2010 MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER tow

down, e.g. with the aid of another person or
by tying the propeller shaft up.
X Always remove the propeller shafts leading
to the driven axles.
! Always use new bolts when installing the
propeller shafts.
With front axle damage
X Turn the key to position 1 in the ignition
lock.
X Raise the front axle. G
Warning
A propeller shaft could fall off as it is being
removed and injure

you. Secure the propeller
shaft before removal to prevent it from falling
down, e.g. with the aid of another person or
by tying the propeller shaft up.
! The ignition must be switched off if the
vehicle is being towed with the front or rear
axle raised. Otherwise, ESP ®
may intervene
and damage the brake system.
With rear axle damage
X Turn the key to position 1 in the ignition
lock.
X Raise the rear axle.
Malfunction in the electrical system
If the battery is defective, the automatic
transmission will be locked in position P. To
shift the automatic transmission to
position N, you must provide power to the
vehicle's electrical system in the same way
as jump-starting ( Y page 247).
Have the vehicle

transported on a transporter
or trailer.
Transporting the vehicle The towing
eye can be used to pull the vehicle
onto a special transporter or trailer for
transportation.
! Only lash the

vehicle down by the wheels
or rims, not by vehicle parts such as axle or steering components. There is otherwise a
risk of damage to the vehicle.
X Move the selector lever of the automatic
transmission to position N.250
Jump starting, tow-starting and towing away
Practical advice

Vehicle equipment
i Diese Betriebsanleitung beschreibt alle
Modelle, Serien- und
Sonderausstattungen
Ihres Fahrzeugs, die zum Zeitpunkt des
Redaktionsschlusses dieser
Betriebsanleitung erhältlich waren.
Länderspezifische Abweichungen sind
möglich. Beachten Sie, dass Ihr Fahrzeug
nicht mit allen beschriebenen Funktionen
ausgestattet sein könnte. Dies betrifft auch
sicherheitsrelevante Systeme und
Funktionen. Important safety notes
Contact an authorized Sprinter Dealer if you
require information on tested and
recommended tires and wheels for summer
and winter driving.

Advice on purchasing and
caring for tires is also available there. G
Warning
Replace rims or tires with the same
designation, manufacturer and

type as shown
on the original part. For further information,
contact an authorized Sprinter Dealer. If
incorrectly sized rims and tires are mounted,
the wheel brakes or suspension components
can be damaged. Also, the operating
clearance of the wheels and the tires may no
longer be correct. G
Warning!
Worn, old
tires can cause accidents. If the tire
tread is worn to minimum tread depth, or if
the tires have sustained damage, replace
them.
When replacing rims, only use genuine
Sprinter wheel bolts specified for the
particular rim type.

Failure to do so can result
in the bolts loosening and possibly an
accident.
Retreaded tires are not tested or
recommended by the dealer named on the
inside cover page, since previous damage cannot always
be recognized on retreads. The
operating safety of the vehicle cannot be
assured when such tires are used. G
Warning!
Only for vehicles without a tire pressure
monitor:
For safety reasons, we recommend that you
only use tire valves manufactured by
Schrader. These have been tested for use on
your vehicle.
Use only tire valves of type:
R TR 600 for the vehicle types 2500
R TR 418 for the vehicle types 3500
Using other tire inflation valves or valves
made by other manufacturers can result in
tire pressure loss and thereby impair the
operating safety of the vehicle.
! Do not screw additional weights (check
valves, etc.) onto the tire valves. The
electronic components could thus be
damaged. G
Warning
If you feel a sudden significant vibration or
ride disturbance, or

you suspect that possible
damage to your vehicle has occurred, you
should turn on the hazard warning lamps,
carefully slow down, and drive with caution to
an area which is a safe distance from the road.
Inspect the tires and the vehicle underbody
for possible damage. If the vehicle appears
unsafe, have the vehicle towed to the nearest
authorized Sprinter Dealer for repairs. G
Warning
Do not drive with a flat tire. A flat tire affects
the ability to steer or brake the vehicle. You
might lose control of the vehicle. Continued
driving with a

flat tire or driving at high speed
with a flat tire will cause excessive heat build-
up and possibly a fire. 252
Important safety notes
Wheels and tires

0046
Maximum number of seats
0047 Maximum permissible gross vehicle
weight rating
Maximum number of seats 0046 determines the
maximum number of occupants allowed to
travel in the vehicle. This information can be
found on the Tire and Loading Information
placard.
Determining the maximum load Individual steps
The following steps have been developed as
required of all manufacturers under Title 49,
Code of U.S. Federal Regulations, Part 575
pursuant to the "National Traffic and Motor
Vehicle Safety Act of 1966".
X
Step 1: Locate the statement "The
combined weight of occupants and cargo
should never exceed
XXX kg or XXX lbs." on
your vehicle's Tire and Loading Information
placard.
X Step 2: Determine the combined weight of
the driver and passengers that will be
traveling in your vehicle.
X Step 3: Subtract the combined weight of
the driver and passengers from XXX
kilograms or XXX lbs.
X 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 lb passengers in your vehicle, the
amount of available cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs (1400 - 750 (5 x 150) =
650 lbs).
X Step 5: Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on the
vehicle. For reasons of safety, that weight
must not exceed the available cargo and
luggage cargo capacity calculated in step
4.
X Step 6

(if applicable): If you
intend to tow
a trailer behind your vehicle, the load on the
trailer is transferred to your vehicle.
Consult this Operator's Manual to
determine how this reduces the available
cargo and luggage load capacity of your
vehicle ( Y page 265). Loading the vehicle
263
Wheels and tires Z

Example 1 Example 2 Example 3
Step 3 Permissible cargo
and trailer load/
noseweight
(maximum gross
vehicle weight
rating
from the Tire and
Loading Information
placard minus the
gross weight of all
occupants) 1500 lbs
(680 kg) -
750 lbs
(340
kg)
= 750 lbs
(340 kg) 1500 lbs
(680 kg) -
540 lbs
(245
kg)
= 960 lbs
(435 kg) 1500 lbs
(680 kg) -
150 lbs
(68
kg) =
1350 lbs
(612 kg) The greater the combined weight of the occupants, the lower the maximum luggage load.
Further information can be found under "Towing a trailer" (
Y page 152). Vehicle identification plate
Even if you have calculated the total cargo
carefully, you should still make sure that the
gross vehicle weight

rating and the gross axle
weight rating are not exceeded. Details about
this can be found on the vehicle identification
plate on the driver seat frame of your vehicle
(Y page 277).
Gross vehicle weight: the gross weight of
the vehicle, all passengers, cargo and trailer
load/noseweight (if applicable) must not
exceed the permissible gross vehicle weight.
Gross axle weight rating: the maximum
permissible load that can be carried by one
axle (front or rear axle).
To ensure that your vehicle does not exceed
the maximum permissible values (gross
vehicle weight and maximum gross axle
weight rating), have your loaded vehicle
(including driver, occupants, cargo, and full
trailer load if applicable) weighed on a
suitable vehicle weighbridge. Trailer load/noseweight
The trailer load/noseweight
affects the gross
weight of the vehicle. If a trailer is attached,
the trailer load/noseweight is included in the
load along with occupants and luggage. The trailer load/noseweight is usually
approximately 10%
of

the gross weight of the
trailer and its cargo. Maximum tire load
G
Warning!
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit as indicated on the Tire
and Loading Information placard on the
B-pillar on the driver's side or on the vehicle
identification plate on the driver seat frame.
Overloading the tires can overheat them,
possibly causing a blowout. Overloading the
tires can also result in handling or steering
problems, or brake failure. Maximum tire load
265
Wheels and tires Z

Load rails
The maximum tensile loads of the lashing
points in the cargo compartment are:
Lashing point Permissible
nominal tensile
load
Load rails on cargo
floor 1124.0 lbf
(5000 N) Lower load rail on
sidewall 562.0 lbf
(2500 N) Upper load rail on
sidewall 337.0 lbf
(1500 N) The values specified apply only to loads
placed on
the
floor of the cargo compartment
if:
R the load is secured to 2 lashing points on
the rail and
R the distance to the next load securing point
on the same rail is approx. 3 ft (1 m).
Roof carrier G
Warning
If you have installed a roof carrier, the
vehicle’s handling, steering and braking
characteristics may change

due to the higher
center of gravity. This is the case particularly
if the roof carrier is laden. Adapt your driving
style according to the vehicle load.
Observe the manufacturer's installation
instructions. An incorrectly secured roof
carrier and/or load could come loose, fall off
and thereby endanger you or others.
Observe the maximum roof load and
maximum roof carrier load. Loads transported
on the roof must always be secured with
particular care.
Do not allow the load, including passengers,
to exceed the permissible gross vehicle
weight or the gross axle weight rating for your
vehicle. Maximum roof load and minimum number of
pairs of
roof

carrier supports on vehicles with: Maximum
roof load Minimum
number of
pairs of
supports
Standard
roof 660 lbs
(300 kg) 6
High roof 330 lbs
(150 kg) 3
The data is valid for a load distributed evenly
over the entire roof area.
!
The weight of

any load carried on the roof,
including the roof carrier, must not exceed
the maximum permissible roof load.
The roof carrier supports must be mounted
at equal distances.
We recommend that you have a stabilizer
bar installed to the front axle.
Reduce the load on shorter roof carriers
proportionately. The maximum load per pair
of roof carrier supports is 110 lbs(50 kg).
! For safety reasons, we recommend that
you only use roof carrier systems which
have been tested and approved for
Sprinters. This will help to avoid damage.
Loading directions and other information
concerning load distribution and load
securing can be found in the "Operation"
section ( Y page 144). Trailer tow hitch
i We recommend that

trailer tow hitches be
retrofitted at an authorized Sprinter Dealer
i Only use a trailer tow hitch which has
been tested and specially approved by the
distributor named on the inside of the front
cover for your vehicle.
The permitted weight and load values, which
must not be exceeded, can be found in your 284
Operating data
Technical data

vehicle's registration papers and on the type
plate of
the
trailer coupling, the trailer and the
vehicle identification plate ( Y page 277). In
the event that the data stated differs, the
lower value applies.
Make sure that you adhere to the weight
restrictions by having the weight checked at
a public weighbridge.
! The permissible gross combination
weight is less than the sum of the
permissible gross vehicle weight plus the
permissible trailer load. Exceeding the
permissible gross combination weight can
lead to damage to the drivetrain, to the
transmission or to the trailer tow hitch.
For this reason, applicable values for the
permissible gross vehicle weight or the
permissible trailer load are reduced
accordingly if either the vehicle or the
trailer is fully loaded. In this case, the trailer
or the vehicle may only be partially loaded. Operating data
285
Technical data Z