Stalling

AlldayMan

New member
2014 2500 2.1 50,000 High Top 2nd owner well kept. Call me crazy but I think this ones going to drive me there or I'll just trade it in unless someone has had the same issue out here that might have some insight. I have had it stall on me now several times at an idle. Turn off turn on ok but feels like something still not quite right, when it stalls just before I feel it stumble watch the rpm gauge drop a little then it dies. I have replaced the fuel filter twice in the time I've owned it, no codes no other problems but today I felt it stumble in the same area it did it before, same time of day hot and running. I've noticed it is very windy in this area and I'm wondering if this is bringing this on meaning some kind of pressure sensing, manifold ect. I do have a new air filter, so I'm sitting there in traffic wondering about this and a big truck blows by me while I'm waiting to turn and the van gets sucked over right to left pretty hard and blamo it stalls so now I'm also thinking is there something related to the stabilization stuff it has involved with this. Kooky, thank you for any and all help.
 

NelsonSprinter

Former Nelson BC Sprinter
That is a new one to me.
I doubt it's an air pressure issue.
More likely the tilt/shake moves a wire against some metal and a short happens somewhere and an ECU scan might tell you what is getting an implausible signal, higher voltage etc.
 

sailquik

Well-known member
Alldayman,
You wrote:
"2014 2500 2.143 liter 4 cylinder OM-651/7G-Tronic 7 speed transmission.
50,000 miles on odometer.
High Top 2nd owner well kept.
Well kept?
You have all the past invoices that this vehicle has had an "A" service @ 15,000 miles, a "B" service (including the fuel filter) @ 30,000 miles and the 2nd "A" service @ 45,000 miles, performed at an authorized Mercedes Benz Sprinter dealer in the Sprinter specific/commercial shop, using genuine Mercedes Benz Sprinter replacement parts and the currently approved low SAPS 0w-30 or 5w-30 Genuine Mercedes Benz motor oil and all other service products are approved on the 2014 BEVO list?
If not, then "well kept" does not mean much.
Call me crazy but I think this ones going to drive me there or I'll just trade it in unless someone has had the same issue out here that might have some insight.
Your engine "stalling" could be caused by a myriad of things, but until you take it to a Mercedes Benz Dealer, for a full diagnostic test + live data screen to ensure that all the emissions devices and sensors are functioning correctly, you really have nothing to lead you to what the problem really is.
I have had it stall on me now several times at an idle.
My identical specification 2014 Sprinter currently has 220,000 miles and it has never stalled once.
Do you shift out of drive at signal lights to limit the amount of engine load when idling?
Do you turn your engine off when at a signal controlled intersection where you know the wait is going to be longer than a minute or 2?
Turn off turn on ok but feels like something still not quite right, when it stalls just before I feel it stumble watch the rpm gauge drop a little then it dies.
The idle speed (RPM) will be 760 RPM and should not vary more than 5 RPM higher or lower.
What is your Sprinter's idle RPM and how many RPM does it vary?
I have replaced the fuel filter twice in the time I've owned it, no codes no other problems but today I felt it stumble in the same area it did it before, same time of day hot and running.
Why do you continue to change the fuel filter?
Unless you knowingly use very low quality/dirty/water laden/ unfiltered ULSD there is no reason to change the fuel filter at < every 30,000 miles (every "B" service if you follow the recommended 15,000 mile service intervals).
Unfiltered diesel fuel is pretty hard to find these days. Virtually all diesel pumps have some sort of filter on the output from the pump.
I've noticed it is very windy in this area and I'm wondering if this is bringing this on meaning some kind of pressure sensing, manifold ect.
Very unlikely that the ambient atmospheric pressure or wind speed is causing your stalling issues. Also very unlikely that the "air wake" from
passing trucks is causing your engine to stall.
I do have a new air filter, so I'm sitting there in traffic wondering about this and a big truck blows by me while I'm waiting to turn and the van gets sucked over right to left pretty hard and blamo it stalls so now I'm also thinking is there something related to the stabilization stuff it has involved with this.
My Sprinter rocks just like yours, when sitting in a left hand turn lane with lots of traffic whoosing by in the next lane @ 45+ mph.
But my Sprinter just rocks a bit, sitting there idling, in neutral, or sitting there completely shut off for long duration signals.
Probably a good idea for you to take your Sprinter to an authorized Mercedes Benz Sprinter dealer, tell them that it's stalling and
let them run their full diagnostics.
They will run the diagnostics and make some recommendations based on the diagnostics as to what the cause of your stalling
actually is.
You could have an out of specification sensor in one the emissions devices (covered by the 100k emissions warranty if you transferred it from the 1st owner).
Until you have the results of a full dealer level (or high end Sprinter specialist shop) diagnostic scan, you can continue to throw
parts at your Sprinter, but that will only fix the stalling issue when you replace the actual sensor or device that's causing the
problem. The sensors are expensive, and without the dealer level scan to determine which one is causing your error, you can
replace a whole bunch of sensors/devices, and still have the stalling problem.
The diagnostic scan will most likely identify which sensor or device is out of spec and your problem will be solved when that
specific sensor/device is replaced with a genuine Mercedes Benz replacement part (which will automatically have bee upgraded
to the latest revision if there have been issues with the device/sensor.
Hope this helps,
Roger
 
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elemental

Wherever you go, there you are.
[Points broken out/re-arranged for analysis]
  • I have had it stall on me now several times at an idle.
  • when it stalls just before I feel it stumble watch the rpm gauge drop a little then it dies.
  • I have replaced the fuel filter twice in the time I've owned it
  • I do have a new air filter
  • no codes no other problems
  • Turn off turn on ok
  • today I felt it stumble in the same area it did it before, same time of day hot and running.
  • I've noticed it is very windy in this area and I'm wondering if this is bringing this on meaning some kind of pressure sensing, manifold ect.
  • I'm sitting there in traffic [...] and a big truck blows by me [...] and the van gets sucked over right to left pretty hard and blamo it stalls so now I'm also thinking is there something related to the stabilization stuff it has involved with this.
[...]
The behavior that you have described doesn't sound normal; I've had my van at idle after driving hot and hard for many miles, I've driven my van in windy conditions and have had it buffeted by high wind while sitting still at idle and not had it stall (and I have cross-wind stabilization).

I have, however, had vehicles that have stalled on me at an idle. Solving the problem required me finding someone with diagnostic skills unless I had a pretty good idea already (such as a low low-idle setting) - one time it was a problem with a carburetor that was beyond my ability to troubleshoot but was solved in five minutes by a mechanic. Occam's razor suggests a simpler rather than more complicated explanation (an explanation involving the stabilization feature would be a much more complicated explanation to me than a maladjustment, worn replaceable part, etc.). Unless you are an experienced diagnostician, this sounds like a trip worth taking to a good Sprinter mechanic.
 

AlldayMan

New member
Thank you for the replies when I posted this I had forgotten to add that after the first few times stalling and replacing the fuel filter which I poured out the contents of after removing and found that in the bottom of the glass jar 3in. dia. was what I considered to be a lot of what looked to be simply dirt or a fine rusty colored dirt maybe 64th of an inch almost, no obvious water bubble, that's why I changed the filter again to be on the safe side but in the interim before that I had a check engine light come on took it in to my dealer and was subsequently told that my vehicle was not regenerating and needed to be regenerated manually fot almost 400.00 dollars now this is at 29,000 miles roughly so I'm thinking to myself and I tell him you know I have not seen any dash light showing it regenerating and most of my mileage is freeway at speeds of 55 - 75 sometimes up to 60 miles or so of course the advisor tells me we need to do the regeneration or major problems could arise, I ask how come it did not operate like intended and it being related to emissions why do I have to pay for it well he said time wise I was just past my 3yr warranty so probably a no go there as far as them covering the price I mention are there any updates that should be done or applied in this case being this was my first visit with them he could not answer to that I told him the reason I ask is because of what I was getting at above he's say well let's let the tech do his job and will find out exactly what is going on. I get the call to pick it up it's all done I'm told regeneration worked everything's fine and I ask him if he had applied any updates to alleviate some or all of the cost to me he said the tech had to change some things in the ability of the computer to regenerate properly so I get there pay him leave and read the paperwork and besides regenerate the tech did just what I thought updated codes to the computer says it right on the paperwork and to this date 50,000 + miles I have not seen a regeneration light. Now I know the wind blowing by sound crazy and that's why I chuckle to myself about that even I do understand that wiring tugged or chaffed can give you nightmares so I'm going to do a visual on on the cables wires components and hoses ect. I'll post what I find I know the sensors can fall out of range on things but I usually that's a code going to come up to give you some likely area of trouble. The idle on this has been steady and fine at 900rpm in gear or not.
 

sailquik

Well-known member
There is NO "REGENERATION LIGHT"on your 2014 Sprinter.
There are aftermarket performance gauge packages that can be set up/programmed to let you know when re-generations occur, but the the entire
regeneration process is supposed to be autonomous and there's really no need to know when they occur.
Please confirm that your 2014 Sprinter OM-651 2.143 liter engine idles @ 900 RPM?????
Yes, when it's warming up, there is a fast idle feature to help the engine come up to full operating temperature more quickly
but as soon as the engine reaches the 175-180 deg. F normal operating temperature the idle speed should drop off to 760 RPM.
It may vary about 5 RPM +- but should settle down to 760 when warmed up.
Yes the idle speed is the same whether it's in gear or in neutral but it uses significantly more fuel to idle in gear as evidenced by
the 10-20% increase in engine Load.
Hope this helps,
Roger
 

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