Sprinter 311Cdi, sounding rough

[Cnics]

A while back i posted about my sprinter making some odd noises between 1500 and 200rpm if you released the throttle, sort of a gasping noise. I have tried everything suggested and sadly its not been cured.

Recently it has been getting worse, and then between 2250 and 2750 when pulling hard in the higher gears it sounds like a horrid engine style rattling. the engine seems alot noisier now than it has in th past, this rattling/pinking type noise at 2250 to 2750 and this gasping noise below this. Added to my turbo issue (in another post) it appears to be very poorly. Its only done 102k and i'm pretty much broke as is always the case. I'm a bit lost as to what to do, its bringing up no fault codes and my 1000mile a week part of the year is approaching very fast indeed.

Rob

 

[Sprint'n'Go]

All you can really do is sit back and wait for something to happen, otherwise you are just guessing the problem and could end up changing a lot of expensive parts. Do arrange some worthwhile breakdown cover that will get you home (not to the nearest garage!) and check they cover your van as some have length limits. This reminds me, I really should sort out breakdown cover myself and my van is definitely too long for the AA/RAC at 6.95mtrs.

 

[Cnics]

Breakdown cover already does that which is lucky.

I've tried this morning and it is still the same. so i'm constantly without power. is it possible that the wastegate valve is stuck open? when i get up to the point where the turbo would start winding up and doing something i get a loud hiss (and no power) and when i can actually manage to get the van up to 3000rpm and above its very loud indeed, really high pressure hissing noise near the limiter at 4k. and no hiss noise as if the valve has opened if i ease off the throttle. i've looked on autodata and there is the "wastegate regulator valve" could this be sticking open? i have tried the other couple of things noted in another thread and all seems to be ok.

Am i right in thinking that the MAF is the part that is just off the pipe from the airfilter to the turbo. its not actually on the pipe as it is with some vehicles, it appears to be on the thinner pipe that goes to the engine. Anyway i cleaned all that up and its made no difference.

Rob

 

[BLONDIE]

It sound like the injector seals could be leaking. There is a small copper seal at the base of the injector. This can deform causing combustion blow by, and alot of noise. Can you smell diesel fumes in the cab or under the bonnet?

 

[Cnics]

No diesel fumes at all, either in the cab or under the bonnet..

Would this cause fuel to leak anywhere?

Also what sort of job is this? time and cost? i know the injectors are a small fortune.

 

[BLONDIE]

This will not cause a fuel leak, but a leakage of combustion gases as the seal between the injector and cylinder may have gone.
Are you able to work on the vehicle yourself?
If the injector seals have gone it could be a lengthy job.
Remove top part of inlet manifold
Remove plastic top engine cover.
If the injectors have been blowing by there will be black tar like oil around top of injector.
This needs to be removed. Check for damage to wiring and leak of fuel line.
Remove injector(s) and clean out injector hole and bolt hole. This is very important to do properly otherwise the injector seal will go again.

 

[dava]

Turbo. They are prone £463 for a new one. There variable vane so they start to break up and the first sign is noise and loss of power. This will show no fault codes. take the intake pipe off at the turbo and see if it's got EXCESSIVE play as they all have some, look at the vaines inside if your up to it take the exhaust end off at the turbo, as this is the side that collapses and check these, use a mirror to look in side, if you can get underneath it's easier and you can see into the turbo, to be fair it's not much more to take it off.

Injectors 'chuff' and dont realy lose power, you would also see loads of crud arond your rocker cover, take the plastic cover off and if ones gone then it will be obvious.
Hope this helps.

 

[Cnics]

Right i've finally stopped crying........

I'll get it in bits, be Sunday now as i'm working tomorrow (luckily i dont need the van for it....well i do but i can get away with borrowing a smaller one..)

What am i checking for excessive play again?

 

[dava]

Yes EXCESSIVE play as they all have some. Also if it's as I suspect the vaines inside will be all mashed up and ground down, as when they collapse they catch the the turbo walls and basically grind off, this is the noise your hearing and as the vaines get smaller, due to them being ground away this drops off the pressure that it can boost. If you take the inlet side pipe off and spin it you might hear it catching, if you do, just replace it.
Quite a common fault so I wont be suprised to find it's the cause.

 

[mad-dan]

I didn't read your "other" thread so this may have all ready been coverd, have you checked for a simple induction leak?
all the pipes between the turbo and manifold? the intercooler? the inlet manifold gasket?

if you only hear the hissing sound when the turbo has spooled it sounds like a simple boost leak. the intercooler is very exposed on the sprinter too so it could of been hit with a stone on the road.

 

[Cnics]

Well the van had a .....insert swearing here..... back into it whilst parked which did some front end damage, it marked the intercooler but it doesn't appear to be leaking, nor does anything else.

Dava, it seems odd that it happened intermittently on a few occasions and an engine switch off and on would cure it for maybe 1000 miles, and now its gone altogether, would that still point to the turbo itself? the fact is if it needs one it'll have to have one, i just dont want to put something on it (especially an expensive item) if it is not required. I'm a bit strapped for cash at the moment.

It really does sound as if the wastegate is open, although i'm not too sure on how this functions (ecu, mechanical etc).

We'll see what they say on Monday, i do know the guy so he'll not try to sell me a new turbo/something else if it doesn't need it. (or i'll make his band sound even worse than they are next time i work with them)

 

[dava]

The problem with threads like this is I'm working off the info given and I go for what it could be from your description. I work for a large sprinter operator, 500 ish and we regulary get complaints of this and that and you diagnose it from the info given. It's not untill you get to hear/look at the vehicle that you can be more specific. I've read your intial post and from what you've said I still think it 'could' be related, but as ever, it's about getting it to bits and looking.

Give me as much detail as you can and I'll gladly try to help.
Ray

 

[Cnics]

Van has had a new intercooler as that was no good.
Just had the phone call i was dreading. Turbo is knackered. How many types are there. there is one on ebay at £145+vat at the moment for 311. can someone tell me if they did lots of different ones?

 

[Sprint'n'Go]

There is a large van breakers near Worksop, I have driven past many times, I think it is at Fox Covert? Is it worth trying them for any parts? The only problem with S/Hand parts is they could be in similar condition to what you are replacing. Alternatively I believe this company has proven cheap enough in the past but I have never dealt with them myself - http://taiteuroturbos.com/ and based in Oldham so not the other sode of the country.

 

[dava]

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Told you so! Be carefull buying s/h stuff of this nature, YOU COULD be buying some one elses troubles. Every breaker I've used said it drove in!!!! More than once and that means more than twice, I've fitted stuff from them to find it's worse than the one I took off!!!! They changed in 2000 to variable vain so there you go. Do you know some one in the parts dept at your local MB? Just new engines come with them fittted so old engines go back with every thing fitted. If you could swap yours for a one off their motor, bobs your uncle. Also price one up you might be suprised I think there £463.00 + 12mths warranty.

 

[Sprint'n'Go]

Also price one up you might be suprised I think there £463.00 + 12mths warranty.

2 YEAR WARRANTY ACTUALLY

See here - http://www2.mercedes-benz.co.uk/con.../aftersales/genuine_parts/parts_warranty.html

and you are assured of getting the exact right part

 

[Cnics]

Didn't need a turbo in the end, just a sensor and some wiring. Not had the bill yet but i have got my van back, and having driven a ford courier van about for over a week, i dont care how much my bill is i'm just glad to get back in a real van. Somerset tonight (not leaving it til tomorrow to go although the traffic has been awful today)