Expresscv

so reading on here some saw some posts about the G80 rear end the fact that the van is actually 1wd..?? i dont even really know what that means

this is scaring me
one of my biggest worries about buying a van at all was losing 4wd

wanted one with a G80 but the one i got was a better deal and the G80 was in california

since i plan to get the extended warranty to 100,000 miles not wanting to do mods like the tru trac as much as i would love to put a tru trac in it
would not surprise me if anything that breaks on the van would be blamed on that

not sure on a price to have chevy swap in a G80, figure i would wait for a problem before considering that

then i was reading through my manual and saw about stabiltrack? think that was the name
and a lot about manual mode and the buttons on the shifter, how to use this combo or that for slippery surfaces etc
it sounded like the shifter buttons mitigate/help with slippery surfaces and i do have this manual mode and the buttons

is it still 1wd? and still sucks?

this freaks me out , i would have awd or 4wd on every vehicle i own if possible
i live down a dirt road that can get muddy, although this van will not be down here in the muddy season it still concerns me, i hate not having 4wd

this is the one thing that could mean i will trade into a sprinter van in 4 years
i plan to trade at the end of the extended warranty so adding a bunch of mods is out
although if chevy did not care warrant wise i probably would put a tru trac in , but i am doubting that is the case

so please educate me on this 1wd thing and whether the manual mode, shifter mode, stabiltrack etc is going to help or not

thank you in advance

mountainmanjoe

If you have your owner's manual, it's pretty well described in there.

Briefly, there are two systems.
- StabiliTrak: senses when the vehicle is out of control (going sideways), and selectively applies the brakes to help you recover.
- Traction control: when it detects a wheel losing traction, it selectively applies brakes, and feathers engine power, until you regain traction. This does help a bit, since preventing wheel spin will bias torque to the wheel with traction. But it won't get you out of really bad situations.

You can disable traction control by pressing the button, or both systems by holding it down.

Calling it 1WD is a bit of an exaggeration. With two wheels planted, they are both propelling the vehicle forward. One thing vans have going for them is a good amount of weight over the rear axle. However, any RWD vehicle with an open differential that gets one wheel free spinning (in the air, on ice etc.), and loses momentum, will get stuck.

I don't have any shifter buttons on mine, but what you read was probably about manual gear selection. Using 2nd gear instead of Drive can help to get moving on slippery surfaces.

Driving a van is a unique experience. You'll just have to wait and see if it lives up to your expectations. A Sprinter vans is the same thing, unless you buy the 4x4 model. If you can afford one, buy it, but they aint cheap!

canucklehead

Which is why i love my awd 2013. However, I was quoted 1200 for a tru track in my 2002. 1200 canadian. so 500 us....lol Or you could pick up a used g80 axle with the same gear ratio and swap axles....me, I would get the tru tack.

StanVan

I wouldn't call it an exaggeration. Yes, both wheels get power. But if one breaks loose, the other one is dead. Very disappointing, on a vehicle known for towing. And having that "towing" button on the dash is somewhat mis-leading. It allows one to "assume" things like the G80 option, or a lighting harness for a trailer.

As for a locker, bring up the idea with your dealer. It could be more expensive, but I'd bet if they were doing the labor, it wouldn't affect the warranty. I was buying Da Wifes car back in '05, and the dealer had a P/U on the showroom floor that had as an accessory, an aftermarket tuner. I asked about it, and they said it was covered under the warranty.

mountainmanjoe

Which means that for most people, 90% of the time, it is 2WD. But we get it, you really hate your open diff.

Expresscv

canucklehead

The tow haul button changes the shift points and keeps the tranny from hunting. I use it all the time in stop and go traffic. I hate how the tranny always downshifts if i reapply gas while coasting on level ground. 300 hp can stay in drive.
Last year for awd is 2014. G80 locking diff was an option, but should have been made standard equipment.
Since you already bought your van, go get a locking diff installed. You will see an improvement.

mountainmanjoe

The drivetrain is exactly the same as a RWD truck. Except, as I said, your van has more weight over the axle than a pickup.

Expresscv

will ask at the dealership about installing a tru trac and the price for having a G80 put in and post back

but this is down my list of projects right now
sure it will move up the list quick if the rains start early here this year!


being the owner of 3 mercedes diesels and that exact motor in the sprinter i can tell you they are not super reliable
if your car is your hobby and you like to mess with it a lot mercedes are built well in a lot of respects but overall are high maintenance

the sprinter vans do have better air flow to that motor than say the GL and ML and this helps, but it still has some issues
that being said a lot of it is the emissions systems and all the new diesels have issues with those, not sure if mercedes has more or not

since this is my work vehicle dealing with breakdowns, even minor but often would be a big problem

i tend to have more issues with my cars because i drive 50,000 miles a year for work split between 2-3 cars
hence the plan of trading the van every 4 years when it hits 100,000

have to say my biggest gripe on gm and the main reason i will not buy another is the lousy extended warranty available
100,000 is lower than any other manufacturer i am pretty sure

ford will go 150,000, and i think 200,000 on the diesel
nissan is 5 year 100,000 miles base warranty and i am betting will go longer if you buy extended
pretty sure mercedes is 125,000 or maybe longer

real hassle to have to trade at 4 years instead of 5 especially after all the modification stuff on the inside

this van worked out fine for a quick purchase and the towing capacity is great but the warranty situation really turns me off

if i won the lottery i would buy 2 mercedes 4x4 sprinters and one could be in the shop all the time lol

greenfire

Don't totally dismiss the traction control... its got me out of a few scary situations before.