Via - Mercedez turbo diesel 3500 Sprinter check engine light

[Paaymans]

I am on my maiden trip with a diesel 3500 sprinter, the check engine light came on solid yellow after fill up. I pulled the codes and reset the light, good for another 230 miles then reappeared. I am in Colorado springs, so stopped at the Dodge dealership, they will not work on the sprinter, called the bens dealership and some local truck mechanics no body is willing to even look at the unit.

Two questions is this normal? - any advice on the light and where to get service.

The Winnie is running and performing normally, no lack of power or performance and I am getting 14 to a gallon.

[Old Crows]

It would be helpful to know about your Sprinter........ You will get better suggestions.



1. Model Year of the Coach (Sprinter will likely be year earlier. You can't go by the registration as it's usually the year the vehicle is registered but the chassis is older. I.E., I have a 2014 View Profile. It is on a 2013 Sprinter Chassis.)


2.a. We need to know the engine type. It depends on the MY.... prior to 2009/10 it could be an I-5; 2009/2010 to about 2016 is a 3.0 V6; after MY 2016ish, it could be the 3.0 V6 or an I-4 twin turbo diesel. Solutions are dependent on the engine/drive train.



2.b. If you are unsure of 2.a., it may help you to know the transmission. The automatic 5 speed, 2010 (or maybe a little before) up to 2016ish goes with the V-6 turbo. The I-4 has the 7 speed autobox. I'm not sure about the I-5 in early years, it may have the 5 speed autobox.



As you are now finding out, Mercedes are not your 'ordinary' vehicle. These diesels, especially after 2008/9/10 are complex and unique in their engineering to get the best performance and economy. They get more complex and more dependent on computers and computer management of systems (all the systems ... including the kind of bulb you put in a tail light.... and believe me, IT knows the difference in bulbs...)



3. Freightliner/MB can work on all of them today. The Dodge Sprinter ... even back in the day Dodge couldn't always service a Sprinter. That said, 'most' Benz & Freightliner stores can handle a Sprinter these days as they have dedicated service bays, technicians, parts, etc.. (Note: Freightliner, Mercedes Benz & Western Star are part of the Daimler family. Dodge no more. Daimler sold it's interests in Chrysler to Fiat several years ago.)



4 The engine light could mean anything. Something simple or way more complex. The most efficient and cost effective (Note... cost EFFECTIVE not CHEAPEST solution...) is to take it to Mother Benz. First, they have the experience and training. Second, they have the equipment to scan the systems and quickly identify the problem and repair it. More so if it is a problem with the diesel emissions system. And they have the correct parts. Not to mention, that part may have to be calibrated or 'learned/taught' by the management systems before it's going to shut down the yellow light.



5. Pulling codes....and resetting lights... is really not a good idea on these vehicles. Unless you have a code reader that can read Mercedes/Daimler codes correctly (and all of them), it is little more than guess work on your part. A proper reader will cost you about a grand or more.... and many still can't read all the codes. Also, OBD2 codes should be generic between all vehicles. True that... BUT... they didn't say anything about being 'ambiguous'.



Resetting codes .... Oh Dear!.... lets hope that you didn't erase a valuable clue to the problem at hand.



6. Jump on line and find the nearest MB/FL dealer and chat them up about a service call. OR, reach out to MB's customer service and locate the nearest service center.



7. We are now on our second Sprinter. First a 2010 2500 V-6 and now a 2014 3500. IME, Mother Benz has continually upgraded the engine/emissions control software over the years. These upgrades are free and I'd suggest that you take advantage of those upgrades when ever possible. Also, Mother has upgraded the bits and pieces over the years. So, your DEF pump/valve (lets say) that came out in 2012 with your RV may have been upgraded several times until today. So when you get a repair or part from Mother, it's going to be the 'latest and greatest' version.

[Paaymans]

Thank you - for taking the time to reply, I greatly appreciate it. The Via is a 2011 5 speed turbo 3500. With 50,000 miles on it, I printed out the code and called Mercedes Benz in Colorado Springs and talked with the service manager, they were not certified to work on the Sprinter, However, she stated that the code given and the fact that the yellow light was on solid that it should be okay to drive. She also stated it could be something as minor as a bad gas cap, or bad diesel and the light may go out on its own within the next 150 miles. The nearest service is 100 miles away in Littleton but with Thanksgiving I will have to see if I can schedule service. Otherwise I will see if she will get me home.

[Old Crows]

Yes. Solid yellow light should be OK to drive and, after several cold (overnight) to hot cycles it may go away. And always..."stuff" happens on holidays and weekends adding to the stress levels. Had this happen last week with our Camry. Next day it went out... go figure. Still took,it to the Toy store and it was a failing O2 sensor. Pre-turkey Day they were jammed.

If I may, a couple tips since it is new to you.

It is critical to always use MB specification 229.52 or 229.51 oil, even if adding for a make up. It will be stated on the bottle, Meets MB specification 229.52 or .51. Mother Benz has the cheapest I've found about 7.xx a liter. Mobil, Valvoline, Eneos, pentosyn, and a couple others make it as well. NAPA and others can order it.

The V-6 (OM-642) has a over fill/low oil monitor. Check your manual on how to check the oil level from the dashboard. The issue here is that if either level is exceeded for a time, it will shut the engine down for self protection. Manually checking... level, engine stinking hot... shut down and wait five minutes. Level should be about 1/8 -1/4" below the top red nubbin on the dipper (in the OK area). The fill quantity with a filter change is 12 L and a little less than a half L.

Consumption, on most OM-642, is somewhere over 5K miles per L. It can be as low as 10K per L.

Using 229.52 oil, OM-642s can go at least 10K miles on an oil change. They may be rated for 20K. 10 to 15K is probably the average interval.

Safe travels!

[Paaymans]

Thank you again for posting the information. travelled the 1389 miles home with no issues, yellow engine light still on solid. The Sprinter performed flawlessly with no issues, even managed to get 15.3 MPG never missed a beat. have it scheduled at my local Benz dealer. Appreciate the response.

[Old Crows]

Yeaaaaa! Glad you made it back with no other issues. 15+ mpg is righteous!!!! Our Class B 2500 would get about 15-16 sometimes more. The bigger (and with aerodynamics of a barn) will pull down about 14.5 on average. Not too shabby at all,

Hey! Keep us informed on the outcome, please! Crow makes mental notes in his pea brain about these things. Just in case.... you know. Just in case it happens to me.

Be sure to ask about any recalls or 'customer appreciation' deals. Also, make sure they update the file for your information since it is a 'new to you' vehicle. That way you will get any recall notices.

Oh... last point. Ask about any air bag (driver and copilot) recalls. Our 13/14 had the driver's side replaced and I'm still waiting on the copilot's) Airbag replacements take time as you know due to parts availability, etc.. Just make sure you are on the list if you need one.

Cheers and Safe Travels!

[brican]

We bought our 2016 Via )on MB 3500 chassis) in June 2018. We took it from Fountain Hill, AZ to Cottonwood, AZ (about 125 miles) for a 'shakedown' trip prior to being gone for 11 weeks just to see how it performed. All was good until a few miles outside of Cottonwood when the check engine light came on. We eventually checked the code with an OBDC analyzer and found it was an outside temperature sensor. That explained why the AC wasn't working properly. Once we knew that we were comfortable driving it back home. We took it to the MB dealer and they replaced the sensor all good. During the 11 week trip the check engine light came on several times by went out after a short period so we are believing this is 'normal' operation. Once I used the OBDC analyzer to reset a minor temperature sensor alarm without incident. The coach performed flawlessly during the trip pulling our Mini Cooper and getting between 13 MPG and 15 MPG including a lot of mountain driving (Grand Tetons, Canadian Rockies, Cascades in Washington and Oregon then through California. Very happy with the Via and so far it seems like it was a good choice. Get an OBDC analyzer, it helps us sleep at night.

[Egghead4life]

Good thread. Purchased used 2013 ERA, on 2012 Sprinter 3500 chassis 2 years ago. Got 60 miles outside of the Camping World dealership and got a fatal DEF countdown light on the dash. It was just at 50k. I had contacted the previous owner prior to sale who confirmed he had had MB service (and receipts to confirm.) Long story short, I successfully got it to my local Benz dealership, and there were pages of codes which were re-calibrated. MB updated most under warranty.

LESSON LEARNED: I don’t know as much as the Subject Matter Experts, and when it is fixed right, I sleep better. 50k and 100k appear to be significant mile-markers for big service. The rig is a super rig, and because it is a super-van, it gets 20-22 mpg, which makes fill-ups fun compared to the 33-footers we’ve had for 2 decades!
I also TRUST my MB crew, so taking my rig in for service becomes an “outing” adventure. They stand by their work, and I can trust they do what is needed, not something to mask a symptom. When on the road, I call them if I need, and they have never steered me wrong (and helped get me in other places if I can’t get back to home base.) Not cheap, but, well, it IS a Benz.

[Pier Guidi]

Originally Posted by Paaymans

I am on my maiden trip with a diesel 3500 sprinter, the check engine light came on solid yellow after fill up. I pulled the codes and reset the light, good for another 230 miles then reappeared. I am in Colorado springs, so stopped at the Dodge dealership, they will not work on the sprinter, called the bens dealership and some local truck mechanics no body is willing to even look at the unit....

Could be the filler cap is not on tight... unscrew and reset (you may want to check to see if seal is OK)

[monik7]

That same thing happened to me during one of my first trips in my 2012 Itasca Navion iQ, built on the Sprinter 3500 chassis. The check engine light came on after filling up with diesel. Took awhile to figure it out, but I eventually determined I had not put the gas cap back on properly. Once I did, no light!