30 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLESliding Door
From the Outside
To unlock (1)
To lock (2)
To open the door:
Pull the handle and slide the door back to the stop.
To close the door:
Slide it forwards by the handle until it latches.
WARNING!
Only drive with the doors properly closed. You
could lose the load, for example, and endanger ve-
hicle occupants or other road users if the doors are
open.
To prevent possible personal injury, always keep
hands and fingers away from the door opening
when closing a door. Be especially careful when
small children are around.
Only open the doors when road and traffic
conditions permit.
Do not leave children alone in the vehicle. They
could open a locked door from the inside despite
the road and traffic conditions, thereby
endangering themselves and others.
Do not leave doors open on uphill or downhill
grades. Doors could be released from the door
support and slam shut. If they are not closed
properly, sliding doors can open on their own.
This could result in severe injury. Be especially
careful when small children are around.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 41
2
SEAT BELTS
WARNING!
Children should never ride sitting on the lap of
another occupant. In an accident they will be com-
pletely without protection and could even be in-
jured by the person they are sitting on. For the
safety of all occupants read the child restraint sys-
tem manufacturer’s instructions carefully when
fitting any child restraint system.
When the child restraint is not in use, remove it
from the vehicle or secure it with the seat belt to
prevent the child restraint from becoming a
projectile in the event of an accident.
Do not leave children unsupervised in the vehicle,
even if they are secured by a child restraint
system.
WARNING!
Always wear the seat belts, even for very short-
trips.
Wearing a seat belt incorrectly is dangerous. Seat
belts are designed to go around the large bones of
your body. These are the strongest parts of your
body and can take the forces of a collision the best.
Wearing your belt in the wrong place could make
your injuries in a collision much worse. You
might suffer internal injuries, or you could even
slide out of part of the belt. Follow these
instructions to wear your seat belt safely and to
keep your passengers safe, too.
A belt that is buckled into the wrong buckle will
not protect you properly. The lap portion could
ride too high on your body, possibly causing
injuries. Always buckle your belt into the buckle
nearest you.
A belt that is too loose will not protect you as well.
In a sudden stop you could move too far forward,
increasing the possibility of injury.
44 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLESeat Belt Warning Lamp and Airbag MalfunctionWhen the key is in position 2 in the ignition lock, the
warning lamp < lights up for about 6 seconds; this
takes place whether or not the driver’s seat belt is
fastened.
The warning lamp < must go out after about
6 seconds if the driver’s safety belt is fastened, or the
vehicle is standing still and the driver’s door is opened.
If after about 6 seconds, the driver’s safety belt is not
fastened with all doors closed,
– and the vehicle speed does not exceed 15 mph (25 km/h), the warning lamp < remains on for as
long as the driver ’s safety belt is not fastened.
– and the vehicle speed exceeds 15 mph (25 km/h), the warning lamp < flashes and a warning
signal sounds, which is repeated increasingly
frequently until the driver ’s safety belt is fastened,
or for a maximum of 153 seconds from the time the
vehicle speed exceeded 15 mph (25 km/h) if the
driver ’s safety belt remains unfastened. If the driver’s safety belt remains unfastened after 153
seconds, the warning lamp
< stops flashing and the
warning signal stops sounding. The warning lamp
< lights up for as long as the driver’s safety belt is
not fastened.
If the warning lamp < flashes after the first 6
seconds and no warning signal is audible, the
malfunction indicator lamp 1 is defective.
Have the malfunction indicator lamp 1checked and
repaired by an authorized Sprinter Dealer as soon as
possible.
Malfunction indicator lamp 1, refer to “SRS
Malfunction Indicator Lamp”.
46 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLERemoving Seat Belts
1. Press the release button in the belt buckle.
2. Guide the seat belt back to its rest position.
Seat Belt Warning System
When the key is turned to position 2 in the ignition
lock, a warning buzzer sounds for about 6 seconds if
the driver’s safety belt is not pressed into the belt
buckle. The buzzer stops as soon as the safety belt is
fastened. Press the safety belt into the belt buckle.
Belt Height AdjustmentBelt height adjustment button 4
Do not adjust the belt height while the vehicle is
moving.
To lower:
Press the button and move the belt sash guide down.
To raise:
Move the belt sash guide up.
The shoulder strap must pass between the neck and the
shoulder.
WARNING!
A frayed or torn belt could rip apart in a collision
and leave you with no protection. Inspect the belt
system periodically, checking for cuts, frays, or
loose parts. Damaged parts must be replaced im-
mediately. Do not disassemble or modify the sys-
tem. Seat belt assemblies must be replaced after a
collision if they have been damaged (bent retrac-
tor, torn webbing, etc.).
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 53
2
Engine Oil ConsumptionWhen the engine has passed the break-in period, oil
consumption may reach 0.5 % of the fuel consumption
recorded in actual operating circumstances. In isolated
cases and in arduous operating conditions, oil
consumption may increase to 1 % of the fuel
consumption recorded in actual operating
circumstances.
Engine oil consumption depends on the driving style
adopted and the operating conditions. It can only be
judged after the engine has passed the break-in period.
SAFETY TIPS Check the vehicle’s lights and the general condition
of the vehicle before each trip.
Keep tires at the recommended inflation pressure.
All occupants should fasten their seat belts before each trip.
Driving in an environmentally responsible manner will reduce noise, fuel consumption and exhaust
emissions.
Allow the engine to warm up under low load use.
Avoid unnecessarily hard acceleration, driving with the throttle fully open, and carrying loads not
specifically needed on the journey.
Stop the engine during lengthy waiting periods, for example at traffic lights.
Remove ancillary parts, such as wind deflectors and roof racks, as soon as they are no longer needed.
STARTING AND OPERATING
5
CONTENTS
Power Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141Maximum Engine Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142Constant RPMs (Optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Stopping the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145Accelerator Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146Stopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146Maneuvering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146Gear Selector Lever Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147Gear Selection for Special Circumstances . . . . 148
Transmission Selector Lever, Manually
Unlocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150Reversing Aid (Optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Loading the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153Loading Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155Service Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155Brake Pad Wear Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156Brake Indicator and Electronic Brake Force
Distribution (EBD) Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . 157Parking Brake Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159Driving Safety Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) Indicator
Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) . . . 164Acceleration Skid Control Indicator Lamp
(ASR) and Brake Assist System (BAS)
1
if equipped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Acceleration Skid Control (ASR) Warning
Lamp and Electronic Stability Program
(ESP)
1 – if equipped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Acceleration Skid Control (ASR) . . . . . . . . . . . 167
142 STARTING AND OPERATING1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Automatic transmission, shift selector lever to "P" or "N" position, refer to "Automatic Transmission".
3. Do not depress the accelerator pedal.
4. Turn the key to position 2 in the ignition lock. The preheater indicator lamp q lights up.5. Turn the key clockwise to the stop as soon as the
preheater indicator lamp
q
goes out.
If the engine is at its normal operating temperature,
the preheater indicator lamp will only light up briefly.
Release the key as soon as the engine is running.
NOTE: The key must be returned to position 0 in the
ignition lock before repeating the starting procedure.
If the display Á lights up alternately with î in
the multi-function display, there is an immobilizer
malfunction or the key used has not been
programmed.
The : engine oil level warning lamp and the #
battery charge warning lamp must go out after the
engine is started.
If either lamp remains on, stop the engine at once and
have the cause traced and repaired by an authorized
Sprinter Dealer.
During the trip, check the displays and the warning/
indicator lamps in the instrument cluster at regular
intervals.Maximum Engine SpeedThe maximum engine speed for all vehicles is
4,200 rpm.
144 STARTING AND OPERATINGNOTE: The Constant RPMs will automatically switch
off when the parking brake is released, the vehicle is in
motion or the control unit detects a malfunction.
The Constant RPMs will also automatically switch off
when you depress the brake pedal. In this case it will
automatically switch on again as soon as you release
the brake pedal.
STOPPING THE ENGINEAfter having brought the vehicle to a stop:
1. Do not depress the accelerator pedal.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Turn the key back to position 0 in the ignition lock.
NOTE: When the engine is very hot, such as after
climbing a long steep slope, allow the engine to idle for
1 to 2 minutes so that it can return to its normal
operating temperature.