2011 MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER width

abdomen, it could cause serious injuries in
a crash.
R Never wear seat belts over rigid or
breakable objects in or on your clothing,
such as eyeglasses, pens, keys etc., as
these might cause injuries.
R Make sure the seat belt is always routed
snugly. Take special care of this when
wearing loose clothing.
R Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time. Do not fasten a seat belt
around a person and another person or
other objects at the same time.
R Seat belts should not be worn twisted. In a
crash, you would not have the full width of
the seat belt to distribute impact forces.
The twisted seat belt against your body
could cause injuries.
R Pregnant women should also always use a
lap-shoulder belt. The lap belt portion
should be positioned as low as possible on
the hips to avoid any possible pressure on
the abdomen.
R Place the seat backrest in a position that is
as upright as possible.
R Check your seat belt during travel to make
sure it is properly positioned.
R Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard, or on the seat. Always
keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.
R When using a seat belt to secure infant
restraints, toddler restraints, or children in
booster seats, always follow the child seat
manufacturer's instructions. G
Warning
Do not pass seat belts over sharp edges. They
could tear.
Do not allow the seat belt to get caught in the
door or in the seat adjustment mechanism.
This could damage the seat belt.
Never attempt to make modifications to seat
belts. This could impair the effectiveness of
the seat belts. Fastening seat belts G
Warning
According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained on the rear
seats than on the front-passenger seat. Thus,
we strongly recommend that children be
placed in the rear seat whenever possible.
Regardless of seating position, children 12
years old and under must be seated and
properly secured in an appropriately sized
child restraint system or booster seat
recommended for the size and weight of the
child. For additional information, see the
"Children in the vehicle" section.
A child's risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and/
or the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.
X Adjust the seat and move the backrest to
an almost vertical position ( Y
page 63). X
Pull the seat belt smoothly through belt
sash guide 0046.34
Occupant safety
Safety

Towing a trailer
Notes on trailer towing Important safety notes
The trailer coupling is one of the most
important vehicle parts with regard to road
safety. The notes on operation, care and
maintenance issued by the manufacturer
should be observed.
G
Warning!
Improper equipment or driving technique
while driving with a trailer can cause you to
lose control of your vehicle.
Improper towing or failure to observe the
Operator's Manual can lead to vehicle
damage and/or serious
injuries. Observe the
following guidelines in order to guarantee safe
driving with trailers.
Contact an authorized Sprinter Dealer if you
require any explanation of the information
contained in the Operator's Manual.
General notes
R Install only an approved trailer coupling on
your vehicle.
Further information about availability and
installation of trailer couplings can be
obtained from any authorized Sprinter
Dealer.
R The bumpers of your vehicle are not
suitable for installing detachable trailer
couplings.
R Do not install rented trailer couplings or
other detachable trailer couplings to the
bumpers.
R To reduce the risk of damage to the ball
coupling when using a detachable trailer
coupling, remove the ball coupling from its
mounting when it is not needed.
Coupling up a trailer Observe the maximum permissible trailer
dimensions (width and length). Most federal states and all Canadian
provinces require by law:
R
safety chains between the towing vehicle
and the
trailer.

The chains should be cross-
wound under the trailer drawbar. They must
be fastened to the vehicle's trailer
coupling, not to the bumper or the axle.
Allow for enough play in the chains to
facilitate turning tight corners.
R a separate brake system for certain types
of trailer.
R a safety switch for braked trailers. Check
the specific legal requirements applicable
to your federal state.
If the trailer detaches from the towing
vehicle, the safety switch applies the
trailer's brakes.
i The vehicle's subharness has an electric
cable to the brake light indicator lamp. G
Warning
Follow the manufacturer's operating
instructions for the trailer tow hitch when
using a detachable trailer tow hitch.
Couple and decouple the trailer carefully. A
trailer which is incorrectly coupled to the
towing vehicle could break away. A correctly
coupled trailer must be positioned
horizontally behind the vehicle.
Ensure that the following weights are not
exceeded:
R the permissible noseweight
R the permissible trailer load
R the permissible rear

axle load of the towing
vehicle
R the permissible gross weight for both the
towing vehicle and the trailer
The permissible values, which must not be
exceeded, can be found in your vehicle
documents and on the trailer tow hitch type
plates for the trailer and the vehicle. Where
the values differ, the lowest is valid. 150
Transporting loads with the vehicle
Operation

Operation
Notes on driving
R If the vehicle
is heavily laden, check the tire
pressures, and correct them, if necessary.
R When parking your vehicle, make sure that
the tires do not get deformed by the curb
or other obstacles. If it is necessary to drive
over curbs, speed humps or similar
elevations, try to do so slowly and at an
obtuse angle. Otherwise, the tires,
particularly the sidewalls, can get
damaged. Notes on regularly inspecting wheels
and tires
G
Warning
Regularly check the tires for damage.
Damaged tires can cause tire inflation
pressure loss. As a result, you could lose
control of your vehicle.
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.
R Regularly check the wheels and tires of
your vehicle for damage (e.g. cuts,
punctures, tears, bulges on tires and
deformation or severe corrosion on
wheels), at least once a month, as well as
after driving off-road or on rough roads.
Damaged wheels can cause a loss of tire
pressure.
R Regularly check the tire tread depth and
the condition of the tread across the whole
width of the tire (Y page 253). If necessary,
turn the front wheels to full lock in order to
inspect the inner side of the tire surface.
R All wheels must have a valve cap to protect
the valve against dirt and moisture. Do not
install anything onto the valve (such as tire
pressure monitoring systems) other than the standard valve cap or other valve caps
approved for your vehicle.
R Regularly check the

pressure of all the tires
including the spare wheel, particularly prior
to long trips, and correct the pressure
(Y page 255). Tire tread
G
Warning
Although the
applicable federal motor vehicle
safety laws consider a tire to be worn when
the tread wear indicators (TWI) become
visible at approximately 1
/ 16 in (1.6 mm), we
recommend that you do not allow your tires
to wear down to that level. As tread depth
approaches 1
/ 8 in (3 mm), the adhesion
properties on a

wet road are sharply reduced.
Depending upon the weather and/or road
surface (conditions), the tire traction varies
widely.
Replace tires before they become excessively
worn, as the tire traction on wet road surfaces
decreases significantly when the tread depth
is less than ⅛ in (3 mm).
Tread wear indicators (TWIs) are required by
law. Six indicators are positioned over the tire
tread. They are visible once the tread depth
is approximately 1
/ 16 in (1.6 mm). If this is the
case, the tire is so worn that it must be
replaced.
The recommended tread depth for summer
tires is at least ⅛ in (3 mm). The
recommended tread depth for winter tires is
at least 1/6
in (4 mm). Operation
253
Wheels and tires Z

i
The actual values for tires are specific to
each vehicle and may deviate from the
values in the illustration.
Maximum tire load 0046 is the maximum
permitted weight for which the tire is
approved.
Further information on tire loads
(Y page 266). Tire labeling
Overview of tire labeling
The following markings are on the tire in
addition to the tire name (sales designation)
and the manufacturer's name: 0046
DOT, Tire Identification Number
(Y page 268)
0047 Maximum tire load ( Y page 265)
008A Maximum tire pressure (Y page 257)
0088 Manufacturer
0086 Tire material ( Y page 268)
0087 Tire size designation, load-bearing
capacity and speed index (
Y page 266)
006E Tire name
i Tire data is vehicle-specific and may
deviate from the data in the example. Tire size designation, load-bearing
capacity and speed index
0046
Design standard
0047 Tire width
008A Nominal aspect ration in %
0088 Tire code
0086 Rim diameter
0087 Load bearing index
006E Speed index
i Tire data is vehicle-specific and may
deviate from the data in the example.
Instructions for tires can be found under
"Tires and wheels" in the "Technical data"
section ( Y page 280).
General: depending on the manufacturer's
standards, the size imprinted in the tire wall
may not contain any letters or may contain
one letter 0046 that precedes the size
description.
If "LT" precedes the size description (as
shown above): these are light truck tires
according to U.S. manufacturing standards.
If "C"
precedes
the size description: these are
commercial motor vehicle tires according to
European manufacturing standards.
Tire width: tire width 0047 shows the nominal
tire width in millimeters.
Nominal aspect ratio: aspect ratio 008A is the
size ratio between the tire height and the tire
width and is shown in percent. The aspect
ratio is calculated by dividing the tire width by
the tire height. 266
Tire labeling
Wheels and tires

Maximum weight of the laden vehicle
The maximum weight is the sum of the
unladen weight of the vehicle, the weight of
the accessories, the maximum load and the
weight of the

optional equipment installed at
the factory. Kilopascal (kPa)
Metric unit for tire pressure. 6.9 kPa is
equivalent to

1 psi. Another tire pressure unit
is bar. 100 kilopascal (kPa) is equivalent to
1 bar. Unladen weight
The weight of a vehicle with standard
equipment including the maximum filling
capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant. It also
includes the air-conditioning system and
optional equipment if these are installed on
the vehicle, but does not include passengers
or luggage. Maximum tire load
The maximum tire load in kilograms or
pounds is the maximum weight for which a
tire is approved. Maximum permissible tire pressure
Maximum permissible tire pressure for one
tire. Maximum load on one tire
Maximum load on one tire. This is calculated
by dividing the

maximum axle load of one axle
by two. PSI (Pounds per square inch)
Standard unit of measurement for tire
pressure. Aspect ratio
Relationship between tire

height and width in
percent. Tire pressure
Pressure inside the tire applying an outward
force to every square inch of the tire's
surface. Tire pressure is specified in pounds
per square inch

(psi), in kilopascal (kPa) or in
bar. Tire pressure should only be corrected
when the tires are cold. For this, the vehicle
must have been stationary for at least three
hours or not have traveled more than 1.6 km
(1 mile) in this time. Tire tread
The part of the tire that comes into contact
with the road. Tire bead
The tire bead ensures that the tire sits
securely on the

wheel. There are several steel
wires in the bead to prevent the tire from
coming loose from the wheel rim. Sidewall
The part of

the tire between the tread and the
tire bead. Weight of optional extras
The combined weight

of those optional extras
that weigh more than the replaced standard
part and more than 2.3 kilograms (5 lbs).
These optional extras, such as a roof rack or 270
Definition for tires and loading
Wheels and tires