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Sprinter racks typically fail where gaiters have split and road dirt is allowed into the rack causing leaks.  High mileage also results in heavy pinion wear. There are two rack versions, the early version being fitted with a one-way valve, and the latter not fitted with the valve. Provided the valve is present in the early version both racks are interchangeable.

LuK Clutch

When changing the clutch and Concentric Slave Cylinder (CSC) on these vehicles check for any signs of oil contamination from inside the gearbox. Any leaks should then be rectified before the new clutch and CSC are fitted. This vehicle is also fitted with a Dual Mass Flywheel (DMF) and this should also be checked for wear. LuK has now introduced an App for this available from Google play and iTunes.

Our Technical team have advised me that a stretched or worn alternator belt can cause premature failure of the alternator pulley, and that it is important to check the OE numbers for the alternator as there are quite a few outputs and stop start options on both starter motor and alternators fitted to later vehicles.

The starter motor can fail prematurely due to excessive cranking caused by a worn ignition switch that keeps the starter motor engaged when started.

Despite being subject to inevitable wear and tear during the lifespan of the engine, the front end auxiliary drive (FEAD) system has not traditionally been subject to any particular maintenance or replacement schedule. However, some vehicle manufacturers are now beginning to introduce FEAD system maintenance into their service schedules, which opens the door for the independent sector to apply similar service principles to the auxiliary belt and the associated components, such as tensioners and idlers, that together make up the FEAD system and take advantage of a genuinely new revenue opportunity.

Mercedes Sprinter diesel engines can suffer with contaminated injectors resulting in running faults and poor performance. Forté have developed its latest product, Diesel Specialist Injector Cleaner, specifically formulated to clean and restore diesel injectors.

To cure these faults Forté recommend using Diesel Specialist Injector Cleaner at service intervals or when a fault has occurred in conjunction with Forté Advanced Formula Diesel Treatment to clean and restore injector spray patterns, clean the fuel system restoring vehicle performance, emissions and response.

218 CDi 3.0-litre: Bad to start with low fuel pressure fault codes – lazy starter causing low cranking speed cause’s the fuel pressure code to appear.

311 CDi 2.1-litre: Engine goes in limp mode with a boost pressure fault code – turbo actuator failure.

Steering and Suspension

The Mercedes Sprinter is a light commercial workhorse and therefore high mileage or excessively loaded examples are particularly susceptible to increased wear of the front suspension arm ball joints and stabiliser links, which can lead to the premature failure of the component.

In addition, when replacing any of these items, FLG recommends they are changed in pairs as it likely that the corresponding component on the opposite side will have also suffered a similar amount of wear. The result of replacing just one side at a time can sometimes cause increased pressure and wear on the opposite hand and the subsequent risk of unpredictable handling characteristics.

Sven Nielsen, Technical Director from MEYLE, says the following difficulties may arise with the Mercedes Sprinter:

Damaged shock absorbers

Problem:

Many car drivers lack awareness of the vital role shock absorbers play for overall car safety. The parts wear away gradually, many defects are not visible at first glance, but their impact on the overall car system is dramatic. Properly functioning shock absorbers reduce braking distances, ensure excellent road holding when cornering and trouble-free operation of state-of-the-art driver assistance systems such as ABS, ESP or TCS.

A few notes about the Mercedes Sprinter (2006 onwards):

Engine Oil

For this particularly model, Mercedes list a number of specifications for engine oil which should be covered by Comma Syner-G 5W40 or Syner Z 5W30. Be aware that there are a huge number of variants of this model.