Useful information
This Operator's Manual describes all models as
well as standard and optional equipment of your
vehicle that were available at the time of going
to print.Country-specific variation sare possi-
ble. Note that your vehicle may not be equipped
with all of the described functions. This also
applies to system sand function srelevantt o
safety.
Read the information on qualified specialist
workshops (
Ypage 29).
Breaking-in notes
Important safetyn otes
In certain drivingand drivingsafetysystems, the
sensors adjust automatically while acertain dis-
tance is being driven after the vehicle has been
delivered or after repairs. Full system effective- ness is not reached until the end of this teach-in
procedure.
New or replaced brake pads and brake discs
only reach their optimal brakin geffecta fter a
few hundred kilometers of driving. Until then,
compensat efor this by applying greater forcet o
the brake pedal.
The first 1000 miles (1500 km)
For the servicel ife and economy of your vehicle
it is crucial that you break in the engin ewith due
care.
RTherefore, protect the engin efor the first
1000m iles (1500k m) by drivingatv arying
vehicle and engin espeeds.
RAvoid overstraining the vehicle and high
engin espeeds during this period, e.g. driving
at full throttle. Do not exceed Øof the max-
imum speed for each gear.
RDo not change down agear manually in order
to brake.
RTry to avoid depressingt he accelerator pedal
beyond the point of resistance (kickdown).
After 1000m iles (1500km), you can increase
the engin espeed gradually and accelerate the
vehicle to full speed.
iYou should also observet hesenotes on
breaking-in if the engin eorparts of the drive
train on your vehicle have been replaced.
Driving
Important safetyn otes
GWARNING
Flammable materials introduced through
environmental influence or by animals can
ignit eifinc ontact with the exhaust system or
parts of the engin ethat heat up. There is arisk
of fire.
Carry out regular checks to make sure that
ther eare no flammable foreign materials in
the engin ecompartmen torinthe exhaust
system.
GWARNING
If you switc hoff the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant function sare only available
with limitations, or not at all. This could affect, for example, the power steering and the brake
boosting effect. You will require considerably
more efforttos teer and brake. There is arisk
of an accident.
Do not switc hoff the ignition while driving.
GWARNING
If the parkin gbrake has not been fully
released when driving, the parkin gbrake can:
Roverheat and cause afire
Rlose its hold function.
There is arisk of fire and an accident. Release
the parkin gbrake fully before drivingo ff.
!Warm up the enginequickly. Do not use the
engine's full performanc euntil it has reached
operatin gtemperature.
Only shift the automatic transmission to the
desired drive position when the vehicle is sta-
tionary.
Where possible, avoid spinning the drive
wheels when pulling away on slippery roads.
You could otherwise damage the drive train.
Driving119
Driving and parking
Z
Mercedes-Benzrecommends that you have the
maximum permissible speed programed at a
Mercedes-BenzC ommercial Van Center.
Before overtaking, take into consideration that
the engine speed limiter prevents the speed
increasing beyond the programed maximum
speed.
Driving abroad
Service
An extensive network of authorized Mercedes-
Benz Centers is also at your disposal when you
are traveling abroad. Nevertheless, please bear
in mind that service facilities or replacement
parts may not always be immediately available.
The relevant workshop directories are available
from any Mercedes-BenzC ommercial Van Cen-
ter.
Fuel
In some countries, only fuels with ahigher sulfur
content are available.
Unsuitable fuel can cause engine damage. You
will find information about fuel under "Service
products and capacities" (
Ypage 296).
Low-beam headlamps
General notes
When driving in countries in which traffic drives
on the opposite side of the road to the country
where the vehicle is registered, you must switch
the headlamps to symmetrical low beam. This
prevents oncomingt raffic from being blinded.
Symmetrical low beam does not illuminate as
large an area of the edge of the road.
Vehicles with halogen headlamps
The headlamps do not need to be switched to
symmetrical low beam. The legal requirements
of countries in which traffic drives on the oppo- site side of the road to the countryw here the
vehicle is registered are met without the need to
convert the headlamps.
Transport by rail
Transporting your vehicle by rail may be subject to certain restrictions or require special meas- ures to be taken in some countries due to vary-
ing tunnel heights and loading standards.
You can obtain information on this from any
Mercedes-BenzC
ommercial Van Center.
Brakes
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you shift down on aslippery road surface in
an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect,t he drive wheels could lose their grip.
There is an increased danger of skidding and
accidents.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on aslippery road surface.
Downhill gradients
!Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
This also applies to automatic braking if you
have activated cruise control.
On long and steep downhill gradients, you
should change down to shift range 2or1 in
good time (
Ypage 128).
This should be observed in particular when driv-
ing with aladen vehicle and when towing a
trailer.
You thereby make use of the braking effect of
the engine and do not have to brake as often to
maintain the speed. This relieves the load on the
service brake and prevents the brakes from
overheating and wearing too quickly.
Heavy and light loads
GWARNING
If you rest your foot on the brake pedal while
driving, the braking system can overheat. This increases the stopping distance and can even
cause the braking system to fail. There is a
risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as afootrest.N ever
depress the brake pedal and the accelerator
pedal at the same time.
136Driving tips
Driving and parking
General notes
RObserve the legally prescribed maximum
speed for vehicle/trailer combinations in the
relevant country, state or Canadianprovince.
Before setting off, check the vehicle docu-
ments of the you rtraile rtof ind out the per-
missible maximu mspeed.
This reduces the risk of accidents.
RInstall only an approved traile rcoupling on
you rvehicle .Only use aballc oupling that is
approved for you rvehicle and Sprinter trailer
tow hitch. More information on the availabil-
ity, mounting and installation of the trailer
electrics is available at any qualified specialist
workshop.
RThe traile rcoupling is one of the most impor-
tant vehicle parts with regard to road safety.
Observe the notes on operation, care and
maintenance of the traile rtow hitch (see the
manufacturer's operating instructions).
RThe bumpers of you rvehicle are not suitable
for installing detachable traile rcouplings.
RDo not attach rented traile rtow hitches or
other detachable traile rtow hitches to the
bumper.
RMinimize the risk of damage to the bal lcou-
pling. If you do not require the bal lcoupling,
remove it from the bal lcoupling recess.
You wil lfind weight information under "Techni-
cal Data" (
Ypage 305).
The heigh tofthe bal lneck changes according to
the loadont he vehicle.Ifthis is case, use a
traile rwith aheight-adjustabl etraile rdrawbar.
Driving tips
The maximu mpermissibl espeed for vehicle/
traile rcombinatio ndepends on the type of
trailer. Before setting off, check the vehicle
documents of the you rtraile rtof ind out the
permissibl emaximu mspeed.O bserve the
legally prescribed maximu mspeed for vehicle/
traile rcombinations in the relevant country,
state or Canadianp rovince.
When towing atrailer, you rvehicle's handling
characteristics wil lbedifferent in comparison to
when driving withou tatraile rand it wil lcon-
sume more fuel.
On long and steep downhill gradients, select a
lower gear.
iThis also appliesifc ruise control is activa-
ted. This enables you to utilize the engine's braking
effect and you do not need to brake so heavily to
keep the correct speed.w
hich protects the
brake system and prevents the brakes from
overheating and wearing too quickly. If you need to brake additionally, to not depress the brake
pedalc onstantly, but periodically.
Observe the notes on ESP
®traile rstabilization
(Ypage 65).
Driving tips
If the traile rbegins to swing from side to side:
XDo not accelerate.
XDo not counter-steer.
XBrake if necessary.
iYou can reduce the risk of the traile rswing-
ing and rocking by retrofitting anti-roll bars or traile rstability programs. More information is
available from you rauthorized Sprinter
Dealer.
RMaintain agreater distance than you would
when driving withou ttowing atrailer.
RAvoid sudden braking. Apply the brakes gen-
tly at first to allow the traile rbrake to overrun.
Then, increase the brake force quickly.
RThe figures for the gradient climbing capabil-
ities from astandstill refer to sea level.W hen
driving in mountainou sareas, note that the
powe routpu toft he engine, and with it its
gradient climbing capability, decrease with
increasing altitude.
164Towing atrailer
Driving and parking
RWhen driving withatrailer, check at regular
intervals that the load is secured and that the
brakes and lights are working.
RBear in mind that the handling will be less
stable when towing atrailer than when driving
without one. Avoid sudden steerin gmove-
ments.
RThe vehicle/trailer combination is heavier,
accelerates more slowly and has adecreased
gradient climbing capability and alonger
braking distance.
It is more susceptible to crosswinds and
requires cautious steering.
RIf possible, do not brake suddenly, but rather
moderately at first so that the trailer can acti-
vate its brakes. Then increase the forceont he
brake pedal.
RIf the automatic transmission repeatedly
shifts between gears when driving on inclines,
restrict the shift range. Select shift range 4,3,
2 or 1.
Drivin ginal ow gear and at alow speed
reduces the risk of damaging the engine.
RWhen driving on adownhill gradient, shift to a
low gear and take advantage of the engine's
braking effect.
Avoid continuous brake application as this
may overheat the vehicle brakes and, if instal-
led, the trailer brakes.
RIf the coolant temperature increases dramat-
ically while the air-conditionin gsystem is
switched on, switch off the air-conditioning
system.
Coolant heat can also be dissipated by
switchin gthe airflow and the temperature of
the air conditioning to the maximum level.
Open the windows if necessary.
RWhen overtaking, pay particular attention to
the extended length of your vehicle/trailer
combination.
Due to the length of your vehicle/trailer com- bination you need an additional distance
before you can return to your original lane.
Uncoupling atrailer
GWARNING
If you uncouple atrailer with the overrun
brake engaged, you could trap your hand
between the vehicle and the trailer drawbar.
There is arisk of injury.
Do not uncouple atrailer if the overrun brake
is engaged.
!Do not disconnect atrailer with an engaged
overrun brake. Otherwise, your vehicle could
be damaged by the rebounding of the overrun
brake.
XMake sure that the selector lever of the auto-
matic transmission is in position P.
XEngage the vehicle's parking brake.
XClose all doors.
XApply the parking brake of the trailer.
XIn addition, secure the trailer against rolling
away withawheel chock or similar object.
XRemove the trailer cable and safety chains
and decouple the trailer.
Permissible trailer loads and trailer
drawbar noseweights
Weight information
!For vehicles with apermissible gross vehicle
weight of 6724 lbs (3050 kg), the permissible gross combination weight is less than the sum
of the permissible gross vehicle weight plus
the permissible trailer load. Exceeding the
permitted gross combination weight could
damage the powertrain ,transmission or
trailer tow hitch.
If either the vehicle or the trailer is fully laden,
the permitted gross vehicle weight or the per- mitted trailer load values are reduced accord-
ingly. In this case, you may only partially load
the trailer or the vehicle.
The gross trailer weight (GTW) is calculated by
adding the weight of the trailer to the weight of
the load and equipment. The permissible gross
trailer weight is 5000 lbs (2268 kg).
The maximum noseweight of the trailer drawbar
on the ball coupling is 500 lbs (227 kg). The
actual noseweight may not exceed the value
given on the identification plates of the trailer
tow hitch or the trailer. If the values vary, the
lowest value alwaysa pplies.
The gross combination weight rating (GCWR) is
calculated by adding the gross weight of the
trailer to the gross vehicle weight including a
166Towing atrailer
Driving and parking
On vehicles with steering wheel buttons, the
light sensor in the instrument cluster automati-
cally controls the brightness of the displaylight-
ing.
While the lights are on, the brightness is depend-
ent upon the brightness of the ambient light.
You can also adjust the brightness of the instru-
ment lighting and the displayl ighting
Rby pressing thefand gbuttons on the
instrument cluster on vehicles without steer-
ing wheel buttons (not in the Settings
menu)
Rby turning control:on vehicles with steer-
ing wheel buttons.
Speedometer
If you change the wheel size on your vehicle,
make sure it is assigned to the correct wheel
size category (
Ypage 267). If you change wheel
size category without recoding the control unit,
the speedometer indication will be inaccurate.
The current vehicle speed may then be higher
than the speed displayed in the speedometer.
The speed can also be shown in the displayi n
the form of adigital speedometer:
Ron vehicles without steering wheel buttons
(Ypage 172)
Ron vehicles with steering wheel buttons
(Ypage 178)
iIn some countries, awarning sounds and/or
the displays howsamessage when the vehi-
cle reaches the maximum legally permissible
speed limit, e.g. at 75 mph (120 km/h).
Tachometer
!
Do not drive in the overrevving range, as this
could damage the engine.
HEnvironmental note
Avoid driving at high engine speeds. This
unnecessarily increases the fuel consumption
of your vehicle and harms the environment as
ar esult of increased emissions.
The red band in the tachometer indicates the
engine's overrevving range.
To protect the engine, the fuel supply is inter-
rupted when the red band is reached.
Outside temperatured isplay
You should pay special attention to road condi-
tions when temperatures are around freezing
point.
Please bear in mind that the outside tempera-
ture displayshows the air temperature meas-
ured and not the road temperature.
The displays hows the outside temperature in
the header:
Ron vehicles without steering-wheel buttons
(Ypage 170)
Ron vehicles with steering wheel buttons
(Ypage 176).
Changes in the outside temperature are dis-
played after ashort delay.
Coolant temperatureg auge
GWARNING
Opening the hood when the engine is over-
heated or when there is afire in the engine
compartment could expose you to hot gases
or other service products. There is arisk of
injury.
Let an overheated engine cool down before
opening the hood. If there is afire in the
engine compartment,k eep the hood closed
and contact the fire department.
On vehicles without steering wheel buttons, you
can have the coolant temperature shown in the
display(
Ypage 172).
On vehicles with steering wheel buttons, an ana-
log coolant temperature gage is located in the
tachometer in the instrument cluster
(
Ypage 37).
Under normal operating conditions and with the
specified coolant level, the gage may rise to
248 ‡(120† ).
Display and operation169
On-board computer and displays
Z
Use the buttons in the instrument cluster.
XTo display:pressÈto select the trip com-
puter display.
The valuesd isplayed relate to those meas-
ured since the trip computer was last reset.
XTo reset values: press and hold3until all
valuesa re reset.
The trip computer is automaticallyr eset if the
value exceeds 9,999 hours or 99,999 miles.
You can set the unit of measurement for con-
sumption and distance in the Distance Unit:
submenu (Ypage 174).
Range menu
Use the buttons in the instrument cluster.
XPressÈto select the Rangedisplay.
The approximate range that can be covered is calculated according to your current driving
style and the amount of fuel in the tank. If
there is only asmall amount of fuel left in the
fuel tank, the displays howsavehicle being
refueled Ïinstead of the approximate
range.
You can set the unit of measurement for dis-
tance in the Distance Unit:
submenu
(Ypage 174).
Current fuel consumption menu
Use the buttons in the instrument cluster.
XPress Èto select the fuel consumption bar
display.
The fuel consumption displayisb ased on the
current driving style.
You can set the unit of measurement for con-
sumption in the Distance Unit:
submenu
(Ypage 174).
Digital speedometer menu
Use the buttons in the instrument cluster.
XPress Èto select the speed display.
You can set the unit for the digital speedometer
in the Distance
Unit:submenu (Ypage 174).
Coolant temperaturem enu
GWARNING
Opening the hood when the engine is over-
heated or when there is afire in the engine
compartment could expose you to hot gases
or other service products. There is arisk of
injury.
Let an overheated engine cool down before
opening the hood. If there is afire in the
engine compartment,k eep the hood closed
and contact the fire department.
Use the buttons in the instrument cluster.
XPress Èto select the ?coolant temper-
ature bar display.
Under normal operating conditions and with the
specified coolant level, the gage may rise to
248 ‡(120 †).
172On-board computer (vehicles without steering wheelb uttons)
On-board computer and displays
Engine
Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
#An additional warning tone sounds. The battery is no tbeingc harged.
Possible causes:
Rfault yalternator
Rtorn poly-V-belt
Ram alfunctio nintheelectronics
XStop th evehicle immediately, payinga ttention to road and traffic
conditions, and switch off th eengine.
!Do no tcontinue driving .The engine coul dotherwise overheat.
XSecure th evehicle to prevent it from rolling away (Ypage 132).
XConsult aqualified specialist workshop.
?
StopV ehicleT urnEng.Off
An additional warning tone sounds. The coolant is to ohot.
GWARNING
Never driv ewith an overheate dengine .Drivin gw hen th eengine is
overheate dcan caus efluids whichm ay have leaked int othe engine
compartmen ttocatch fire.
In addition,s team from an overheate dengine can caus eserious
burns, whichc an occur justbyopening th ehood.
Thereisar isk of injury.
XStop thevehicle immediately, payinga ttention to road and traffic
conditions, and switch off th eengine.
XSecure th evehicle to prevent it from rolling away (Ypage 132).
XWait until th eengine has cooled down.
XMakes ure that th eair supply to th eradiator is no tobstructed, by
frozen slush for example.
XDo no tstart th eengine again until th edisplay message goes out and
th ec oolant temperatur eisbelow th emaximum value specified. The
engine coul dotherwise be damaged.
XPay attention to th ecoolant temperatur egage (Ypage 172).
XIf th etem peratur eincreases again,v isitaq ualified specialist work-
shop immediately.
Under normal operatin gconditionsa nd with thespecifie dcoolant
level, th ecoolant temperatur egage may rise to 24 8‡(120† ).
?The fan motor is faulty.
XCheckt hecoolant temperatur e(Ypage 172).
XIf thecoolant temperatur eisbelow th emaximum value specified
below, you can continue driving to th enearest qualified specialist
workshop.
Avoid heavyl oads on theengine ,e.g.d riving in mountainous terrain,
and stop-and-go traffic.
Under normal operatin gconditionsa nd with thespecifie dcoolant
level, th ecoolant temperatur egage may rise to 24 8‡(120† ).
Displa ymessages (vehicles without steerin gwheel buttons)197
On-boardc omputer and displays
Z
Engine
Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
#An additional warning tone sounds. The battery is no tbeingc harged.
Possible causes:
Rfault yalternator
Rtorn poly-V-belt
Ram alfunctio nintheelectronics
XStop th evehicle immediately, payinga ttention to road and traffic
conditions, and switch off th eengine.
!Do no tcontinue driving .The engine coul dotherwise overheat.
XSecure th evehicle to prevent it from rolling away (Ypage 132).
XConsult aqualified specialist workshop.
?
CoolantT oo Hot:StopVehicleT urnEngine Off
An additional warning tone sounds. The coolant is to ohot.
GWARNING
Never driv ewith an overheate dengine .Drivin gw hen th eengine is
overheate dcan caus efluids whichm ay have leaked int othe engine
compartmen ttocatch fire.
In addition,s team from an overheate dengine can caus eserious
burns, whichc an occur justbyopening th ehood.
Thereisar isk of injury.
XStop thevehicle immediately, payinga ttention to road and traffic
conditions, and switch off th eengine.
XSecure th evehicle to prevent it from rolling away (Ypage 132).
XWait until th eengine has cooled down.
XMakes ure that th eair supply to th eradiator is no tobstructed, by
frozen slush for example.
XDo no tstart th eengine again until th edisplay message goes out and
th ec oolant temperatur eisbelow th emaximum value specified. The
engine coul dotherwise be damaged.
XMonito rthe ? coolant temperatur egage in th einstrumen tclus-
ter.
XIf th etem peratur eincreases again,v isitaq ualified specialist work-
shop immediately.
Under normal operatin gconditionsa nd with thespecifie dcoolant
level, the ?gage may rise to 24 8‡(120† ).
Displa ymessages (vehicles with steerin gwheel buttons)211
On-boardc omputer and displays
Z