2011/'12 3500 Sprinter AI engine noise ?

[froggsafield]

Congratulations, Maggie. Been following your new adventure .....unbelievable heat in SW....
Have used several 'suggestions' mentioned on Forum to make our AI our own. Rodent repellent electronic (has a sound like a cell phone on steroids) works.
Many thanks.

Now: Anyone experience a clicking (seems to be louder on drivers' side 3 cylinders) on start up ? Not heard when engine is warm.

froggsafield-ers...

[Titus]

Does the engine seem to be idling smoothly? On occasion, after sitting for a month or more, the engine will miss after starting but then smooth out after a minute or two - sometimes not until I rev it up in neutral. That rough idle could sound like a click. I am trying a fuel cleaner to see if that cures it.

[froggsafield]

Thanks Titus.
Yes... engine seems to idle smoothly. RPMs steady. Clicking seems to stop when engine comes up to temp. No loss of power. No check engine light. Clicking heard for several months.....
33K miles, not stored, kept under an open barn, used at least weekly.

froggsafield-ers

PS:Absolutely in love with this AI.....

[InterBlog]

We've had so many new posters recently that I'm behind on my welcomes.


I got excited when I saw your username. I wondered if you might be from Rayne. I spent weeks stationed in that little city earlier in my career. If you are ever passing through the area, you might want to stop for the many photo ops.

[froggsafield]

Thanks for the chuckle InterBlog. Never been in Rayne. Duty in Pensacola.. Siesta Key FL. Hawaii. Several other frog & toad habitats. Lots of peepers here in our area of the PNW..however...Sesame Street introduced me to Kermit....and I was a fan.
Thank you also for your creative and detailed changes your 2006 AI....I adapted several of your projects to our 2012. i.e. cushion for dog (we travel w/two) between chairs/use of no-see-em material for screens for slider and back doors....I'm looking at a folding bike fitting it into our wardrobe next.

However this engine noise has me baffled. Appointment w/Seattle MB Sprinter service is next step.....

Are you heading to CDN soon?

froggsafield-er..

[Titus]

I think that the Sprinter has hydraulic valve lifters. A stuck lifter would have a ticking noise - but I don't think that noise goes away when it warms up. Some lifter systems loose their oil pressure when shut off, but that noise should disappear several seconds after starting.

Please do let us know what you find. Some are good about posting problems, but nat so good about posting how the problem was solved.

If you are not aware, there is also a Sprinter forum.

[InterBlog]

Thanks for the positive review!


I had a target date for departing these United States but then what happened? I'm a self-employed consultant and I got buried with new contracts, good ones that I didn't see fit to turn down, and I don't control the timing of these things. So now I'm in scramble mode. Today we hope to finalize our preemptive list of parts replacements and then (gulp) I have a feeling that we'll be having MB do the work, as I can't do my own work plus help with DIY work at this point - something has to give. So the wallet may be opening widely in the near future.

[ROBERT CROSS]

DW's MB 350GLK...tictictic too.

My experience..the newer FI systems run at a much higher pressure than than in the days of the Bosch EFI 25psi.
MB is near 200, the solenoids 'snap' much louder at that pressure. Once they warm up they do get a bit quieter, but in our GLK it never goes away completely.
MB 'sez normal 🙄

Bob
🇺🇸

[Travel Pro]

Originally Posted by froggsafield

Thanks Titus.
Yes... engine seems to idle smoothly. RPMs steady. Clicking seems to stop when engine comes up to temp. No loss of power. No check engine light. Clicking heard for several months.....
33K miles, not stored, kept under an open barn, used at least weekly.

froggsafield-ers

PS:Absolutely in love with this AI.....

Many things could cause a clicking that disappears. In any engine with hydraulic lifters those lifters require oil under pressure to pump them up to full height. A lifter or set of them might make noise until engine warms up if they are older and worn, if the oil supply system on one side of the motor or other comes up to oil pressure more slowly than the other side, or if lifters are slightly out of adjustment. Other affecting factors are oil that needs changing, oil that is the wrong viscosity, clogged oil passages (I have removed factory casting scrap from more than one engines oil galleries during rebuilds).

Other temporary clicking noises do include fuel injectors - True for both gas and diesel. For gas, cold starts require more fuel added than normal (equivalent of a choke for us older folks) and that might strain a slightly weaker injector solenoid. The additional load would taper off fairly quickly and the noise would go away.

There are excellent oil and fuel additives that are designed to clean and lubricate these systems. Talk to your mechanic about the noises and take care of any problems before they become breakdowns or painful expenses. Good luck.

[froggsafield]

update on engine noise: Delivered to Seattle MB Sprinter service yesterday (Wed)...... found the following:

Noise caused by bearing in cooling fan needs replacing along with drive belt.

Exhaust smell in engine compartment (found more recently when I was looking for the cause of the clicking noise) a split in the exhaust manifold...tech found rust which surprised me since our AI has been "stabled" in the PNW but not where we had driven on roads with the usual snow clearing chemicals....

From day one I have been vocal (to MB) about the number of bolts/screws/etc. the showed corrosion beyond my expectation.

However, I must say that I am relieved (?) that the clicking noise is not/was not something that would require cylinder work.

In WA state we do have a Lemon Law applicable to Motor Homes...although there are many "hoops" the owner must go through.

Thank you for your responses to my initial question re: clicking noise in engine.

froggsafield-ers..

[rowiebowie]

Thanks for posting your update.

[Titus]

My thanks also for providing the update.