Sprinter outside temperature sensor issue

My 2006 Mercedes Sprinter with a gasoline engine is throwing a fault code related to the outside vehicle temperature sensor. It's got about 147881 km on the clock. The air conditioning won't kick on, the spray nozzles are freezing up when it's cold, and the mirror heating is MIA. I'm guessing it's the sensor itself or maybe a wiring issue to the vehicle temperature gauge? Anyone seen this before? Is it a straightforward sensor replacement or am I looking at sensor diagnostics or even sensor calibration?

4 comment(s)

Whoa, sounds familiar! I had something similar happen with my Sprinter. Same symptoms – AC dead, and those pesky nozzles iced over. It was indeed the outside air vehicle temperature sensor. Before you tear everything apart, check the connection. On mine, it was just a corroded plug. Give it a good clean with some electrical contact cleaner. Might save you some cash!

Thanks for the quick reply! Where exactly is that vehicle temperature sensor located on your Sprinter? And what kind of connection am I looking for? Is it just a standard plug, or something more involved? Is there a way to test the existing vehicle temperature gauge?

Okay, on mine, it's located behind the front bumper, kinda near the fog light. The plug is pretty standard, a small two-wire connector. Honestly, without proper equipment, testing the actual sensor is tricky. If cleaning the connector doesn't work, my advice? Take it to a decent shop. It shouldn't cost too much to diagnose properly and replace the sensor if needed. I think I paid around 95€ for the vehicle temperature sensor replacement.

Appreciate the help! I cleaned the connection as you suggested, but no luck. Took it to my local mechanic and they confirmed it was a faulty vehicle temperature sensor. The final bill matched your experience, around 95€ for the sensor replacement and labor. Everything's working perfectly now!

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