Mercedes Benz fuel challenges
Hubby and I have been looking at the Sprinter chassis with the Mercedes diesel engine for several years. We are almost to the point where we can buy. Recently, I have heard some rumblings from 2 fri...
Forum Discussion
I would hope that a bit of common sense would apply to the biodiesel situation. In the link provided by Booster in an earlier post, Mercedes Benz has done a great job of documenting specific concerns they have regarding the different bio formulations, so it's not simply a matter of them hedging their bets against the unknown.
I would assess the warranty impact as follows:
a) You bring in your Sprinter for an alternator failure... MB should replace it under warranty at no cost to you, regardless of what is in your fuel tank.
b) Your oil pump fails under warranty and your crankcase is "clean as a whistle", MB should repair it at no cost.
c) Your oil pump fails under warranty and your crankcase is choked with sludge and there's biodiesel in your tank.... you're on your own for repairs.
Perhaps it doesn't seem fair that you could be held liable for repairs due to use of a fuel that you were essentially forced to use, but neither does it seem reasonable to hold MB responsible for something that is similarly beyond their control as well. Moreover, I can't help but think that issues such as sludging, coking, and filter clogs are not unique to MB - it seems likely that other manufacturers of diesel engines using DEF controls would also be experiencing similar problems with their products.
I would assess the warranty impact as follows:
a) You bring in your Sprinter for an alternator failure... MB should replace it under warranty at no cost to you, regardless of what is in your fuel tank.
b) Your oil pump fails under warranty and your crankcase is "clean as a whistle", MB should repair it at no cost.
c) Your oil pump fails under warranty and your crankcase is choked with sludge and there's biodiesel in your tank.... you're on your own for repairs.
Perhaps it doesn't seem fair that you could be held liable for repairs due to use of a fuel that you were essentially forced to use, but neither does it seem reasonable to hold MB responsible for something that is similarly beyond their control as well. Moreover, I can't help but think that issues such as sludging, coking, and filter clogs are not unique to MB - it seems likely that other manufacturers of diesel engines using DEF controls would also be experiencing similar problems with their products.
