
206 STARTING AND OPERATING
matched for wear to prevent overloading one tire in
a set.
To check if tires are even, lay a straight edge across
all four tires.
The straight edge should touch all the tires.Alignment and Balance
Poor suspension alignment may result in:
Fast tire wear
Uneven tire wear, such as feathering and one-sided
wear
Vehicle pull to right or left
Tires may also cause the vehicle to pull to the left or
right.
Alignment will not correct this condition. See an
authorized Sprinter Dealer for proper diagnosis.
Improper alignment will not cause vehicle vibration.
Vibration may be a result of tire and wheel out-of-
balance.
Proper balancing will reduce vibration and avoid tire
cupping and spotty wear.
Winter tires
Always use winter tires at temperatures below 45°F
(7°C) and whenever wintry road conditions prevail.
Winter tires should be of the same size and type
construction as the summer tires. Winter tires should
also be operated as printed at the Tire and Loading
WARNING!
3500 Dual Rear Tires have only one approved di-
rection of rotation. This is to accomodate the asy-
metrical design (tread pattern) of the ON/OFF
road tire and the use of Outline White Letter
(OWL) tires.
When replacing a flat tire, the spare tire may have
to be remounted on the rim or installed at a
different location tomaintain the correct
placement of the tire on the wheel relative to the
tire/wheel position on the vehicle. For example, if
the spare is used to replace an outer rear tire it will
have to remounted on the rim so that the wheel is
dished inward. That way the tread design of
asymmetrical tires and the white writing of the
OWL tires will maintain proper position.

208 STARTING AND OPERATING
NOTE: Chains must be the proper size for the vehicle,
as recommended by the chain manufacturer.
Snow chains should only be driven on snow-covered
roads at speeds not to exceed 30 mph (50 km/h).
Remove chains as soon as possible when driving on
roads without snow.
NOTE: When driving with snow chains, you may wish
to deactivate the ASR before setting the vehicle in
motion. This will improve the vehicle’s traction.Please observe the following guidelines when using
snow chains:
Snow chains should only be used on rear wheels. In
vehicles with dual rear wheels, they should be
mounted on the exterior wheels. Follow the
manufacturer’s mounting instructions.
Only use snow chains that are approved by the
vehicle manufacturer. For approved snow chains,
please contact your authorized Sprinter Dealer.
Use of snow chains may be prohibited depending
on location. Always check local and state laws
before installing snow chains.
WARNING!
Use snow chains on rear wheels only.
Some tire sizes do not leave adequate clearance for
snowchains. To help avoid serious damage to
your vehicle or tires, use of snow chains is not
permissible with the spare wheel.

216 STARTING AND OPERATING
Bleeding the Diesel Fuel System
The diesel fuel system must be bled before starting the
engine.
Turn the key in the ignition lock position 2 for at
least 30 seconds.
Return the key to position 0.
Start the engine three to four times. The engine
control unit indicator lamp± must go out.
NOTE: Too many attempts to start the engine could
drain the battery. If the engine does not start after
several attempts, consult an authorized Sprinter
Dealer.PERMISSIBLE ROOF LOAD
The maximum permissible roof load is:
Vehicles with low roof 660 lbs (300 kg)
Vehicles with high roof 330 lbs (150 kg)
The weight of any load carried on the roof,
including the roof rack, must not exceed the
maximum permissible roof load.
LOADING THE VEHICLE
Two labels on the vehicle show how much weight it
may properly carry.
The Tire and Loading Information placard can be
found on the driver’s door B-pillar. This placard
tells you important information about the number
of people that can be in the vehicle and the total
weight that can be carried in the vehicle. It also
contains information on the proper size and
recommended tire inflation pressures for the
original equipment tires on the vehicle.
The Certification Label can be found below the
driver’s seat on an outward facing position of the
mounting pillar. It tells you about the gross weight

STARTING AND OPERATING 217
5
capacity of your vehicle, called the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR). The GVWR includes the
weight of the vehicle, all occupants, fuel and cargo.
The Certification Label also tells you about the front
and rear axle weight capacity, called the Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR). The GAWR is the total
allowable weight that can be carried by a single axle
(front or rear). Never exceed the GVWR or GAWR
for either the front axle or rear axle.
Following is a discussion on how to work with the
information contained on the two placards with
regards to loading your Sprinter vehicle.Tire and Loading Information
WARNING!
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the speci-
fied load limit as indicated on the Tire and Load-
ing Information placard on the driver’s door B-
pillar. Overloading the tires can overheat them,
possibly causing a blowout. Overloading the tires
can also result in handling or steering problems,
or brake failure.
Overloading of tires is dangerous. Overloading
can cause tire failure, affect vehicle handling, and
increase the stopping distance. Use tires of the
recommended load capacity for the vehicle. Never
overload them.
The vehicle maximum load on the tire must not
exceed the load carrying capacity of the tire on
your vehicle. You will not exceed the tire’s load
carrying capacity if you adhere to the loading
conditions, tire size and cold tire inflation
pressures specified on the Tire and Loading
Information placard and this section.

STARTING AND OPERATING 219
5
Step 1
Locate the statement "The combined weight of
occupants and cargo should never exceed XXX kg or
XXX lbs." on your vehicle’s placard.
Step 2
Determine the combined weight of the driver
andpassengers that will be riding in your vehicle.
Step 3
Subtract the combined weight of the driver and
passengers from XXX kilograms or XXX lbs.
Step 4
The resulting figure equals the available amount of
cargo and luggage load capacity. For example, if the
"XXX" amount equals 1400 lbs. and there will be five
150 lbs. passengers in your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400 – 750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs.)
Step 5
Determine the combined weight of luggage and
cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That weight may
not safely exceed the available cargo and luggage
load capacity calculated in step 4.Step 6 (if applicable)
If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from
your trailer will be transferred to your vehicle.
Refer to "Trailer Tongue Load" to determine how
this reduces the available cargo and luggage load
capacity of your vehicle.
The following table shows examples on how to
calculate total load, cargo load and towing capacities
with varying seating configurations and number and
size of occupants.
The following examples use a load limit of 1500 lbs.
NOTE: This is for illustration purposes only. Make
sure you are using the actual load limit for your vehicle
stated on the vehicle’s Tire and Loading Information
placard.

234 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES
CHANGING THE TIRE
If you get a flat tire while driving, gradually decrease your
speed. Hold the steering wheel firmly and slowly move to
a safe place on the side of the road. The pressure of the
spare wheel always has to be checked regularly (at least
after every tenth time at the filling station).
WARNING!
Fitting other wheel sizes to the vehicle will change
the vehicle’s handling characteristics andmay lead
to an accident resulting in death, severe personal
injuries and property damage.
Only certain tires meeting the tire size/load/speed
rating specifications contained in the Tire
Pressure Tables are certified to conform to
FMVSS 110 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 accidents resulting in possible death,
sever injury or property damage, use only the correct
tire and wheel sizes with load ratings approved for
your vehicle for your tire replacement.
WARNING!
The jack is designed exclusively for jacking up the
vehicle at the jack take-up brackets built into ei-
ther side of the vehicle. To help avoid personal in-
jury, use the jack only to lift the vehicle during a
wheel change. Never get beneath the vehicle
while it is supported by the jack only.
Keep hands and feet away from the area under the
lifted vehicle. Always firmly set parking brake
and block wheels before raising vehicle with jack.
Do not disengage parking brake while the vehicle
is raised.
Always use the jack on a level surface.
Do not change wheels on either steep uphill or
downhill grades. Be sure that the jack arm end is
fully seated in the jack take-up bracket. The
vehicle may begin to move and fall from the jack
which could cause serious or fatal personal injury
and property damage.
Always lower the vehicle onto sufficient capacity
jack stands before working under the vehicle.

WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 243
6NOTE: 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.
Only use genuine DaimlerChrysler wheel bolts
specified for your vehicle’s rims.

326 INDEX
Rear Seat Bench . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Security System with Towing and Passenger
Compartment Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Audible Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Switching off the Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Visual Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Service Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Disposal of Service Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Skid Control, Acceleration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Sliding Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Snow Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Spare Wheel Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Special Maintenance Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Speed Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Sprinter Original Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
SRS Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Standard Fuse and Relay Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Starter Switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Stopping the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Storing Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182Suggestions For Obtaining Service For
Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Sun Roof
Electrical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Mechanical Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Sun Roof, Electrical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Switch Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Switch,Starter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
TTachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101, 103
Telephone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Tie Down Rings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Tire
Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Tire and Loading Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Tire Care and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Tire Grip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Tire Sizes for Sprinter Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Alignment and Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Aspect Ratio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193