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RE: Sprinter Heater Booster
I got it to work after finding an electrical connection was not completely seated. Some sort of odd retainer clip was not lined up. I did discover that the temperature dial has to be turned up higher to cause the booster heater to fire up. When it does, you can hear it, not as loud as an RV water heater though. I tried it out and the engine warms up faster and there is warm air at the vents sooner. Nice feature for those chilly mornings.
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krell
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12/31/11 01:46am |
Tech Issues
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Sprinter Heater Booster
My 2008 Dodge Sprinter (Mercedes Benz) has a Heater-Booster and I believe the option code is HZ9. The manual does not adequately describe how it works and how it should be used. Searching the Internet has not revealed much in the way of details except that it is Diesel fueled and only operates when the engine is running and coolant temperatures are below 176 deg F. I am not certain if ambient air temperature is a factor. I do not believe that it has ever worked. I have switched it on in cold weather and just assumed it was working as the pilot light comes on. During the whole episode with the transmission trouble I became quite familiar with the whole underside of the Sprinter. I noticed that there are no deposits of any sort on the booster heater exhaust pipe. Does anyone know how to test this unit? I want to make sure it is not working before I bring it in for repair.
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krell
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12/30/11 10:59am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Sprinter Transmission
The dealer in Tallahassee determined that there was something bad happening in the transmission and torque converter. They could not guarantee that we would make the next 3,000 miles to home without incident and they would have to open the transmission again. Rather than spend the next two weeks there, they said that we could likely limp back 300 miles to where we were staying with friends and take it to a local dealer. Sure enough, about 40 minutes East of Tallahasse on I-10 keeping to 55mph or so, the engine light came on and the transmission acted up. I managed to keep it going until I stopped for fuel just South of Gainesville (Scene of the Crime). The check engine light went out and the transmission worked a little better. However, watching the tachometer, you can see variations in speed as the torque converter was slipping. We got the RV to the Dodge dealer in Sarasota, Florida. With another complaint open with Chrysler Customer Care, I expected nothing less than a factory re-manufactured transmission and torque converter. In fact, a new transmission and torque converter was installed. The later was invoiced as Re-man, but a new one was substituted due to availablility. After driving from the dealer I can see how awful the twice re-built transmission was. It drives just like it did prior to the sudden failure. As the old transmission was being sent intact for re-manufacture, I was told that we may never know what the cause for the original and subsequent failures. They did say that some debris was flushed out of the transmission cooling lines. Without pointing fingers, they could only speculate what went on in the shop in Gainesville. In contrast to the dealer in Gainesville, the folks in Tallahassee and in Sarasota made me feel more confident. I did speak to the mechanics in both locations and I could tell they know their stuff. I also observed other Sprinter RV and vans being serviced at those locations.
What was supposed to be a two or three day visit, turned into a Thanksgiving and Christmas Holiday. Some family had to change plans and fly to Florida instead of Oregon. We are hoping to get on the road again just after New Year's Day. This whole thing has me thinking of making a more detailed "What If?" plan.
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krell
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12/30/11 10:37am |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Roadtrek Mercedes oil recommendation
I have been using Valvoline Synpower MST 5w-40(VV966) in the OM642 Sprinter Engine for 22,000+ miles now. Meets the the 229.51 spec. I have been buying it at the local NAPA store. I asked what is your best price and how many cases do I need to buy to get that price. I bought enough for 2+ oil changes and for less than $6 a quart.
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krell
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12/14/11 10:46am |
Class B - Camping Van Conversions
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RE: Sprinter transmission cooler
I towed my boat only once last year for about 20 miles to run up a grade on the Interstate to see what kind of pulling power I had. I've owned the boat since 1988 and the trailer has no brakes. I've towed the boat with a Ford LTD station wagon, two pickup trucks, a RoadTrek and now I'm thinking about towing with my Sprinter Class C. I was told that it might be a good idea to add brakes to trailer as I have to negotiate a number of 6% grades. Easy enough to do, but I was just wondering if the external cooler was necessary. My transmission failed, but not due to unusual loading. It's in the shop now for a third re-build in a month's time, maybe they'll just give up and put a new transmission in. No one seems to know why all the transmission oil pumped out on the ground all at once.
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krell
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12/10/11 10:59am |
Tow Vehicles
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Sprinter transmission cooler
Assuming my transmission gets repaired, I plan on towing my boat. I see cars in tow behind Sprinter based RVs. Some heavier than the approximate 2,200 lbs. for my boat and trailer. Is it necessary to add an external cooler for the transmission? No one I've asked so far even thought about it and they are doing just fine. What's up?
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krell
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12/09/11 04:06pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Sprinter Transmission
One month stuck in Florida and still counting. Tried to get on the road again this afternoon. Got 35 miles west of Tallahassee and check engine light comes on again. Loss of engine power, transmission torque converter lock and unlock and shifting up and down. This morning technicians retrieved codes indicating this problem. They reset the adaptive system that learns driving conditions. Did not do much good. This repair shop is pretty busy and they say I better be prepared for a two week turnaround. If I was two hours from home, I might be able to limp in staying off of the Interstate. I am pretty much resigned to leaving the RV here and renting a car to return home. That does it for me. Adding up all the things big and small that I have had trouble with the Navion and the RoadTrek previously, I am just going to walk away from all this and find another way to spend my time. I still have my boat. I'll just get an old pickup and take it to the lake. What could possibly go wrong? Knock on wood.
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krell
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12/06/11 09:04pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Sprinter Transmission
Yogi Berra said, "It ain't over til it's over." We made it as far as Tallahassee, Florida before the 'Check Engine' light came on and the engine went into limping mode. If you all remember, when I was towed in the first time, the repair shop went about screwing around with the engine even before focusing on the the transmission. When the transmission blew up the second time, the engine also started to fail. The engine never has a problem until they messed with it. The transmission seems to be holding together for now, although I have doubts of it's long term viability. Now we are stuck 300 miles from where we started out this morning and staying in a park down the road from the shop. Still have 3,000 more miles to go. The repair shop is very busy and at best we could be here several days. Will we make it home for Christmas? I would not bet on it.
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krell
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12/05/11 07:11pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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Spare Tire
I just realized that some of the new RVs we looked at do not have a spare tire. I have always had a spare and traveling in some remote areas in the western states I would feel uncomfortable without one. With no spare, you would be forced to call for road assistance. What if the tire can't be repaired right away? If an equivalent replacement can't be found, then what? A friend just repaced six tires on his Class A ($3,200)because one thing lead to another and so it was better to replace everything a bit sooner than scheduled. Really not a fair comparison as he had no spare option. After rotating the tires myself, I think I would be inclined to call for assistance first.
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krell
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12/03/11 08:21am |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Sprinter Transmission
Adding insult to injury: Because of the nasty weather in the western states, we delayed our departure from Florida. I drove to the store to get some RV stuff (10 miles round trip) and when I got back to the driveway I noticed a small puddle of oil under the transmission. Not only was the transmission drain plug just finger tight, but it was just a couple of turns from falling out. Based on the accumulated mileage since the second transmission overhaul, I would have only made it from Gainesville, Florida to Mobile, Alabama. I think there is a nylon washer that should have been replaced. The fun never ends.
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krell
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12/03/11 08:00am |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Things that move when you touch a switch
It's mechanical and made my man........things fail
We have three slides...two hydraulic & one electric. We FT so our slides are put thru the paces weekly, 5 yrs. and still operate without any problems.
Of course, now that I have bragged on them they will probably fail to close next week on travel day :S
Murphy's Law. I bragged about how wonderful the Sprinter was and 300 miles later the transmission failed. I need to call that guy back and make an addendum to that boast.
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krell
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12/03/11 07:43am |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Holding tank sensors
To test the contactless sensor array on the black water holding tank, I ran a jumper a few feet to where I found the connection for the grey water holding tank. I got an accurate reading. Having tested continuity back to the indicator panel and to the circuit board itself, I can come to only one conclusion: a cold solder joint or the IC for that individual indicator is smoked. I would attempt to repair it myself as I suspect that a new panel would be spendy. Until then, it is the old flashlight down the toilet.
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krell
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12/03/11 07:35am |
Class C Motorhomes
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Things that move when you touch a switch
Despite the disaster with the transmission, I like the way the Sprinter drives. While waiting for repairs, we went to an RV dealer in the area to explore the idea of a Sprinter with a different floorplan. We looked at the Winnebago Via and the Leisure Van Serenity and Unity. All have slides or some sort of power driven sofa or bed. The Murphy Bed in the Unity is really cool, but you pretty much have to operate it everyday. I don't know anyone that has not had troubles with moving parts. One reason I favored our Navion IQ CL is that the only moving part is the power step and even that is showing signs that it will not go the distance. So, what is the word on the street about power slide outs? Can I expect them to be as reliable as my garage door opener that went 20 years with daily use or is that a pipe dream?
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krell
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12/02/11 09:27am |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Holding tank sensors
The fresh water tank did not register properly when we first got the new RV. I relocated the sensors on the tank so that the indicator lights better reflected the actual level. The non-contact sensors have worked well for me until a few weeks ago. Both the black and grey tank indicators registered empty when they should have registered full. I located the connector plug for the grey tank that connects the sensor array of 3 non-contact sensors and the wire harness. I disconnected the plug several times to see if the problem was oxidation in the connection. I remembered that a tachometer in my boat had shaky readings due to a wire harness connector. The grey water tank now reads properly. I'm not sure that this was the problem or just a coincidence. Yesterday was the first opportunity I had to work on the black tank. Up to now I have been using the flashlight down the toilet technique. I prefer the indicator panel. After a couple of hours I managed to find the black tank connection. The plug and all the slack in the wiring was neatly bundled and tied under the toilet with all the plumbing, wires and heat duct just beyond reach. Way to go Winnebago. Just like the reversed hot and cold water lines to the lavatory sink; attention to detail. Practically standing on my head and my arm stuck all the way into the access door under the sink, I managed to get the plug all the way to the access door. I tested the continuity from the plug back to the white and brown leads on the indicator panel and it is good. Still not working. Tomorrow, I will make a jumper wire to connect the black tank array to the grey circuit to see what happens. With the black tank nearly full I should get a reading. If not, should I suspect a faulty circuit board? Of course we're just out of warranty.
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krell
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12/02/11 12:41am |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Sprinter Transmission
Well, I got the motorhome back yesterday and all seems to be back to normal. Not sure what what caused the failure since they replace just about every major component in the transmission. From my conversation with the service manager this is what I come away with: The torque converter failed and took out some other parts. A rebuilt torque converter was installed and it failed in less than 100 miles. Best guess. Whatever happened, something caused several quarts of transmission oil to eject out twice. Three weeks is a bit too long to wait at any rate and I told that to the Chrysler Customer Care Center. I hope that I never have to call them for anything again. They are all very pleasant and polite, but ineffectual. They never return calls to keep me updated on progress. My case manager has never called me; I have always had to call to talk to another person and then bring them up to speed. Some of the worst service I have ever experience and I am still waiting to get a call to come to a final decision on some other issues. I do have to give the benefit of doubt to the mechanics. I have a feeling that they got blindsided by a quirky problem that was compounded by defective replacement parts. I have been in similar situations and I know how frustrating it is. I just hope that we all can put this episode behind us. Now I am looking seriously at getting extended coverage. I'm a little fuzzy on the original drive train coverage. Is it 3 years/36,000 miles or 5 years/100,000 miles?
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krell
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11/30/11 05:09pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Sprinter Transmission
Something important to remember when towing a Sprinter that has ABS and skid control is that the engine should be turned off. The drive shaft should be disconnected from the axel if there is transmission damage or towing longer distances with the rear wheels on the ground. If the ignition switch is in the on position, the electronic stability system can activate causing wheel skidding. This was verified by my tow truck driver who had actual experience with this.
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krell
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11/27/11 01:21am |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Sprinter Transmission
It is looking like this Monday is the earliest that I will get on the road again. That will be three weeks stranded. I am at a complete loss for words. I can't stay here any longer. I suppose that I should be looking into leaving the motorhome in Florida indefinitly and arranging transportation for my wife, dog (85lb. Labrador) and myself back home in Oregon. It is warm and sunny here. I need to get home where my friends are telling me it's cold and rainy. Pleasant weather is highly over-rated. Buying a new RV is no assurance that you have a good experience. You have to arm yourself with a variety of extended warrenties, emergency services and a contingency plan just in case. Most people plan for the possibility of trouble. In my case, trouble is a certainty.
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krell
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11/24/11 01:14am |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Sprinter Transmission
No happy ending in sight. I picked up the RV from the repair shop Friday evening on the 18th. Ten days in the shop. I had to drive 180 miles from where we were staying while repairs were made. It is a good thing I did not try to drive staight away for the remainder of our trip. I did not get but 35 miles from the repair shop before the transmission nearly emptied itself on the highway. On top of that the check engine light came on. Even before starting repairs on the original problem, the repair shop replaced the cabin air filter, engine air filter, fuel filter and the air mass sensor based on what the diagnostic test said. They also reprogrammed the ECM, part of an update. I nearly got clobbered entering the Interstate hiway when the engine stumbled and would not excellerate. Towed back, once again camping out again in the dealer's driveway. Great, now they have taken a bad situation and made it worse. Tomorrow I will have been stranded two weeks. Perfect record. I have NEVER received good service at any Chrysler or Dodge dealer. If I had not been required to go to the nearest authorized repair shop, I would have taken it to a Mercedes Benz or Freightliner shop. The repair to the transmission came to more than $4,000 and it is worse than before spewing oil now all over the front suspension as well as the rear. I'm willing to bet the real problem could have been completed for two or three hundred bucks. Sometimes the simple solution is overlooked and the technician heads down a long dead end. There are lots of Sprinters all around this area and the two tow truck drivers told me that they have never towed for a transmission failure. Now they both have. Once again, the one thing about the Navion IQ I was most impressed with was how well it drove. Not any more.
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krell
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11/20/11 03:46pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Sprinter Transmission
The NAG1 transmission is common enough and appears in a variety of vehicles. There is no excuse anyone can offer for an extended delay. The RV is sitting in a dealership in a metropolitan area an not in Lester's Auto Auction in Bughatch USA.
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krell
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11/16/11 06:36pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Roadtrek Club
When we owned a RoadTrek, we considered that group. Now we have a Winnebago product, they solicited our membership, but no. Bottom line for me is that if I join, what do I have in common with these people? The brand of motorhome I own? I meet all sorts of people at our destinations where we talk about everything in life but our RVs. Wouldn't you rather hear stories about somone's kids or grand-kids or their dogs? A fireside chat about tires and miles-per-gallon makes for a great camping experience. I would steer away from a brand specific club, that is unless you ride a Harley Davidson. How many people have a RoadTrek tattoo? Just saying...
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krell
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11/16/11 01:17pm |
Class B - Camping Van Conversions
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