Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Van Repair Shop in Denver, CO & Kalispell, Mt

4 Common Sprinter Van Issues

#1. Glow Plug Problems

Glow plugs or modules are electrical components present in cars powered by a diesel engine. During the ignition process, this component gets electrified. It then heats up to the temperature required to start the vehicle.

Over time, the glow plugs in Sprinter vans wear and tear and eventually fail. Once they fail, it’s easy to replace them. In other cases, modules can break off or get stuck inside the engine cylinder head. If that happens, you might need the right experts who can remove the plug and replace it without removing the cylinder.

How much the glow plug costs depend on your Sprinter’s engine and year of manufacturing.

#2. Clogging of The Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF)

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Vans come with DPFs, which filters soot from exhaust gases to minimize air pollution. The soot on the filter gets burned off when the exhaust gas temperatures reach 600°c through a process called regeneration. A Sprinter van engine usually attains these temperatures when it’s speeding on a highway.

If you only drive your van in the city, chances are your engine will never reach such a high temperature. The soot will continue to accumulate and clog every pore on the filter. Eventually, preventing the DPF from regenerating. Failure of the DPF impacts the engine performance and increases the consumption of fuel. 

You can fix a clogged DPF by taking it to the highway at high speed to increase your engine temperature. If that doesn’t work, seek the help of Sprinter van repair near me in Denver, Colorado and Kalispell, Montana.

#3. Leakage of Flex Pipe

Sprinter vans’ flex pipes usually break in front of the catalytic converter. When this happens, the hot leakage will melt any electrical wiring and DEF lines as well as DEF nozzles on its path. It will make a lot of mess and wreak havoc on the engine. The van’s engine might even shut down, and the countdown will get triggered. The only way to fix this is to replace the broken flex pipe.

Remember, your vehicle will not give you a warning in advance. So, it’s wise to always take your van to a sprinter van repair expert for maintenance.

#4. Leaking of the Oil Cooler

If your Sprinter van is a 2007 model and above and has a V6(code OM642) engine, there’s a high chance it will experience this problem.

The oil cooler is considered the Achilles heel of the 3.0L V6 Mercedes-Benz engine. Unfortunately, the oil cooler seals in vehicles with this type of engine tend to leak. When it happens, you will see a puddle of oil where you pack your van. Also, you might receive an “Oil Level Low” message.

The oil cooler sealer is positioned in a hard-to-reach location. Therefore, it’s hard to replace it on your own. You might have to remove a lot of components, like the intake manifold, before reaching it. So, it’s wise to leave the replacing work to experts.