Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Problems

This is an increasingly common problem for people who carry big loads and especially for those who tow heavy trailers. In some cases, as you've discovered, it's very easy to get perilously close to the GVM limit by loading up the vehicle with whatever you're carrying. And that's the catch; the vehicle's GVM includes everything on board including passengers, fuel and whatever accessories you've added to the car, not to mention the actual payload.

Earlier this year, Queensland changed its rules regarding GVM upgrades, but you would need to speak to a specialist workshop that deals with this type of work and is familiar with the QLD regulations which may vary from other states and territories. Companies such as Pedders are qualified to carry-out GVM upgrades on some vehicles and have the engineering experience to offer a package that is certified before it's fitted to your vehicle. Whether the Sprinter's body construction has any bearing on the availability of such a kit is another thing you'd need to check with a specialist.

The problem with exceeding your car's GVM is that it makes its potentially unsafe to drive for both you and other road users. You'll also find yourself in line for a fine and your insurance company is likely to disown you in the case of a crash in an over-loaded vehicle.

Normally it should be about halfway on the scale, but it could go higher than that and not be a problem as long as it doesn’t get close to the top mark.

If it happened shortly after a service it's probably been over-filled when the oil was changed. Draining a small amount of oil out of the engine should fix it. If that's not the cause it could be a faulty sensor, and it might need replacing. If it's happening regularly, and you know the oil fill was correct it could be diesel fuel getting into the oil through a faulty injector.

I've driven both and much prefer the Sprinter. The "manumatic" in the Fiat is not good and I prefer the way the Benz sits on the road, how it performs over bumps and its resistance to crosswinds.

The Sprintshift gearbox is an automated shift manual unit, so I would have the ECU controlling the gearbox checked to find out why it's going into auto mode all the time. I would also seek some form of guarantee from the dealer covering the injectors, and perhaps find out where they're coming from.

The Sprintshift gearbox is like a normal manual gearbox with an automated shift mechanism attached to perform the cog swapping. You need to think of it like a manual gearbox, but in the case of the Sprintshift there is oil in the shift itself. Most 'Benz service specialists recommend changing the oil every 100,000 km.