Reconditioned Mercedes Sprinter Engine

Mercedes Sprinter diesel engines: from the naturally aspirated 2.9 CDI of the early 2000s to the OM654 units of the post-2016 generation

The Sprinter has never offered a petrol engine: the entire range runs on diesel, but the engine families change radically from one generation to the next. Between 2000 and 2018, five engine capacities succeeded or coexisted — 2.9, 2.7, 2.2, 2.1 and 2.0 CDI — and the "CDI" badge alone is not enough to identify the engine. A Sprinter 2.2 CDI can be fitted with a 611987, a 646984, a 646986 or an OM646.985: four distinct, non-interchangeable references depending on the year and variant. The engine code stamped on the block remains the only reliable data for ordering the correct part.

The early generations: 2.9 CDI and 2.7 CDI — architectures in a class of their own

The 2.9 CDI (code 602980) is a 5-cylinder in-line engine with indirect pre-chamber injection, designed before the common-rail era. The 2.7 CDI (code 612981) succeeded it with direct common-rail injection and also 5 cylinders — an architecture that is fundamentally different from all the 4-cylinder units that followed. These two engines share no parts whatsoever with the OM646 or OM654 generation.

2.2 and 2.1 CDI: the OM646 generation and its variants — not to be confused

The 2.2 CDI alone covers four engine codes: 611987, 646984, 646986 and OM646.985. The first (611987) belongs to the first-generation Sprinter W901-905; the three OM646 codes correspond to the W906 generation. The 2.1 CDI, meanwhile, uses codes 651955 and 651958, from the OM651 family, introduced on the facelifted Sprinter W906. These engines share the same nominal engine capacity but differ structurally: mixing up an OM646 and an OM651 when ordering will inevitably result in incompatibility.

2.0 CDI OM654: the most recent engine, in a category of its own

The 2.0 CDI code OM 654.920 is fitted to the Sprinter W907 from 2018 onwards. It is a 4-cylinder engine with a shorter bore than the OM651, featuring an offset crankshaft architecture designed to reduce friction. None of the codes from previous generations apply to it. All engines listed here are bare engines: ancillaries (turbo, alternator, starter motor) are not included and must be reused or ordered separately.