Bought a "Special" Sprinter, now to figure it out!

DRTDEVL

Active member
I went down to Mississippi to purchase a 2004 Freightliner 144 super high roof for a song this week as a non-runner. Been sitting 3+ years, the guy bought it off his business for a swap project before figuring out how temperamental the MB diesels are. He tried to figure out the van itself before giving up.

The symptoms:

Cold start, immediate stall in 1 second. That's as far as he got.

Cold start with EGR and/or MAF unplugged, it will start and idle. Throttle works, but no power and excessive smoke due to lack of boost.
Warm, it can start with them plugged in... but no throttle response.

Had 60 codes in the Common Rail system alone, and another 30+ showing on the regular OBD generic system. Everything under the sun was listed, but I attribute a lot of that to low voltage... the battery was D-E-A-D from the constant start-stall until it wouldn't crank and then sitting a few more months after that.

I cleared all the systems and got it idling... Every now and then, the idle sound changes and there is throttle response, albeit in LHM (3k limit).

I finally got the CDI system to show a code (no MIL - yet), and its P2355.

I won't have any time to look at it again until at least Monday, but I am thinking to pick up an EGR gasket and see about cleaning the EGR valve. It looks new-ish, but you never know what 3+ years of sitting will do.

There is no turbo boost, either indicated on the scanner or feeling with a boost hose off. In fact, the scanner shows vacuum when off-idle.

Other issues of note: It was initially parked due to trans LHM (2-R lockout). CAN bus-faults listed are no comms with A94 (CDI control), P15 (instrument cluster), or A2 (ESP control unit). I am not sure if those are due to low voltage issues yet, or something else. Initial tests show the N2/N3 sensors are reading accurately, and the rear wheel sensors are reading accurately as well. The fronts, however, registered no changes with the vehicle stopped or in motion (one was negative rpm, the other low rpm, both constant values). Obviously I'll be checking and cleaning ALL the grounds Monday.

Anything else I should be looking at?

RaM Sprinter.jpg
 
D

Deleted member 50714

Guest
Looks clean.

Right off the bat, I would replace the chassis to engine ground strap and tickle all other grounds. Tickle means loosen, inspect, wiggle and re-tighten.
 

Nautamaran

2004 140” HRC 2500 (Crewed)
Looks clean! Congratulations(?)

Symptoms certainly consistent with an EGR issue... did you read the sub-code? And I’m with Bob: visit all the grounds.
-dave
 

DRTDEVL

Active member
Looks clean.

Right off the bat, I would replace the chassis to engine ground strap and tickle all other grounds. Tickle means loosen, inspect, wiggle and re-tighten.
All grounds are on the list for Monday

Looks clean! Congratulations(?)

Symptoms certainly consistent with an EGR issue... did you read the sub-code? And I’m with Bob: visit all the grounds.
-dave
I didn't see a sub-code for the EGR, only the P2355.

Battery, check der battery.
I already eliminated the battery problems by charging it when connected to a known good battery. I have saved many a dead battery this way. I also left two additional known good batteries hooked up via jumper cables during all of my testing to ensure that there would not be any chance of voltage problems throwing random codes.
 

Nautamaran

2004 140” HRC 2500 (Crewed)
Hmmm... the book shows two sub-codes for high (-001) or low (-002) EGR flow (egr too open/closed)
Are you using the Sprinter menu of your scanner or going in via obdii?

Added: jumper cables still flow their current through the firewall bolt and the engine mount ground strap.
 

DRTDEVL

Active member
I forgot to add in the original post... the 2-R trans LHM was caused by being about 2 liters low on fluid. The electrical connector is leaking, and it will be replaced immediately after I have the engine sorted. I will also do the fluid, filter, and clean the conductor plate at the same time.

Hmmm... the book shows two sub-codes for high (-001) or low (-002) EGR flow (egr too open/closed)
Are you using the Sprinter menu of your scanner or going in via obdii?

Added: jumper cables still flow their current through the firewall bolt and the engine mount ground strap.
I didn't get a sub-code, and that was looking at it through the CDI menu.

As for the jumper cables, both were hooked to the positive, one to the negative, and one to the engine's lift point (where I would normally boost a vehicle). The only way for a current problem would be for both the negative cable and the engine ground strap to be bad at the same time.
 

Nautamaran

2004 140” HRC 2500 (Crewed)
if they’re factory original, that’s entirely possible.
Truth!
I had an electrical incident early in my ownership, with no crank, the asr and traction cluster lamps coming on, power lost to my radio and a/c... general strangeness. Left it sit for 5 minutes, all away. I’ve never found a smoking gun, but I did visit all the ground lugs and Fuse Box #1.
Removing and cleaning the battery connections is a five minute task; the firewall ground stack five more; the ground strap perhaps fifteen. This would freshen 80% of the engine’s electrical power. The other 20% run to the ground under the dash hump and the two under the driver’s seat, but those take a lot more effort to visit. I have a spray can of anti-corrosion battery terminal wax that keeps everything dry (works a treat for protecting mid-winter stone chips from rusting, too!)

-dave
 

Cheyenne

UK 2004 T1N 313CDi
I forgot to add in the original post... the 2-R trans LHM was caused by being about 2 liters low on fluid. The electrical connector is leaking, and it will be replaced immediately after I have the engine sorted. I will also do the fluid, filter, and clean the conductor plate at the same time.
Have you checked the plug at the TCM for oil contamination?

If oil gets into the TCM it can throw all kinds of errors.

Keith.
 

DRTDEVL

Active member
SOLVED:

I pulled the EGR valve and it was stuck open. After cleaning, I could move it freely again, but the internal spring is broken, because it won't snap back closed like it should. After two starts, it is back to what it was doing again, and I bet if I open it back up the valve will be wide open again.
 

DRTDEVL

Active member
Further evaluations (while waiting for my used OEM EGR valve to come in the mail):

ABS Pump has failed. That's the reason for the ASR, Wheel Slip, ABS and BRAKE lights on in the cluster. I saw a write-up online by a guy who just put new brushes in the motor and it worked. I think I'm game for a $20 repair, rather than a $180 used (or several thousand dollar new) part with the same results. Worst case? I'm out an afternoon of my time and $20. Best case? Save big bucks.

The temp knob is broken on the ATC (? the HVAC Control). I'm going to disassemble it first to see if its a simple fix. If not, that's another $180 on eBay for a used part.

Needs a driver's seat bottom and a windshield. I am debating upon the windshield for the story it tells. There is a MS state inspection sticker and an oil change sticker from a place in MS stuck in there. Pair those with the MS title, and it is more evidence for the buyer that this is truly a southern, rust-free van. The driver's seat bottom is another matter... I have to find someone willing to just sell the seat bottom and not the entire seat. Shipping a seat is costly, and unnecessary. Most recyclers want to sell the entire thing, though.

Beyond that, It just needs a trans service, fuel filter, air filter, cabin air filter, an oil change, and a thorough cleaning, and it will be ready for its new owner to enjoy and build out as they wish.
 

sipma02

Currently full time in the van
I've got a seat bottom for ya. Not the best of shape, but not the worst. Minneapolis. Free 99 (aka you can have it) if you pick up, PM me if you're interested!
 

DRTDEVL

Active member
I got the used EGR valve in over the weekend. I noticed it wouldn't snap back all the way shut, so I cleaned it and lubed it the best I could, then installed it.

Engine coughed to life, didn't stall. Really slow to rev for a couple minutes, then it seemed to clear itself. Went for a short drive, and it was in LHM (3k rpm limit, low power). I hit my turn-around point, shut it off to see if it would reset itself, and it was back to being really slow to rev for a couple minutes again, and the van could barely move itself until this condition was cleared.

Now I get P2355-0000 and P2511-0000, which I believe are EGR flow too high and EGR valve signal shorted to ground.

No dice with that valve. I'll do some more diagnostics later this week (supposed to rain a bunch in the coming days, so I'll pull it into the shop to work) to see if its the used valve or something else. In the meantime, I'll contact the seller of the valve and update him. He's a stand-up dude in the Sprinter world, so I am sure I'll be taken care of if it turns out to be the valve.
 

DRTDEVL

Active member
Miscommunication about the valve's purpose... and the price was right, so I'm going to experiment and use the controller off the old valve, the linkage plastic thing inside whichever one looks better, and the actual valve unit off the one I was sent. We'll see if I can Frankenstein a working EGR valve out of these parts and save a couple hundred $$$.
 

ianski

Eager to learn
My EGR valve is also not springing back. I've cleaned it up but It still won't snap back like it is supposed to. I am able to easily close it with my finger. My van seems to run fine and I was only cleaning the valve because it is a recommended maintenance job that I had neglected for a long time. I am curious if the community has any insight on the actual inner workings of the EGR actuator and suggestions on risks of running this EGR.
 

glasseye

Well-known member
On the less pressing issue of the driver's seat: are the driver and pax seat cushions interchangeable?

Good luck with this rescue and thanks for the thread. Looks like a good investment for you and us. :bow:
 

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