Key positions
gTo insert/remove thekey,tol oc kt he steer -
ing whee l
1To unlockthe steering wheel, powe rsupply
for som econsum ers( e.g. th eradio)
2To switch on th eignition .Powe rsupply for
all consumer sand drive position
3To start th eengine
iIf th ekeydoes no tbelong to th evehicle, it
can still be turne dintheignition lock. How-
ever, th eignition will no tbeswitched on .The
engin ecanno tbes tarted.
Prepa ring for ajourne y
Visua lcheck ofthev ehicle exteri or
XIn particular, chec kthe followin gcom ponent s
on th evehicle, and on th etrailer as necessary:
Rlicense plates, vehicl elighting ,tur ns ignals,
brak elamp sand wiper blade sfor dir tand
damag e
Rtires and wheels for fir mseating ,correct
tire pressur eand general condition
Rtrailer to whitch for play and securit y
The trailer couplin gisoneof th emost
important vehicl epartsw ithr egard to roa d
safety. Observ ethe note sono peration ,
car eand maintenance of th etrailer to w
hitch (see th emanufacturer' soperating
instructions).
XRectify any noticeable defects before com-
mencin gthe journey.
Check sinthevehicle
Emergency equipment/first-aid kit
XChec kthe equipmen ttomakes uret hatiti s
accessible, complet eand read yfor use.
The first aid and breakdown assistanc eequip -
men tislocated:
Rin th efront door stowage compartments
Rin theseat base of th eleftf ront seat
Rin therear stowage compartmen tontheright -
han dside of th evehicl e(Ypage 260)
Vehicle lighting
XTurn th ekeyto position 2in th eignition lock.
XChec kthe lighting system wit hthe aid of a
secon dperson .
XReplac edefective bulbs (Ypage 98).
Before drivingo ff
GWARNING
Objects in th edriver's footwell may restrict
th ec learance around th epedal sorb locka
depressed pedal .This jeopardizes th eoper -
ating and roa dsafet yoft hevehicle. There is a
ris kofana ccident.
Stow all objects securel yint he vehicl esothat
they do no tget int othe driver's footwell.
Whe nusingfloormats or carpets, mak esure
that they are properly secured so that they do no tslip or obstruct th epedals. Do no tplac e
several floormats or carpet sontopof on e
another.
GWARNIN G
Unsuitable footwear can hinder correc tusage
of th epedals, e.g. :
Rshoes withthick sole s
Rshoes wit hhigh heel s
Rslippers
There is ariskofana ccident.
Wear suitable footwear to ensur ecorrect
usage of th epedals.
120Driving
Driving and parking
Problems with the engine
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
The engine does not
start.
The starter motor can be
heard.There isamalfunction in the fuel supply.
XTurn the key back to position 0in the ignition lock before attempting
to start the engine again.
XStart the engine again.
Please bear in mind that lengthy and frequent startin gattempt swill
drain the battery.
If the engine does not start after several attempts:
XConsult aqualified specialist workshop.
The engine does not
start.
The starter motor can be
heard. The reserve fuel
warning lamp is lit and
the fuel gage is at 0.The fuel tank has been run dry.
XRefuel the vehicle.
The engine does not
start.
The starter motor cannot
be heard.The on-board voltage is too low. The battery is too weak or discharged.
XJump-start the vehicle (Ypage 262).
If the engine cannot be jump-started, the starter motor is faulty.
XConsult aqualified specialist workshop.
The engine does not
start.
The starter motor cannot
be heard.The battery is discharged or faulty.
XCheck the battery for damage.
XCharge the battery (Ypage 253).
The engine is not running
smoothly and is misfir-
ing.There is amalfunction in the engine electronics or amechanical com-
ponent of the engine management system.
XOnly depress the accelerator pedal slightly.
Unburnt fuel may otherwise get into the catalytic converter and
damage it.
XHave the cause rectified immediately at aqualified specialist work-
shop.
Automatic transmission
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position Dor R,
the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There is
ar isk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do
not simultaneously accelerate.
GWARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off the engine.
The vehicle may roll away.T here isarisk of an
accident.
Automatic transmission125
Driving and parking
Z
Problems with the transmission
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
The transmission is
locked in positionP.The vehicle electronics are malfunctioning.
XHave the vehicle electronics checked immediately at aqualified
specialist workshop.
The acceleration charac-
teristicsh ave deteriora-
ted noticeably.
The transmission does
not shift.The transmission is in emergency mode.
It is only possible to shift into second gear or reverse gear R.
XStop the vehicle.
XDepress the brake pedal.
XMove the selector lever to positionP.
XSwitch off the engine.
XWait at least 10 seconds before restarting the engine.
XDepress the brake pedal.
XMove the selector lever to positionDor R.
In position D,the transmission shifts into second gear; in position R,
the transmission shifts into reverse gear.
XHave the transmission checked immediately at aqualified specialist
workshop.
Refueling
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Fuel is highly flammable. Improper handling of
fuel creates arisk of fire and explosion.
Avoid fire, open flames, smoking and creating
sparks under all circumstances. Switch off the
engine and, if applicable, the auxiliary heating
before refueling.
GWARNING
Fuel is poisonous and hazardous to health.
There is arisk of injury.
You must make sure that fuel does not come into contact with your skin, eyes or clothing
and that it is not swallowed. Do not inhale fuel
vapors. Keep fuel away from children.
If you or others come into contact with fuel,
observe the following:
RWash away fuel from skin immediately
using soap and water.
RIf fuel comes into contact with your eyes,
immediately rinse them thoroughly with
clean water. Seek medical assistance with-
out delay.
RIf fuel is swallowed, seek medical assis-
tance without delay.Don ot induce vomit-
ing.
RImmediately change out of clothing which
has come into contact with fuel.
GWARNING
Electrostatic buildupc an create sparks and
ignite fuel vapors. There is arisk of fire and
explosion.
Always touch the vehicle body before opening
the fuel filler flap or touching the fuel pump
nozzle. Any existing electrostatic buildupi s
thereby discharged.
Refueling131
Driving and parking
Z
have sufficient tread depth, depending on the
depth of water on the road. There isarisk of
an accident.
For this reason, avoid tire ruts and brake care-
fully.
Therefore, in heavy rain or other conditions in
which hydroplaning can occur, drive as follows:
Rreduce your speed
Ravoid tire ruts
Rapply the brakes with care
Driving on flooded roads
!Do not drive through flooded areas. Check
the depth of any water before driving through
it. Drive slowly through standing water. Oth-
erwise, water may enter the vehicle interior or
the engine compartment. This can damage
the electronic components in the engine or
the automatic transmission. Water can also
be drawn in by the engine's air suction nozzles
and this can cause engine damage.
If you have to drive on stretches of road on which
water has collected, please bear in mind that:
Rthe water level of standing water should not
be above the lower edge of the front bumper
Rdo not drive faster than walking speed
Driving in winter
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.
!Vehicles with automatic transmission may
roll only briefly in the neutral position N.Pro-
longed rolling of the wheels, e.g. when being
towed, will result in transmission damage.
Have your vehicle winterproofed at aqualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter. Drive particularly carefully on slippery roads.
Avoid sudden acceleration, steering and braking
maneuvers. Do not use cruise control.
If the vehicle threaten stoskid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
XShift the transmission to position N.
XTry to maintain control of the vehicle using
corrective steering.
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Changes in the outside temperature are dis-
played after ashort delay.
Indicated temperatures just above the freezing
point do not guarantee that the road surface is
free of ice. The road may still be icy, especially in
wooded areas or on bridges. If you do not adjust
your driving style, the vehicle may start to skid.
Always adapt your driving style and drive at a
speed to suit the prevailing weather conditions.
You should pay special attention to road condi-
tions when temperatures are around freezing
point.
You can find further information under:
R"M+S tires" (Ypage 269)
R"Snow chains" (Ypage 270)
R"Driving with summer tires" (Ypage 269)
Also observe the notes under "Winter operation" (
Ypage 269).
Driving off-road
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you drive on asteep incline at an angle or
turn when driving on an incline, the vehicle
could slip sideways, tip and rollover. There is a risk of an accident.
Always drive on asteep incline in the line of
fall (straight up or down) and do not turn the
vehicle.
GWARNING
When driving off-road, your body is subject to
forces from all directions, due to the uneven
surface. You could be thrown from your seat,
for instance. There is arisk of injury.
138Driving tips
Driving and parking
Alwayswearas eatb elt, eve nwhend riving off-
road.
GWARNING
If yo udrive ove robstacle sorinr uts, the steer-
ing whee lmayjerk outofy ourg rip, causing
injury to your hands.
Alway sholdt he steering whee lfirmly with
both hands. Whe ndriving ove robstacles, you
must expect steering forces to increase
briefl yand suddenly.
GWARNING
Flammabl ematerial such as leaves, grass or
twigs mayi gnite if they come into contact with
hot parts of the exhaus tsystem .There is arisk
of fire.
Whe ndriving off roa doronunpaved roads,
check the vehicle's undersid eregularly .In
particular, remove parts of plants or other
flammabl ematerial swhich have become
trapped. In the cas eofdamage, contact a
qualified specialist workshop.
!Whe ndriving off-roadoronu npaved surfa-
ces ,check the undersid eofthe vehicl eand
the wheels and tire satregular intervals .In
particular, remove any trappe dforeign
objects, e.g .stone sand branches.
Such foreig nobjects may:
Rdamage the chassis, the fuel tank or the
brake system
Rcause imbalance sand thusv ibrations
Rbe flung outw heny ou continue driving
If ther eisany damage, inform aquali fied spe-
cialist workshop.
Whe ndriving off-roada nd on construction sites,
sand, muda nd water mixe dwitho il,f or exam-
ple, mayg et into the brakes. Thi smaylead to a
reduction in braking performance or totalb rake
failure, also as aresul tofi ncreased wear .The
braking characteristics will vary depending on
the material thath asgot into the system .Clean
the brakes afte rdriving o
ff-road. If yo uth
en
notice reduce dbraking performance or hear
scraping noises ,hav et he brake system checked
at aq uali fied specialist workshop.A djust your
driving style to the changedb raking character-
istics. Driving off-roadoronc
onstruction sites increa-
ses the possibility of vehicl edamag ewhich may
in turn lead to the failure of certain assemblies
and systems. Adapt your driving style to the off- roa ddriving conditions. Driv ecarefully. Have
any vehicl edamag erectifie dataq ualified spe-
cialist workshop as soo naspossible.
Whe nloadin gyourvehicl efor driving off-roado r
on aconstruction site, kee pthe vehicle's center
of gravity as lo waspossible.
Rule sfor drivin goff-road
!Alway sbearthe vehicle's ground clearance
in mind and avoido bstacles, e.g .deepr uts.
Obstacles mayd amagethe following parts of
the vehicle:
Rthe chassis
Rthe drive train
Rthe fuel and supply tanks
For thisr eason, yo ushoul dalway sdrive
slowly when driving off-road. If yo uhavet o
drive ove robstacles, have the front
passengerd irect you.
iWe recommend thaty ouadditionally carry a
shovel and arecover yrop ew iths hackle in the
vehicle.
REnsure thatl oadsand items of luggage are
securel ystowed or lashe ddown
(
Ypage 232).
RBefore driving off-road, stop the vehicl eand
shift to alow gear.
RIf the surface requires ,temporaril ydeactivate
ESP®when pulling away (Ypage 64).
ROnlyd rive off-roadw itht he engine running
and ageare ngaged.
RDriv eslowly and smoothly. Walking pace is
necessary in many situations.
RAvoi dspinning the drive wheels.
RMake sure thatt he wheels always remai nin
contact with the ground.
RDriv ewithe xtreme car eoveru nknown terrain
where yo ucan onlys ee forashort distance.
As aprecaution, get outoft he vehicletotake
al oo katt he route to be take ninadvance.
RCheck the water depth before fording.
RWatch outf or obstacles(e.g. rocks ,holes,
tree stumps and ruts).
RAvoi dedges where the surface could crumble
or break away.
Driving tips139
Driving an dparking
Z
Checklist after driving off-road
!If you detect damagetothevehicle after
driving off-road, have th evehicle checked
immediately at aqualified specialist work-
shop.
Off-road driving places ahigher demand on your
vehicle than normal road operation. Checky our
vehicle after driving on roug hterra in. By doing
so you will notic eany damageing ood timeand
reduc ethe riskofana ccidentf or yourself and
other road users. Clean your vehicle thoroughly
before driving on public roads.
Observ ethe followingp oints after driving off-
road ,onc onstructio nsites and before driving on
public roads:
XActivate ESP®(Ypage 64).
XClean th eheadlamps and tail lamps and
check them for damage.
XClean th efront and rear licens eplates.
XClean th ewindshield, windows and exterior
mirrors.
XClean th esteps, door sills and grab handles.
This increases safety of footing.
XClean th ewheels/tires, wheel housing sand
th eu nderbody of th evehicle withaw aterjet .
This increases road grip ,especiall yonw et
road surfaces.
XCheckt hewheels/tires and wheel housings
for trapped foreign object sand remove them.
Trapped foreign object scan damaget he
wheels/tires and may be flun gout from the
vehicle when you continue driving.
XCheckt heunderbody for trapped branches or
other part sofplants and remove them.
Trapped branches or other part sofplants
increas ethe riskoff irea nd can caus ed
am-
age
to fuel lines, brak ehoses and th erubber
bellows of axle joint sand driv eshafts.
XClean th ebrak edisks, brak epads and axle
joints, particularly after operatio ninsand,
mud, grit/gravel, wate rorsimilarly dirt ycon-
ditions.
XCheckt heentir efloo rassembly, th etires,
wheels, bodywork structure, brakes, steering,
chassis and exhaust system for any damage.
XCheckt heservic ebrak efor operatin gsafety,
e.g .carry out abrak etest.
XIf you notic estron gv ibrations after driving off-
road ,che ck th ewheelsa nd drivetrain for for-
eign object sagain.R emove any foreign object
swhichc an lead to imbalances and
thus caus evibrations.
Driving in mountainous areas
When driving in mountainous areas ,notet hat
th ep ower output of th eengine, and withiti ts
gradientc limbingcapability, decreas ewith
increasing altitude. Pleaset aken oteoft hisp ar-
ticularly when driving withat railer in mountain-
ous areas.
The maximum permissible trailer loads are valid
for journeys at altitudes up to 1100 yds
(1000 m) aboves ea levelwithg radients up to
12%.
Information on maximum permissible trailer
loads can be foun dinyour vehicle registration
papersa nd on thevehicle identification plate
(
Ypage 294) or unde r"Trailer loads"
(Ypage 305).
When driving at altitudes of 2700 yds (2500 m)
aboves ea level, th eECO start/sto pfunction is
no longer available.
Notes on braking on downhill gradients can be
foun dint he"Braking" sectio n(
Ypage 136).
Driving systems
Cruise control
General notes
Cruise control maintain sthe speedoft hevehi-
cle for you. It brakes automatically in orde rto
avoid exceedingt heset speed.
Use cruise control if road and traffic conditions
makeita ppropriat etomaintain asteady speed
for aprolonged period. You can set any speed
from 30 km/h upwards in increment sof1km/h
and 10 km/h.
If you have set Miles
as theunit for th edigital
speedometer, you can set any speeda bove
20 mph in increment sof1mph and5mph.
Changingt hedisplay unit for th edigital speed-
omete rand th edistance:
Ron vehicle swithout steering wheel buttons
(Ypage 174)
Ron vehicle swith steering wheel buttons
(Ypage 185)
Cruise control shouldn otbe activated when
driving off-road or on constructio nsites.
140Driving systems
Driving and parking
The rear view camera may show obstacles in
perspectival distortion, incorrectly or not at all.
The rear view camera cannot display all objects
located very near and/or under the rear
bumper. It does not warn you ofacollision, per-
sons or objects.
Under the following circumstances, the rear
view camera will not function, or will function in
al imited manner:
Rif the tailgate or rear door is open
Rif it is raining very heavily or snowing, or it is
foggy.
Rat night or in very dark places
Rif the camera is exposed to very bright light.
White lines may appear in the camera image.
Rif the area is lit by fluorescent light or LED
lighting. The camera image may flicker.
Rif the camera lens fogs up, e.g. when driving
into aheated garage in winter, causing arapid
change in temperature.
Rif the camera lens is dirty or obstructed.
Observe the notes on cleaning (Ypage 257).
Rif the rear of the vehicle is damaged. In this
case, have the camera position and setting
checked at aqualified specialist workshop.
Do not use the rear view camera in these situa-
tions. You could otherwise injure others or dam-
age object sand the vehicle while parking and
maneuvering.
The field of vision and other functions of the rear
view camera may be restricted due to additional accessories on the rear of the vehicle (e.g.
license plate holder, rear-mounted bicycle
rack).
Guide lines are alwayss hown at road level. In
trailer mode, the guide lines are shown at the
level of the trailer coupling.
If you change wheel size, make sure they corre-
spond to the correctw heel size category
(
Ypage 267). If the category is changed without
recoding the control units in the vehicle, the rear
view camera cannot be precisely calibrated. The
guide lines at road level or at the level of the
trailer tow hitch will not be displayed correctly.
In vehicles with atailgate, the rear view camera
is protected from raindrops and dust by means
of aflap. When the rear view camera is activa-
ted, this flap opens.
The flap closes again when:
Ryou have finished the maneuvering process
Ryou switch off the engine For technical reasons, the flap may remain open
briefly after the rear view camera has been
deactivated.
Switching the rear view camera on or
off
XTo switch on: make sure that the key is in
position 2in the ignition lock.
XShift the transmission to position R.
On vehicles with atailgate, the rear view cam-
era flap opens. The audio display shows the
area behind the vehicle. The rear area shown
is divided by guide lines.
In vehicles with atrailer coupling installed, the
function mode of the rear view camera can be
switched over when the trailer is reached. The
rear view camera then changes the viewing
angle and shows alocating aid for the ball cou-
pling of the trailer tow hitch to help reach the
drawbar.
XTo switch function mode: select and con-
firm "Reverse parking" function :or "Cou-
pling up atrailer“ function ;using the audio
system control knob.
Information on the audio system control knob
can be found in the separate operating
instructions.
The symbol of the selected function is high-
lighted.
XTo switch off: shift the transmission to posi-
tion Nor D.
The dynamic guide lines are hidden and after
about 15 sthe rear view camera switches
itself off.
or
XDrive forwards more than about 30 ft (10 m).
or
XDrive forwards faster than 6mph (10 km/h) .
Driving system s159
Driving an dparking
Z
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