Page 179 of 288
STARTING AND OPERATING 179
5
SNOW CHAINSInstall snow chains on rear wheels only. Install snow
chains on exterior wheel in vehicles with double tires.
Comply with the manufacturer’s installation
instructions.
NOTE: Vehicles with snow chains installed are only to
be driven on a snow-covered surface. The snow chains
must be removed on road surfaces free of snow.FUEL REQUIREMENTSUse only commercially available vehicular diesel fuels
No. 2 or No. 1 (ASTM D 975 No. 2-D or No. 1-D).
NOTE: Because of its better quality the manufacturer
recommends the use of commercially available
vehicular diesel fuel No. 2.
For information on cold weather operation, contact
your authorized Sprinter Dealer. If diesel fuels are used with a sulphur content
exceeding 0.5 % by weight, engine oil change intervals
must be shortened. Please contact your Sprinter Dealer
to obtain the necessary information.
Refueling from drums or canisters may lead to the fuel
becoming contaminated. This in turn can cause faults
in the fuel system. Always f
ilter the fuel before adding
it to the vehicle’s tank.
WARNING!
Marine diesel fuel, Bio diesel fuel, heating oil or
the like must not be used.
Do not blend diesel fuel with marine diesel fuel,
Bio diesel fuel or heating oil.
The use of such non-approved fuels or blending
diesel fuel may result in malfunction or cause
engine damage. Damage or malfunctions
resulting from poor fuel quality or from blending
specific fuel additives are not covered by the
Sprinter Warranty.
Page 199 of 288
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 199
6
Procedure:
1. Park the vehicle on a firm, level, non-slippery surface.
2. Switch on the hazard warning flasher switch, apply the parking brake, and place the transmission
selector in "P".
3. Everyone must leave the vehicle before you jack it up.
4. Everyone must leave the danger zone, before jacking the vehicle. 5. The vehicle must be safeguarded in accordance
with legal regulations (such as using a warning
triangle).
6. Prevent vehicle from rolling away by blocking wheels with wheel chocks (not supplied with
vehicle) or sizable wood block or stone.
On a level road, place one chock in front of and one
behind the wheel that is diagonally opposite to the
wheel being changed.
When changing a wheel on mild uphill or downhill
grades, place chocks on the downhill side blocking
both wheels of the other axle.
Do not jack the vehicle up more than 1.2 in (30
mm) between the tire and the surface. Otherwise,
the vehicle may tip over and may cause serious
injury or death to you or others.
Precautions when changing a wheel:
For the torque, refer to
"Installing a wheel ";
Do not damage, grease or oil wheel bolts or their
threads.
WARNING!
Do not change wheels on either steep uphill or
downhill grades. The vehicle may begin to move
and fall from the jack which could cause personal
injury and property damage.
Page 207 of 288
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 207
6
NOTE: The optional light alloy wheels are supplied
with 5 short wheel lug bolts enclosed for the steel spare
wheel in the vehicle tool kit.
Before fitting the spare wheel, clean rust and dirt off the contact surfaces of the wheel and the wheel hub,
and from the wheel bolts.
Note the specified wheel and tire size, tire load capacity and speed code.
Do not change the tire’s direction of rotation.
Do not damage, grease or oil wheel bolts or their threads.
WARNING!
Different wheel bolts are required for pressed
steel and light-alloy wheels.
Incorrect wheel lug bolts for the wheels could
work loose, thereby causing you to lose control of
the vehicle. This could cause an accident resulting
in severe personal injuries and and property
damage.
WARNING!
Incorrect mounting bolts or improperly tightened
mounting bolts can cause the wheel to come off.
To avoid the risk of serious or fatal injuries or ve-
hicle damage, please bear the following points in
mind:• Always replace wheel bolts that are damaged or
rusted.• Never apply oil or grease to wheel bolts• If a wheel hub thread is damaged, you must not
drive the vehicle. Consult a qualified specialist
workshop.
Page 213 of 288
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE
7
CONTENTS
Engine Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Sprinter Original Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Service Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217Disposal of Service Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Emission Related Component Warranty
Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Regular Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218Windshield Washer System Fluid Reservoir . 219Air Filter Restriction Indicator (Optional) . . . 219Engine Oils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220Engine Oil Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221Ribbed V-Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222Hydraulic Brake System, Clutch
Mechanism Fluid Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223Engine Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223Checking Coolant Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Winter Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227Disconnecting the Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227Reconnecting the Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228Charging the Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Replacing Wiper Blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230Appearance Care and Corrosion Protection . 231Power Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232Automatic Car Wash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233Tar Stains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233Paintwork, Painted Body Components . . . . . . 233Engine Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233Vehicle Washing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234Ornamental Moldings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Page 216 of 288
216 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLELegend For Engine Compartment
1. Windshield washer system fluid reservoir.
2. Maintenance indicator for air cleaner element (Optional).
3. Oil dipstick.
4. Oil filler neck.
5. Ribbed V-belt. Auxiliary drive (Optional) refer to “Auxiliary
drive“. 6. Fuel filter with water separator.
7. Hydraulic brake fluid reservoir.
8. Coolant reservoir.
9. Battery
The auxiliary battery is located underneath the
front passenger seat (optional equipment).
10. Fuse box (These special fuses should only be replaced at by
an authorized Sprinter Dealer).
Page 217 of 288
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 217
7
SPRINTER ORIGINAL PARTSEvery authorized Sprinter Dealer maintains a stock of
Sprinter original parts for maintenance and repair work.Over 6,000 retailers around the world guarantee that
you can be supplied with Sprinter original parts
wherever you are. Over 300,000 different parts and
assemblies, including parts for older vehicle models,
are distributed from a central parts warehouse using
an optimally tuned logistics concept.
Sprinter original parts are subjected to the most
stringent quality inspections and will ensure that the
vehicle is maintained at a high level of operating
efficiency and safety, and that it maintains its value.
Each part has been specifically designed and
manufactured or selected and approved for use in
Sprinter vehicles.
It is therefore best to use only Sprinter original parts.For cost-effective repairs in accordance with sound
recycling principles, the use of non-genuine parts and
accessories not authorized by the manufacturer could
damage the vehicle or compromise its durability or safety. When ordering original parts, always provide the
vehicle identification number and the engine number.
SERVICE PRODUCTSMechanical elements and the lubricants used for them
must be carefully matched.
For this reason, only brands tested and approved by
the manufacturer should be used. Please contact your
Sprinter Dealer to obtain the necessary information.
No lubricant additives should be used.
The use of such additives could affect your warranty
rights. Information is available from any authorized
Sprinter Dealer.
For specifications of engine oils, coolant and brake
fluid, contact your authorized Sprinter Dealer.
WARNING!
If handled incorrectly, service products can consti-
tute a health risk for people and an environmental
hazard.
Always observe relevant guidelines for handling,
storing and disposing of service products.
Page 218 of 288
218 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLEDisposal of Service ProductsDispose of service products and of parts which come
into contact with them (e.g. filters) in an
environmentally responsible manner. Comply with
applicable bars and regulations.EMISSION RELATED COMPONENT WARRANTY
STATEMENTThe Manufacturer warrants to the original and each
subsequent owner of a Sprinter heavy-duty on
highway diesel engine that:
(1) the engine was designed, built and equipped so as
to conform at the time of sale with the applicable
regulations adopted by the Federal Environmental
Protection Agency, and
(2) the emission control system of such engine is free
from defects in materials and workmanship which
would cause it not to conform with those regulations
for a period of use of five years or 100 000 miles or
3 000 hours of engine operation, whichever occurs
first.
REGULAR CHECKSThe following checks should be performed at regular
intervals (for example once a week or each time the
vehicle is refueled):
Windshield cleaner system – fluid reservoir.
Air strainer, in vehicles with an air strainer element maintenance indicator (optional equipment).
Engine oil level.
Checking ribbed V-belt.
Hydraulic brake system, clutch mechanism fluid level.
Coolant level.
Tire and spare wheel condition and pressures of the same. For more information, refer to "Wheels and
Tires".
Vehicle lighting.
Page 220 of 288
220 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLEApproved Engine OilsNOTE: Use only engine oils that are labeled on the
container as meeting the specifications of API (American
Petroleum Institute) and/or DaimlerChrysler specification
sheets MB 228.3, 228.5, 229.3 and 229.5, such as MOPAR®
SAE 15W-40 HD Diesel Engine Oil (e.g. MOPAR® Part
No. 04798231AD), or equivalent.Always refer to the following viscosity chart for the
proper viscosity grade based on ambient temperature.
Select oil viscosity according to the lowest air
temperature expected before the next oil change.
For further information, contact your authorized
Sprinter Dealer. NOTE: This chart supercedes ALL previously
published viscosity charts.
