no-start issues with a sprinter - is ELECTRONICS
The "electronics" are not "missing", they're just not the first step in diagnosis.

And until we know the outcome of the first step of diagnosis, there's no way to know what any of the subsequent steps of diagnosis are going to be.

If his diagnosis sends him in the direction of "electronics", then that's where he'll need to go. But all of the ECMs, NOx sensors, MAP sensors, crank position sensors, and cam position sensors in the world, aren't gonna help him if he's got most of a piston in one hole, or if his fuel tank is empty and/or full of mud.
 
Is there diesel in the tank?

There is no guide, you need to describe your symptoms in as much detail as you can type.

Does the tach needle move when you crank it over?

Do you have a sprinter capable scanner? Is there a check engine light?
Those are all excellent questions, and I must compliment you, because you did not make any guesses. :thumbup:
 

Nautamaran

2004 140” HRC 2500 (Crewed)
Those are all excellent questions, and I must compliment you, because you did not make any guesses. :thumbup:
For the record: I am not a drug user, and I too am a fan of the four C’s and expect them when seeking professional advise. When I’m guessing I say so. Diagnosis is about asking questions and gathering facts. Compression/fuel/ignition are certainly the primary questions.

The complaint: a cold engine with 4 of 5 injectors stuck. His stated goal is to heat the engine and remove the injectors, replace the seals, which are leaking, and to replace the valve cover, which is cracked. Getting it running is a means of making heat. It’s not a work truck, it’s a camper/hobby project, and he’s in for just $2500.

I too would be curious to know the results of a compression test, but I am not aware of any way to perform the test without first removing either the glow plugs (not advised without careful prep and a hot engine) or the injectors (which are stuck, and known to leak anyway).
Monitoring the starter motor current for missing peaks, or the crankcase blow-by for puffs, can give indication of a holed piston.

It’s a safe bet, though not certain, that the engine ran (if poorly) before the butcher cracked the valve cover. So it had sufficient compression to fire on a few cylinders, so my next step would be to confirm fuel (bleed the hard lines; look for white smoke while cranking). But the ECM won’t trigger the injectors to fire (electronics again..) without a reliable crank position sensor signal, sync’ed by the cam shaft sensor, and sufficient fuel rail pressure. And that trigger signal won’t reach the injectors if there is harness damage or a loose connection.

If you’re planning to keep the van, the Autel AP200 bluetooth dongle, smart phone app, and the “Benz-Sprinter” vehicle package will let you read MB codes and sub-codes and a bunch of live data from all the T1N’s modules for about US$60. It’s not a DRBIII, but it’s a great value.

-dave
 
I too am a fan of the four C’s and expect them when seeking professional advise. When I’m guessing I say so. Diagnosis is about asking questions and gathering facts. Compression/fuel/ignition are certainly the primary questions.

The complaint: a cold engine with 4 of 5 injectors stuck. His stated goal is to heat the engine and remove the injectors, replace the seals, which are leaking, and to replace the valve cover, which is cracked. Getting it running is a means of making heat. It’s not a work truck, it’s a camper/hobby project, and he’s in for just $2500.

I too would be curious to know the results of a compression test, but I am not aware of any way to perform the test without first removing either the glow plugs (not advised without careful prep and a hot engine) or the injectors (which are stuck, and known to leak anyway).
Sounds like we're on the same page here. :thumbup:

A lot of times, the right thing to do is not necessarily the easiest thing to do. In the end it's his choice, as long as he understands the risk that if he skips the first step, he and his wallet could get neck-deep into this, only to find out that it needs an engine.

Monitoring the starter motor current for missing peaks, or the crankcase blow-by for puffs, can give indication of a holed piston.
Maybe, but that's not something that I would be willing to bank on.

It’s a safe bet, though not certain, that the engine ran (if poorly) before the butcher cracked the valve cover. So it had sufficient compression to fire on a few cylinders,
That's a big assumption, and after playing this game for most of my adult life, I try not to assume anything. The bottom line is, he's never seen it run.

...so my next step would be to confirm fuel (bleed the hard lines; look for white smoke while cranking). But the ECM won’t trigger the injectors to fire (electronics again..) without a reliable crank position sensor signal, sync’ed by the cam shaft sensor, and sufficient fuel rail pressure. And that trigger signal won’t reach the injectors if there is harness damage or a loose connection.
Yes, checking to see if it's delivering fuel would be prudent at this point.

The laws of statistical probability are important here, and it's important to understand the difference between statistical probability and guessing. The thing that is important about statistical probability in this case, is that vehicles almost never quit running for more than one reason. For example, it would be extremely unlikely that the van holed a piston AND lost the fuel pump at the same exact moment. So if it's NOT delivering fuel, then I would be fairly comfortable with following that leg of diagnosis, and the expenses involved, without a compression test and/or leakdown test at this point. I hope I explained that in a way that is easily understandable.
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
Here is the 2006 service manual: http://diysprinter.co.uk/reference/2006-VA-SM.pdf

If you open that web site (http://diysprinter.co.uk/reference/ ) you'll also find a bunch of files whose names start with "2006"
... they're the tree-structured Diagnostic manuals for the various subsystems.

Also visit ttp://diysprinter.co.uk/reference/T1N_service_scans/ for over 100 MB training manual pages on the various bits and pieces.

Does your Sprinter have remote key entry (RKE)? (push button on fob, door locks activate)
If "yes", then the Sprinter will crank (but may not start) but should eventually report "Start Err" on the instrument cluster's display if it's not recognizing the RFID security chip.
If the RKE answer is "No", then it wouldn't even crank if it didn't recognize the RFID chip.

--dick
 

Convincent

New member
Quick update - I gave it a shot of starting fluid (I know not the best idea...) and it made a huge difference to the point of spluttering a few times and almost starting. I thought it had started enough that I let go the key and it died but it was very close! So rather than keep risking damage with more starting fluid is there a 'diesel starting' fluid? What about high octane gas? or and engine cylinder oil fogger spray?

Regarding fuel delivery I know that it is getting fuel to the rail - I had to remove the fuel pump fuse to stop it spraying fuel all of the engine when the tow guy picked it up (the injector pipes were disconnected). I've since reconnected and bled the injector pipes so I know that it is getting fuel to the injectors. I don't know if its pressurized or flowing through the injectors. Since injector 4 is loose, what about connecting it up pointing out of the engine and seeing if it puts out a mist cloud when cranking?
 

owner

Oz '03 316CDI LWB ex-Ambo Patient Transport
Make sure you know that you can actually die if any body part gets hit by fuel at rail pressure. Even from a cracked rail line, but especially an exposed injector tip. This is true of any CDI diesel. Much much more dangerous than the old skool mechanical injection.

Having said that, you can do that test if you take precautions and keep well clear of the spray. Put the ignition key in your pocket, bolt the fuel line to the injector and connect it, then dont let anyone go near it while you crank.
 
Make sure you know that you can actually die if any body part gets hit by fuel at rail pressure. Even from a cracked rail line, but especially an exposed injector tip. This is true of any CDI diesel. Much much more dangerous than the old skool mechanical injection.

Having said that, you can do that test if you take precautions and keep well clear of the spray. Put the ignition key in your pocket, bolt the fuel line to the injector and connect it, then dont let anyone go near it while you crank.
Yup.

Different application, but same principle:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLsO3U6yjfI
 

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