Roadtrek introduces the RS E-TREK

kendall69 wrote:

bobojay5 wrote:
I can repeat what a Mercedes Sprinter engineer straight from Germany told me at the 2010 Winnebago GNR Rally during a question & answer session.
He said one of the worst things you can do to the V6 engine in this vehicle is to let it idle for more than 10 minutes at a time without driving it for a few miles. It clogs up the EGR & DPF systems which can lead to a CEL and a Limp Home Mode episode which would require a trip to a dealer to remedy.

The Engineer can say what he wants, I'm living with my Sprinter EVERY day, Every day I wait at My child's School and IDLE the vehicle with the air conditioning on. Timing wise it better to wait than drive home and drive back to the school since I'm already near the school at quitting time. It get 100 plus degrees starting shortly and lasts till Sept. Air conditioning is Mandatory, running the engine is mandatory. Winter I need the heat on engine running

Could I do other things in that hour and NOT idle the engine, sure but I get work done, read and listen to the radio, it's my quite time.

The vehicle has never gone to limp mode, fuel mileage has increased the more miles I put on it, It runs smoother today that when it was new.

Any Mercedes Engineer that wants to take my engine apart is welcomed to it.

Id I count the hours that I have idled average 180 school days, take away some day day that I don't idle, let's say 150 days. I figure about 750 HOURS of idle time - give or take.

Engineers can say it, but I'm living it. I figure engineers saying it is a legal ploy. Sorta like all the warnings on cigarettes, manufactures saying if you don't use their oil, their4 fluids, their filters, your car will fall apart etc. etc. BUNK.

I don't use Mercedes filters, use whatever oil I feel like, including Shell, Mobil, AMSOIL which Mercedes refused to recognize as an oil because AMSOIL won't play their game.

Here's some good info
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WUOhqqyu3RY

Kendall I agree with you on the Amsoil. They won't pay Mercedes to be "allowed" to be on their preferred list of oils. Hence, they are not on the approved list.

Otherwise, I've experienced first hand the LHM instances caused by over idling. These were not on a Sprinter, but on 2010, and 2012 Ram 5500 chassis cab Cummins equipped fire trucks. After 2 trips to the dealer for EGR issues.
We were ordered never to let these trucks idle, but to bump them up to the 1200 rpm range if they were to sit for any time in one spot. Since we've adopted that practice over a year ago, no issues.

We all better get back on topic here though, or the mod will close this discussion