April 1st – no joke – began with the best intentions: yoga and tackling mundane errands like laundry, groceries, and the post office. Hopping into my Mercedes Sprinter Van, I started the engine and pulled away from my parking spot, ready to conquer the day. However, my plans took an unexpected detour, and not the scenic kind.
Less than a hundred feet into my drive, the van began to sputter, quickly losing power and stalling. Initially, I wasn’t too concerned and tried restarting it. With some hesitation, it came back to life, but my relief was short-lived. Barely another hundred feet later, the sputtering returned, and the van struggled to move forward with any conviction.
Luckily, I was still on a quiet residential street, and my priority shifted to avoiding a complete breakdown in the middle of the road. I managed to pull over to the curb and parked, keeping the engine running, hoping it was just a temporary glitch.
The sputtering persisted, so I decided to call the nearest Mercedes-Benz dealership service department. They suggested bringing the van in immediately. For a moment, the engine smoothed out, humming normally, and I almost convinced myself it was nothing serious. But just as I was about to dismiss it, the van stalled completely again, leaving no room for doubt.
It was time to call in the professionals. I reached for my AAA card and initiated the roadside assistance process. This marked only my second time using AAA since embracing van life, and I was once again impressed by their efficient system. (My first AAA experience involved accidentally locking my dog, Bruce Leroy, inside the van – a truly stressful moment!).
AAA’s online tool indicated a tow truck would arrive within five minutes. The incredibly prompt service caught me slightly off guard, and I rushed to prepare the van for towing. I quickly secured everything inside and gathered essentials I might need for a couple of days, anticipating a potentially lengthy service appointment.
One crucial step was removing a galley drawer entirely. One of its push-button latches was faulty, and I didn’t want it flying open during towing or while at the service center. Safety first!
Finally, I emptied the perishables from our Dometic cooler and used the Goal Zero App to switch off the 110-volt, USB, and 12-volt plugs connected to our Goal Zero Yeti 6000x power station, which serves as our van’s electrical heart.
I opted not to completely power down the Goal Zero as the battery was at a healthy 63%, and nothing was actively drawing power. My reasoning was that the solar panels could continue charging the battery while the van was being towed and potentially sitting in the Mercedes parking lot, possibly under open sky. If the van were to be stuck in service for more than a couple of days, I could always return and fully power it down. Fingers crossed that wouldn’t be necessary!
Just as I finished my preparations, a flatbed tow truck pulled up in front of the van – a mere ten minutes after my call. Impressed by the speed and efficiency, I greeted the driver.
The driver, hoping to save time and effort, attempted to start the Mercedes Sprinter van and drive it onto the flatbed. We briefly shared a glimmer of hope when he managed to coax it into starting. However, as soon as he tried to accelerate up the ramp, it stalled again, dashing our hopes. Undeterred, and with some skillful maneuvering, he successfully loaded the van, securing it for its journey to the Mercedes-Benz dealership.
As soon as the van arrived at Mercedes, a service advisor called me. Imagine my surprise and slight frustration when he informed me that the van started without any hesitation and was running perfectly fine in their service bay.
I explained that the van had been sitting for three days prior to this incident, which shouldn’t be an issue for a modern vehicle. However, I wondered if that could have played a role. I also suggested a possible fuel filter issue, as the van was likely approaching its next service interval. After a busy winter of travels, I suspected some build-up of grime in the fuel system.
The van hadn’t displayed any warning lights or error codes on the dashboard, so the Mercedes technicians would proceed with a thorough diagnosis. The initial diagnosis itself came with a $299 price tag, and I was still uncertain whether the warranty would cover any potential repairs and parts. Immediately after hanging up, I started scouring my inbox for any Mercedes-Benz service coupons to soften the financial blow.
While awaiting a status update from the service team, I thought I’d share this latest van life adventure – or misadventure – with the community. Interestingly, this wasn’t our first Sprinter towing experience. I previously wrote about towing our 2019 Winnebago Revel, built on a 2018 Mercedes Sprinter chassis. That earlier article even includes some helpful tips for anyone facing a roadside assistance situation with their van.
April 2nd Update: The Mystery Deepens
One of the commendable aspects of Mercedes-Benz service is the direct line of communication you establish with your dedicated service advisor throughout the repair process. Upon the van’s arrival at the shop, you receive a text message, facilitating easy communication via text or phone calls.
This morning, I exchanged text messages and had a phone conversation with my service advisor, Jesse. The perplexing news? They had been completely unable to replicate the stalling issue. The Mercedes Sprinter van was starting and running flawlessly for them.
Jesse, clearly trying to solve the puzzle, posed a few questions to gather more context. Was the van parked on an incline? No. When was the last time we refueled? Five days prior. And a more specific question: when did we replace the original fuel tank with this 47-gallon fuel tank replacement? The larger fuel tank, a component of the van conversion completed by Van America in November 2022, was indeed a modification.
The service advisor mentioned that Sprinter van owners who leave their vehicles sitting for extended periods might encounter similar issues, but our situation seemed somewhat unusual given the relatively short downtime and recent usage.
Frankly, I didn’t have any profound insights to offer. However, their proposed course of action was to let the van sit overnight again and attempt to replicate the issue once more the following morning. If the rough idle and stalling remained elusive, their plan was to proceed with replacing the EGR valve. Since our warranty would likely cover this, they reasoned it was a worthwhile diagnostic step.
Apparently, replacing the EGR valve had resolved similar symptoms in other Mercedes Sprinter vans. The theory was that carbon buildup could be clogging the EGR valve, leading to the stalling we experienced. So, the EGR valve emerged as the prime suspect. I was left to wait until the next day to learn the fate of our Mercedes Sprinter van and the resolution of this unexpected towing saga.
