Power Steering Hose Fell Off

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grinnelljd

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These loss of power steering incidents should be reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administrration at http://nhtsa.gov

Remember, as far as the government is concerned, if it isn't documented it didn't happen. The more people who officially report such incidents, the more likely the government will pressure Mercedes to perform a recall repair.
 
D

Deleted member 50714

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These loss of power steering incidents should be reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administrration at http://nhtsa.gov

Remember, as far as the government is concerned, if it isn't documented it didn't happen. The more people who officially report such incidents, the more likely the government will pressure Mercedes to perform a recall repair.
An excellent suggestion. Although mine has never fallen off, I'm still going to write a letter. "Best or Nothing" my ass.
 

Moto Vita

Active member
I checked my hoses today and found that the lower hose had slipped about 1/8" back from the stop since I checked it last year. It's clear to me that the hose should be longer, although if the pipe nipple were barbed it would be fine. I slid it back to the stop and will keep an eye on it. I'm not sure a better clamp will help but it's probably worth a try. Not that anybody's gonna ask me but I think there should be a service bulletin and fix for this, if not a safety recall.
I just rechecked the hoses after about 300 miles of driving. The lower hose is back to it's previous location about 1/8" from the stop. I pushed it to the stop again and I'll check again in a few days. It's still well onto the tube so if it pulls away 1/8" and stays there again I'll leave it there and watch it. It's not really confidence inspiring.
 

rollerbearing

Well-known member
Same here. Pushed the hose back on from what I would guess would be about half way off. 200 miles later driving on smooth pavement it is about 1/4 of the way off again.

I don't trust this thing one bit and I don't appreciate Mercedes Benz not addressing this in a proactive manner. There are situations that it would be extremely dangerous to lose power steering in. Particularly if you are not strong enough to Armstrong the steering without assist (my wife!)
 
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220629

Well-known member
Same here. Pushed the hose back on from what I would guess would be about half way off. 200 miles later driving on smooth pavement it is about 1/4 of the way off again.

I don't trust this thing one bit and I don't appreciate Mercedes Benz not addressing this in a proactive manner. There are situations that it would be extremely dangerous to lose power steering in. Particularly if you are not strong enough to Armstrong the steering without assist (my wife!)
It does seem like something they should address.

Not that anyone asked...

A second clamp on the tubing and some tie wire wrapped around both of the clamps will provide an inexpensive DIY safety wire fix. FWIW.

NCV3PowerSteeringHoseKeeper.jpg

NCV3PowerSteeringHoseKeeper01.jpg

:2cents: vic
 
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Farfrumwork

Active member
I installed a smooth bore screw-type clamp on mine. I doubt it could make it off of there now. 100+ miles of city & gravel driving later and the hose has not moved.
 

rollerbearing

Well-known member
It does seem like something they should address.

Not that anyone asked...

A second clamp on the tubing and some tie wire wrapped around both of the clamps will provide an inexpensive DIY safety wire fix. FWIW.

View attachment 118066

:2cents: vic

I had thought about this same thing. Was minorly worried about galvanics between a stainless clamp and the aluminium tube. Easily solved with some electrical tape.

But what concerns me more is that it took quite a push to get the tubing up against the stop again. So logic implies it takes quite a pull to slide it back off (maybe????). Not really thrilled about this pulling force being taken up by the crimped end of the too short hose. Seems like that'll lead to a premature failure on the other end (maybe???).

Inclined to bend the aluminium cooler tube back some to create more slack in the hose that Mercedes Benz surely knows is too short.
 

220629

Well-known member
I had thought about this same thing. Was minorly worried about galvanics between a stainless clamp and the aluminium tube. Easily solved with some electrical tape.

But what concerns me more is that it took quite a push to get the tubing up against the stop again. So logic implies it takes quite a pull to slide it back off (maybe????). Not really thrilled about this pulling force being taken up by the crimped end of the too short hose. Seems like that'll lead to a premature failure on the other end (maybe???).

Inclined to bend the aluminium cooler tube back some to create more slack in the hose that Mercedes Benz surely knows is too short.
So it isn't just the hydraulic pressure pushing the hose off? I have seen where that happens. One of the classic situations is when someone uses a pipe nipple to connect a hose on an A/C cooling system vs using a proper hose barb fitting. At first all is well. Over time the hose crushes enough that the friction fit fails and the pressure pushes the hose off.

I guess galvanic action could be a concern. A heavy duty or multi wrapped black cable tie would also work. Just capture some insulated wire under the cable tie and then wrap the safety wire around the clamp.

:2cents: vic
 

rollerbearing

Well-known member
So it isn't just the hydraulic pressure pushing the hose off? I have seen where that happens. One of the classic situations is when someone uses a pipe nipple to connect a hose on an A/C cooling system vs using a proper hose barb fitting. At first all is well. Over time the hose crushes enough that the friction fit fails and the pressure pushes the hose off.

I guess galvanic action could be a concern. A heavy duty or multi wrapped black cable tie would also work. Just capture some insulated wire under the cable tie and then wrap the safety wire around the clamp.

:2cents: vic

I considered that it might be hydraulic pressure. It is the hi pressure side of the cooler - the other side goes to the steering pump reservoir. It is also supported by the restrictor being captured in the hose by the odd lone clamp - maybe an afterthought attempt to fix the problem.

Thing is how to know for sure? Only thing I can think of is a video to determine if the steering hose comes under tension - and I think that could be pretty hard to see. There is no slack in the hose - to the point you could not service the cooler clamped end by cutting a tad off.

Guess I'll bend the aluminium tube for slack, replace the clamp with a screw down clamp, add your 2nd clamp with some electrical isolation (tape) and wire the two together.
 
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220629

Well-known member
Not that anyone asked...
Tension pulling on the hose can't be good.

If a short hose is the concern ...

Installing a barbed hose joiner with an added short section of hose may be worthwhile. It would add another potential leak joint, but would be effective and fairly inexpensive. Even if a hose section is added, my recommendation would be to still add a tubing safety wire keeper of some design.

A keeper is not needed on a proper brass barbed joiner.

:2cents: vic
 

4wheels

Well-known member
And... Limp Home Mode should only activate after power-down, not while passing a car. Stupid Germans.
Tha NOx - there's no LHM while passing a car anymore..
It was on earlier NCV3 Sprinters .
I had 08 Sprinter and now have '14 - LHM is very different ! Remember Graphite Dave and his 08 Sprinter?
In short - newer Sprinter won't kill you , so you can pass cars
Speaking of hoses/clamps - mine lasted like 250k . I saw sweating at PS reservoir and replaced hose and clamps. It was like $13 only from MB and it came with screw type clamps

Sent from my LM-V350 using Tapatalk
 
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Hey all.

I found this thread whilst looking for a recommendation on power steering fluid. My 2015 was making that awful noise after driving some "washboard" dirt roads. Like many of you I found an oily mess and a loose hose. Since I didn't have much of a choice I used some Prestone fluid I found at a local store. The noise went away but I am left wondering if the Prestone is OK to leave in there or should I be doing a purge and flush.

Any thoughts or suggestions on replacing the hose with something a little longer?

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge and ideas.

DSchmidt7of7
 

Moto Vita

Active member
I took my 2016 Sprinter to the local MB dealer to have a couple of small things taken care of, including the lower PS hose that keeps sliding away from the stop on the metal line from the radiator (it hasn't come off but I've slid it back to the stop 3 times). The service writer was familiar with the issue and wrote about the issue on the work order specifying the lower hose from the radiator. When I picked up the van the work order showed 1 hose and 2 clamps as parts used on the power steering line as a response to the complaint about the lower PS hose. When I looked under the hood I found that the upper PS hose had been replaced along with new clamps, the lower hose was untouched and still backed away from the stop on the steel line. I called the service manager, who talked to the tech who did the work, and he told me that they were very familiar with the upper, short, PS hose coming off but had never seen the lower hose come off, sigh...
 
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rollerbearing

Well-known member
Sigh is right.

Your story explains something on my NCV3 though I think. Checking on this whole issue I noticed that the upper (at the cooler) hose is attached to the PS reservoir with a worm screw hose clamp - very non-MB looking clamp! I wonder if during dealer prep or one of the A or B services (done a different dealers) this clamp got switched out - I was never told if it was.
 

220629

Well-known member
... The noise went away but I am left wondering if the Prestone is OK to leave in there or should I be doing a purge and flush.

...
If it were mine I would leave the Prestone fluid in and not worry about it. Any good quality power steering fluid is fine.

This is a Fluids canned response
...

Power Steering Fluid

The history of what is the PROPER power steering fluid in the Sprinter is long and ugly. The NAFTA 2003 Operator Manual mentions Mopar ATF+4. My 2004 Dodge manual lists MB 341.0 or synthetic ATF III. The BEVO list includes a number of MB 236.X suggestions as of this writing. Because so many different products have been listed over the years I say it must not make much difference as to what is actually used. One thread is here.
https://sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23006

I have used Lucas Power Steering Stop Leak on my 2004 Sprinter with good results. It has now been over 80,000 100,000+ miles since I added it.

There are some comments and at least one additional Lucas user in this thread.
Clunk, Clunk. Ball Joint or Rack n Pinion?
https://sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?p=201461#post201461

BEVO North American MB236.3 choice: After searching I conclude that a dealership is the easiest source FOR APPROVED FLUID if that is what you want.
:2cents: vic
 

Moto Vita

Active member
Sigh is right.

Your story explains something on my NCV3 though I think. Checking on this whole issue I noticed that the upper (at the cooler) hose is attached to the PS reservoir with a worm screw hose clamp - very non-MB looking clamp! I wonder if during dealer prep or one of the A or B services (done a different dealers) this clamp got switched out - I was never told if it was.
The clamps on the new upper hose are worm drive but much better looking than the typical clamp that you would buy at an auto parts store, they seem to have metal sleeve to keep the clamp from cutting into the hose. The dealer is ordering me one from Mercedes that I will put on the lower hose.
 

rollerbearing

Well-known member
The clamps on the new upper hose are worm drive but much better looking than the typical clamp that you would buy at an auto parts store, they seem to have metal sleeve to keep the clamp from cutting into the hose. The dealer is ordering me one from Mercedes that I will put on the lower hose.
Interesting.

On the reservoir of my PS it is a crappy plain old worm drive clamp of the type that chews into hose. The van has never been anywhere but the dealers and Linden (who did a fuel filter with quality clamps). The Linden tech graciously let me watch as he changed out the fuel filter in the side lot so I KNOW it didn't come fom them.
 

rollerbearing

Well-known member
The clamp shouldn't be touching the tube. It goes around the hose. :thinking:
This would be a second clamp on the other side of the tube hose stop. Wiring the two clamps together would keep the hose tight up against the stop between them.

As it is I used the clamp showed in earlier photos in this thread and tightened it down around the hose where the almost non-existent barb is. Went on another weekend trip and the hose hasn't moved - whereas on a similar trip earlier it had backed off a quarter of the way again. I'll check it frequently but for the moment am now happy that it is not actively moving.

Thankful to the forum for having maybe dodged this totally unnecessary bullet hitting us out in the boonies somewhere. And no thanks at all to MB.
 
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220629

Well-known member
The clamp shouldn't be touching the tube. It goes around the hose. :thinking:
The clamp around the tube is to create an anchor point for a safety wire to hold the other clamp from sliding away.

A 2nd hose clamp is an easy way to create an anchor point. The safety wire could just as easily be tightly wrapped around the tubing and then wrapped around the existing hose clamp. That wire wrap anchor point will work very well with the NCV3 PS tube which has the factory bead.

I used a safety wire for my transmission hose connection. That hose was installed on a rusted cut off smooth tubing that didn't have a bead or hose barb. Without a safety wire eventually the pressure inside would push my hose off the smooth tubing. 2+ 3+ years on that repair and all is well.

A poor focus picture is here.
TransmissionRepairClamps.jpg

Note that without a bead to keep the wire in place I used the 90 degree angle of the tubing to have a wire wrap guaranteed to not slip.

A poorly executed diagram of the wire wrap method.
NCV3PowerSteeringHoseKeeper01.jpg

The transmission hose repair thread is here.

Transmission Line / Hose Emergency Repair
https://sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?t=55553
:cheers: vic
 
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