STARTING AND OPERATING 141
5
POWER ASSISTANCE STARTING THE ENGINE
Battery charge warning lamp (1)
Engine oil level indicator lamp (2)
Preheater indicator lamp (3)
WARNING!
When the engine is not running, there is no power
assistance for the brake and steering system. In
this case, it is important to keep in mind that a
considerably higher degree of effort is necessary
to brake and steer the vehicle.
STARTING AND OPERATING 155
5
Protect sharp edges with padding.
Check the tire pressures after loading the vehicle.
For passenger vans:
Do not stack loads higher than the upper edge of the backrests.
Always place the load against the backrests of the seat benches.
Whenever possible, transport loads behind seats that are not occupied.
Distribute the load in such a way that the permissible axle loads are not exceeded when the
vehicle is equipped with the maximum number of
seats. Loading the luggage compartment up to the
maximum payload would cause the permissible
rear axle load to be exceeded.
BRAKES
Service Brake
WARNING!
When the engine is not running, the brake and
steering systems are without power assistance.
Under these circumstances, a much greater effort
is necessary to stop or steer the vehicle.
After driving in heavy rain for some time without
applying the brakes or through water deep
enough to wet brake components, the first
braking action may be somewhat reduced and
increased pedal pressure may be necessary. Be
sure to maintain a safe distance from vehicles in
front.
Resting your foot on the brake pedal will cause
excessive and premature wear of the brake pads.
It can also result in the brakes overheating,
thereby significantly reducing their effectiveness.
It may not be possible to stop the vehicle in
sufficient time to avoid an accident.
STARTING AND OPERATING 173
5
STEERINGWhen the engine is not running, there is no power
assistance for the steering. Greater force will be
required to steer the vehicle.WHEELS AND TIRESCheck tires regularly for even tread wear, tread depth
(note legal requirements) and signs of external
damage.
Only use wheels and tires of the same size, make and
pattern.
Do not install tires that are not approved for the size
and type of wheel installed or the vehicle itself. Only
use those wheel sizes which were delivered to you by
your authorized Sprinter Dealer.
Use only wheels and tires which have been tested and
approved by the vehicle manufacturer. Break in new tires at moderate speeds for a distance of
about 65 miles (about 100 km).
CAUTION!
Power take off must not exceed 10 kW. Exceeding
the power take off may cause damage to the
auxiliary drive and/or ribbed V-belt.
WARNING!
Fitting other wheel sizes to the vehicle will change
the vehicle’s handling characteristics and may
lead to an accident resulting in severe personal in-
juries, death and property damage.
Only certain tires meeting the tire size/load/speed
rating specifications contained in the Tire
Pressure Tables at the end of this chapter are
certified to conform to FMVSS 120 for the Sprinter
vehicle at this time. Please check your side walls
of your originally equipped tires for specific
makes/sizes, and speed load ratings when you
need to replace your tires.
To prevent accident, injury or possible death, use
only the correct tires for your tire replacement.
Do not use retreaded/ remolded tires. This process
does not always permit previous damage to be
detected. Therefore vehicle safety cannot be
guaranteed if retreaded/remolded tires are fitted
.
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 211
6
TOWING THE VEHICLE
*Vehicle Type 2500 only
WARNING!
Do not tow the vehicle if the key cannot be turned
in the ignition lock.
If the key cannot be turned, the ignition lock re-
mains locked and the vehicle cannot be steered.
With the engine not running there is no power
assistance for the braking and steering systems.
In this case, it is important to keep in mind that a
considerably higher degree of effort is necessary
to brake and steer the vehicle.
The vehicle must not be towed with the front axle
raised and the key in position 2 in the ignition
lock as the drive wheels could then lock due to the
acceleration skid control (ASR) or the optional
Electronic Stability Program (ESP)
*.
258 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLERecommended Fluids and LubricantsThe manufacturer recommends for your vehicle model
the use of DaimlerChrysler approved fluids and
lubricants, e.g. engine oil, gear oil, automatic
transmission fluid, brake fluid, power steering fluid,
coolant and anti-corrosion/anti-freeze fluid only.
WARNING!
Failure to use fluids and lubricants which meet
the standards and specifications described in this
booklet or failure to adhere to the specified re-
placement intervals may result in damage to safe-
ty-related systems of your vehicle, such as the
brake system, which could cause an accident and/
or serious injury to you and others.
Use only fluids and lubricants meeting the
standards and specifications and adhere to
specified replacement intervals.
CAUTION!
Failure to use fluids and lubricants which meet
the standards and specifications described in this
booklet or failure to adhere to the specified
replacement intervals may result in a significantly
shortened service life and/or damage to
components of your vehicle, the repair of which
will not be covered by Warranty.
Use only fluids and lubricants meeting the
standards and specifications and adhere to
specified replacement intervals.
262 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE
COMPONENT SERVICE INTERVAL PRODUCT NAME/PRODUCT NUMBER MB
SHEET
Engine Coolant,
Anticorrosion/
Antifreeze Fluid 15 years or
160,000 mi
(256,000 km) EURO Peak Coolant/Anti-freeze, OLD WORLD INDUSTRIES
Zerex G05, The Valvoline Company
Zerex G48, The Valvoline Company
Glysantin G05, BASF AG
MOPAR® Part No. 05066386AA, or equivalent 325.0
Power Steering
Power Steering, no fluid service required
Power Steering fluid — Mobil ATF-D, Exxon Mobil Corporation, or equivalent 236.3
Rear Axle
Gear Oil 120,000 mi (192,000 km) Shell Spirax MB 90
Caltex Hypoid LD
MOPAR® Part No. 4874469, or equivalent 235.0
235.6
268 MAINTENANCE SCHEDULES
M A I
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S8
SCOPE OF WORK FOR MAINTENANCE SERVICE
Oil ServiceOil change
Engine:
Oil change and filter replacement
Check fluid levels of the following system, refill as
necessary.
If fluid is lost, trace and eliminate cause – as a separate
order.
Power-assisted steering
Lubrication work:
Trailer tow hitch (original equipment)
Maintenance
ASSYST maintenance computer reset Function check
Signalling system,
warning and indicator lamps
Headlamps, exterior lighting
Windscreen wipers,
windscreen washer system
Check for leaks and damage.
Check for abrasion points and ensure that
lines are correctly routed!
All assemblies:
Engine, transmission, transfer case, front axle, rear
axle, steering, power steering pump
All lines and hoses, sensor cables
Rubber boots on front axle drive shafts,
rubber boots on front axle suspension ball joints, shock
absorbers
INDEX 279
10
Engine Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Headlamps, Taillamps, Turn Signal Lenses . . . . 234
Vehicle Washing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Care of vehicle
Paintwork, painted body components . . . . . . . . 233
Power washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Tar stains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Catalytic Converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Central Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Central Locking Switch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Locking and Unlocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Locking Status Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
To Program the Automatic Lock Feature . . . . . . . 19
Chains, Snow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Changing a Bulb
Additional Brake Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Exit Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Front Lamp Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Interior Lighting with Interior Sensor Protection 255 License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Reading Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Side-Marker Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Side-Mounted Turn Signal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Taillamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Changing the Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Charging the Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Checking Coolant Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Checking Weights of Vehicle and Trailer. . . . . . . . . 188
Cigar Lighter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Cleaning Cup Holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Hard Plastic Trim Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Light Alloy Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Plastic and Rubber Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Seat Belts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Steering Wheel and Gear Selector Lever . . . . . . . 236
Upholstery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Wiper Blade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Climate Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123