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Old 01-02-2013, 05:14 AM   #1
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Will not start

Key will not start Mercedes no power to engine. Batteries charged. either a ignition failure or fuse? How do I check? Was -10 now in heated garage.
Key light dash etc. but not turn starter. You can jump starter but will not fire engine?
ON the road

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Old 01-02-2013, 05:33 AM   #2
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One of those did exactly the same thing at the shop. It turned out the starter had to be replaced.
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Old 01-02-2013, 06:53 AM   #3
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At minus ten the diesel fuel may have jelled, then will not start. Try again when the temp warms up. Do you have winter grade fuel in the tank? Jim
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Old 01-02-2013, 10:26 AM   #4
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Question

Turn key to on position. All dash lights come on strong??

Turn key to start. No crank, all dash lights go out??

Stupid ?? maybe....key on when starter jumped??, strong crank??

Bob
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Old 01-02-2013, 11:23 AM   #5
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Bad connection at the battery; bad battery. Bad connection at the starter. I would bet it is one of the first two. Clean the battery terminals and cable connections. Make sure they are tight once cleaned.
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Old 01-02-2013, 12:40 PM   #6
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Two problems happening here, both related to the cold. #2 Diesel contains parafin, and will gel at low temperatures (below +17°F). Winterized diesel is a blend of #2 and #1 diesel, and contains less parafin. Pure #1 diesel won't gel until about -35°F.

So, if your temps got down to -10°F, good chance that the diesel gelled. Problem is, when the diesel warms back up, the parafin doesn't necessarily dissolve again and blend back into the fuel. It's a relatively complicated process to un-gel your diesel. Check this forum to see what some diesel owners recommend:
Gelled Fuel? What to do? - Dodge Diesel - Diesel Truck Resource Forums

One addition to what Robert Corss wrote: When you turn the key, does the glow plug indicator lamp come on? Does it go off again after a few seconds to a minute or so? Don't try to start the engine until the glow plug light has gone back off, indicating that the cylinder temperature is high enough to support diesel combustion.

Second problem, cold temperatures affect the cold cranking amps of your battery. Cold cranking amps measure the amperage available from the battery at 0°F in 30 seconds, from full charge to 50% charge (or 10.5 volts). At -10°F, your battery capacity is reduced by about 14%. The upside, the battery should recover as it warms up, as long as you haven't depleted it in the meantime.
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Old 01-02-2013, 02:15 PM   #7
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Stand outside of vehicle press door lock on remote wait 30 sec push unlock.Put key in ignition and turn to unlock column shifter pull down to drive then put back into park.Now try to start with foot firmly on brake.
It may have gone into theft mode.Disabling starter and ignition.

If this does not work call M.B roadside assist.They will come to you for free.
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Old 01-03-2013, 07:45 AM   #8
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Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS View Post
Turn key to on position. All dash lights come on strong?? YES

Turn key to start. No crank, all dash lights go out?? YES

Stupid ?? maybe....key on when starter jumped??, YES strong crank?? YES

Bob
I tried all these the last message by Moflash is interesting. RV at dealers will be worked on today.

Thanks
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Old 01-03-2013, 01:04 PM   #9
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I tried all these the last message by Moflash is interesting. RV at dealers will be worked on today.

Thanks
Good luck; be sure to let us know the outcome.
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Old 01-03-2013, 03:41 PM   #10
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No Fix yet

The Sprinter is at dealer in shop...NO fix in sight. Shop is very busy and had little time today so we are on hold.

ANY NEW IDEAS PLEASE SHARE...
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Old 01-03-2013, 04:06 PM   #11
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The Sprinter is at dealer in shop...NO fix in sight. Shop is very busy and had little time today so we are on hold.

ANY NEW IDEAS PLEASE SHARE...
I hope that it is at a Mercedes Benz dealer as it may be to much for a RV dealer and will require special diagnostic equipment
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Old 01-03-2013, 04:08 PM   #12
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Not a lot of things that haven't been covered so far, that match your symptoms. I'm still mostly convinced it has to do with the fuel system, more so than the electrical system.

Gelled fuel, clogged fuel filter, did we mention the fuel pump? Since yours is a 2009, it's probably not a common-rail fuel injection, and so only has a low-pressure fuel pump, not both low-pressure primary and high-pressure secondary pumps.

It's possible that the electric fuel pump has a blown fuse. Also possible that the fuel pump got clogged or damaged, but the fuse is easier to check, so start with that.

Not likely to be clogged injectors. I very much doubt that enough injectors could all get clogged at once to keep it from starting at all, and unless the fuel filter is damaged, there shouldn't be anything in the fuel line that could clog the injectors.
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Old 01-04-2013, 08:43 AM   #13
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ok , found bad fuse. replaced fuel filter, two bad glow plugs. Will be on the road at noon today. Life is good, thanks and see you all out there on the road. Thanks for all the support. Denny
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Old 01-04-2013, 09:22 AM   #14
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ok , found bad fuse. replaced fuel filter, two bad glow plugs. Will be on the road at noon today. Life is good, thanks and see you all out there on the road. Thanks for all the support. Denny
Hosanna

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Old 01-04-2013, 10:48 AM   #15
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ok , found bad fuse. replaced fuel filter, two bad glow plugs. Will be on the road at noon today. Life is good, thanks and see you all out there on the road. Thanks for all the support. Denny
I have a thoroughly hokey tradition for whenever I get a vehicle back from the shop. I have a particular Willie Nelson song permanently loaded on my iPod, that I play as I'm driving away.

"On the road again, just can't wait to get on the road again…"
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Old 01-05-2013, 08:36 AM   #16
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Since yours is a 2009, it's probably not a common-rail fuel injection, and so only has a low-pressure fuel pump, not both low-pressure primary and high-pressure secondary pumps.
The OP says his Interstate is a MY2009. I'm assuming this is the MY of the Interstate so the MY of the Sprinter is almost certainly 2007 or later. So, his Sprinter has the OM642.993 (CDI) 3.0L V6. CDI stands for Common rail Direct Injection. These CDI engines use high pressure fuel delivery; 1,600 bar (23,000 psi). This engine has been used in NAFTA NCV3 Sprinters since MY2007.

The newer OM642.898 engine was introduced in 2010. The main change is that the new engine uses the SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) system which MB calls BlueTec. Otherwise the engines are essentially the same.
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Old 01-05-2013, 09:45 AM   #17
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The OP says his Interstate is a MY2009. I'm assuming this is the MY of the Interstate so the MY of the Sprinter is almost certainly 2007 or later. So, his Sprinter has the OM642.993 (CDI) 3.0L V6. CDI stands for Common rail Direct Injection. These CDI engines use high pressure fuel delivery; 1,600 bar (23,000 psi). This engine has been used in NAFTA NCV3 Sprinters since MY2007.

The newer OM642.898 engine was introduced in 2010. The main change is that the new engine uses the SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) system which MB calls BlueTec. Otherwise the engines are essentially the same.
Thanks. Looks like my memory failed me on when Mercedes introduced their common-rail engines. It's bad when I start to forget my senior moments!
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Old 01-06-2013, 02:59 PM   #18
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[QUOTE=Protagonist;1244303]Two problems happening here, both related to the cold. #2 Diesel contains parafin, and will gel at low temperatures (below +17°F). Winterized diesel is a blend of #2 and #1 diesel, and contains less parafin. Pure #1 diesel won't gel until about -35°F.

So, if your temps got down to -10°F, good chance that the diesel gelled. Problem is, when the diesel warms back up, the parafin doesn't necessarily dissolve again and blend back into the fuel. It's a relatively complicated process to un-gel your diesel. Check this forum to see what some diesel owners recommend:
Gelled Fuel? What to do? - Dodge Diesel - Diesel Truck Resource Forums

Got with "Power Service" about their additives after reading their website. I immediately got one of the products to put in the I3500 which is stored indoors at 45-50 degrees during the winter months. This will help stabilize the fuel during the vehicle storage. Took the I3500 out today on a short trip to a state park west of Tulsa to get the additive dispersed through out the fuel system. It was also a good excuse to "get on the road again" and have a nice lunch out in the great outdoors.
The other Power Service product was for use in fuel where temps go below 30F. I put it in my diesel BMW X5. After 4 miles of going home on Friday, my idle got noticeably smoother and reduced the inherent vibration. The other product is for fuel above 30F.
You can get these products at O'Reilly, Advanced Auto and Wallyworld. After my discussion with the engineer at Power Service, I will be recommending their products in my shop. They have the contract to insure Wal Mart trucks fuel storage and overall fuel quality is proper.
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Old 01-13-2013, 07:59 PM   #19
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Sta-Bil has a product called "Diesel Power" which is intended to prevent gelling up to -25 F (-31 C.) This doesn't "cure" gelled diesel as far as I know, but from what I've heard, it does OK at preventing it from happening.
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