Sprinter Saz
New Member
Morning All
I have a 2005 Sprinter 311 CDI and am looking to get some advice about three repairs for my van. Thanks in advance for any advice.
1) I am looking to change the four shocks. The van carries medium to heavy loads, and has 180K on the clock. I've owned it for 18 months and don't know if the shocks have ever been changed.
- Do I need to buy the whole shock assembly, or just the piston part?
- Whats the easiest way to tell if I need a whole shock assembly; are there signs of wear I could see from underneath / feel whilst driving?
- The price of these parts varies greatly. Merc parts at the top end, half Merc price parts at the bottom end. Could anyone recommend a good quality part source / brand / breaker etc? Cost is a consideration for me.
2) I need to fit two new windscreen wiper assemblies. Both are shot. The wipers don't work on the fastest wipe setting, and sometimes swing off the edge of the windscreen on the drivers side.
- Any suggestions on where to get such an assembly? Merc or non merc parts? and how they compare in durability.
3) The van has always been gutless on hills whether its loaded or not. I've driven Sprinters for many years and its by far the slowest one I've ever had. Whilst this doesn't particularly bother me, I am curious as to why it might be so slow (speed gets down to 5-10 mph, 1st/2nd gear on a steep hill). I notice that it churns out some grey smoke on steep hills too. I replaced the fuel filter recently thinking that might have been it. This has made the running better on the flat, but no change up hills. Any ideas?
I have a 2005 Sprinter 311 CDI and am looking to get some advice about three repairs for my van. Thanks in advance for any advice.
1) I am looking to change the four shocks. The van carries medium to heavy loads, and has 180K on the clock. I've owned it for 18 months and don't know if the shocks have ever been changed.
- Do I need to buy the whole shock assembly, or just the piston part?
- Whats the easiest way to tell if I need a whole shock assembly; are there signs of wear I could see from underneath / feel whilst driving?
- The price of these parts varies greatly. Merc parts at the top end, half Merc price parts at the bottom end. Could anyone recommend a good quality part source / brand / breaker etc? Cost is a consideration for me.
2) I need to fit two new windscreen wiper assemblies. Both are shot. The wipers don't work on the fastest wipe setting, and sometimes swing off the edge of the windscreen on the drivers side.
- Any suggestions on where to get such an assembly? Merc or non merc parts? and how they compare in durability.
3) The van has always been gutless on hills whether its loaded or not. I've driven Sprinters for many years and its by far the slowest one I've ever had. Whilst this doesn't particularly bother me, I am curious as to why it might be so slow (speed gets down to 5-10 mph, 1st/2nd gear on a steep hill). I notice that it churns out some grey smoke on steep hills too. I replaced the fuel filter recently thinking that might have been it. This has made the running better on the flat, but no change up hills. Any ideas?
