New Sprinter 311CDI Owner

[mixyblob]

Hi,
I've just found this forum and registered, seems like a good place for advice and info.
I have had my Sprinter since January and have been converting it to a motor caravan. I have only driven it about 1000 miles but I still have problems with gear changing. I have driven various vehicles over the last 30 years or so, including several makes of large van, so I don't think its a lack of experience
I find the clutch extremely heavy, the gear shift very heavy especially when cold and I have great difficulty in selecting the correct gear for the speed I'm doing, it doesn't seem to come naturally, it's like being a learner all over again.
I'm sure it will improve after a few more miles, but do / did any of you sprinter drivers find similar problems when you first started driving one?

Just to clarify the above title, neither the Sprinter or I are new, the sprinter is 4 and I'm quite a lot older . Its my ownership of said vehicle that is new.

 

[Blobcat]

Hello mixyblob and welcome,

When was the gearbox oil last changed? Probably worth a change.
Also although I don't know your gear linkage I would recommend checking that it is all free and well lubricated. It may be sticking and a nylon joint wearing somwhere along the way.

 

[Sprint'n'Go]

Hello Mixyblob, a fellow van driver, welcome.

When I went from an 86 307D to an 01 311CDi I too felt a little disorientated with the gear stick being in the wrong place(a bit like the handbrake in a landrover) but this very quickly passed and I soon wondered why all gear sticks aren't in the same place. The clutch should be light and carlike in feel. What is the mileage on your van?

I remember that during my ownership of this van, Mercedes carried out a modification to the gear selectors/linkage? when I presented the van for servicing. Apparantly this was being carried out at servicing and not as a recall as it was not safety related. details were vague but some vans had lost the ability to select gears and been left immobile. It could be worth calling into a dealer and asking if this mod affects your van and if yours has been done. It must have been during 01/02.

I occasionaly fluffed the odd gearchange but I think that was more to do with mega-miles tiredness than a bad linkages(i.e user error)

Enjoy your van, The CDi's are fantastic engines and generally the Sprinters are bullet proof(except for my current one )

 

[mixyblob]

Thanks for your replies.
The van has done 70000 miles, but I'm not sure when the gearbox oil was last changed, I'll change it soon as a matter of course, I might even put a lighter grade in as it seems to loosen slightly as it warms up. I'll also check the linkages for wear and lube. The gear change isn't so much a problem as the weight of the clutch. I had an Iveco 3510 prior to this and a 208 prior to that and their clutches were a lot lighter, I also drive a Vivaro at work and that is lighter than my car. I've nearly completed converting the van to a camper so I can spend a bit more time sorting the actual van itself. I love it apart from the clutch and gear change, its like driving a rocket.

 

[Sprint'n'Go]

The van has done 70000 miles, but I'm not sure when the gearbox oil was last changed, I'll change it soon as a matter of course

Providing it hasn't been abused the clutch should be as new at this mileage and age so you may have a fault. Can you get a second opinion as these things are subjective?

If you read your service history booklet it states the oil in the manual transmission should be changed at 10 years or 300,000km so your van should be on its original factory oil but that may not be the case. If it has been changed at some point it may not now have the right oil in, as there are very few suppliers of the correct oil to the MB spec. The easiest way to get the right oil is from a Mercedes commercial dealership. It may cost a bit but you don't need much, 2 1/2ltrs is plenty. I haven't managed to find an alternative supplier yet. You need a fully synthetic 75W/85W to MB 235.10 spec.

I got the 2 attached sheets from my merc dealer with gear oil specs for commercials. Your gearbox is the G32 and it appears to require the same oil as my sprintshift box(p2). Ignore the print error 75W/8, I am sure it should read 75W/85W as for the sprintshift.



Also possibly of interest to you for more specifications and capacities together with a great gear/speed chart I have a data sheet in pdf format I have sent you by email. I think you rear axle ratio will be 4.111. Check on your vin plate/sticker on the side of drivers seatbox to confirm(i=4.111).

 

[mixyblob]

Many thanks for that Steve, before I do anything I'll have to blag a drive of a similar Sprinter to see how they compare, or get another Sprinter driver to try mine. I did hire a sprinter for a weekend prior to buying mine but I don't seem to recall the clutch and gear change being so heavy on that one.