Interstate Maintenance & Upkeep

[Alex AVI]

UPDATE -

INTERBLOG - Sorry, I made a mistake, that pic you posted in not a sensor. As MILLIONMILESPRINTER said, it is the electrical connection to the TCM. It does have a bolt exposed after unplugging the connector, but the sealing action is not accomplished by the bolt. The bolt just holds the housing in place. It has 2 internal O-rings that does the sealing. I had this problem awhile back on our SLK. Even though the TCM was many feet away and uphill of the pan, the capillary action of the oil from the inside wire conductors (not the outside conductor sleeves, which is only superficial staining) can/will travel uphill even 5ft. to your TCM. It will destroy your TCM if left to fester. Take my word on this. It wasn't cheap on my SLK. Replace asap.

FYI - If oil was being wicked in/via its internal wire conductors, may need to replace the harness to TCM also.

Some of the T1N experts here can probably confirm or correct me. This is the infamous 722.6 electronic connector that is notorious for leaking that is used in many older MB platforms. It is called 722.6 Transmission Adapter Plug Housing - A very common source of A/T fluid leaks

[InterBlog]

For the sake of efficiency, please allow me to cross-post my morning Instagram rant below.

The larger predicament expressed herein is our (T1N owners) problem today, but for those of you NCV3 owners who engage in extensive rig mods and investments with the intention of keeping your vehicle long term, it's going to be your problem tomorrow.

***

Rant: Multiple times, I have challenged both local mechanics and online forums (more than one!) to HELP ME CREATE A LIST OF EVERY TINY PART THAT WILL DISABLE OUR VAN WHEN IT INEVITABLY FAILS DUE TO AGE. I would gladly pay someone to replace ALL such parts preemptively, if only they could be systematically identified!! But all my efforts to date have been an absolute failure in this regard. Seriously – I’ve taken this van to an MB shop and explicitly said, “Please replace EVERYTHING you think might fail, because one way or another, I will be doing those replacements, and I’d prefer to do them in one fell swoop right now.” With all the expertise I’ve tapped to date, every set of suggestions has totally missed the mark, including at MB. Our latest headache is the failure of this $10 part that nobody called to my attention previously – but it isn’t even a $10 failure, it’s really a 3-cent failure because it’s the o-rings *ON* the $10 part that are the real problem. This despite paying MB for a transmission servicing just 16 months ago!! How do I surmount this barrier to efficient T1N Sprinter ownership? Maybe @millionmilesprinter will be the one who develops that elusive comprehensive list and offers that preemptive service to those of us who don’t want to keep repairing, and repairing, and repairing, ugh (fingers crossed).

[Lotus54]

That part replacement is a common discussion over on Sprinter-Talk. It is often mentioned about checking and also replacing as the Vans get older.
I don’t think it is in the MB guide to replace unless it has failed- but I know many independent shops will replace it at services as a matter of course.

From my understanding, it generally takes awhile after it starts to weep to cause issues. BUT you may not see it starting to weep and wick up the wiring. Which is where the real trouble starts.

From his posts, Linendengineering (CO) seems to have a pretty good handle on things that commonly fail on the T1N. I was going to have him do the trans service on our cross-country trip, but it didn’t work out with the timing and openings.

Mark

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by Lotus54

That part replacement is a common discussion over on Sprinter-Talk. It is often mentioned about checking and also replacing as the Vans get older.
...

Common discussion? Not common enough, obviously. Forensics: Remember I hatched a thread over there early last summer called Which preemptive replacements for a 12-year-old T1N?

Nobody on that thread called out PILOT BUSHING by name in a way that I would have been able to parse.

The user Tinman cited "Transmission fluid and filter and connector" but the problem is that I assumed that stuff had been done during the transmission servicing for which I paid MB. Apparently, only two of three (?) of those items had been done. No way for me to deduce that easily - it's a Johari window problem because I don't know what I don't know. If this guy had a transmission servicing that included all three of those, why would I assume that my same service only covered two of three when I was paying MB the big ticket price? Their service should be the best and most comprehensive.

That's the essential problem. If the bushing is even what Tinman meant when he said "connector".

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

Maybe @millionmilesprinter will be the one who develops that elusive comprehensive list and offers that preemptive service to those of us who don’t want to keep repairing, and repairing, and repairing, ugh (fingers crossed).

INTERBLOG - FWIW - I see Million Mile Sprinter includes pilot/bushing/connector/adapter/electricalplug in their Basic Transmission Overhaul Kit Price $109.98. So it looks like Million Mile Sprinter does have the list you are looking for (at least on this particular tranny service). I read on some of your prior posts that you use them before and looks like you consult with them pretty regularly. Their excellent reputation seems to be evident. So while I understand the inconvenience to go there, but for such major service that is only rarely required, it is probably best to go to someone you trust. I rather drive across multiple states to someone I know does impeccable work than go next door to an MB dealer who can't stay ahead of pre-emptied services. Good luck on the repair. Should not be too hard to fix.

[InterBlog]

Yeah, I'm going to be doing some sightseeing in Philly this coming year, I predict. I'll schedule some overhaul work with Joel while I'm en route to Nova Scotia, same as last summer. In the meantime, LB_3 and I plan to get it halfways fixed ourselves.

Million Mile Sprinter is one guy, an elementary school teacher, who bought a used Sprinter because he has 11 kids and he needed a large van for them. Having 11 kids = perpetually empty wallet, so he had to learn to fix it himself rather than pay for repairs. Which he then turned into a successful niche business that is growing rapidly. Along the way, he also bought a decommissioned inner city orphanage which works very well for both the kids and as a T1N repair center. That right there is America at its finest. Opportunity comes very close to being unlimited in this country. Success is primarily a matter of hard work and dedication.

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

Yeah, I'm going to be doing some sightseeing in Philly this coming year, I predict. I'll schedule some overhaul work with Joel while I'm en route to Nova Scotia, same as last summer. In the meantime, LB_3 and I plan to get it halfways fixed ourselves.

Million Mile Sprinter is one guy, an elementary school teacher, who bought a used Sprinter because he has 11 kids and he needed a large van for them. Having 11 kids = perpetually empty wallet, so he had to learn to fix it himself rather than pay for repairs. Which he then turned into a successful niche business that is growing rapidly. Along the way, he also bought a decommissioned inner city orphanage which works very well for both the kids and as a T1N repair center. That right there is America at its finest. Opportunity comes very close to being unlimited in this country. Success is primarily a matter of hard work and dedication.

INTERBLOG - WOW! Did not realize the back story. Did not realize he is a 1-man show. If he is growing, he probably is getting some help, if anything doing the non-technical stuff. Amazing! 11 kids, how does he find time?

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by Alex AVI

INTERBLOG - WOW! Did not realize the back story. Did not realize he is a 1-man show. If he is growing, he probably is getting some help, if anything doing the non-technical stuff. Amazing! 11 kids, how does he find time?

How does he find the time? How can he NOT? What's going to happen if he doesn't keep bringing in the bacon? He and his wife had their own kids but then they felt the call to adopt an unusually large number more (I say that publicly because he shows them openly his vids). Right now it's really cold in Philly and yet pretty much every day, he's out there in the snow working on T1Ns and recording IG how-to video clips.

[InterBlog]

LB_3 pulled the old glow plugs yesterday after we got done with our transmission bushing replacement (more on that after I road test it this morning).

One glow plug has been bad since last summer, but since it requires an extractor to pull them, and given that their use is not really essential in our subtropical area, we didn't get around to this job right away.

The problem, though, is that the circuit will keep throwing the code, and there's only one 'check engine' light on the T1N dash. I was having to open up the OBD repeatedly to verify that I was seeing the SAME 'check engine' light for the same reason, and not some new concern. So they needed to be replaced.

What causes a glow plug to get like this one, and like the one next to it is starting to be? That I cannot answer.

[InterBlog]

There's always part of me that asks, "Could it REALLY be that simple?!"

In this case, yup. I had my doubts, but that little piece of crap part was apparently the whole problem. This $25 repair (cost of bushing plus transmission dipstick) courtesy of Million Mile Sprinter, who told us exactly what to do in an email. It's a very easy replacement - others have made YouTube vids and I'll blog post it when I get a chance.

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

What causes a glow plug to get like this one, and like the one next to it is starting to be? That I cannot answer.

INTERBLOG - this my 1st diesel, so no experience with how glow plugs fare at certain mileage. I guess I will find out when I get to that point. That looks like carbon build up. And from what I hear my friends with high mileage diesels, the carbon buildup on glow plugs is common by-product? I seen them clean out the holes before installing new ones. My mechanic friend who has been working strictly on Sprinter Class B's last few years says they even have special MB reamers for excessive buildup, so I guessing they see often. But if cleaning is done regularly to prevent threads seizing, he says I can get away with minor hole cleaning with pipe cleaner without needing the reamer (don't know what that means in terms of mileage, driving habits, quality of diesel, etc.). But he did recommend to me to not wait until I have a bad glow plug before removing, inspecting, and cleaning the holes. If anything, he says doing it regularly can prevent thread seizing. His rationale is that could be a long time and buildup could be a lot by that time. Not sure about his rationale. Maybe I will follow his advice AFTER my MB warranty has expired? But for now, while I have a warranty, will let MB figure out when it is necessary to inspect. Then, if they break it, they fix it

With regards to why 1 out of 5 has much more buildup, could it be much older than the other 4 plugs? Where the others replaced before ?

[InterBlog]

They were all original. Other owners have posted similar pictures showing one really bad plug and the rest not so bad. I asked over on Sprinter Forum what might cause this effect.

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

They were all original. Other owners have posted similar pictures showing one really bad plug and the rest not so bad. I asked over on Sprinter Forum what might cause this effect.

INTERBLOG - In general, poor combustion (unburnt fuel fuel, injector issue?) is one cause of carbon buildup. But in relation to diesel glow plug buildup, not sure if it is a direct cause. I first thought glow plug relay, but then again there's only one for all 5, so it would seem that would affect all 5 of them, not just 1. Best of luck chasing it down.

[InterBlog]

Blog post follow-up for completion of the bushing issue. I found out after the fact that this is not just a Sprinter issue. This type of failure is a MB issue generally, across multiple vehicle models. And yet it wasn't brought to my attention when I implored them to tell me what I needed to replace preemptively, nor was it included in my transmission servicing.

A matter-of-fact but acid-tinged comment from an Instagram respondent said it best: MB technicians tend to act more like parts installers. Less like true mechanics who would regard the vehicle holistically. That's a different but succinct way of re-stating the paradigm problem which I described as "we'll fix it when it breaks" rather than "we'll do what's necessary to keep it running".

REPLACING A PILOT BUSHING IN A 2006 MERCEDES SPRINTER

[RoadJager]

In our shop when servicing Mercedes electronic transmissions, fluid and filter, the electrical connector were ALWAYS replaced weather it was leaking or not. If it was not leaking, it was getting ready too. It was inexpensive to do, it produced a much more dependable service for our customers who appreciated the proactive repair. It was part of our standard operating procedure. We saw dealerships not replacing the electrical connector during a routine transmission service. A short period later the fluid leak would start and they would charge the customer for another transmission service AND electrical connector replacement. They would tell the customer "well it wasn't leaking when we serviced the transmission". Of course they knew, based on historical failure, that it would probably start leaking soon.

[InterBlog]

Some things just HAVE to be shared, even if the language is so intensely NSFW that I don't dare embed the YouTube link here.

As you tackle your next Interstate maintenance or repair project, do a Google search for the phrase "CASH CARS KC" and choose the video of the scrappy entrepreneur in the neon lime green T-shirt.

If your sense of humor is even remotely similar to mine or LB_3's, you won't regret it. Much needed comic relief on the topic of motor vehicle functionality.



Edit: Even funnier, when I run the vid, the advertisement that prefaces it is a political ad by Elizabeth Warren.

[InterBlog]

I am sooooo FED UP.

So freakin' FED UP.

Not more than about 200 hours have I ever gotten out of a halogen headlight bulb. The brand does not matter. (General forum note - the T1N Sprinter does not have projectors. We are unfortunately stuck with the old-style headlights, ancient crummy technology.)

Last week, after dark, pouring down rain, fog, lower rungs of hell visibility scenario, bad traffic on the road from Houston to San Antonio, and I CAN'T SEE.

I'm driving and simultaneously female-dogging up a storm from the driver's seat. I turn on the rig's fog lights. Husband is saying, "They aren't legal on the freeway - you're going to get ticketed."

But I CAN'T SEE. I DON'T CARE.

Yet another headlight went out. I am SICK of this headlight dance. Sick, sick, sicksicksicksick.

So I asked MillionMileSprinter, and he recommended this Amazon product. We don't know if this is legal in all jurisdictions. AND I NO LONGER CARE. Having potentially non-conforming headlights is not as bad as crashing because I can't see. I've got these on order. Let the LED chips fall where they may:

H7 LED Headlight Bulbs 16000LM 160W 6000K Cool White Low Beam/High Beam Conversion Kit 4-Side COB Chips 360 Degree Super Bright Auto Headlamps -2 Yr Warranty

Throwback Tuesday, from when I stopped to take a pic on a quaint one-lane bridge in rural Nova Scotia, only to find that I was again missing a headlight. The headlight that replaced this burned-out headlight is the same headlight that burned out last week. I will report back on how the conversion works out.

[Lotus54]

These are the ones I installed in my T1N.
Fit perfectly, beam pattern appears essantially the same but also appears noticeably brighter/whiter.
I saw them on SprinterTalk- he mentioned to have the cooling fins vertical- give better pattern.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

BeamTech LED H7
(Appears to be less power than the ones you ordered)

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by Lotus54

These are the ones I installed ...

I mentioned to Joel that I had seen the LED chatter on Sprinter Forum, but I didn't know which recommendation to put the most stock in. FWIW, the spec he gave me is what both he and his wife use in their respective Sprinters.

[Lotus54]

Yes- I just used the ones I got because someone used them- they fit and have been reliable for awhile.
No idea if the best or not. but seem to be better and just a few minutes to install.

I keep bulbs in the van- so I can replace on the road if needed.

Let me know how the ones you got work out (both in fitment light and of course reliability)

mark