Sprinter chipset???

Glen

in this day of "the computer will tell me how to fix it" - it was refreshing to talk to the tech in Calgary who still liked learning. He just "knew" what to do - did it - and there it is - the van is making me smile again. (the dealer here on the other hand is a waste of skin) I have viewed the sites you mentioned a while back - lots of good info in there. And like you have spent far too much time researching this. Now that we know that the EGR gets cleaned from time to time - it makes it easy - just like servicing the oil belching monster in the basement once a year. Fortunately - while it is still August - moose season opens in a day or two - then deer and elk - and my mind will be elsewhere.

Glen

More HP -

Is everyone happy with their Sprinter/MB? Mine is still plagued with low power at the bottom end - and I am considering chipping the little beauty for an extra 50HP/60 FTLBS of torque. Essentially to cure the low/no power condition below 2500 rpm - but the extra ponies might be fun too. The dealer has been of little help with my complaint. Upsolute (http://www.upsolute.com/eng/index.html)seems to have solutions for most euro buggies.

Ted_9

Chip

Funny, I looked into a chip for my New Beetle from the same web site and a supercharger from Neuspeed.

So just to let poeple know, your talking about adding a computer chip to the computer(ecm) of the vehicle.



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Troy_3

Low power

WOW! let me know how it works. I have driveways that mine will not go up. I have to hit the driveway going 25mph or I won't make it to the house. My dealer claims he has never heard this complaint.

Constantin

Just be sure to read the fine print...

... a lot of dealers will void your warranty on the spot if they find that you re-mapped the engine with a new chip. Plus, I am a bit skeptical when it comes to vast performance improvement claims, as if it was so easy, every OEM would do it, or offer it as a add-on option.

Ray Landry_2

happens in my cube sprinter EVERY day. The worst is when your making a left and someone waves you on, sometimes i punch it and dont move for a few seconds, and they think I'm not gonna go. ARGH!

Garret_4

Rechipping

From what I've heard from speed enthusiast friends, Neuspeed rechipping is generally safe... the manufacturer's warranties generally do not invalidate your whole warranty if you rechip... just stuff they can claim was compromised by the chip functions.

There are drawbacks... you have to trade something for increased torque and better acceleration... oddly fuel economy is often unaffected. The most common disadvantage is increased emissions... if your municipality/state has emissions testing, you might be closer to the pass/fail line than before.

Other possibilities: The car is also likely to run worse in cold weather; the engine will be noisier, clutch will wear out quicker (if you have a manual transmission), and you'll get more speeding tickets.

S Ebels

Mine does that too.

I've discovered that it's the *@#@)@)_(*%% anti wheel spin thingy killing the power. When you make a sudden turn, the inside wheel wants to spin on any vehicle. On the Sprinter the engine power is killed whenever the safety "Nazi" living in the computer detects wheel spin.
Ease into the pedal so you don't spin and it'll take right off.

Glen

I am willing -

to void the warranty to make this beast driveable in the city. On the highway it is a white rocket. My local dealer is a waste of time with this product although I know and trust his techs - the service manager is not that interested in servicing and fixing my Sprinter. So this week we are off to Alberta to the other guys - failing that - the chipset will be sent to toronto. I'll keep you posted. I have found that even a little tire slippage will make this engine go numb - completely mindless as it were. No power to the point of being hazardous - like the above post - trying to get out of the intersection is an eye opener. this van was new in November - worked flawlessly for three weeks - since then - a disappointment with the low power issue.

Glen

more info -

I just returned from a quick trip to Calgary AB. And from a new dodge dealership. The van is again working as it did off the show room floor. And the fix was simple - the tech cleaned the EGR valve. NO more stalling or loss of power in traffic. And while I have not checked yet - I think fuel consumption decreased as well. But I am still considering a few more ponies under the hood.

Weezbo

Glen.

i have about 30K on the sprinter. i had some hassle with the dealer here, so ,being a hot head i went to some sites and started a lets inform the world of these shiftless inconsiderate under motivated posers. got a friendly reply or two from some activists . Then in a couple days, the Dealership called me to do the maint that i had wasted days of my life messing around ..breaking up the schedules of twenty other workmen to get the vehicle "in"....along the way ,i heard of this problem numerous times.for some reason i don't seem to have that problem...however,there is a back yard mechanic who having had that problem and like me quick to snap a wrench and the motor manual chilton and do it yourself found what hundreds of mechanics factory trained with all kinds of gizmoes and experience and knowledge seemed to breeze right by...selling plenty of new parts to the consumer along the way. anyone can talk the talk , you may say yah buh pick up the wrench.

when Dr.s want to put you on the rotor rooter to get a simple medical supplement that you have been taking for 30 years and are over priced 100X the original price. to me is anagolous to selling you something you dont need.I hate the AMA buh i digress...

i will check my other computer that crashed and see what the forum is that i read the answer to the "problem". these new vehicles have become over engineered if you get my drift....you aren't even supposed to be aware of "How To" anything on your new mobile transportation units....i may buy a scraped one and rebuild the thing in the future just to urinate them off and scratch out a few lines on various forums around the world on just what and how to...just for G.P.'s .... woops i am getting off target the Auzzie is a smart dude who managed to watch one of the techs do their magic and have it not happen,change out a part ,sell the customer all is well, collect the pounds or whatever the currency is these days and send them on their way. he correctly determined if this was the standard "fix" for the problem ,and it apparently was Not working...his natural inclination was "Hey! There might be another solution that actually adressed the cause rather than the effect' type deal.... i must have gotten a defective part because i dont have that problem :)it is that wide spread of a phenomenom:) how often does that Happen? sometimes i am graced by God and i am completely unaware of it ,i tend to think that is true for just about everyone.

i sorta expected that once the difficulty was pointed out to them the unnecessary would be replaced by the solution..foolish me. maybe someone else needs to pound away at the refusal to supply the correct solution. i think it is bending my brain a bit and i might be getting angry...i offered to go take the same classes the techs attended and see if i might not be able to get a job or two to fix some of the preventable problems:) which seemed to transfer some of that anger right back to them.:) in my way of thinking when i leave the job everything is tested valved controlled by a switch and functional....if the homeowner says my boiler isn't going my thought is he isn't helpless or got a broken arm and can check the fuel level in the tank reset the control by flipping a switch,listen at the boiler (so i can hear what may or may not be happening)///i am into getting my job finished as quickly as possible and to the customers satisfaction, with them thinking 'sheesh that was simple':)

Look under Google search for Dodge Talk .com and search on the site for Sprinter Van problem....

S Ebels

EGR Valve

That's a normal and very common maintenance item and if your dealer's techs missed that, they fall squarely into the rookie class. Tell them to do a little reading on their product.

Something like a heating guy not reading the manual on the first condensing boiler he's installed............

Scott Kneeland

sprinter

As some of you may remember I purchased a new Sprinter 11 months ago. I posted several times here and on Tech Talk about the problems with it. Until now I thought that Iwas the only one with Sprinter Issues. The DEALER & FREIGHTLINER are NO help, (quick however to cash a $38000.00 check) the only thing done quick. my Sprinter has been back 9 times total of 40 day out of service, this has no mention of lost revenue due to schedule chances, paid employee's picking me up and droping me off. etc, etc.
its had the same problem the last 6 times and towed in each time because I refuse to waste anymore time dropping it off. Loss of power, turbo won't come on. The longest the vehicle has been on the road without a problem is 63 days. I'm so sorry I went the Sprinter route. I call mine a Splinter.

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joel_19

Sprinter

has your EGR been replaced? have you tried another dealer?

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Scott Kneeland

I went thru Diamler Chrysler field tech rep, because the problem has been started by one dealer under warranty they won't pay another dealer warranty payment. It has run ok for the last 2 months but I only have 24000 miles on it. as far as i know the EGR has not been touched, they last replaced a relay

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Bill Nye_2

I drove it.......

I drive scott's van, I drove it today. It has plenty of power. I can not imagine it not being able to climb a driveway or a hill ?

Dude, maybe you need to get yours checked?

I have ridden in Dodge and Ford trucks with the Banks kits. The dodge even had propane injections "UNreal" horsepower and torque.

Robert O'Connor_3

Warranty Woes

In a previous life I spent a lot of time under the hood of diesel trucks. It is my belief that many of the idiosyncrocies that people are mentioning on tis topic are related to ECM programing. Programming and software in cars is a lot like computers in that it is always changing. Many times an update from the dealer can solve a lot of problems.
As far as a chip goes, what a dealer doesn't know won't hurt them. Put the chip in if you want...it's your vehicle, it if breaks, swap it back out before you go back to the dealer. While many new vehicles have advanced computers in them, I have been to several factory training schools for diesel and passenger cars in the past few years and am unaware of any that can prove the presence of a modification.
Best of luck!

Glen

from one gear head to another -

I am in agreement - the chip will go in - and it is undetectable by the factory diagnostics. More HP - and torque. I'll post once done. But for now - I am a happy camper with the fact set up. No more low power woes. Now - if they only made a four inch exhaust like they do for my 93 dodge 5.9!