Van Died

[mackconsult]

My van just died. I was on my way back from Seattle and got just south of Olympia at a rest stop. As I was pulling in the dashboard light up like a xmas tree.

I verified that fuel was being delivered to the injection pump and that all the fuses are okay. Did not have a good battery in the laptop, nor did I have the software installed for my DAD.

Will get a battery and drive back up to my bus tomorrow (70 miles north of here, on the southbound side). Any one have some other things I should look at?

It turns over just fine, but will not fire up .......

 

[mackconsult]

Oh man ..... just checking on ebay and injection pump would run about $700 ... injectors about $1k ......

There goes a mortgage payment

 

[Altered Sprinter]

Oh man ..... just checking on ebay and injection pump would run about $700 ... injectors about $1k ......

There goes a mortgage payment

Try Chris in the UK..Send a private message to SPRINTERUK
You may just get a discount off your mortgage if you say please.
Richard

 

[dougsrv4mx]

I was going to post today, my 05 died last night. Had to be towed to repair shop where it will sit till Monday. The dash lights come on, radio died, climate controls stuck on heat. She went to limp home mode and just died in traffic lane at stop light. Battery dead. I just had the alternator replaced this week and this was the first time driving it since. I figure the new/rebuilt unit is bad. Any other ideas?

 

[mackconsult]

I just got back ..... Thanks Wayne for the call you are the best.

I am going to ahead and buy a crankshaft position sensor see if that fixes it.

 

[abittenbinder]

My van just died. I was on my way back from Seattle and got just south of Olympia at a rest stop. As I was pulling in the dashboard light up like a xmas tree.

I verified that fuel was being delivered to the injection pump and that all the fuses are okay. Did not have a good battery in the laptop, nor did I have the software installed for my DAD.

Will get a battery and drive back up to my bus tomorrow (70 miles north of here, on the southbound side). Any one have some other things I should look at?

It turns over just fine, but will not fire up .......

Why don't you get your DAD up and running? It could save you some time and money.

Doktor A

 

[mackconsult]

I just got back. Had the DAD running when Wayne called me. Was able to clear all error codes (saved them before clearing and they are attached), still the van would turn over and not start. After clearing the errors and trying a restart only the glow plug error shows up. Wayne advised me to go into the diagnostic data module and monitor the live information for common rail pressure as the engine is turning over. We verified that there was 5000 PSI at the rail, and all the other information appeared to be okay.

Upon further discussion Wayne felt that because it died after coming off the highway and won't even sputter when trying to start it he thinks its very possible that the crank shaft position sensor has failed. I found one for $60 here in Portland and thinking about going and buying it, then drive back up and try to get it running tonight.

Why don't you get your DAD up and running? It could save you some time and money.

Doktor A

 

[Jsloane]

Be certain you check the fuses. The one for the ECU (injectors) is #16, a 25 Amp fuse at the base of the steering column. If it goes while you are on the highway the van will do everything you described.

EDIT -- My bad. You checked and they were good.

 

[abittenbinder]

its very possible that the crank shaft position sensor has failed. I found one for $60 here in Portland and thinking about going and buying it, then drive back up and try to get it running tonight.

If you can read rpm on live data during cranking, then the crank sensor is functional.

Doktor A

 

[maxextz]

My van just died. I was on my way back from Seattle and got just south of Olympia at a rest stop. As I was pulling in the dashboard light up like a xmas tree.

I verified that fuel was being delivered to the injection pump and that all the fuses are okay. Did not have a good battery in the laptop, nor did I have the software installed for my DAD.

Will get a battery and drive back up to my bus tomorrow (70 miles north of here, on the southbound side). Any one have some other things I should look at?

It turns over just fine, but will not fire up .......

you seem to be having far too many problems with that sprinter.

 

[Altered Sprinter]

you seem to be having far too many problems with that sprinter.

At least he's not running up back of anther cars tow ball
Richard

 

[WAYNERODD]

If you can read rpm on live data during cranking, then the crank sensor is functional.

I just went out to my 2004 unpluged the crankshaft sensor and I still get a RPM speed of 160 during cranking.

With the sensor connected my RPM speed during cranking was about 170.

It would appear that the ECM will substitute a value for the sensor if there is a problem. But at the same time disconnecting the sensor did cause a fault code to be stored.

 

[Altered Sprinter]

Does it say code stored under filter status, or stored and current?
MB diagnostic shows the full data status under Das menus..
Richard

 

[mackconsult]

Hmmm ..... well I just did another 180 miles (thank god for the 50 MPG passat) to replace the crank speed control sensor. Still won't start.

Tomorrow I am renting a Uhaul truck and trailer and will man handle it home with cum along and chains.

I have moved big ass sailboats, so I should be able to do this no problem.

 

[mackconsult]

Considering my options at this point.

1. Tow it back home; $400
2. Tow it to sprinter shop in olympia; $300
3. Tow it back home with rented uhaul stuff; $175

The problem with towing it to the shop in olympia is that I have not informed them about the WVO kit yet . So that option may be nixed out any ways.

 

[autostaretx]

dashboard light up like a xmas tree

Let's go back to Square (or message) One...

Was that "all lights" (like the first thing in the morning)?
You could have been seeing a secondary effect of a (functionally) complete loss of electrical power, followed by a reconnection leading to the "test dash lights at start" normal behavior.
Check connections at the ECU and other important nexii (nexuses?) ... look for the "frayed cable harness under rear of engine".
A momentary short (such as a wire finally burning through after its insulation was worn off) could've been the first "kill", followed by the lack of whatever went away won't allow you to start now. Check all fuses.

Drag it to the Sprinter Fest and get *lots* of opinions...
good luck
--dick

 

[mackconsult]

I will dig deeper once I get the van back here home.

Wife kids and I are taking off again heading north. I guess I didn't spray enough WD40 in intake to get it to kick over ...... for every bodys info you have to do it for 30 seconds or more.

Going to try that, unplug the EGR valve, and measure the front tire width. Then if it still doesn't start going to Olympia to get truck and trailer or dolly to bring it back tonight.

This adds an extra amount of suck being unemployed, no health insurance, and its dumping rain out. Things can't get much worse (nock on wood)......

 

[jdcaples]

mackconsult, I posted this to the thread where you asked about the Center of Gravity calculation:

https://sprinter-source.com/forums/showpost.php?p=130626&postcount=13

Let me know if you need the whole PDF.

-Jon

 

[mackconsult]

Thanks John. We just got back. I must say that if you ever need to tow a sprinter the dolly is the way to go. Just put the sprinter on backwards, it worked perfectly. Will put some pictures up tomorrow ..... to tired right now.

So unplugging the EGR and spraying WD40 in intake manifold for 40 seconds made no difference ..... although I must admit my battery is very tired.

Tomorrow neighbor is helping me get van off dolly and in driveway. Tomorrow night will start kicking off some investigation.

 

[MillionMileSprinter]

Thanks John. We just got back. I must say that if you ever need to tow a sprinter the dolly is the way to go. Just put the sprinter on backwards, it worked perfectly. Will put some pictures up tomorrow ..... to tired right now.

So unplugging the EGR and spraying WD40 in intake manifold for 40 seconds made no difference ..... although I must admit my battery is very tired.

Tomorrow neighbor is helping me get van off dolly and in driveway. Tomorrow night will start kicking off some investigation.

Glad to see that the dolly worked.
Before you keep spraying that WD40 in there, I assume you've read all the warnings against spraying ether in the intake, right? I don't know if there is ether in WD40, but the danger of pre-detonation and punching a hole in the top of one of your pistons seems to be pretty real. Be careful man. You don't want to cause more work for yourself...
Thinking back to my "won't start" thread, when I sprayed the ether in at the air cleaner, my motor would kick over a little faster, but would never "start". I thought I had all the sensors fixed and in good working order, so I couldn't figure out why the van wouldn't at least try to start. Turns out it was my high pressure fuel pump. The way I determined this was by carefully unscrewing that metal line coming out of the fuel pump going to the fuel rail. I stood there and watched as my 9 year old son cranked the engine over and realized that NOTHING was coming out. There was no fuel delivery at all. No wonder it wouldn't start. Now, there was fuel coming from the filter to the low pressure pump, but something inside the high pressure pump was keeping any fuel from getting to the fuel rail. It was all just going back to the return line.
So if you've got all the sensors replaced and or DAD says that they are all cool, check fuel delivery. You can also do the same test up at the injectors.
Good luck.
Joel in Philly