Stranded in Lubbock—Melbourne

[thirdktm]

About 100 miles ago, after fueling up, the engine would not accelerate faster than 40 or so.
Pulled over, turned off engine, restarted, drove on. It was normal.
A few miles later, stopped to walk the dog.
Same problem upon restarting. This time, check engine light came on. No other info lights came on.
Limped into Lubbock.
Parked for the night.
In the morning, will call my repair shop in Albuquerqur….
Any ideas?…
Can I limp home?
Is there a risk of damage to engine, to emissions, to DEF unit….?
Good grief…..
Thank you….from West Texas…

[pconroy]

In general, a blinking check-engine light is indicative of a more serious problem. If the CEL is solid, then I'd be tempted to limp/drive on.

[thirdktm]

I should add this: It’s a2017 Melbourne with the Mercedes fuel-injected turbo diesel six-cylinder engine….
Thank you…

[Grumpy]

Originally Posted by thirdktm

I should add this: It’s a2017 Melbourne with the Mercedes fuel-injected turbo diesel six-cylinder engine….
Thank you…

A loose cap will cause that, since you just refueled have you checked the cap?

Are you near an Auto Zone or similar since they may be able to read the code for you?

[TxLoser]

That stinks. At least you’re in a relatively good sized city to have an issue. Hope you can figure a solution and avoid a long tow.

I’d second the autozone idea. I’d even get an Uber/Lyft to one and buy a code reader since it may not be a good to drive there. Maybe you’d be lucky and it’s something you can keep resetting to get home. Being a Mercedes no so sure though.

[OnTheGo]

I did some internet search and found these links. There are others. It sounds like you might be in Limp Mode.

https://burdimotors.com/blog/mercedes-limp-home-mode

http://www.mercedesmedic.com/mercede...shooting-tips/

Hope this helps.

Edit: The burdimotors link reads like it's okay to limp home, but it would be better to diagnose and repair ASAP.

[RPR]

Possible DEF not functioning. There is a recall. Been a lot of talk about it. Brother in law went through it. Parts a availability may be a problem

[thirdktm]

Update, Stranded in Lubbock:
The problem was a tear of about an inch and a half in the turbocharger intercooler tube. That might not be the correct terminology.
Arrived at 7:30 a.m. at the Mercedes dealer in Lubbock. They don't service Sprinter chassis vehicles. But they offered what they could. Monte was great. He hooked a code reader up, and it said low turbo pressure. Then Freddie shined a flashlight around the engine, crawled under the engine, spotted the tear in the tube, took a photo with his cell phone. And said, "Here's your problem."
A third man, whose name escapes me, gave me rags and some sort of spray cleaner. I had a roll of Gorilla tape and wrapped it around and around the tear. It didn't hold. How did we know? Because of the unmistakable whistle, upon acceleration. More taping.
We limped home, ranging in speed from 59 to about 15, in the mountains near Albuquerque.
All of that said, I wonder how often the two rubber tubes that pass air into and out of the turbocharger fail. How much do they cost? Is replacing them a DIY task? Do any Sprinter owners carry spares?
For all of you who replied to my initial post, thanks. Much appreciated!

[Midnightmoon]

No, not a difficult fix at all. Simply remove the clamps, hose, and then reinstall. It's a little tight in there, but not that bad.

On a side note, I always use a small, quick spray of hairspray on the inside end of the boot before sliding it on the intercooler or tube. It provides just enough lube to assist in the install and then tacks up enough to provide a good seal when clamped.

[TaftCoach]

I'm glad you got home and found a shop that would help. Road trip problems always seems twice as stressful.

[TnK]

Ok…as a new owner I’m reading through many posts and this one really strikes a cord.
I haven’t been under my 2022 yet but just WHY are these tubes failing and is there a protective covering one might install to prevent these from tearing?

[thirdktm]

To TnK...
We love our Melbourne...But we've also spent more money on repairs and service than all the other vehicles we've owned over the past 40 years.
A year ago, the turbo hose on the driver side began seeping oil. The repair bill was around $400.
The most recent failure, on the passenger side, came to around $200. It was less cuz I bought a new hose myself at around $150 and found a general-repair auto shop and paid them around $50 to remove the torn one and install the new one. I bought it online, from FCP Euro, in Connecticut. They seem to be reputable. I've purchased from them twice over the past four years. They have a warranty, that if the part fails, they'll replace it. Which amounts to buy one, get one for free or two for free and so on.....
If you have more questions about Melbourne issues, I have stories...

[thirdktm]

Also to TnK: I also wonder if there is some sort of cover that would protect the turbo hoses....If there is, I have not found one.
The first one that failed was seeping oil. The repair shop I use for MB-specific issues said this happens.
As for the tear that ruined the second hose, I figure it was road debris that somehow flipped up and cut the hose.
While still in Lubbock, I tried to tape over the slit, which was about an inch and a half long. But that did not work. It taping over the slit, I used pieces of tape that were about 10 inches long, over and over and over. What I should have tried to do was wrap one continuous length of tape. That is hard to do, requiring trying to fit the entire roll of duct tape around and around the rubber hose...Virtually impossible....

[TnK]

Originally Posted by thirdktm

Also to TnK: I also wonder if there is some sort of cover that would protect the turbo hoses....If there is, I have not found one.
The first one that failed was seeping oil. The repair shop I use for MB-specific issues said this happens.
As for the tear that ruined the second hose, I figure it was road debris that somehow flipped up and cut the hose.
While still in Lubbock, I tried to tape over the slit, which was about an inch and a half long. But that did not work. It taping over the slit, I used pieces of tape that were about 10 inches long, over and over and over. What I should have tried to do was wrap one continuous length of tape. That is hard to do, requiring trying to fit the entire roll of duct tape around and around the rubber hose...Virtually impossible....

Thanks for that great info.
My first thought is did they remedy this issue (which I’m sure they know about) on the 2022 models (which we have) or like you…some sort of shield.
As for the oil in the hose, which is a cause of it breaking down, a catch can would solve that issue but at the same time would void the warranty.
I’m currently trying to figure out how to make a catch can that is easily removable for when I need to take the vehicle in for servicing.

Thanks again for the great info.

[2lane]

When applying tape in a tight space, you can sometimes wrap a length of tape around a socket or screwdriver handle then put it where it needs to go.

[thirdktm]

More, for TnK...
--The journey to Fredericksburg, Texas, which included two passages through Lubbock, was a costly one. Somewhere between Albuquerque and Fred...., the fresh water tank fell off. Unbeknownst to us. It was one of those things where you're driving along, and there's a sound, from somewhere. I do most of the driving, so my wife gets up, investigates, and usually it's a broom that fell over, a cabinet door that was not shut. Sometimes, she finds nothing amiss. Well, one of those times might've been the water tank falling off. Jayco has no replacements; one will have to be manufacturered; that's a six-week undertaking. The tank will cost about $450; the shipping, about $125. And the installation. My suggestion: crawl under the coach, determine how your tank is secured, then double secure it. Which is what I will do, somehow. I likely will hire an RVv handyman to assist me. It's not rocket science. Just labor and maybe some ingenuity.
As for the rubber turbo hoses. Carry extras, one for each side. We have opted to not do that.
Another issue: A year ago, the pilot light for the furnace/heater and hot water would not light. I sleuthed out the problem: a black box that lives inside the hot water heater cover. It was $180 or so. Having a spare makes sense. The retailer sells gillions, he told me. Again, we are trying to get by without a spare. Just a dollars and sense issue.
More on the fresh water tank: A mobile RV guy told me this: Closely monitor the water level as you fill the tank. Overfilling, even a little, will morph the shape of the tank, contributing to issues. This can happen, he said, cuz the water pressure as the tank fills exceeds the rate of outflow. Thus, the tank balloons.....

[TnK]

Wow…that’s the first time (and I hope the last) I’ve ever heard of someone losing a holding tank off their rig!
But I can see how it would be possible. Thanks for the tip on that one…I’ll have to get under there and install some straps or something.

I doubt I’ll carry the turbo hoses with us on this first 2 month excursion but after that…unless I can come up with some type of protection for them I most likely will carry spares.
It boils down to having space for everything.