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Before you buy a used Mercedes-Benz Sprinter (NCV3).

2006–2018 · Diesel · 3 engines

Taken only from Testigo's sourced sheets. Use it to question the seller and on the test drive: it does not confirm that any particular car is affected.

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter (NCV3), real photo of this generation
Rudolf Stricker · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo source

The essentials.

Typical faults by engine

The period and mileage are those mentioned by each sheet's sources. They are not a maintenance interval and do not predict that any particular car will fail.

All versions

Sheets the catalogue links to all 3 of its engines.

  • 7G-Tronic conductor plateGearbox
    Period mentioned
    2004 onwards (more failures in 2004–2008)
    Mileage mentioned
    The sheet does not mention a mileage.

    Applies if: Only if fitted with 7G-Tronic. Confirm the gearbox type.

  • 13-pin connector leak on the 722.6 gearboxAutomatic gearbox
    Period mentioned
    1996–2013
    Mileage mentioned
    The sheet does not mention a mileage.

    Applies if: Only if fitted with the automatic gearbox described in the record.

2.1 CDI (OM646, hasta 2009)

Diesel

2.1 CDI (OM651, desde 2009)

Diesel

3.0 V6 CDI (OM642)

Diesel

Which engine has the fewest documented faults?

Documented faults and recalls by engine for the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter (NCV3)
EngineDocumented faults
2.1 CDI (OM646, hasta 2009)DieselFewest documented32 with conditions
2.1 CDI (OM651, desde 2009)DieselFewest documented32 with conditions
3.0 V6 CDI (OM642)Diesel42 with conditions

According to the data we have, the engines with the fewest documented faults are: 2.1 CDI (OM646, hasta 2009) (Diesel), 2.1 CDI (OM651, desde 2009) (Diesel).

We only count the sourced sheets we have. An engine with fewer is not guaranteed to be more reliable: it may have been studied less or sold in smaller numbers.

Official recalls: ask before you pay

We have no official recalls on record for this model. Our list is not complete: ask anyway, with the chassis number.

  1. Ask the seller for the chassis number (VIN): it has 17 characters, appears in the car's documents and can usually also be seen at the base of the windscreen.
  2. Ask an official Mercedes-Benz dealer, or the brand's official website if it lets you check by chassis number, whether each recall has been done or is still outstanding for that VIN.
  3. Manufacturer recalls are normally carried out free of charge by the official service network. If one is outstanding, ask for it to be done before you close the sale.

On the test drive: what to look and listen for

Taken from each sheet's symptoms and checks. You can tick off what you have already looked at: it is saved only in this browser.

0 of 6 checked

Injection / intake

  • Look out for: Puffing or “chuffing” at idle, a diesel smell under the engine cover and a hard black crust around the injectors; power loss from sooted intake flaps or turbo.

    Ask them to check: Remove the engine cover and look for black residue around the injectors, listen at idle and check the intake flaps.

Timing / injection

  • Look out for: Chain rattle on a cold start; on early units, loud injector knocking; coolant loss from the plastic coolant manifold or the EGR cooler.

    Ask them to check: Listen to a cold start, check the dealer's injector campaign history and check the coolant level.

Oil leaks / injectors

  • Look out for: Oil pooling in the engine's V, burning oil smell, drips under the engine; or a hiss or chirp next to an injector with an exhaust smell.

    Ask them to check: Visual inspection of the engine's V and the base of the injectors.

Intake / engine management

  • Look out for: Bucking or surging always between 1,700 and 1,900 rpm, especially on level roads with a light load; above and below that it runs fine. Sometimes with EGR valve codes and the engine warning light.

    Ask them to check: Note the exact rpm at which it happens. At the garage, the manufacturer's test is to unplug the EGR valve and test drive: if the bucking disappears, the EGR is cleaned before replacing injectors or the turbo.

Gearbox

  • Look out for: Gearbox stuck in 2nd or 3rd (limp mode), harsh shifts, delay engaging D or R, gearbox warning often without an engine light; turning off and restarting clears it for a while.

    Ask them to check: Diagnose with Xentry/STAR to see the sub-codes (a basic reader only shows P0700). Check for oil in the gearbox connector.

Automatic gearbox

  • Look out for: Oil around the electrical connector on the side of the gearbox, harsh shifts or slipping, delayed engagement and limp mode: the car stays in one gear (usually 2nd and reverse after a restart) and the engine light comes on.

    Ask them to check: Read the gearbox control unit codes before switching off if possible (a restart can clear them). Look for oil at the connector and, with it unplugged, on its pins and at the control unit plug. According to the service bulletin, the connector should only be removed with gearbox oil below 50 °C to avoid damaging the conductor plate, and the harness must be routed without tension.

OBD codes worth looking for

If they let you read the fault memory with an OBD reader, these are the codes mentioned in this model's sheets:

P0700P0705P0706P0710P0717P0718P0715P0720

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from these Testigo sheets and their original sources. Sources are not checked in real time.

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