Sprinter 310d limp mode?

[sprinternut]

I posted previously about sudden power loss on my 310d and I think I may have cured it.A wire going to the back of the fuel pump had been cut,I assume with the intention of installing some sort of switch,but had been badly rejoined with crimp blade and receptacle which had corroded.I remade the cables by soldering and heat shrink and the problem has not occurred since,but the van is down on power,drinking fuel and slightly rough-could it be in limp mode?

 

[Jacko918]

Is the EDC Warning light on? (Assuming the bulb works, it should come on with the ignition on and go out when you start it.)

If it does work but is not on when the engine is running then it doesn't sound like it's in limp home mode.

Does it rev up slightly on it's own and not shut down straight away when you turn it off? If it does it could be a faulty Stop solenoid on the fuel pump (it's on top of the pump at the back with a small nut holding on one single wire) Either that or metal swarf, from where your fuel pump is starting to break up, is trapped under the seat of the solenoid plunger (The swarf gets attracted to the solenoid as it's an electro magnet) and the plunger can't shut the fuel off. This should put the EDC light on though.

Lastily, Check the fuel pump wiring where it cable tied(or should be) to the big black plastic turbo intercooler pipe. I've had these come lose and rub on the fan belt.

 

[Bill312D]

the EDC light oftend oesn;t come on with fuel related limp-home...i get it when i get my veg/petrol mix wrong and its too thick, edc never comes on.

 

[sprinternut]

Is the EDC Warning light on? (Assuming the bulb works, it should come on with the ignition on and go out when you start it.)

If it does work but is not on when the engine is running then it doesn't sound like it's in limp home mode.

Does it rev up slightly on it's own and not shut down straight away when you turn it off? If it does it could be a faulty Stop solenoid on the fuel pump (it's on top of the pump at the back with a small nut holding on one single wire) Either that or metal swarf, from where your fuel pump is starting to break up, is trapped under the seat of the solenoid plunger (The swarf gets attracted to the solenoid as it's an electro magnet) and the plunger can't shut the fuel off. This should put the EDC light on though.

Lastily, Check the fuel pump wiring where it cable tied(or should be) to the big black plastic turbo intercooler pipe. I've had these come lose and rub on the fan belt.

Ok.This is basically an ongoing problem apparently caused by the idiots who wired in the pto generator and compressor system.The van kept decelerating suddenly at any speed/load,but never stalled.The last time I started the van as normal but after 5 mins ticking over,it stalled and when I restarted the edc light came on and it spluttered and stopped.After I repaired the wire to the stop solenoid,it has done approx 500 miles trouble free,but it is noticeably slower and rougher-no edc light on since repair and no stalling/sudden deceleration

 

[IAN MAC]

If its in limp mode you wont mistake it. It be like driving the van with the handbrake on tight.

 

[Jacko918]

As Ian Mac says you can't mistake it being in limp mode, I couldn't get one to go over 40 mph with it and you can time the acceleration with a calender!

If you are getting sudden loss of power, check the brake lights aren't coming on. This shuts down the engine to save fuel and aid with braking. I had one that kept coming back with the customer complaining of the engine dying, it was only when I took it down a bumpy road in the dark did I notice the brake lights flickering on and off on the road surface in the mirror! The brake light switch was so oversensive that just that little bit of vibration was enough to put them on.

This probably wouldn't put the EDC light on.

 

[sprinternut]

As Ian Mac says you can't mistake it being in limp mode, I couldn't get one to go over 40 mph with it and you can time the acceleration with a calender!

If you are getting sudden loss of power, check the brake lights aren't coming on. This shuts down the engine to save fuel and aid with braking. I had one that kept coming back with the customer complaining of the engine dying, it was only when I took it down a bumpy road in the dark did I notice the brake lights flickering on and off on the road surface in the mirror! The brake light switch was so oversensive that just that little bit of vibration was enough to put them on.

This probably wouldn't put the EDC light on.

Thanks for replies so far.The van does still accelerate fairly briskly,but it feels more "flat"It has been "chipped" and prior to this latest episode was going like a rocket at the slightest touch on the throttle;under normal driving conditions the first inch of throttle was more than enough,but now it requires more pedal travel and does not pull as strongly

 

[Jacko918]

Don't know if that will help you but you could try it.

To test your Turbo boost, try the following:

The way I check that a turbo is boosting properly on a Sprinter at the side of the road (if I don't have the Star machine with me) is to grab the intercooler hose with your hand. Crush the hose flat in your hand by trying to make a fist, then get someone to floor the throttle. The boost in the hose will expand the hose very strongly, to the point it will force you to open your fist as you won't physically be strong enough to hold it clenched. If you can hold it clenched the Turbo's not boosting sufficently. Try this both when it's running ok and when it's playing up so you can make a comparison.

A very crude way to check I know, but it seems to work for me, as I've had a few wastegates stuck open either because they're siezed or the boost control systems faulty.

 

[sprinternut]

Latest update:Van went on star diagnostic and was not in limp mode,but threw up 2 faults:

1)Stop solenoid

2)Crankshaft sensor

The tech reckons that the crank sensor is ok as the van starts first go,hot or cold.The stop solenoid wiring seems to have caused the original fault,but the van is definitely slower than before.It seems like the accelerator is "lazy" i.e needs more travel for greater revs than before.Still revs to the limiter though. (Throttle was hair-trigger post remap)Could the solenoid operating intermittently while on the move ,have caused damage to any other parts of the system?As suggested I've done the quick check on the turbo and seems ok.

 

[gpople]

As Ian Mac says you can't mistake it being in limp mode, I couldn't get one to go over 40 mph with it and you can time the acceleration with a calender!

If you are getting sudden loss of power, check the brake lights aren't coming on. This shuts down the engine to save fuel and aid with braking. I had one that kept coming back with the customer complaining of the engine dying, it was only when I took it down a bumpy road in the dark did I notice the brake lights flickering on and off on the road surface in the mirror! The brake light switch was so oversensive that just that little bit of vibration was enough to put them on.

This probably wouldn't put the EDC light on.

Hello. Thanks for this diagnosis. This happened to me in my 2001 Merc Sprinter 211 last night. I wondered how you repaired this?