Earlier on I have posted on some issues with my 05' 2500 Sprinter 158" high top. Between all of you on the forum and DR. A, I have been able to get some great advice and technical information to resolve some of the multiple issues with this van. Now the saga starts.
About 1 year ago I was driving north to my home from West Palm Beach, FL and had a severe overheat condition with no gauge or light or alarm indicators. The only way I knew that I overheated was when I came to a stoplight on a small road 10 miles from home. The rancid acidic smell is one that I've had the pleasure of smelling before. BURN'T Engine Oil! I immediately pulled over and shut the engine down. There was no knocking of any kind, just the stick of the burn't oil and a badly overheated engine. It sat for an hour and then had my wife head out with coolant. I found the hose that had a pin hole in it that caused the problem, taped it up to nurse it back to town and started the adding of coolant and water. No problem here as I had let it cool down and when the radiator was full tried to start it. NO start! Crank but only and occasional attempt to start. I had it towed to my lot and changed the nasty oil and filter and added a quart of Dura Lube that I had been using for some time now. I then had it towed to what I and been told was a reputable Mercedes shop. Not! After having a crank and cam sensor replaced, it ran but rattled badly. They told me to run it and see if it would quiet with some road time. I didn't. Back to their shop, new lifters, timing chain tensioner guides, 2 injectors and a cylinder head machine job as the head was warped 15 thousands. Also the oil check valve under the head on top of the block was melted. That was giving me, as I was informed, the dry start up syndrome that had been heard since they originally got the van running after the overheat. (I failed to mention this earlier) Now convinced that after all of this time and $$$$$$$$ the van should run like it used to; quiet and no dry start up. Not! It still had the dry start up every time it was started and continually makes noise. Now this noise comes and goes in intensity. Some days you can barely hear it and other days people turn their heads when you drive past then. I drove to West Palm To see a friend of Dr. A's, Jerry who took time with his DBRlll to sync the injectors to the ECM, another thing the repair shops didn't know had to be done. This leads me to believe it is not a hard part and that it is fuel related. I have had a new oil pump installed by another shop just recently and still have the dry start up if the engine sits for more that 20 min. The noise is still there intermittent as it is and I still get 20 MPG. DR.A informed me that this head is not machinable. Now that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy knowing that there is nobody in my area that can fix this van. Maybe the injector to head clearances are to tight and causing a bad spray pattern. The noise I get is NOT TEMP RELATED. I may start it in the AM, hear the dry start then it quiets for the day. Or it may do just the opposite or a combination of the 2. If clearances were an issue I believe it would be worse warm as things all expand and become tighter. There are 3 injectors that have not been replaced and they are making me wonder. Also there is something in the back of my mind that is saying faulty lifter. I 'm not ruling out a wrist pin or other hard part, but the noise is never consistent and we have shut down injectors to listen for noise changes as well as pulling off the drive belt to isolate auxiliary components. I'm totally at a loss and am about ready to drive to DR. A's and have him fix this thing. Anyone have any input to this?
Also I have done the Dr. A rumble strip noise fix. Awesome. But I just noted that I can't exceed 80 mph on the highway running at 3,000 rpm. Anybody have insight to this one? Thanks, Jim
About 1 year ago I was driving north to my home from West Palm Beach, FL and had a severe overheat condition with no gauge or light or alarm indicators. The only way I knew that I overheated was when I came to a stoplight on a small road 10 miles from home. The rancid acidic smell is one that I've had the pleasure of smelling before. BURN'T Engine Oil! I immediately pulled over and shut the engine down. There was no knocking of any kind, just the stick of the burn't oil and a badly overheated engine. It sat for an hour and then had my wife head out with coolant. I found the hose that had a pin hole in it that caused the problem, taped it up to nurse it back to town and started the adding of coolant and water. No problem here as I had let it cool down and when the radiator was full tried to start it. NO start! Crank but only and occasional attempt to start. I had it towed to my lot and changed the nasty oil and filter and added a quart of Dura Lube that I had been using for some time now. I then had it towed to what I and been told was a reputable Mercedes shop. Not! After having a crank and cam sensor replaced, it ran but rattled badly. They told me to run it and see if it would quiet with some road time. I didn't. Back to their shop, new lifters, timing chain tensioner guides, 2 injectors and a cylinder head machine job as the head was warped 15 thousands. Also the oil check valve under the head on top of the block was melted. That was giving me, as I was informed, the dry start up syndrome that had been heard since they originally got the van running after the overheat. (I failed to mention this earlier) Now convinced that after all of this time and $$$$$$$$ the van should run like it used to; quiet and no dry start up. Not! It still had the dry start up every time it was started and continually makes noise. Now this noise comes and goes in intensity. Some days you can barely hear it and other days people turn their heads when you drive past then. I drove to West Palm To see a friend of Dr. A's, Jerry who took time with his DBRlll to sync the injectors to the ECM, another thing the repair shops didn't know had to be done. This leads me to believe it is not a hard part and that it is fuel related. I have had a new oil pump installed by another shop just recently and still have the dry start up if the engine sits for more that 20 min. The noise is still there intermittent as it is and I still get 20 MPG. DR.A informed me that this head is not machinable. Now that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy knowing that there is nobody in my area that can fix this van. Maybe the injector to head clearances are to tight and causing a bad spray pattern. The noise I get is NOT TEMP RELATED. I may start it in the AM, hear the dry start then it quiets for the day. Or it may do just the opposite or a combination of the 2. If clearances were an issue I believe it would be worse warm as things all expand and become tighter. There are 3 injectors that have not been replaced and they are making me wonder. Also there is something in the back of my mind that is saying faulty lifter. I 'm not ruling out a wrist pin or other hard part, but the noise is never consistent and we have shut down injectors to listen for noise changes as well as pulling off the drive belt to isolate auxiliary components. I'm totally at a loss and am about ready to drive to DR. A's and have him fix this thing. Anyone have any input to this?
Also I have done the Dr. A rumble strip noise fix. Awesome. But I just noted that I can't exceed 80 mph on the highway running at 3,000 rpm. Anybody have insight to this one? Thanks, Jim