Club 80-90 Forums

my diesel sprinter has done nearly 600 000 miles

Sounds more like a marathoner than a sprinter

but there is also the slight thing about nice flat torque curve, better fuel consumption and cheaper fuel (in most countries), making them more suited to trucks, rather than just sheer longevity and low maintenance.

..but I think you win all the same

Just a shame VW didn't have a really suitable one ready during the '80-'90 era for our vans... which was probably Matt's point.

I'd say they're about evenly matched on longevity but the diesels are less trouble until their lifetime finally runs out, itself a function of the poor installation in these vehicles as much as the diesel engines themselves.

Oh! And there's 4 Syncros leaving the UK for Morocco and the Sahara soon... I think I'm right in saying they're all diesels, but a bit more modern than '80-'90 era ones.

And there's 4 Syncros leaving the UK for Morocco and the Sahara soon

would that be the trip claire and jake are going on?

Yes

matt wrote:true, but the sprinter design is 15 years newer

!

And already has a really good repuation for going bang. I visited a commercial garage a few weeks ago, they did all makes not just mercs all around the edges of the workshop were blown sprinter engines most with a rod out of the side and a couple with broken timing chains. I know people will say there work horses but transits (the work horse before the sprinter) were never that un reliable.

And then theres the rust seams.

...reputation for going bang.

Not that the typical WVM drivers have anything to do with it...

or that they're meant to run for weeks at 90mph into headwinds up inclines after skipping or delaying a service oil change. Bet a good few of those are no, low or dirty oil jobbies

HarryMann wrote:

...reputation for going bang.

Not that the typical WVM drivers have anything to do with it...

or that they're meant to run for weeks at 90mph into headwinds up inclines after skipping or delaying a service oil change. Bet a good few of those are no, low or dirty oil jobbies

I won't say what company the engines came out of but they are a huge international company who i will doubt penny pinch on maintance. My dad drives for them and had a t4 with over 400k all town work with few problems, he now has a sprinter. The t4 is still going but at a different depot.

Also trannys were driven by mad people, they did not break engines easy.

That must add up to quite a bill then if Mercedes aren't falling over themselves to support some out of warranty failures.
I hear Bedford are quite good on that - and maybe have to be as their Astra diesels don't have an impeccable repuation. Often smokey, break oil pumps etc..

HarryMann wrote:That must add up to quite a bill then if Mercedes aren't falling over themselves to support some out of warranty failures.
I hear Bedford are quite good on that - and maybe have to be as their Astra diesels don't have an impeccable repuation. Often smokey, break oil pumps etc..

I don't think they will be warranty, its not a merc agent and there not sending old units back.

Merc are now in general getting a really bad repuation in the trade for bad engineering and poor rust protection. Its no wonder that in last years customer satisfaction survey there was only 3 makers lower than them and they came from france.

anyway, me ane the DIESEL sprinter did another 400 miles again today, same again tomorrow, and back in time for lunch, like clockwork. 6o mph. 90mph wrecks engines !
The original question was is a diesel lump worth getting, for an answer to that question telephone scania, volvo, mercedes, man, rolls royce etc.

Yup the TDI lump for me cruise at 60 all day towing a Unimog with flat tyres
well 60 all day uphill forget the Unimog

sprinter, lt35, exactly the same van