2004 Sprinter Limp Mode

Turtle · Feb 24, 2014

OntarioVanMan said:
that doesn't make sense,

Yeah, 'cause everything else about a Sprinter makes perfect sense.

the time line.....you had the problem BEFORE the EGR cleaning...going into limp mode....you had the limp home problem? ...then a coolant leak problem?

LHM due to dirty EGR valve. Then they cleaned the EGR valve, and when they resinstalled the EGR valve the stripped the bolt holes on the EGR valvle, which caused not only a coolant leak but a boost pressure leak. Repaired bolt holes, coolant leak stopped, pressure leak gone.

OntarioVanMan · Feb 24, 2014

Turtle said:
Yeah, 'cause everything else about a Sprinter makes perfect sense.

LHM due to dirty EGR valve. Then they cleaned the EGR valve, and when they resinstalled the EGR valve the stripped the bolt holes on the EGR valvle, which caused not only a coolant leak but a boost pressure leak. Repaired bolt holes, coolant leak stopped, pressure leak gone.

that timeline works....thanks

seekerman · Feb 24, 2014

OntarioVanMan said:
that doesn't make sense, the time line.....you had the problem BEFORE the EGR cleaning...going into limp mode....you had the limp home problem? ...then a coolant leak problem?

The coolant leak only started after the EGR cleaning. By the bolt holes being stripped in the manifold, the EGR didn't bolt down tightly enough when putting it back on after the cleaning, thus allowing coolant to escape. Rusty at Jim Cogdill verified that the EGR had been cleaned, it was just bad and showed me why. Now, I will readily acknowledge that the bolt holes may have been stripped when the EGR was replaced 250,000 miles ago and taking the EGR off to clean it may have been enough to further loosen the bolts in the hole to cause a loose fit to the manifold, thereby causing the leak. And if I've hastily misjudged Courtesy and have wrongly accused them for causing the problem, then I would owe them an apology. It's just that the "tech" was clearly out of his element in dealing with the problem, and I assumed that when they discovered that I wasn't going to have work done there they were in a hurry to get me out of the shop. I may be wrong in blaming them for the problem.

seekerman · Feb 24, 2014

Turtle said:
Yeah, 'cause everything else about a Sprinter makes perfect sense.

LHM due to dirty EGR valve. Then they cleaned the EGR valve, and when they resinstalled the EGR valve the stripped the bolt holes on the EGR valvle, which caused not only a coolant leak but a boost pressure leak. Repaired bolt holes, coolant leak stopped, pressure leak gone.[/QUOTE

Nope, I was in limp mode when I took the vehicle into Courtesy. The limp mode was not caused by anything they did. I took it there to have it scanned, there was an EGR code, and I had them clean the valve. I was pointing out that I only developed the coolant leak after they took the EGR off to clean it, and the problem with the coolant leak was properly diagnosed by the tech in Knoxville who ultimately put the new EGR on. When he tried to tighten the bolts down, they would not tighten. It was then that he discovered the holes had been stripped and pointed out that that was the reason I had been losing coolant.

Turtle · Feb 24, 2014

seekerman said:
Nope, I was in limp mode when I took the vehicle into Courtesy.

Sorry, you confused me when you said, "It was the EGR valve," when describing the reason for the LHM.

OntarioVanMan · Mar 4, 2014

so here is a first for me....was so patting myself on the back....I changed out my blower motor in the yard, turned the key...nothing grrrrrrrr...still had to go to Waynes in Toledo....tested the power access it tested it had 12V....why no power?....tried a different motor, NO go, tried another NO go........but yet there was power in the connector......

FUSE!!! the fuse had MELTED in a way there was enough power trickling thru to throw a false positive but nothing more....gee whiz.....talk about a quirk....

zorry · Mar 4, 2014

It has to do with age. Of the driver AND the vehicle.

With our aging workforce, are we far from a $printer Driver Limp Mode thread ?

OntarioVanMan · Mar 4, 2014

zorry said:
It has to do with age. Of the driver AND the vehicle.

With our aging workforce, are we far from a $printer Driver Limp Mode thread ?

Limp has many meanings.......LOL

usafk9 · Mar 4, 2014

OntarioVanMan said:
Limp has many meanings.......LOL

Like shooting pool with a rope?

seekerman · Mar 5, 2014

OntarioVanMan said:
so here is a first for me....was so patting myself on the back....I changed out my blower motor in the yard, turned the key...nothing grrrrrrrr...still had to go to Waynes in Toledo....tested the power access it tested it had 12V....why no power?....tried a different motor, NO go, tried another NO go........but yet there was power in the connector......

FUSE!!! the fuse had MELTED in a way there was enough power trickling thru to throw a false positive but nothing more....gee whiz.....talk about a quirk....

d
Does that mean you didn't need a blower motor and it was just the fuse?

OntarioVanMan · Mar 5, 2014

seekerman said:
d
Does that mean you didn't need a blower motor and it was just the fuse?

the blower motor blew out the speed control resistor at first as the tension on the failing bearings draw more power and poof....left with just high speed fan....and it appears if you go long enough the blower motor just blows out the main fuse under the seat as a reminder to change the blower out.....LOL

OntarioVanMan · Mar 5, 2014

remove insulation on firewall if you still have it there.....

three screws hold fan in place.....remove 3 screws, unplug unit.....toss it out.
plug new unit in, place in position and tighten the 3 screws...return insulation if you have it still and viola....10 minutes tops and you saved $100....

zorry · Mar 5, 2014

The problem was the German fuse. They just don't want to give up.

Use a French fuse next time.

OntarioVanMan · Mar 5, 2014

It was the original fuse too.....no kidding...holding on by its fingertips....literally...

seekerman · Mar 5, 2014

OntarioVanMan said:
the blower motor blew out the speed control resistor at first as the tension on the failing bearings draw more power and poof....left with just high speed fan....and it appears if you go long enough the blower motor just blows out the main fuse under the seat as a reminder to change the blower out.....LOL

I've got a bad resistor too. Only blows on high. Been lazy about replacing it. Been meaning to order one for months but, as usual, will probly put it off until something unpleasant happens.

OntarioVanMan · Mar 5, 2014

seekerman said:
I've got a bad resistor too. Only blows on high. Been lazy about replacing it. Been meaning to order one for months but, as usual, will probly put it off until something unpleasant happens.

sometimes it is because the blower motor bearings put extra load on it that the resistor blows...so put a blower motor on your shopping list...they are small enough to carry around till you want to change them out in the nice weather....save yourself tons of $$$$$'s....

seekerman · Mar 5, 2014

OntarioVanMan said:
sometimes it is because the blower motor bearings put extra load on it that the resistor blows...so put a blower motor on your shopping list...they are small enough to carry around till you want to change them out in the nice weather....save yourself tons of $$$$$'s....

Gotcha. Thanks!