Sprinter Update

[PhilDonoghue]

Hi all

I posted about 6 weeks ago with a 311cdi with 300000 on clock. It was going in to safe mode every 5 minutes but would only show up as low charge pressure on the computer. It was also backfiring sometimes (see previous post for full symptoms).
Just thought i would update for those who follow these things and in case it saves anyone else a few quid.
Independent specialist had it and claimed it was ecu. It wasn't. Merc had it and changed high pressure pump and a couple of other bits as well. It wasn't that and has steadily got worse. Have carried on working with it in between visits to garages and it has deteriorated to such a point that it is fairly undriveable.
Merc have it again now and have got down to the head having gone. This was fairly obvious to me in last week as things had got that bad and blatantly head like although personally i think that there is still an underlying problem that has forced me to drive it in such a way (keeping revs high all time to stop safe mode coming in)that the head could go and i doubt they will ever tell me what it is.
That brings me to point of my post.
I am not letting them do the head i am putting a new engine in it. I have already spent close to 1100 quid on things and time that were going to fix it not to mention the lost revenue and i can't justify taking the risk that merc are right this time. There is little or no comeback if it isn't the head they would just say it needed it anyway so i am paying 3 and a bit grand for a new warrantied engine and peace of mind and hopefully reliability again.
I may well be wrong but i would strongly advise anyone in my position doing such high mileage in an old engine not to keep throwing money at it once it starts to go wrong because just reading some of the threads on various sites there are about 10 common causes for what happened to my engine and it would cost a lot more than 3 grand to go through them all.
It's got to be worth 3 grand just to stop the embarrassment of the french of all people pretending to hold their noses from the fumes as they go past me!

 

[Sprint'n'Go]

With hindsight you must wish you had made this choice earlier. It is always going to be a difficult decision to know when it is time to cut your losses. There is always going to be that suspicion that if you spend another £400-500 you will get another 50-100k out of the engine.

The other choice is to walk away from the van and start afresh but thats a whole new arguement.

Hope the new engine works out well.

 

[Stevie A]

Is it 3.5K for a new engine? I was thinking of buying a Sprinter. That sounds like a decent price for an engine. How long is the engine warranty and would the engine come from MB?

 

[Sprint'n'Go]

Is it 3.5K for a new engine? I was thinking of buying a Sprinter. That sounds like a decent price for an engine. How long is the engine warranty and would the engine come from MB?

I had a new engine fitted into my sprinter under warranty a few months ago and the dealer told me it would have cost about 4.5k had I been paying the bill myself. admitedly it was the 2.7ltr 5 cylinder engine so was probably dearer for that reason.

Here's the interesting thing about the warranty

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

My replacement engine was warranted for about 3 months (until my van was 3 years old) if I had paid then it would have had a 2 year warranty. I checked and double checked to see if the 2 years applied to me but they are addamant that it is only the period of the original vehicle warranty. However if this new engine blew up at just 6 months old I am sure they would be legally obliged to sort it out?

The 2 year unlimited mileage warranty on parts could mean a high mileage van covering 100k+ before the warranty expired.

 

[PhilDonoghue]

Engine cost

Hi guys,

Yes sprint to be honest wish i had cut my losses about 3 weeks ago before i put the high pressure pump on but live and learn. Was always a gamble and like you say could have paid off to the tune of 100,000 miles but if i break down with a load on for Poland it would cost me 1500 quid so not worth the risk at this point of keep throwing money at it.
The engine is MB couriered overnight from Germany (ironically a mate of mine actually got paid to bring his own one over!) and comes with a one year full warranty. It is pretty well everything but the alternator. Only actually gave them the go ahead at 10 this morning and they say it will be fitted and road tested by lunch tomorrow. The price was going to be higher than that but told them the truth that i could just buy it from a different dealer thro a mate who would get trade discount and he would fit it for me and they rang back with reduced price. To be honest prob wouldn't have risked letting him fit it as although i know he would do it perfectly, if anything goes bang in 6 months i'm damn sure they would try and wriggle from the warranty.
I should qualify all this by saying that it is economic for me as I do between 3000 and 5000 miles a week sometimes at speed so I know the engine will pay for itself and is all but a necessity. Not sure I would go this route if it was my car i was dealing with!
Would be interested to know your thoughts on the new van route sprint.
I did have the argument with myself but in the end i decided i could spend 12000 on an 05 plate (mine is 02 and fully kitted out) and still be buying probs that i wouldn't know about until too late or i can go the shiny new route and lose more than this engine is costing me just by driving out of the showroom.
Cheers,

Phil

 

[Stevie A]

I think you have made a wise move. Cheers.

 

[Sprint'n'Go]

Hi guys,
The engine is MB couriered overnight from Germany (ironically a mate of mine actually got paid to bring his own one over!) and comes with a one year full warranty. It is pretty well everything but the alternator.
Cheers,

Phil

Yep, in my case it even had the engine oil in it and a fuel filter fitted and injectors, turbo and all the wiring harnesses. All you need to do is buy an air filter and you can reset the assyst as you have had as good as a full service.

What about the 2 year warranty Merc describe covering ALL parts supplied as mentioned in the link I previously posted?