Dodge›Sprinter›2004›Overview/dodge/sprinter/2004/base/

VA platform

2004 Dodge Sprinter

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2004 Sprinter.

The 2004 Dodge Sprinter is built on the VA platform and equipped with a 9.5‑qt oil capacity that can be filled with 0W‑30, 5W‑30 or 0W‑40 synthetic blends. As a full‑size van aimed at commercial and passenger use, it entered the market with a recorded 39 owner complaints — significantly lower than the 74 complaints that peaked in 2008 but higher than the three complaints logged in the final 2009 model year. This places the 2004 version near the lower‑mid range of the model’s complaint history, indicating a generally reliable early‑generation offering despite occasional tire‑related issues.

Model year2009 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity9.5 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type0W-30 / 5W-30 / 0W-40OEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 49 DIESEL · 850 DIESEL CCA battery, OE oil filter 05086301AA. Note the factory engine air filter, fuel filter, battery, front wiper blades, thermostat and cabin air filter are now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 49 DIESEL · 850 DIESEL CCAOEM · verified

Tire sizeCargoOEM · verified

Wheel / rim5.5 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	05086301AA
Engine air filter	05103554AB discontinued
Fuel filter	05175429AB discontinued
Battery	68037907AB discontinued
Front wiper blades	68020508AC discontinued
Thermostat	05080150AA discontinued · alt 05080146AB
Cabin air filter	68535607AA discontinued

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	259.4 in
Overall width	76 in
Overall height	102 in
Wheelbase	157.9 in
Curb weight	4822 lb
Track (front / rear)	65 / 65 in

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 9.5 qt of 0W-30 / 5W-30 / 0W-40 engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission Fluid	ATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity	5.3
Brake Fluid	DOT 3
Engine Coolant	HOAT · MS9769
Engine Oil Capacity	9.5 qt

Chassis torques

Leaf Spring to Axle (U-bolts)	125.0 ft-lbs
Leaf Spring to Chassis Bracket	SRW: 70.0 DRW: 136.0 ft-lbs
Leaf Spring to Rear Shackle	SRW: 66.0, DRW: 136.0 ft-lbs
Leaf Spring Rear Shackle to Chassis Bracket	SRW: 63.0, DRW: 136.0 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub	184 ft-lbs

Ignition

Ignition Coil Primary Resistance

.4-.6 ohms

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	46
Standard BCI Group Number	49 DIESEL
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	850 DIESEL cca

Service checks

Pressure Test	18-21 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	18-21 psi
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (With Vacuum)	58.0-65.0 psi
RPM	29-36.0 @ Idle rpm
Injector Primary Resistance	10-16 na ohms
Injector Primary Resistance	13-16 @ 68 degreesF ohms
Engine Compression	100 Minimum psi

Brakes

Other	EXCEPT MODELS 901 & 902 / MODELS 901 & 902
Torque to Knuckle	M12 BOLT: 66, M14: 125 ft-lbs / 125 ft-lbs
Other	EXCEPT MODELS 901 & 902 / MODELS 901 & 902
Rotor Runout Limit	0.007 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	0.629 in / 0.47 in / 0.866 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To	0.629 in / 0.47 in / 0.866 in
Rotor Discard at or Under	0.55 in / 0.4 in / 0.748 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

M10 bolt 240/325., step 3: then rotate an additional 90

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 10,000 mi; coolant every 100,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 100,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 10,000 mi	Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 mi	Cabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 80,000 mi	Transmission Fluid & Filter (replace)
Every 100,000 mi	Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Owner how-tos

Condensed service procedures for routine maintenance. Procedures that require dealer diagnostic equipment are identified and summarized only.

Common procedures

Key fob — remote (RKE) programming programming new fob buttons Dealer tool OEM · verified

Tool required	DRBIII scan tool (dealer / locksmith)
Why	Transmitter codes are written into the receiver in the passenger door module

Anti-theft (SKIS) — module initialization after immobilizer module replacement Dealer tool OEM · verified

When needed	After Sentry Key Immobilizer Module (SKIM) replacement
Tool required	DRBIII scan tool
Also required	The vehicle's four-digit PIN code

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

In 2004, the Dodge Sprinter received 39 complaints, a sharp rise from the 15 complaints recorded in 2003, yet it remained the lowest complaint year before the 2007 spike of 71 complaints. The 2004 model had no recalls, matching the 0 recalls in 2003, but it saw a single investigation similar to 2003, indicating that the vehicle was not subject to major safety actions at that time. Top complaint areas in 2004 were tires (10 complaints), engine and engine cooling (8), engine (2), and structure (2), with no crash-related complaints and only one fire-related complaint, suggesting that most issues were mechanical rather than safety-critical. The trend from 2003 to 2004 shows an increasing complaint frequency, but the lack of recalls or investigations in 2004 implies that the problems were not deemed severe enough for federal action. Compared to 2007–2009, when complaints and recalls climbed significantly, 2004 sits on the lower end of the arc, implying better reliability for that year. Thus, a 2004 Dodge Sprinter could be a more attractive option than later years, though buyers should still verify tire and engine condition.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

Owner complaints

0 involved a crash · 1 a fire

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’03’04’07 ’08 ’09

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 39 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Tires10

Engine & Engine Cooling8

Engine2

Structure2

Service Brakes, Hydraulic2

Power Train2

Visibility2

Electrical System2

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 34 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
T21	2021-06-03	Engine And Engine Cooling	Emissions Recall T21 Reprogram Engine Control Unit
T21	2021-03-12	Engine And Engine Cooling	Emissions Recall T21 Reprogram Engine Control Unit
9004275	2020-07-22	Electrical System	KEY, Master If replacing the key/FOBIK on a WJ, KJ, TJ, or PT Cruiser, use the "AC" NIC…
9004275	2020-07-22	Electrical System	KEY, Master If replacing the key/FOBIK on a WJ, KJ, TJ, or PT Cruiser, use the "AC" NIC…
T21 Rev3	2020-05-21	Equipment	Emissions Recall T21 Reprogram Engine Control Unit

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Sprinter. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 49 battery Vehicles taking 9.5 qt VA-platform vehicles Engine oil filter 05086301AA Engine air filter 05103554AB Fuel filter 05175429AB Battery 68037907AB

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2004 Sprinter take?

9.5 qt of All temperatures 0W-30, 5W-30, 0W-40, 5W-40, 5W-50, Above -4 degreesF 10W-30, 10W-40, 10W-50, 10W-60, Above +5 degreesF 15W-40, 15W-50, Above +23 degreesF 20W-40, 20W-50. Oil must meet MB specification sheet 228.3, 229.3 and 229.5, per the factory manual.

Does the 2004 Sprinter have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 0 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.