diesel running on

[fz911]

hi people, firstly i would just like to say hello to everyone
ive just bought a 97 mercedes sprinter 208d swb
2.3
im having a few problems with it,
first and foremost the engine wont shut off
second is the door locks dont seem to work
ive had a look thru a few problems from other members but none of these were specific sprinter problems
i have replaced the shut off valve on top of the fuel pump today (what a pain in the ...)
but still no improvement, i read on another post that the door locks run from the same vacuum system as the shut off pump on the back of the ignition switch,
do i have the same system on the sprinter, if i do then i think the problem will be solved, if i can find out where im losing the vacuum from,
any help would be appreciated
just to recap, my ignition switch is really stiff, hard to turn and stops on each click, the door locks turn a little but dont work so i cant lock it, and the engine wont shut down when i turn the ignition switch off
thanx carl

 

[Hibbo]

Hi Carl, you definitely have a vacuum leak somewhere, headlight adjusters are a common leak. Block off individual systems and see if the stop solenoid works then.

It sounds like you have a worn key, if it was just the ignition barrel that was sticky I'd say CHANGE IT NOW!.

 

[fz911]

the van is in a friends lockup at the moment and i cant get to it till monday now, its too much of a risk to leave it outside the house because i cant lock it up, the doorlocks seem to turn a bit but they dont lock or unlock, i bent the key a bit in the rear door lock so i decided to leave it then and concentrate on the stop solenoid, so with your advice in mind first thing monday ill get out there and block off the vacuum to the headlights, how intricate is this vacuum system, i mean how far does it run, does it go to all of the door locks, the ignition switch, the headlights, the shut off solenoid, anywhere else? what parts are there in the system that could be at fault
the more i read about them the more im realising theres a lot more to this system than meets the eye
i know on audis, a common fault is the vacuum pump in the boot, stops the central locking from working, i would presume its the same on vw's
im a little bit gutted about buying the van now, i got it cheap enough but there are more problems to come, the injector seals are leaking (or the spill pipe), there doesnt seem to be a lot of power there, i couldnt get it to go over 70mph, its a swb 2.3? i thought they were a bit quicker than that, maybe the air filter will help a bit on that score, it looked dirty
anyway, thanx for your reply, this is very much appreciated, especially at this time o night lol
cya soon
carl

 

[Hibbo]

Nay bother mate, I've got no more booze so I may as well do something constructive!

The vacuum system on older Mercedes spans the entire vehicle. It runs the central locking, heedlecht adjusters, shutoff solenoids, EGR valves, auto transmission working pressures and gearchange points, even seat locking on the coupes.

The 2.3 normally aspirated engines are quite sluggish, but change your fuel filters if it is really struggling, sounds a bit like fuel starvation.

What I have found with these old diesel lumps is that you will get a few annoying little problems, but you won't get anything major, they really are great vehicles!

 

[fz911]

its actually the turbo diesel, 2.3,
but ill get over there monday and check the things uve mentioned, ill let u know of any findings when ive been there
cheers
thanx again
carl

 

[Hibbo]

Sorry marra, TurboDiesel 2.3? Even more vacuum things then! Good luck my son, let us know how you get on.

I'm going to bed.........

 

[fz911]

haha yeah, it seems to be so, me too, miust sleep, early start tomorrow, day out on the bikes
cya soon
carl

 

[dava]

Vac pipes are the prone thing, h/l yes but also were they run across the top of the engine. Good tip is to pull one off and CAREFULLY put some air through and listen for air leaks, easier to hear than vac leaks, if you just press the air gun it will blow pipes off so do it slowly. Regarding fuel filters, on that year there was a pre filter pass side on the chassis NO ONE new about it and it never got changed, it looks like a plastic water trap but there is a plastic micron filter in side.

While your in there check the wiring harnes running across the top of the inlet manifod, these rub through causing shorts and turbo boost problems, this could also give you lack of power.

Hope it helps
Ray

 

[fz911]

yes mate that helps also, im gonna have a look tomorrow and ill post my findings on here, i got to thinking about it tonight and i have noticed the rear door has been swapped, maybe the last owner didnt connect up the pipes
it would explain both the running on and the door locking problem
cheers for responses
carl

 

[fz911]

ok just an update, van is not central locking so there is no problem there, all of the locks are stiff though, easy sorted if i can locate a lock set cheap enough, the ignition barrel is stiff and jams at each click, im wondering if it is the switch or the barrel, i will have to strip it down tomorrow, ive got the van home now so its a lot easier to check things,
right, the running on problem
i have looked all over for frayed wires and split pipes or open/split ends on the pipes, i cannot find any, i connected a syringe up to the fuel cut off valve and it is working with that, suck the air out and it lifts the plunger and cust off fuel, so that means my problem is the vacuum source???????
i followed the pipe backwards and it goes thru the bulkhead and under the centre of the dash, i need to find out where is goes after that, and if the end of the pipe is the location of the problem
the van is running fine but no power as i mentioned before, could this be a vacuum problem, i pulled a couple of the vacuum pipes off while it was running, i do have vacuum in some of them but not all,
cya soon
carl

 

[Parrot of Doom]

Is your key original, or a copy? That sounds more likely than stiff locks all round and a suspect barrel.

 

[fz911]

hi, my key is a copy, im thinking of getting a new key anyway but i really want a full lock set so i can do some lock repairs etc and have them all mint
ive sorted the vac problem (shutting off)
the vac switch connected to the top of the ignition barrel was at fault, i changed it
£6 +vat
a little bit more expensive than a syringe on the vacuum pipe but much easier to use
haha
cheers for advise guys, does anyone know where i can get a lock set for not too much money??
carl

 

[premmington]

For your information, the vacuum pump should create 28Hg (ish)

http://www.remmington.plus.com

 

[Cnics]

Am i right in thinking the vacuum pipes will go to the air recirculation system aswell? has this been mentioned?

Though it appears you've sorted this small issue out now.

As for power, i was almost certain the 208 was a non turbo 2.3?????? and thus not overly rapid to start with.
Rob

 

[fz911]

Am i right in thinking the vacuum pipes will go to the air recirculation system aswell? has this been mentioned?

Though it appears you've sorted this small issue out now.

As for power, i was almost certain the 208 was a non turbo 2.3?????? and thus not overly rapid to start with.
Rob

yeah ive sorted the vac problem out now, was the vac switch on toe top of the ignition barrel

yes its the 2.3, it should do more than 70mph tho surely, it struggles to get up from 40-70 and uses a hell of a lot of diesel

carl