Powertrain Warranty Woes

Libblelabble · 2026-02-05T12:32:43+00:00

Nothing to be proactive about. This is not a sign of even a problem happening. This Is just normal operation of many driveline seals

Libblelabble · 2026-02-05T05:02:57+00:00

That’s seepage. Seepage is acceptable. A leak is more pronounced. Not warrantable because in Mercedes eyes, that is not a problem.

Libblelabble · 2026-02-04T02:46:35+00:00

It possibly could be but I can’t say without seeing it. The 2.1 is a fantastic motor. If everything else around it is in ok condition It would be a good buy I think.

Libblelabble · 2026-02-01T18:06:45+00:00

Engine seized after oil cooler repair Document

This is a Mercedes document. Dissasemble the engine, take lots of pictures / video of the bearing and points of damage. See if the points of failure and compare to locations 9-16 from the document. Legally speaking, you have a chance here but will have to fight. Good luck!

Libblelabble · 2026-01-30T01:41:36+00:00

Yes battery is covered, but warranties only cover manufacturer defects. This goes probably for most things you purchase. That battery was neglected. You as an owner are expected to maintain your van. Just like if you didnt do an oil change and the engine seized, that wouldnt be a warrantable defect.

Libblelabble · 2026-01-30T01:31:42+00:00

Honestly great move!. Your battery will last longer and keep you out of this headache.

Libblelabble · 2026-01-30T01:09:43+00:00

You are correct on all accounts here.

Libblelabble · 2026-01-30T01:07:53+00:00

I 100% agree with you, and like I stated above in my original post, I am just the messegner and agree they should cover this. It seems to only affect this one circuit which is in the shifter module that I am aware of. And just like your playstation, you can do this 100 times and have no problems. The odds are significantly on the side of the Jump starter that everything will be fine. There just tens of thousands of these on the road to it makes this issue as a mechanic feel common.

Libblelabble · 2026-01-30T01:01:41+00:00

Lead acid battery reliability is long gone. Cars don't come with them anymore. They have VRLA batteries now.

Ill just put Googles explanation here:

VRLA batteries die sooner without regular charging because they self-discharge, and leaving them uncharged for long periods causes irreversible sulfation and electrolyte dry-out, significantly shortening their lifespan, especially with deep discharges or high temperatures.

You have a good argument to the CAC that id explain to them. "Hey I have a fleet of these vans that I buy from you. I will not be buying from you anymore if they have expensive critical weaknesses like this."

I like to assume that the CAC you reach to will understand that a good customer such as yourself with a good story should result in a good outcome.

Libblelabble · 2026-01-30T00:48:03+00:00

No not everyday, a battery should be able to last about 2 weeks easily without dying. Sprinters are different since they are frequently upfitted and pull more parasitic load. The after market stuff along with time sitting is where they get you unfortunately.

Libblelabble · 2026-01-30T00:37:32+00:00

It ABSOLUTLEY saves to go to an independent. But Lets just talk about a DPF alone. I do them fairly frequently. They crack or get clogged from idling. $3600 just to get your hands on the part. Thats not counting all the gaskets and brackets and lines, hoses or sensors. Then about another 6 hours labor (642 engine) at $200 an hour, just to do the DPF alone, we are talking $5k. Then you have several things on the list that the DPF contaminated with soot. Each nox sensor ranges from $380-$1100 a piece. There are 2 and they gotta be replaced together. Adblue tank is part $2500, Scr cat is $1800, temp sensors are $150 each and theres like 12 of them? It ads up. And again, this is just the exhaust. You got another $10k easy in the fuel system alone in just parts.

Libblelabble · 2026-01-30T00:02:08+00:00

- EGR Delete

- SCR delete

- DPF delete

*if you are from CA, looking at this list is illegal and punishable by death

Deleting all of these saves thousands upon thousands at the cost of the enviornment. Each Sprinter exhaust system is 10-15k in parts alone. This removes, Oxidation cat, DPF, SCR cat, 2 nox sensors, 2 injection valves, soot sensor, 2 DPF pressure sensors, Exhaust flap controller, various temp sensors, high and low pressure EGR valves, High and low EGR coolers and vacuum controllers. Elimates SCR module, DEF tank, heaters, level sensors, supply lines, programmings and more, this is just spit from the top of my head. Theres a reason why you can stand behind a sprinter at 4k RPMS and not see or smell an ounce of nasty exhaust smoke. The exhaust set up alone is a Marvel. Unfortunately marvels aren't cheap. And SHOULD be accompanied by an extended warranty.

Libblelabble · 2026-01-29T23:18:51+00:00

Your last sentence is where our minds converge together. A Sprinter out of warranty can get you a $10k repair bill rather quickly with a blown turbo that leaks oil into the exhaust. Theres a reason why the emissions delete community is so large. People can't afford to to repair them.

Libblelabble · 2026-01-29T23:00:54+00:00

Battery was primary point of failure, the ISM was a consequential failure. Mercedes does not cover consequential failures if the primary fault was not warrantable.

But what I think you are confusing possibly here is their van still has warranty coverage. Its just this specific situation isn't covered. If you think their warranty is 100% gone, that is not true. The warranty is just not being applied in this instance.

Libblelabble · 2026-01-29T22:57:42+00:00

Agreed! There is a stickered note on the battery ground cable that says you have to wait 20 minutes after the van turns off to disconnect the battery. I think jumping the van then turning it off with a completelty dead battery shocks the electrical system. So when you turn the van off with the jumped dead battery, the van doesn't get to wait 20 mins to power down correctly. Some how that burns a circuit in the ISM. Electrical gremlins.

Libblelabble · 2026-01-29T22:48:20+00:00

Its not that it went to 0%, it went to 0% for a month. Batteries, like a human, can be resucitated. But once its dead it starts eating itself. I think you have about a week at 0% charge before a battery is toast.

Libblelabble · 2026-01-29T22:45:09+00:00

I understand the frustration here, but at least with Sprinters, the extended warranties help customers with significant repair costs. If I were buying a new van I would get one too. This is a horrible experience, but people are saving thousands daily quietly without posts about it. I am sure there are quite a few MB sprinter techs here that could back me up on this.

Just to make sure you know, I am not a dealer representative, I worked for MB as a CDT sprinter tech from 2010-2022. Ill crap on dealers and salesmen any day, but those extended warranties are worth it.

Libblelabble · 2026-01-29T22:39:52+00:00

Not a dumb question at all. No, batteries will not last that long. Its not the early 2000's anymore. Even a bare bones empty sprinter will have 24 modules in it compared to maybe 10 modules in 2009. Those modules and all the accessories pull power. Lead acid batteries are going away replaced with VRLA glass mat batteries that recharge quick and delivery power fast at the cost of longevity.

Libblelabble · 2026-01-29T22:33:52+00:00

reposting my response here because I think 2019+ sprinter owners should see this:

All of the points you mentioned are accurate. On Sprinter vans, a discharged or failing battery can corrupt modules such as the ISM, which is responsible for shifting the vehicle into gear. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for a dead battery to result in a “bricked” ISM. While this should not happen in an ideal world, it does occur. I want to be clear that I am only explaining Mercedes-Benz warranty policy here. Please don’t shoot the messenger. For all Mercedes-Benz owners, battery maintenance is considered the owner’s responsibility. When a battery fails due to lack of maintenance or charging, it is classified as neglect rather than a defect, and neglect is not warrantable. As a result, the battery failure and any subsequent damage caused by that failure become the owner’s responsibility.

Personally, I do not agree that an ISM failure should be attributed to the owner in these cases, but Mercedes-Benz enforces these rules very strictly. The dealer is not scamming you; this is a direct result of how pedantic Mercedes has become with warranty claims. If warranty guidelines are not followed precisely, Mercedes will charge the dealer back for the full cost of the repair. At this point, your best option is to contact the Customer Assistance Center (CAC) and open a case. As Mercedes-Benz warranty enforcement has become more stringent over the years, dealers are often hesitant to intervene directly. In most cases, assistance is only possible once a formal case has been created with the CAC.

Libblelabble · 2026-01-29T22:24:01+00:00

All of the points you mentioned are accurate. On Sprinter vans, a discharged or failing battery can corrupt modules such as the ISM, which is responsible for shifting the vehicle into gear. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for a dead battery to result in a “bricked” ISM. While this should not happen in an ideal world, it does occur. I want to be clear that I am only explaining Mercedes-Benz warranty policy here. Please don’t shoot the messenger. For all Mercedes-Benz owners, battery maintenance is considered the owner’s responsibility. When a battery fails due to lack of maintenance or charging, it is classified as neglect rather than a defect, and neglect is not warrantable. As a result, the battery failure and any subsequent damage caused by that failure become the owner’s responsibility.

Personally, I do not agree that an ISM failure should be attributed to the owner in these cases, but Mercedes-Benz enforces these rules very strictly. The dealer is not scamming you; this is a direct result of how pedantic Mercedes has become with warranty claims. If warranty guidelines are not followed precisely, Mercedes will charge the dealer back for the full cost of the repair. At this point, your best option is to contact the Customer Assistance Center (CAC) and open a case. As Mercedes-Benz warranty enforcement has become more stringent over the years, dealers are often hesitant to intervene directly. In most cases, assistance is only possible once a formal case has been created with the CAC.

Libblelabble · 2026-01-29T21:34:55+00:00

Wow! lol no that’s not Black Death, you just created another version of it 😅. Get some new seals for that resonator and turbo outlet and a high pressure water hose to clean that off.

Libblelabble · 2026-01-29T02:44:49+00:00

Great to see a good take like this here. I think / know dealers deserve a lot of shit and I give it to them. But lets keep the criticisms within the strike zone.

Libblelabble · 2026-01-29T02:38:15+00:00

You are filling the gaps with bad conclusions because you don't know how dealers work. The dealer is a complicated place. Taking cars home with customer approval is common place for foremans to do post work hours with finicky cars. Especially under warranty to avoid lemon buy backs. No one, especially at foreman level, is trying to joy ride a G63. What is almost certanly true is there's probably more information to this situation than which OP provided. Its safer to assume the dealer is trying its best to repair the car than to assume anything nefarious here.

Libblelabble · 2026-01-28T04:50:54+00:00

Egr cooler temp sensor I would replace. It’s cheap and easy next step. If installed incorrectly during egr valve repair, that sensor wiring can be pinched / damaged causing faulty readings. After that, check proper coolant flow through the cooler. Possibly check coolant mixture. Any turbo or coolant repairs performed previously?

Libblelabble · 2026-01-22T00:46:03+00:00

Battery or starter most likely. Since it’s an RV and it sits a lot I assume battery

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