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Cargo Van Sprinter 05

OntarioVanMan

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
sine last year some time..I've had this nagging on going thingee going on and have narrowed it down to
"LOW fuel rail pressure"..so the scan gauge says.....
when the engine goes into overdrive for more then 20-30 secs, BAM ...TOTAL engine shutdown..like right turned off.....coast to the side and it will restart and be ok...and after the required restarts engine light goes away....so I've managed to stay out of overdrive or engine stress situations.....other day 2300 lbs and a slight up hill and going faster then I usually do like 68 70.....wham bang.....over to the side of the road i go...guess it wanted more fuel....could it be just the fuel rail sensor or the 1300 dollar rail itself? AND if I see the light when it comes on...and get my foot off it I just get LHM instead of shutdown....
 
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C

coalminer

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
I have seen people talk about this issue and have to wonder if the little fuel pressure regulator that is on the high pressure pump. When that regulator sticks closed it causes the electric pump in the tank to run hard, I wonder if it were to stick open would cause low rail pressure under high load?
 
OntarioVanMan

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
coalminer said:
I have seen people talk about this issue and have to wonder if the little fuel pressure regulator that is on the high pressure pump. When that regulator sticks closed it causes the electric pump in the tank to run hard, I wonder if it were to stick open would cause low rail pressure under high load?
Click to expand...
That way out of pay grade... Iam just the driver ....lol
 
Turtle

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
It could be the rail, a clogged fuel filter, pinched fuel line or obstructed fuel line up under the tank, or the fuel pump (in the tank) going bad.
 
brokcanadian

brokcanadian

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Post it when you figure it out. That was one of the reasons I stopped driving my million mile ford diesel, but the restarts could take up to an hour of sitting...like it had no fuel at all...and no engine light
 
OntarioVanMan

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
Turtle said:
It could be the rail, a clogged fuel filter, pinched fuel line or obstructed fuel line up under the tank, or the fuel pump (in the tank) going bad.
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yep....Wayne is on it.....it is rattling around in his brain now... the total shutdown has him somewhat puzzled...
according to scan of fuel system diagnostic....can't remember exact numbers...but engine wanted 30,000 Psi and rail was only giving out 13,000 psi..yet another filter was put on and he added some super duper cleaner and flush stuff directly in the filter..he has doubts its the rail and believes it is a ghost sensor reading..now is it low pressure caused by the rail? or is it saying there is low pressure coming into the rail?...

Thing is..I don't need overdrive, I can work around that....I'll live with the problem for the next year if I have to...am not spending a few thousand dollars on a part time problem..it does not seem to be getting any more frequent or any worse...so I will just work with it...
 
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guido4475

guido4475

Not a Member
OntarioVanMan said:
yep....Wayne is on it.....it is rattling around in his brain now... the total shutdown has him somewhat puzzled...
according to scan of fuel system diagnostic....can't remember exact numbers...but engine wanted 30,000 Psi and rail was only giving out 13,000 psi..yet another filter was put on and he added some super duper cleaner and flush stuff directly in the filter..he has doubts its the rail and believes it is a ghost sensor reading..now is it low pressure caused by the rail? or is it saying there is low pressure coming into the rail?...

Thing is..I don't need overdrive, I can work around that....I'll live with the problem for the next year if I have to...am not spending a few thousand dollars on a part time problem..it does not seem to be getting any more frequent or any worse...so I will just work with it...
Click to expand...

Is there any kind of rubber or plastic fuel line on the Sprinter? Even a couple of inches? I had a straight truck that had the exact same problem. Jason in High Point found it right off. The plastic fuel line was weak from wear and tear, high miles, and sucking itself shut when the engine was under a heavy load, and would suck shut. Once the engine died, the fuel line would pop back to normal again. You really couldn't see it when it was normal. We replaced all the fuel lines, and never again did this problem reoccur.
 
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OntarioVanMan

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
guido4475 said:
Is there any kind of rubber or plastic fuel line on the Sprinter? Even a couple of inches? I had a straight truck that had the exact same problem. Jason in High Point found it right off. The plastic fuel line was weak from wear and tear, high miles, and sucking itself shut when the engine was under a heavy load, and would suck shut. Once the engine died, the fuel line would pop back to normal again. You really couldn't see it when it was normal. We replaced all the fuel lines, and never again did this problem reoccur.
Click to expand...
Great info Dave! Thanks I'll mention it to Wayne...
 
C

coalminer

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
guido4475 said:
Is there any kind of rubber or plastic fuel line on the Sprinter? Even a couple of inches? I had a straight truck that had the exact same problem. Jason in High Point found it right off. The plastic fuel line was weak from wear and tear, high miles, and sucking itself shut when the engine was under a heavy load, and would suck shut. Once the engine died, the fuel line would pop back to normal again. You really couldn't see it when it was normal. We replaced all the fuel lines, and never again did this problem reoccur.
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The 04-06 sprinters have an electric pump in the tank so all of the lines have pressure and not vacuum.

But I can see that happening on a straight truck as I'm sure most of them are sucking the fuel out of the tanks all the way from the tank to the filter to the high pressure pump.

I replaced the fuel lines on my hino a month or so ago because I didn't like how they looked, probably a good preventative item to replace, fuel line is cheap, tow bill is expensive!!!!
 
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guido4475

guido4475

Not a Member
And you haven't replaced it, with all those miles on the van? That would of been my guess on you're problem. It may show good pressure sitting there, but that doesn't mean it's not weak and needs a break once in awhile while under a load.
 
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OntarioVanMan

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
guido4475 said:
And you haven't replaced it, with all those miles on the van? That would of been my guess on you're problem. It may show good pressure sitting there, but that doesn't mean it's not weak and needs a break once in awhile while under a load.
Click to expand...
Nope... I would think the ECM would read low pressure at injector pump or even at filter? But being a sprinter who knows? Lol
 
Turtle

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
My guess is there is crud in the fuel tank cloggin the fuel inlet on the pump. Especially if it's happening more often with 1/2 a tank or less. I'd run a dose of Power Service and a dose of Howes Meaner Kleaner in every tank at least until it's gone through 2 or 3 bottles of each, and see if that doesn't help.

If could be weak injectors or a weak high pressure injector pump, or a combination of both, but I would think that would lead to more of a LHM situation than a total shutdown situation. Weak injectors/pump can cause too much fuel to be returned to the system, resulting in the fuel rail not being able to keep up. Each injector can be tested for its return rate to determine if that's the problem.
 
OntarioVanMan

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
Turtle said:
My guess is there is crud in the fuel tank cloggin the fuel inlet on the pump. Especially if it's happening more often with 1/2 a tank or less. I'd run a dose of Power Service and a dose of Howes Meaner Kleaner in every tank at least until it's gone through 2 or 3 bottles of each, and see if that doesn't help.

If could be weak injectors or a weak high pressure injector pump, or a combination of both, but I would think that would lead to more of a LHM situation than a total shutdown situation. Weak injectors/pump can cause too much fuel to be returned to the system, resulting in the fuel rail not being able to keep up. Each injector can be tested for its return rate to determine if that's the problem.
Click to expand...
reaction time is crucial....if I see the light go on and I get my foot off the pedal fast enough ie: reaction time...it'll go LHM...if not... its like oh crap....:) Only 3x times in the last year or so...if it starts happening and not in overdrive then I might even be more concerned...

I don't want to be spending a ton of money when I am leaving soon....
 
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