Greetings, hello to all, from sunny Ireland.. today anyway.. zedd

[zedd]

Hi to all.
Bit new to this but no stranger to the ongoing issue with my sprinter 312 2.9 1996 w903 campervan. I sincerely hope I can move closer to rectifying the problems with all your help..SOS

Bought this van with 110k on the clock , engine running well plenty of power in 2017. I had been looking for this engine in camper form for a while... 1.5k miles later I was home and quite impressed with the power for passing lorries etc. The next day The engine shuts down while driving . has been an ongoing problem with this van before me, the previous owner just forgot to mention and by pure luck ive managed to get it back to base but from then on the symptom have been getting increasingly more frequent A real pain!!

The engine shuts down while driving . There are no warning lights on in dash. Engine running perfect, shuts down ,turn ignition key to off and back on would fire up whist on the move. Failing that, turn off at key disconnect ECU plug, reconnect, turn ignition on and fire up ,running perfect. , disconnect the battery reconnect, turn the key fire up and run well.

This is as much as I can tell.. When engine shuts down there is no power to the blue/black wire going to the fuel shut off at the pump.If I disconnect the battery and reconnect there is
power back to blue/black feed wire to the fuel shut off. engine fires and runs well but stops.

So I found the same blue/black wire in the rectangle plug located in an upside down bag behind passenger headlight. spliced into that wire before the plug and ran it direct to the fuel shut off thinking I was onto something. Van fires up runs well but stops 5miles e.g Left it for a while eventually fired up and drove home. Disconnected the battery and left it for a couple days. reconnected ,turned the key fired up sounding crisp. Didnt drive it.

PLEASE READ ON..

Booked van in on tuesday 8.30 Local Auto/diagnostics garage. Van drove 25miles never missed a beat. Left it with the guy, got a call back van running well wasnt able to read the ecu. Never Bothered.... Anyways collected and returned 25 miles running well. Took it to another garage today, never missed a beat plugged it in and communicated to it alright. Showed 8 issues, expected that from the messing around Id been doing. Removed all codes and also disconnected the direct wire I had spliced in to the fuel shut off. so ECU codes removed and back to original blue/black feed to shut off. Van running well 20miles in engine stops,wouldnt start by turning off /on while moving, stopped turned off/on and van starts,drives well 20miles back. Plug van in again and the same 8 issues are listed again??? All codes removed again
The van runs perfect engine stops 23 miles in. Wouldnt start off the key, give the glow plug relay a tap ,checked main fuse ok,turned the key and drove another 3miles to the house. itermittent power failure to the pump
I removed the relay, cleaned posts,checked connectors. cleaned contacts on copper switch inside relay box. inspected and dressed as much of the loom as I could get my hands to, looks better, installed glow plug relay, connected the battery, turned the key, fired up straight away sounding crisp but havent drove it anywhere.
The van will start run well for 5miles 80miles but will stop again. Thats as far as Ive got ....
Apologies in advance for the rant, I hope this makes some sense, and appreciate any help.



This van has the distributor pump,, electrical with the throttle body mounted on the bulk head.

 

[Jim2]

Hi to all.
Bit new to this but no stranger to the ongoing issue with my sprinter 312 2.9 1996 w903 campervan. I sincerely hope I can move closer to rectifying the problems with all your help..SOS

Bought this van with 110k on the clock , engine running well plenty of power in 2017. I had been looking for this engine in camper form for a while... 1.5k miles later I was home and quite impressed with the power for passing lorries etc. The next day The engine shuts down while driving . has been an ongoing problem with this van before me, the previous owner just forgot to mention and by pure luck ive managed to get it back to base but from then on the symptom have been getting increasingly more frequent A real pain!!

The engine shuts down while driving . There are no warning lights on in dash. Engine running perfect, shuts down ,turn ignition key to off and back on would fire up whist on the move. Failing that, turn off at key disconnect ECU plug, reconnect, turn ignition on and fire up ,running perfect. , disconnect the battery reconnect, turn the key fire up and run well.

This is as much as I can tell.. When engine shuts down there is no power to the blue/black wire going to the fuel shut off at the pump.If I disconnect the battery and reconnect there is
power back to blue/black feed wire to the fuel shut off. engine fires and runs well but stops.

So I found the same blue/black wire in the rectangle plug located in an upside down bag behind passenger headlight. spliced into that wire before the plug and ran it direct to the fuel shut off thinking I was onto something. Van fires up runs well but stops 5miles e.g Left it for a while eventually fired up and drove home. Disconnected the battery and left it for a couple days. reconnected ,turned the key fired up sounding crisp. Didnt drive it.

PLEASE READ ON..

Booked van in on tuesday 8.30 Local Auto/diagnostics garage. Van drove 25miles never missed a beat. Left it with the guy, got a call back van running well wasnt able to read the ecu. Never Bothered.... Anyways collected and returned 25 miles running well. Took it to another garage today, never missed a beat plugged it in and communicated to it alright. Showed 8 issues, expected that from the messing around Id been doing. Removed all codes and also disconnected the direct wire I had spliced in to the fuel shut off. so ECU codes removed and back to original blue/black feed to shut off. Van running well 20miles in engine stops,wouldnt start by turning off /on while moving, stopped turned off/on and van starts,drives well 20miles back. Plug van in again and the same 8 issues are listed again??? All codes removed again
The van runs perfect engine stops 23 miles in. Wouldnt start off the key, give the glow plug relay a tap ,checked main fuse ok,turned the key and drove another 3miles to the house. itermittent power failure to the pump
I removed the relay, cleaned posts,checked connectors. cleaned contacts on copper switch inside relay box. inspected and dressed as much of the loom as I could get my hands to, looks better, installed glow plug relay, connected the battery, turned the key, fired up straight away sounding crisp but havent drove it anywhere.
The van will start run well for 5miles 80miles but will stop again. Thats as far as Ive got ....
Apologies in advance for the rant, I hope this makes some sense, and appreciate any help.



This van has the distributor pump,, electrical with the throttle body mounted on the bulk head.

 

[Jim2]

The blue / black wire that you found in the upside bag,,,,what is that feeding into ( or coming from,) do you know? And was it permanently live? ( once key is turned on, I mean? Is it color coded the same as the live one feeding the relay for the pump?

 

[Blobcat]

Hello and welcome

 

[Merc--Ire]

Hello there from another Irish Owner who is also a very new member .

 

[John Laidlaw]

Welcome

 

[A.J.]

Hi Zedd, welcome to the forum

 

[zedd]

The blue / black wire that you found in the upside bag,,,,what is that feeding into ( or coming from,) do you know? And was it permanently live? ( once key is turned on, I mean? Is it color coded the same as the live one feeding the relay for the pump?

The blue / black wire that you found in the upside bag,,,,what is that feeding into ( or coming from,) do you know? And was it permanently live? ( once key is turned on, I mean? Is it color coded the same as the live one feeding the relay for the pump?

Hello Jim thanks for your interest
Yes you are right yes permanently live with ignition on.... so heres an update.... removed,cleaned glow plug relay, shocked to see how much electronics in there. Cleaned connections and posts on relay refitted, have drove the van now 200miles trouble free. Surely it couldnt be just that! praying it is..... first time Ive not been hanging out of the engine bay in a long time. Was reading somewhere that the glow plud relays electronics influence pump timing etc. there was a slight greening of connection at the plugs. the blue /black wire goes in here as well.
Thanks everyone

 

[Jim2]

Well the way I was thinking was that if you had inspected and cleaned all the connections feeding the relay, and out to the pump itself, and it worked fine, for awhile at any rate...anywhere between 8 and 80 miles, everything is OK. Then it stops again.So what I was then thinking is that there is an intermittent fault further back along the harness, ( hence the question about the cables found in the bag you mentioned) But maybe the intermittent fault was in the glow plug relay, which may have a common feed, supplying both the glowplug and the pump relay? I'm only guessing here...vehicle electronics are not my strong point....

 

[zedd]

Hello to forum, and thanks Jim2 for your input.....

Heres an update with the saga of my 312 sprinter, After cleaning glow plug module plugs/pillars as in previous thread the van covered aprox 1500 miles trouble free like a swiss watch. Just as a glimmer of hope was allowed to rise, the van is back to cutting out again, worse even, not fun at all
Please any suggestions would be gratefully received...

thought id cracked it down to ignition switch, replaced complete unit...switch,barrel ,key ,full assy ...same issue
then on the right path as I discovered that when I tapped the glow plug module van started and drove for a spell. Replaced module still the same issue.
Then just to see I disconnected the two plugs from the module, live still attached, van started and drove 15miles until shut down again, The frustrating thing is it will run all day on the driveway. Additional while on the road this time around engine shuts down ignition lights on ,back to life a few times before engine out. Turning the van off ,turn back on will fire and go perfect but within 5mins and less out.

I was overthinking the importance of the glow plug relay I guess... hoping
Broken wire/relay but appear ok...... scratching head and pulling hair time and traces of disgust..

I am convinced the previous owner of this van had experienced these same issues as there was a switch inside the cabin in an attempt to switch the shut off valve to the pump, also ignition change etc... sold to me as had a running fault repaired but couldnt tell me what it was . There was however evidence that loom had been the focus of somebodys attention when bought. It was driving well and has done since but not consecutively. Ive tidied, and checked most of what I can see, looks ok ...
Appreciate any help you can offer
Thanks everyone in advance and take care

 

[Jim2]

Hello to forum, and thanks Jim2 for your input.....

Heres an update with the saga of my 312 sprinter, After cleaning glow plug module plugs/pillars as in previous thread the van covered aprox 1500 miles trouble free like a swiss watch. Just as a glimmer of hope was allowed to rise, the van is back to cutting out again, worse even, not fun at all
Please any suggestions would be gratefully received...

thought id cracked it down to ignition switch, replaced complete unit...switch,barrel ,key ,full assy ...same issue
then on the right path as I discovered that when I tapped the glow plug module van started and drove for a spell. Replaced module still the same issue.
Then just to see I disconnected the two plugs from the module, live still attached, van started and drove 15miles until shut down again, The frustrating thing is it will run all day on the driveway. Additional while on the road this time around engine shuts down ignition lights on ,back to life a few times before engine out. Turning the van off ,turn back on will fire and go perfect but within 5mins and less out.

I was overthinking the importance of the glow plug relay I guess... hoping
Broken wire/relay but appear ok...... scratching head and pulling hair time and traces of disgust..

I am convinced the previous owner of this van had experienced these same issues as there was a switch inside the cabin in an attempt to switch the shut off valve to the pump, also ignition change etc... sold to me as had a running fault repaired but couldnt tell me what it was . There was however evidence that loom had been the focus of somebodys attention when bought. It was driving well and has done since but not consecutively. Ive tidied, and checked most of what I can see, looks ok ...
Appreciate any help you can offer
Thanks everyone in advance and take care

If it was mine, I'd plug in my iCarsoft OBD reader in and drive on,then if / when it acts up again, hopefully the fault would be literally caught in the act. That should pinpoint the fault exactly. But in any case, it will log a fault, and it would be very interesting to find out what codes the dealership found.

 

[SmartAmg]

Welcome.

 

[zedd]

If it was mine, I'd plug in my iCarsoft OBD reader in and drive on,then if / when it acts up again, hopefully the fault would be literally caught in the act. That should pinpoint the fault exactly. But in any case, it will log a fault, and it would be very interesting to find out what codes the dealership found.

Thanks Jim, yes I agree with this course of action. Can you recommend a particular icarsoft reader. I have been looking at a few but they seem to only support year 2000 and onwards although it does specify w901.6 to w905.6.. Would this support my old 96 312?
Whats your opinion? Thanks again

 

[Jim2]

Thanks Jim, yes I agree with this course of action. Can you recommend a particular icarsoft reader. I have been looking at a few but they seem to only support year 2000 and onwards although it does specify w901.6 to w905.6.. Would this support my old 96 312?
Whats your opinion? Thanks again

Google "MB sprinter 312 OBD reader location" and see what kind of connector is there. Then we will have some idea of what to look for, ️

 

[zedd]

Google "MB sprinter 312 OBD reader location" and see what kind of connector is there. Then we will have some idea of what to look for, ️

Obd socket in passenger front foot. It takes a round plug.

 

[Jim2]

Obd socket in passenger front foot. It takes a round plug.

How many pins in it? AFAIK, its possible to get adaptors as the iCarsoft socket is not round , but oblong shaped ( but I'm not expert in this } but I'm sure that some one here on the forum will be able to help.