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I would be inclined to add a secondary Earth cable and replace that old one as well , remember the old mini’s when the earth lead failed it used to earth through the throttle cable and catch fire.The amperage the sprinter requires to start is high so more earths the merrier. Yet again another great informative video for those that are not so mechanically minded. Happy New Year to you and the family.👍❤️🇬🇧
Okay Mel, I was a mechanic - don't forget about the earth lead (and Positive connection) at your battery - clean up and secure those too. Serrated washers can help with getting good earth connections. When you have finished, coat the connections with something to prevent future corrosion. Your B2B charger could be causing some of the issues. Hopefully your on the right track with the brake switch, an interesting project for us all.
i was going to suggest that too . good advice a dodgey earth can cause loads of bother .i often put a bit of copper slip on too , added connectivity and terminal protection
also consider the meat used in terminals and salt on roads thats a thing . but get a new cable clean well and get the codes removed , they dont always after repair sometimes need the codes manually removing
May have been mentioned already, not going to waste my time reading all the other comments to check but fyi the switch is self adjusting you should pull the white plunger right out as far as it will go before fitting.
You need a Haynes Manual Mel - one of the things it says is if you have intermittent or lots of different errors then check earthing points. I've heard the brake pedal switch can be troublesome as they can get quite damp/dirty in the footwell. Hope a new one fixes the issue.
As suggested put another earth lead from engine to chassis and check battery earth to chassis.. To check voltage you must perform a volt drop under load on all earths and positives…using a multimeter on Volts. Simple to do,even .5V drop can cause faults. All fault diagnosis must start with correct voltage at sensors/consumers.
Hi Mel. Great Video as always. I remember slow cranking problems on an old van I had being solved when an old mechanic told me to put two earthing straps onto my engine block (one each side). No more problems started fist time every time after that Keep up the good work Pall 👍👍
Good old German engineering Mel , my guess with you fault is a bad connection to your ABS module , if the module doesn’t get the desired voltage it could throw up a voltage fault ( newer Mercedes sometime have a second small battery to backup the ABS pump) it would also give you your brake fault code That my armchair mechanic viewpoint anyway 👍 Might be worth checking your abs fuse too, the 40amp one,
No worries Mel hope you get it resolved, it could possibly be the earth strap as many have suggested but sometimes it’s worth seeing things from another perspective too. It’s not all black and white when it comes to chasing faults as I’ve learnt 👍
Love the CCR reference. I must have changed half a dozen VW brake switches, real pain they are. Back in the day I recall being told that telephone exchange battery connections (50v, '000s of amps) were usually lapped together with the fine aluminium swarf deliberately left in the grease/vaseline between the plates of the connecting busbars to improve conduction at the joints.
If you bought a couple of cable terminals, you could re-use some of the cable harness you took off the positive-starter-alternator and make a couple more short cables up to add elsewhere, just cut any crappy ends off and get back to good copper and you'll save some money over buying a mercedes replacement part.
Thanks for this video, Mel! I’ve got a quite new VS30 (2021) having a similar problem with the battery light, seems like I have some parasitic draw happening, even though the alternator is producing 14+ v when running. Noticing continuity between the positive pole and the ground, so I suspect there is a fault somewhere happening. Thanks for the video!
We have a riot van conversion V6 3.0 diesel auto which had the battery light come on and various "limp" modes come on until the battery died, I carry a jump pack which got us off the M25. The following morning we hoped to be able to swap over a leisure battery (AGM) to get us on the way, sadly it was pouring with rain and only got us to B
@@BigVanSmallWorld still not sorted yet we believe it is the linbus messenger wire on the alternator plug or to ground. Fortunately I have 2 of these vans so I may borrow the alternator off the other one to test the system. I’ll keep you posted Mel.
It will be worth understanding how the system is measuring the voltage as it may be the sensor/detection that's at fault and not the rest of the system. I've wasted good money before trusting sensors when they can also fail.
Hi Mel might be worth looking into but as the sprinter and crafter are the same, parts are interchangeable, I recently required a headlight switch for my crafter when I ordered from vw a merc part arrived in a vw box. Out of curiosity I phoned merc quoting the part number it was £50 dearer. Hope you understand this comment and that it might even save you a few quid🤞
Hi mel You make your video's so instructional & So much fun. Your such a jolly chappie. Looking forward to your class act vids This year. Any new build plans this year ? Wishing you a very happy new year.
all the best to you to thank you for your encouragement and support really appreciated if I can get Mary running rite I plan on doing a lot more traveling this summer 🍻👍
Hi Mel, just a thought but could it be your B-B charger at fault which is causing the the alternator/battery warning? Might be worth disconnecting the leisure side of the van and seeing if the issue still comes up?
Mel check with a VOLT meter from the engine to the chassis if there is any voltage the earth lead is high resistance , put extra earth leads to the chassis from engine
Mel, love the channel, just a thought, does the error code not relate to the load sensor rather than the brake pedal switch. They used to be a spring loaded switch but are now electrical switches. They increase the braking power to the wheels based on the load in the van. Just a thought. Jamie
Thank you I know what you mean and I’m as confused as well I think I’m going to have to go get it plugged in probably if the switch is not the problem 🍻👍
@@BigVanSmallWorld your OBD diagnostic tool should be able to read the fault, try in the suspension section rather than braking, might point 👉 the way.
Awww no buddy no good poor Mary :( hope she be ok :( we both not having a great start buddy to the year. :( sending prays to Mary.♥️ Maybe get that negative cable new bud or keep it as spare? I really need to buy that diagnostic kit like you have that cheap £20 I have isn’t the same Sending big hugs buddy 🤗😊🍻
Mele you need a new earth lead they do corrode in your engine bay I had a problem similar to yours ,I tried lots of thing ,in the end replaced the earth lead then it fixed the problem
obviously could be many things and like you, ive done the process of elimination thing in the past. couple of things i would check is split charger? could you have a short off your leisure battery in the back throwing up a voltage issue on the vans ecu?. on the t5 and other vws i know yours is a merc... my regulator on the alternator packed up which was a bosch and easy fix but at the time a lot of people online said they bought a copy alternator or regulator and dash kept having faults pop up. the voltage regulator on the alternator throws it up. if the ecu thinks voltage is screwed it can affect running and obviously throws code up. worth checking those. good luck and hope you get sorted. that lead looked ok.
those 2 errors are related,possibly a load sensor or individual wheel sensors if there is such a thing,i would definately replace the brake switch first as a service item just to eliminate it,earth strap looks a bit weedy,i'd make a new,bigger one eventually,but thats not your problem
Ps don’t spray Wd40 into electrical connections…it’s flammable if there’s a contact (switch) it can get resistive corrosion and heat up..and catch fire. I’ve seen a few fuse box’s catch fire due to WD40/water repellent being used…it’s ok to use on connections to clean out but must be flushed out using contact cleaner afterwards and left to dry…
Suggest putting a parallel earth between your engine area and the leisure equipment, if the earths have different resistances then current can circulate in odd ways (paths of least resistance will take more current etc) with a fancy electronic alternator it may see a fault? Also don't forget to grease the earth connections as there are dissimilar metals there that will start corroding as soon as they get damp. I use spray white lithium 3 in 1 as its clean and sets like butter. Good luck with the electrical pixies! 👍
Put a second earth strap on. Belt and bracers and all that. Had it on my VW trike so got told second earth strap. No more problems 🚐☕️☕️👍🏼🏴🌈🙏🏼💙❤️💙❤️
When I had my transit I had a similar issue, I actually added another two earth cables, one directly from the Starter mounting bolt to the batter and another from the block to the chassis, Didn't have any issues after that.
Hi Mell, Maybe nothing to do with your issue but I had weird issue with a Kia Sportage, central locking worked then it wouldn't brake lights did then didn't, Radio and ABS lights had issues in them, auto electrician and workshop change loads of stuff never fixed it, I Thought the car was haunted. then by chance I found the issue, the brand new battery had a broken terminal inside the battery, hit a bump and it would move inside then it would touch again and upset the computer. I had noticed the movement only slightly in the terminal, New battery all good and the old battery was showing 14 volts. Just a thought. good luck
New genuine OEM earth cable from Mercedes cost me about £10 ($14 USD) so I'd personally just change it to rule out any doubt. My problem was intermittent starting and I changed the earth and Y cable before releasing that it was the starter solenoid. I'm sure you've already cleaned all the terminals and posts on the starter and alternator when you did the Y cable but if not then that's also worth trying.
Just had similar problem with aeroplane, bad earth. Battery became weak, barely turning engine. Gave impression battery was knackered. But found earth lead to starter and alternator loose. Turned out the lock nut was tight on shoulder of the mount bolt, but the eyelets were loose. Wire brushed, couple of washer and anti shake washer all sorted. I'm thinking now that problem killed another battery last year that was only 18 month old.
Mel, saw a video today which showed the alternator pulley detached from the vibration damping and slipping around, but looking like it was driving. Maybe an idea to remove the alternator and check the integrity and the drive pulley to the shaft. Also a friend of mine had the bearing fail at the back of the alternator where the diode pack is, which caused similar issues
Good vid Mel and kind regards, there are no mechanics now only Fitters mate, which makes getting a genuine part somewhat pointless? They are fitters cos all they do is Fit new parts which are designed to fail, genuine or not! HNY!
If you decide to change that earth cable just spray the ends over with greese once it is fitted, it'll help keep the water out, and stop it corroding again.
Hi Mel, you can't always trust the live data from any scanner (especially a cheap one like you're using), if you check the data after fitting the new brake light switch you may find it still doesn't read the 2nd circuit just as before. This sort of thing actually goes against what you said with it proving invaluable, because can quite often lead you up the garden path and then you end up spending more money on incorrect parts trying to diagnose by replacement, so then you got the price of the scanner and all the mistakes in parts it made you take, all the time fitting them and you STILL got the original fault. Does your alternator have a Comms wire? If this wire is broken (for example) it will still charge the battery but will still put faults up on the dash. In cases like this, you may have actually saved money NOT having the scanner and paying a auto electrician to correctly diagnose the real problem. Hope you sort it soon mate, thanks for the vids.👍
I had problems with brake light switch cheap enough from merc there parts arnt to bad to be fair bought one from euro parts had same problem put merc one on behaved fine after that My new mer on 18 plate new shape had problems with that earth strap it would start they change it and engine mount You could put some copper grease on the connectors to get better contact Because it connects via the engine mount the connection between the engine and the mount might be dirty also worth checking Another idea make up a lead and bolt an additional earth point on or get jump lead and put on the engine and find good earth on body or battery to prove. Or disprove hope you get it sorted
As you say Mel, you bought a Merc van to negate these sort of annoying issues because its suppose to be a quality product = why I hate modern computer controlled vehicles - hope you get this sorted soon mate.
Get a New Lead Mel ,keep for a Spare or Vice Versa. There was another Vanlifer Cpl had same Sort of Issue with Charging Light If still the Same , check all Other Earths on Van Down the Chassis, Doors for Int Lights, Tow Socket if you have one It Was a Seperate Earth on theres, away from the Engine Bay. Have you link for that OBD and Price? Non Start might b li ked to the Brake Switch as a Safety. Do you have to depress Brake Pedal to Start it?
Hi Mel , I would maybe think of looking for a new earth point steel to steel rather than steel to aluminium as it corrodes a lot quicker and may be your issue HAPPY NEW YEAR
Man! Don't put wd40 in a switch! Use contact spray (those lube an clean contacts) For a ground surface to make good contact run a tap trough the bolt hole..
You know I thought just watch all your vids and write down all the problems you have had. Then I could go out and purchase all the parts for a bit of preventive maintenance and hope to dodge some problems down the line. Only problem is I now have to stop and go out and buy another writing pad just to write them down...soooo many problems. Any advice before I part with my cash and buy what I had hoped was a above average reliable van....
That’s brilliant I’ll end up with a new van the way I’m going as for advice look for a van with full service history and record that way you know what’s already been done and replaced good luck don’t let my videos put you off I brought my van salvage it was destined for scrap so I kind a knew it would need work 🍻👍
The carsoft should give a specific fault code for brake pedal switch fault and wheel speed sensors. If not it’s unlikely there at fault. If you can read the ABS/ESP control unit see what faults are in there? Assuming your voltage is now good (new leads) are there any CAN (controller area network) faults in ABS or engine ecu? If so possible wiring fault on loom that runs under vehicle to rear sensors etc..(rodents love copper wire!) Also known fault with small fuse box on drivers side (RH) shorting out causing voltage issues…✌️
i have just had the earthing problem but on a transit. after spending two days cleaning all the conecctions it turned out to be a knackered battery. in my own defence i was told the battery had only been replaced 6 month earlier.
My experiences is that WD40 is excellent to soften up crusty stuff, even on electric parts - BUT - one has to wait to use the part until the WD40 has dried out (at least 12 hours) I have saved my gauge panel twice that way..
Had this on a v6 diesel Mercedes couple weeks ago where the alternator warning light was on but actually charging fine, the plug that goes into the alternator that detects the voltage was broken / had a bad connection and therefore not picking up the reading, worth checking.
Hi Mel, have you looked at the connectors on your ecu or ecu's if there is more than one. An issue there could be the reason you seem to be plagued with these problems. You probably have but thought I would mention it. Edit: this comment was for your most recent video! RU-vid moved on while I made a cup of tea.
Dielectric grease!!!?the joint on motor ground you said aluminium...steel bolt,steel connector? Bad combo...the second you clean aluminium it starts to oxidize. Open up use dielectric then torque it. Don't be afraid to make cable and add,it won't affect anything just add better ground. Check ground from battery to chassis. Reliable....not according to repair companies that use them as fleet vehicles. Frequent to repairs very expensive. Many sent back to dodge gas....
What does the Handbook say about that Charging Warning light? If the Earth cable solder has melted then in theory water could get in and corrode it? I would have put Vaseline or grease on both Earth connections to stop corrosion. What about the Battery Earth to Engine/Body is that good?? Drive belt may be slipping??
It might be worth getting another one of those earth cables, as the wire does tend to go black with age underneath the crimped metal O rings. This is especially the case with small wires. Although I dont think this is your problem on this occasion. What is the I-carSoft saying about this particular problem? On some vehicles the warning messages dont actually match up to what the actual problem is, Toyota's in particular. If you still cant figure it out It might be worth getting it plugged into a faut code reader at the main dealer, as it will be more specific.
Happy New Year Mel. Not a great start for you, but a very informative video. Could you please give a full demonstration on using the Icarsoft tool on the Sprinter. Hope all gets fixed soon, ready to get on the road again.
If your running a b2b charger could it be anything to do with that ? Before forking out on a belt etc get a bottle of belt slip spray it acts like a glue and stops any slipping so if it is the belt it will stop it for a short time and then your know your not wasting more money
Hi Mel, is Mary stop/start? I do know alternators and battery changes are sometimes problematic. Could possibly be the feed back to ecu faulty as you said you have 14+v but Mary’s brain doesn’t seem to think so. 👍🏼🤩👌🏼
@@BigVanSmallWorld sorry Mel i should have said electrical faults due negative problems are common not specifically your problem my own sprinter had an issue where she wouldn't start first turn and apparently a lot of electrical problems are sorted with a second negative not an expensive fix if it helps a (lot of videos on youtube aboiut using a second ground fix point}
Just been thinking, if you have a good voltage coming from the alternator & a good voltage from the battery, it must be the voltage sensor itself that is faulty wherever that is?
Those negative ribbon (as i call it) lead, linking chassis ground to the body or part is not as good as an actual thick cable similar to the one on the negative batt terminal(usually a jacketed thick heavy cable). If/when i do need to replace one, i replace it with the one similar to the negative batt cable (at least in size). Being in the snow belt area.... And high use of road salt... Those ribbon ground straps rots out first. Another tip is once replaced, and the bolt makes a good connection, i would apply some dielecteic grease or rust proof spray on the exposed metal (bolt head and eyelit) to stop it from corroding) Problems like this will never happen again in most cases. Knowing my luck, it would be faulty in the dead of winter at - 10C in the middle of a blizzard 🤣
Hi Camilla I’m sorry to hear that your having issues I did manage to fix the problem have you seen the follow up video I posted I’d highly recommend watching it it’s worth doing what I did as it fixes a major issue with sprinters good luck hope this helps 🤞ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-mmeLIpLPVB0.html
Interesting vlog Mel. Just a reminder that sensors can be faulty as well and hope its a cheap fix. While you're on about electrics I was just wondering, , , When using a dimmer switch on your LED lights, do they use less amps when the lights are dimmed or do they use the same amount of battery whether on full or not. Just curious. Cheers Mel.
