Hodakaguy's 4x4 Sprinter Build

crazyhorse90210

New member
Milton 1/4" Male Air Fitting (Quantity 1) - On Amazon Here: CLICK HERE
Milton 1/4" Quick Coupler Air Fitting Male (Quantity 2) - On Amazon Here: CLICK HERE
Milton 1/4" Quick Coupler Air Fitting Female (Quantity 1) - On Amazon Here: CLICK HERE
Milton 1/4" Female Air Fitting (Quantity 3) - On Amazon Here: CLICK HERE

Hey Tom, I'm (mostly) duplicating the system on my Tacoma (which used to be your Tacoma) and you have M and V fittings mixed here. If someone orders this setup through your links it won't work. Don't ask me how I know...

V Quick Couplers will work with M plugs but not the other way around, which is how you have the links.

Amazon has the Milton S-765 1/4" MNPT V-Style Male Coupler but not the Milton S-764 1/4" FNPT V Style Female Coupler as far as I could see. (Maybe that's why you used M Style but then you need to change the plug end links to M-style as well. High flow won't matter on this system much.)

wes
 

Hodakaguy

Adventurer
Hey Tom, I'm (mostly) duplicating the system on my Tacoma (which used to be your Tacoma) and you have M and V fittings mixed here. If someone orders this setup through your links it won't work. Don't ask me how I know...

V Quick Couplers will work with M plugs but not the other way around, which is how you have the links.

Amazon has the Milton S-765 1/4" MNPT V-Style Male Coupler but not the Milton S-764 1/4" FNPT V Style Female Coupler as far as I could see. (Maybe that's why you used M https://amzn.to/3sK95BbStyle but then you need to change the plug end links to M-style as well. High flow won't matter on this system much.)

wes

Oh dang! Sorry about that, I'll get it fixed asap. Looks like they have the V coupler with a male end included here: https://amzn.to/3sK95Bb

Hodakaguy
 

Hodakaguy

Adventurer
Hello Folks, for those who have followed me on my past builds this won't be a surprise :). Squirrel mode has once again kicked in and our van is now up for sale. I sold the last vehicle to fund an airplane and ended up building the van instead, now I'm selling the van to make the airplane dream a reality.

If your looking for a quality turn key Adventure Van look no further!. Sales ad here: https://expeditionportal.com/forum/...eady-with-tons-of-extras.234059/#post-3041484

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Hodakaguy
 

anand

New member
Good luck with the sale, it'll definitely be a gem for the lucky buyer....

What sort of winged adventure are you heading into?
 

Hodakaguy

Adventurer
Update time. We had the van up for sale for a very short time and decided we use it to much so took it off the market. With camping season fast approaching it's time to get a few things done on the van.

I'm tired of constantly unzipping the Mule bag every time I need a paper towel sooooooo......Time to fix that!

I ordered a ratcheting paper towel holder from Amazon (The ratcheting units prevent the towels from unrolling when going down the road or tearing a towel off the road. See video below). Once I had the holder in hand it was time to fabricate a mounting plate to mount it on my L-track in the van.

Supplies used:

Note: The links below are my Amazon Affiliate links, I make a small portion each time someone purchases from Amazon using one of my links, at no extra cost to the buyer. I only provide links to items that I personally like and use myself. i use the money to put back into my builds and support making videos/posts. If you prefer not to use my links you can search for the same items directly off Amazon. Thank you for the support!

Paper Towel Holder: CLICK HERE


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I'm using a piece of 1/4" aluminum flat bar to fabricate the adapter/mount for the towel holder. I'll use L-track studs to mount the assembly into the van.


Holes drilled for the mounting studs.

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Trimming down the factory towel holder mount to match the width of the aluminum plate.

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Marking the corners to round them off.

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Drilling and tapping holes for the mounting plate.

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Tip for tapping aluminum. Use Anti-Seize for lubricant on the tap, it will prevent galling between the tap and the aluminum.

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Fresh satin black paint on the mounting bracket assembly.

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Continued Below.....
 

Hodakaguy

Adventurer
Continued from above....

I decided to mount the towel holder in front of the forward Mule bag, I have a nice open space in that location and it's a perfect location for easy access.

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Mounted onto the L-track.

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And a roll of towels installed.

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And a quick video showing how the ratcheting function works, This unit is slick! Click the link below.

https://photos.smugmug.com/Sprinter...X4sW/0/f805079d/1920/20230205_140704-1920.mp4


Hodakaguy
 

jgaz

Adventurer
Glad you’re keeping the sprinter, and keeping us updated on the mods.

Love you the how to tips but have one question.
Since you opened the can of anti seize how many unwanted places have you found the paste? I know you know what I’m talking about:ROFLMAO:
 

ExpoMike

Well-known member
Nice work on the holder. 1/4" plate might have been a little overkill :ROFLMAO:

You'll want to find something to go around the paper towels. If you get any wind blowing on that (like from your window being down and driving), you'll find they will self unroll around itself. Ask me how I know. LOL
 

Farfrumwork

Well-known member
Glad to see you back!

Is it just me (and maybe my work computer) that can't see the images any more in this thread?

I was previously able to enjoy the plethora of info provided by the images... bummer

no photo.JPG
 

Hodakaguy

Adventurer
Glad you’re keeping the sprinter, and keeping us updated on the mods.

Love you the how to tips but have one question.
Since you opened the can of anti seize how many unwanted places have you found the paste? I know you know what I’m talking about:ROFLMAO:

Oh yes...open the lid and 5 min later your Tin Man lol.
 

Hodakaguy

Adventurer
Nice work on the holder. 1/4" plate might have been a little overkill :ROFLMAO:

You'll want to find something to go around the paper towels. If you get any wind blowing on that (like from your window being down and driving), you'll find they will self unroll around itself. Ask me how I know. LOL

Thanks for the tip, I'll keep an eye on it. It should be rock solid ?

Hodakaguy
 

Hodakaguy

Adventurer
Glad to see you back!

Is it just me (and maybe my work computer) that can't see the images any more in this thread?

I was previously able to enjoy the plethora of info provided by the images... bummer

View attachment 764961


Thanks Mate. Looks to be your work computer, all the pics are showing on my end. Maybe try on your cell ?

Hodakaguy
 
Last edited:

Hodakaguy

Adventurer
Installed a larger fuel tank? Need to have the J51 fuel gauge program installed so your gauge works correctly? Easily....do it yourself !! No dealer needed!

A while back I installed a new S&B 47 gallon fuel tank in our 2017 4x4 Sprinter (NCV3) and afterwards my gauge wasn't quite working correctly. I was told the fix is to have Mercedes flash the J51 fuel program (Description below) into my van to fix the gauge issue, but when I stopped by my dealer I was told that Mercedes will no longer allow dealers to flash the J51 program if you've modified your fuel system...including installing a larger tank. Dang! Time for a different solution.

Note on the J51 Fuel Program: Mercedes has two programs they use to determine how your fuel gauge functions. With their Fuel Tank Algorithm Activated the level sender in the fuel tank tells the computer when the tank is full and then the computer stops using the float and the gauge is an estimation of fuel left from that point on, based on fuel consumption etc) But if you have a diesel heater installed that's pulling fuel from the tank each night then the van won't know this extra fuel is being used and the gauge won't reflect this, you could end up with an empty tank and the fuel gauge still showing fuel. No good!.....Enter the second fuel program.
When the Fuel Tank Algorithm is Deactivated (J51 program) then the gauge actually uses the fuel sender in the fuel tank at all times and shows you a legitimate reading through the range, even if something like a diesel heater is using extra fuel. (Note that your range to empty will still be inaccurate, but the gauge will function correctly). Perfect! Just remember that when the gauge is empty it will be Empty with very little reserve.)

I read that the Thinkdiag brand of scan tools have the ability to not only scan and reset codes but will allow you to perform variant coding...which is where you change the fuel/gauge programs. Also I read where people have successfully used these tools to Install the J51 program in Sprinters...yes! (J51 = Deactivate the Fuel Tank Algorithm). With that i ordered the Thinkdiag 2 programmer ($119 on Amazon "link Below") and anxiously waited for it to arrive. The Thinkdiag2 plugs into your OBD2 port and uses your phone or a tablet (need internet connection) to control the system via Bluetooth.
Fast forward to today and I successfully and easily installed the J51 program in minutes! This tool will be awesome to carry in the van as it is a powerful troubleshooting tool as well allowing you to manually force systems, plus does normal stuff like clear SRS codes, etc.

Note on Android vs IPhone: The Thinkdiag app is available on both platforms but has limited functionality with the Iphone. On the Iphone changing Variant coding isn't available. If you want to change variant codes (like the fuel programs) then that can only be done on the Android platform/App.

After downloading the Thinkdiag+ app and entering the serial number and activation code included with the unit I was ready to get started. I took screen shots to step you through the entire process if you are looking to do the same setup
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I tested this on my fathers VS30 (2021 Revel) and although there is a TON of Variant coding available I couldn't locate the ability to change the Fuel programing for the gauge cluster like I could on the NCV3 models. It's still an awesome powerful tool to carry with you in the van but appears it can't flash the J51 program on the newer vans if that's what your after.


Supplies used:

Note: The links below are my Amazon Affiliate links, I make a small portion each time someone purchases from Amazon using one of my links, at no extra cost to the buyer. I only provide links to items that I personally like and use myself. i use the money to put back into my builds and support making videos/posts. If you prefer not to use my links you can search for the same items directly off Amazon. Thank you for the support!


Thinkdiag2 Scan Tool: CLICK HERE


The tool comes nicely packaged and a zip up carry case is included.

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After you register the unit (Comes with a 1 year activation code) and update the firmware on the device through the phone app your ready to go. Let's get into installing the J51 Code. 1st Turn your ignition key to the "On" position and click on the "All Systems Diagnostic button".

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Next click on "Vin Decoding". The unit will locate your vin and verify the vehicle model and year your working with.

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Next press "Automatically Search".

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Next select your year range, for me it is 2013 and up.

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Diesel engine for me

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Left hand steering.

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Automatic Transmission

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Next click "System Selection".

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Now click "Information and Communication"

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Next is "Variant Coding". This is where we we will find/change the Fuel Programs for the Level Gauge.

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Now we select "Instrument Cluster"

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Continued Below....
 
Last edited:

Hodakaguy

Adventurer
Continued from above...

Now select "Fuel Tank"

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We are after item number 3 here. We want the New Tank Algorithm to say Deactivated. Here we can see it's Activated on my van. (J51 Fuel program = Deactivated on the New Tank Algorithm). Click on number 3.

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Next Click Deactivated then scroll to the bottom of the page.

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Click "OK" to accept Deactivated.

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Now we show "Deactivated" on number 3 but we haven't written the change to the ECU yet. To save the changes to the van Click "Writing Code" in the lower left corner and follow next steps.

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Press "Yes" to confirm that you want to write the change to the ECU.

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Next turn the Ignition Switch to "Off" then press ok

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Turn the Ignition Switch back to "On" and press ok.

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And your done, J51 Fuel Program is now installed!

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Hope this helps.

Hodakaguy
 

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