few q's on a van engine
JoelP - 7/1/07 at 09:32 PM
hi all. My van is bugging me! A few minor niggles i thought i'd put to the panel.
1, any sprinter owners know what temperature their engine runs at? Mines a 1999 211cdi and it never exceeds 60 degrees. Does this just want a new
thermostat?
2, its recently started a little vibrating at low revs, when its warm and idling. Raising the revs a few hundred stops it. Trouble is, the noise
sounds like a knock more than a rattle. Plus, i found yesterday that theres no airfilter in there, and ive done 5000 miles like that on the same oil.
Now it has a filter and new oil, but is that likely to have worn the engine significantly? Its now done 175k miles.
3 is probably one for those in the know, my manual is ruined so im not in the know myself! Is the oil filter on the right hand side near the top,
under the pot like thing?! Its a literal filter rather than being like a normal car one.
Cheers all! 
Mark Allanson - 7/1/07 at 09:39 PM
I would just turn up the volume on the radio
flak monkey - 7/1/07 at 09:43 PM
60 is too cold. Most diesels i have seen run at around the same temp as a petrol engine. So either the gauge is on the blink or the stat has died.
As for the rest i cant really help. I wouldnt thing 5k miles without a filter would kill it, but if it was hlaf knackered already then it might tip
the balance.
David
dilley - 7/1/07 at 09:48 PM
most of the merc diesels run too cold, most are equipped with a type of night heater as in a lorry, it runs off diesel in the tank, the switch is the
left hand of the the 3 temp/heating controlls(this will only affect the cabin heater) we run a sprinter and have the same problem.
No air filter would not have caused a problem, and yes your right about the oil filter.
JoelP - 7/1/07 at 11:32 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Mark Allanson
I would just turn up the volume on the radio
thats knackered too
dilley, the leftmost of the heating controls on mine is just a button with a red light, something to do with the windscreen. No idea what it does but
i often press it! By a night heater do you mean burning diesel when the engine is off? Dont think mine does that. Cheers for all the help! 
Peteff - 8/1/07 at 12:10 AM
My Nissan Vanette runs cold as well Joel, I just put a coat on . It runs better cool, when it warms up it doesn't pull as well at all.
dilley - 8/1/07 at 06:54 AM
quote:
Originally posted by JoelP
quote:
Originally posted by Mark Allanson
I would just turn up the volume on the radio
thats knackered too
dilley, the leftmost of the heating controls on mine is just a button with a red light, something to do with the windscreen. No idea what it does but
i often press it! By a night heater do you mean burning diesel when the engine is off? Dont think mine does that. Cheers for all the help!
Thats the button yyou need!: it turns on the auxillary heater, the exhaust for this is under the passenger front wheeel arch.
you can normally smell/hear it.
macnab - 8/1/07 at 08:41 AM
Can't stand the sprinter. Its so dependant on the turbo I keep staling it at the lights.
Give me a transit any day. A proper van
NS Dev - 8/1/07 at 09:21 AM
quote:
Originally posted by macnab
Can't stand the sprinter. Its so dependant on the turbo I keep staling it at the lights.
Give me a transit any day. A proper van
Here here (sorry Joel! ) I loved sprinters until I drove one (if you see what I mean ) the most chronically uncomfortable van I have ever driven! Who
put the accelerator there??????????
Someone with a wooden right leg I think!!
macnab - 8/1/07 at 09:42 AM
wooden leg?!
na I just don't like to have to thrash it just to pull away, give me torque.
JoelP - 8/1/07 at 03:13 PM
i know what you both mean, the clutch seems to have a rising rate spring so just as it bites, it throws your foot off altogether and you stall it! I
guess they do that to make it easier to hold down at lights but still have good bite/travel. The throttle is indeed too high. I manage just fine with
it now, by having the seat further back, so you toes rock higher over you heel. Seat fully upright, slide abck to limit, then lean back as far as you
have left.
Dilley, im amazed by that, im off to have a fiddle! And then i may look at the van... ahem.