Skatefrench
New member
Hey Everyone! First time posting here. I just purchased my first Sprinter two days ago, and already this forum has been a great help. We had it towed home. It came with the no crank, no start, fan blowing condition that has been discussed here several times.
Here's a video of my repair process. For me, the fuse block replacement didn't solve the problem- I had to resolder a pin on the ECU.
The previous owner had been working through the problem. He replaced the fuse block under the steering column, cleaned up battery connections, replaced the battery. He paid a shop to diagnose it, they just tested the battery, ignition switch, solenoid, relays, and basically confirmed that it was an ECU issue. Still no start.
First thing I did once I got it home was pull the ECU out... and there was quite a bit of corrosion on several of the connectors.

It's possible that the pins had already been cleaned and that what was left was just residue... I have to hope that's the case, cause I can't think of why else it would have been overlooked. I cleaned them with some vinegar and a tooth brush. But then I noticed what appeared to be a missing pin. (You can see that in my video)
It was a missing pin, in fact. So I cut the pin at the back, drilled the stub out, and replaced it with a donor pin I found in a plug in my garage. Reinstalled the ECU and it fired right up! You'll see how stoked we were in the video!
Paid $2000 for the van with 180k on the clock.
Here's a video of my repair process. For me, the fuse block replacement didn't solve the problem- I had to resolder a pin on the ECU.
The previous owner had been working through the problem. He replaced the fuse block under the steering column, cleaned up battery connections, replaced the battery. He paid a shop to diagnose it, they just tested the battery, ignition switch, solenoid, relays, and basically confirmed that it was an ECU issue. Still no start.
First thing I did once I got it home was pull the ECU out... and there was quite a bit of corrosion on several of the connectors.

It's possible that the pins had already been cleaned and that what was left was just residue... I have to hope that's the case, cause I can't think of why else it would have been overlooked. I cleaned them with some vinegar and a tooth brush. But then I noticed what appeared to be a missing pin. (You can see that in my video)
It was a missing pin, in fact. So I cut the pin at the back, drilled the stub out, and replaced it with a donor pin I found in a plug in my garage. Reinstalled the ECU and it fired right up! You'll see how stoked we were in the video!
Paid $2000 for the van with 180k on the clock.