We had one with 835k on the clock in ten years. It went all over Europe from Athens to the Arctic Circle. The guy that bought it keeps in touch, it’s over a million now.
Cool, here in Australia Mercedes freely replaces the instrument cluster and maybe other components once a vehicle reaches a million. We run our MB vans all over the outback, at times enduring 50+ deg and unsealed roads and one thing sure, they’re bulletproof
I have a 2016 sprinter with the 3.0 liter motor. I would also suggest not to lug or spend an excessive amount of time idling these diesel motors. (or any modern diesel motor) These motors tend to run the most efficient and cleanest at 1600 RPMs or above. If I am in the city or traffic driving slow and l am lugging the motor in the low RPMs I will down shift a gear or two just to get the RPMs up. You will gum up the (DPF) diesel particulate filter and the (EGR) Exhaust Gas Recirculation value operating at low RPMs. Last time I checked, the Diesel Particulate filters are costing around $3500 each. Here is a fun fact. The EGR value on the MB 3.0 liter motor, recirculates 25% of the burnt gases/fuel back into the intake system to reburn. Modern diesel motors must pass the strict EPA rules just to get by. I live in a cold northern climate and many of the trades and delivery workers drive these vans and will let them idle all day long at the job sites in our cold winters. I have heard of a few stories of burning out motors under 100,000 miles because of this. It took me two years to find this out, but the 2016 3.0 liter motor automatically goes into Regeneration Mode every 315 miles. During this function, raw fuel is injected into the exhaust system and ignites at the Diesel Particulate filter up to 1200 degrees burning off the soot and unburned crud in the filter. Seems like they could engineer something more functional and clean?
Yea in most state DEF is NOT a "law". This DEF crap was thanks to states like cali. That being said, if ypur not in one of those ignorant lost states, DEF delete the dang van. It will last wayyyy longer. DEF kills diesel engines by hundreds of thousands of miles
To be honest, if you pour in enough money you can make everything last half a million miles. Most camper vans suffer from standing still half a year and then get beat the sh*t out of them during the holidays.
You might also want to pull your engine cover and have a good look at the injectors for leaks ( black death) and if it's ok and you are capable change the copper washers for ones from a 2.2 honda accord they are thicker and you will never have a problem with leaks nearly all sprinters have the same problem. I spent 3 days digging carbon off to pull the old ones out then replaced with new seals and new bosh injectors. Just some good advice from dealing with a lot of them my uncle use to sell lots of mercedes vans
Thats a good tip about the injector copper washers. I've just bought a 15 plate sprinter 313 and ill check the injectors to see what they are like. How much are injectors to buy new?
@mandylad the life span of diesel injectors is around 250.000 miles so if the van is under that I wouldn't worry about replacing them tbh, it will probably cost 600 each injector new or 140 ish each to send them off to be reconditioned.
My sprinter is 23 years old and in perfect condition underneath the 2015 one my uncle has is rusting all over the bodywork already plus with the older vans you get the joys of no emissions tests no dpf or cat, don't forget to change your diff and gearbox oil I had a 2007 sprinter also and the diff exploded destroying the gearbox and clutch in the process Also if you think something if wrong or start hearing odd noises go get it looked at it will save you alot of money if something important fails
@thechronic4700 I agree, I have salvaged many vintage trucks and buses. The oldest, a 63 Leyland bus is till going. 30yrs after I bought it as scrap. I changed the gearbox and diff oil. On several it came out like the caramel on a Mars bar.
I have 3 high mileage 316 MWB sprinters working all over Australia. The oldest a 2010 has over 850k. None of the vans have been back to the dealer for any repairs and have never had a breakdown. We change the oil every 33k and replace the serpentine belt and all pulleys every 150k
he 150k pulley replacement on our Benz’s is preventive maintenance as we are sometimes hundreds of kms away from any civilisation. We had a crafter awhile back that had a pulley let go and the damage it caused in the middle of nowhere was astronomical. That van was a mechanical nightmare and we sold it at 260k
Im looking for a van for conversion and seen quite a few of these sprinters for sale with over 500k miles on the clock 😅. Ive heard they’re designed specifically to last over 220k miles. Whereas most other vans are built to last around 100-150k miles.
I've just bought a 2011, low mileage one. I used to drive a varied fleet of them in London. The upkeep is pricey. Ivfind you have to pull away carefully as the first gear, as it says in the manual, is grsat for hill start and excelleration. Its a bit too low for flat standing start. Third gear is not too hot on the modern 20miles an hour speed limit if you hit an incline, neither is 4th at 30mph on a hill. I drive a Transit for work these days, not a problem.
A Mercedes sprinter sleepwalks through 300,000.My last one did 460,000 before timing chain changed-Use genuine oil filter with low ash oil Shell rimula R6lme and you won’t go far wrong-Gear box rear diff every 100k .
Change oil and filter less than 7500 miles. Change air filter, fuel filter and exchange Adblue (DEF) with new fluid every 2 years. And don't forget to change ATF every 4 years. The OM651 will last more than 300K miles!.
I looked after 18 of them all of them had 350k by 4 years old you won't see a transit with that mileage without spending the same amount of money on repairs as you paid for the van,if you are doing 20k a year and you are doing delivery start stop I would do the oil every 5k
You recommended to rust proof even new models (after 2013) - what do you recommend to do to rust proof it? For reference, I have a new (2023) sprinter and live in dry/hot area (never snows here) and dont intend to take it often to wet/snowy areas, what do you recommend for such situation?
I bought my 2008 in 2021 with 323k miles and have started my conversion. It was an airport shuttle and was driven 315k miles from 2008 to 2015. It’s in excellent condition and has no rust at all (even underneath) and they replaced the transmission in 2015
Installed a noise monitor on my engine. At 11000 miles the noise increases dramatically. Change oil and noise goes back to normal. 10k oil change is mandatory
The previous owner wrapped it? What does that mean? Was it sanded back to bare metal and then sprayed with owatrol /waxol or something like that? And then repainted with a roller?
Engine engineering and oils have improved immensely over the years so manufacturers recommendation is acceptable. We run 316 sprinters and they all get a service at 33k period. Oil doesn’t wear out it contaminates. The main reason theses modern high speed diesel’s fail is thrashing from cold (only a fool doesn’t warm a diesel before driving). Think about this we also run Mack trucks, their service intervals are 50k, even pulling 100 ton, using the same engine oil we put in our Sprinters.
@stevel1451 Fully agree. Try telling that to a lot of guys in America and they'd have an aneurysm! They like to stick to their 3000mile oil change interval from the 1950s.
Hi I’m currently looking for a sprinter van (LWB), but with all the different model numbers and engine sizes it’s difficult to know which to go for. It will be a camper conversion and looking for the best economy, but also able to climb hills without too much effort. Any ideas ? Also is there any particular year to avoid ,that may have been more problematic than others? Many thanks Dave.
Both the inline 4 and the v6 diesels can reach high miles (I know someone with 3 sprinters bought from new, 3.0 om642 on them, all in the 700k+ km with nothing major so far besides consumables, even the timing is original). The secret is proactive maintenance, especially oil changes at 10k, 15k km max, pcv valve changed every 40-60k km (this will substantially reduce carbon deposits in the intake) etc.
@@HP-ez2xx I have om648 straight 6 inline diesel not V6 I will not own V6 diesel too much problems not reliable I seen 800k on straight six and it runs perfect no internal work done to the engine
@@HP-ez2xx I don't know I'm not sure I study all engines but I'm not familiar I'm in USA they went to a V6 model in 2007 here I have 06 straight 6 motor for example the V6 Vans and V6 turbo diesel sedans here in America are for sale all the time cheap with a rod blown out of the side of the block
My 316 motorhome has just popped the engine light on. I cleared it and it came back. Saying the particulate was blocked, but it was used on motorways so it has seemed to forget that it can do a regen.
Not gonna happen here in US. MB diesel engines are marred with emissions control system that literally ruin the engine. You'd better be happy if these engines would give you 30k. It's possible in other countries but not here.
