A thousand Ram Van curses upon you!

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lindenengineering

Well-known member
Every so often it's good to dare to compare!
So compare spark plug changes on a V6 Sprinter with gasoline engine and the Dodge Promaster Ram V6 engine.
If you like leaning into the engine compartment slot of an aperture & releasing the air intake the plenum, you with the"right" plug socket to remove the plugs and lift the coils. It's for you!
Now since the plenum is held down with what you could call 8mm head threaded self tapping screws, (all seven of them) plus some 6 mm nuts you can slide the plenum to one side for plug removal The big issue is that some of those hold down "screws ' sit in pockets that are formed in the plenum body .
Filling with salt & water ingress, the heads corrode off, and you can't remove the plenum. Well not without butchery skills that is!
Oh and in the meantime you want to change the air filter just for good measure.
The real deal is $97,85 all day.
So to repeat to those that gripe about MB Sprinters !
A thousand Ram Van spark plug changes be upon you ! :)
Dennis
 
autostaretx

autostaretx

Erratic Member
Ahhh... the first (and only) time i replaced the plugs on a mid-1960's Rolls Royce.....
It was a couple of hours of crawling over the top of the engine and using my best 7-jointed-wrist actions to gradually extract the plugs from under the manifolds (etc) that covered the top of the engine.
At about half-way, the English service manager (whose father, who'd been an aircraft engine "fitter" during WWII, also worked at our shop) wandered by. He asked what i was doing and why i was cursing more than usual.... i explained.
"Oh," he said, "you're doing it wrong. The first step is to remove that side's front wheel.
Then you remove the wheel well's inner panel .... from then on it's easy."
He was right ... the 2nd 4 plugs went far quicker than the first four.

--dick (English Iron ... always a laugh...)
 
M

Mike DZ

2016 View 24V (2015 3500)
Nowadays even common / non-exotic vehicles like a recent model year Chevy Colorado P/U requires you to lift the intake manifold to pull the plugs. They are also doing things like no transmission dipstick or even dipstick tube. Requires exhaust tube removal (?!) and a pressurized fill and specific temperature for a transmission pan drop and refill.
 
2

220629

Well-known member
lindenengineering said:
And it all adds up to cost plus for the service and repair work.
Dennis
Click to expand...
Which makes leasing look more financially attractive. My T1N Sprinters may be the last vehicles which I own that gives "driving it into the ground" any kind of financial return. Needing to replace a couple of modules on newer vehicles can easily exceed a number of monthly lease payments, not just one payment.

Given the present situation my wife's Hyundai will rust away in place before wearing out. We just made the last payment. :bash:

vic

P.S. - :idunno:, :bash:, :rolleyes:, etc. can still hang on. I do miss the double :drippingsarcasm: though. Oops. rolleyes still exists.
 
L

lindenengineering

Well-known member
PAID OFF!!!!
Isn't that a nice feeling--No more "financial toothache" called a car payment!
Not quite the same as an aggressive cutting up of a high interest credit card , but close.
I was just talking about that will the gals at SOS diagnostics today !
But
The very best has to be a 25 year or so mortgage, you pay the LAST installment and NO More.
You wait with baited breath in anticipation for the next month, maybe to get something like a congratulations from the financial institution.

But NOTHING!

Sadly NOT as it used to be when the bank manager of the branch called with a "friendly" , hoping to retain some more business and assure you of their continued support for the"next time" should become one.
But alas a computer has no human interaction or sympathy!!
Sign of the times a that slick bank that has no teller. JUST a "mushine"!
Dennis
 
R

rhymes with

Member
I have to say, being a reader on this forum since I got my 2017 144 cargo van in summer of 2018 ( bare naked, still waiting to be converted...but at least I have some windows in cardboard boxes and a fan waiting...) I appreciate you, Dennis of lindenengineerin...don't know you from Adam and I know less about engines but I sure appreciate your humor and informative posts...I live in Oregon but I sure hope I'm in Colorado someday - with or without a problem during a road trip - to meet you..you're a funny guy and it seems one outstanding Sprinter tech...kudos to you sir
 
L

lindenengineering

Well-known member
The plugs on my 2013 Caravan were a PITA. That stupid bracket holding the plenum.
Yes they are!!
This one has been got at before, and a Mr Nobody had been at it & the front tabs had bent down--No nuts holding it on either!
In any case this one was cracked & warped, so it had to go.
Its best to remove the grill & radiator support.
Just takes a few minutes with a screw gun then its there in is in all its black plastic glory .
Only a few pence short of $500.
Jeez why struggle!
Cheers Dennis
 
flman

flman

Well-known member
I took one look under the hood of a PM, and decided it was not for me. A transverse engine, and you have to reach 2' in just to touch it.
 
L

lindenengineering

Well-known member
A Ram Tip.
Got an errant miss-fire mostly #1 cylinder?
Suspect the crank sensor and the immediate harness.
Reflected heat deteriorates the three wires within the pig tail and you get short downs & a corrupted signal.
Dodge makes a repair pigtail arrangement available at about $45.
The sensor is about $30.
Seen a few like this just recently, suspect a pattern failure point .
Dennis
 
L

lindenengineering

Well-known member
Guys and some of you that gripe about MB !!
I picked this up from trade /dealer banter on a tech web site.
Techs talking to Techs
Dennis

Roger from Florida, there is not a recall the bank 2 head as it is not a safety related failure. Yes we are all doing a lot of these, but only under powertrain warranty. There is a L33 Engine Block Debris Recall and only 490 vehicles were affected, less than 1 percent of sold US vehicles. This recall states that casting debris may get into oil pump and rod bearings, which "may cause engine to lock up", causing a safety related issue. The other thing to note for anyone that may be interested in this 3.6 Pentastar topic is that chrysler still has not disclosed the root cause and is just speculating at this time. Also the new Head that we are putting on is the same part number and have talked to few guys who have actually had to replace a head twice within 3/36. My thought on this failure, which is just my opinion by examining these apart, is that the valve guide passage is not line bored perfectly straight in the head therefore 12000 miles later the guide is finally worn enough to cause valve leakage and a miss-fire. You know chrysler is going to be very discreet about information on failure due to the possibility of the media getting a hold of it. Especially due to the fact that chrysler has put all their eggs in one basket by making a great leap of faith and putting the 3.6 in almost all of their vehicles right from the start. Never the less it would be nice to know what the engineers actually find out.
 
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Deleted member 50714

Guest
Who bankrolling the website? Possibly commissioned by mercedes-Benz?

Whoops, dodge Chrysler?

2020 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands
 
MsNomer

MsNomer

Active member
Our 2014 PM turned 138,000 yesterday. If the engine (or transmission) goes, we can replace it for a few thousand and keep on rolling. Lovin' this van.
 
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lindenengineering

Well-known member
MsNomer said:
Our 2014 PM turned 138,000 yesterday. If the engine (or transmission) goes, we can replace it for a few thousand and keep on rolling. Lovin' this van.
Click to expand...
Yes part are cheaper by far, for the most part.
Price of an air filter is a bit shocking and what about in the diesel arena with price matrices way above that of MB.
But yes a major unit is at least 50% less than MB if you dare to compare..
Cheers Dennis
p.s.
I swear the plenum self tapping hold down screws are the same the deck construction screws you buy at Home Depot by the 50 fold !
 
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D

Deleted member 50714

Guest
Few thousand dollars?

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