
could slip sideways, tip and rollover. There is arisk of an accident.
Always drive on a steep 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 a risk of injury.
Always wear a seat belt, even when driving off-
road.
GWARNING
If you drive over obstacles or in ruts, the steer-
ing wheel may jerk out of your grip, causing
injury to your hands.
Always hold the steering wheel firmly with
both hands. When driving over obstacles, you
must expect steering forces to increase
briefly and suddenly.
GWARNING
Flammable material such as leaves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact with
hot parts of the exhaust system. There is a risk of fire.
When driving off road or on unpaved roads,
check the vehicle's underside regularly. In
particular, remove parts of plants or other
flammable materials which have become
trapped. In the case of damage, contact a
qualified specialist workshop.
!When driving off-road or on unpaved surfa-
ces, check the underside of the vehicle and
the wheels and tires at regular intervals. In
particular, remove any trapped foreign
objects, e.g. stones and branches.
Such foreign objects may:
Rdamage the chassis, the fuel tank or the
brake system
Rcause imbalances and thus vibrations
Rbe flung out when you continue driving
If there is any damage, inform a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. When driving off-road and on construction sites,
sand, mud and water mixed with oil, for exam-
ple, may get into the brakes. This may lead to a
reduction in braking performance or total brake
failure, also as a result of increased wear. The
braking characteristics will vary depending on
the material that has got into the system. Clean
the brakes after driving off-road. If you then
notice reduced braking performance or hear
scraping noises, have the brake system checked
at a
quali
fied specialist workshop. Adjust your
driving style to the changed braking character-
istics.
Driving off-road or on construction sites increa-
ses the possibility of vehicle damage which may
in turn lead to the failure of certain assemblies
and systems. Adapt your driving style to the off- road driving conditions. Drive carefully. Have
any vehicle damage rectified at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop as soon as possible.
When driving on rough terrain, do not shift the
transmission into the neutral position. You could
lose control when attempting to brake the vehi-
cle with the service brake. If your vehicle cannot
manage an uphill slope, drive back down the
slope in reverse gear.
When loading your vehicle for driving off-road or on a construction site, keep the vehicle's center
of gravity as low as possible.
Checklist before driving off-road
XCheck the fuel and DEF levels (Ypage 162)
and top up (Ypage 129).
XEngine: check the oil level (Ypage 220) and
add oil (Ypage 222).
Before driving up or down steep gradients, fill
the oil to the maximum level.
iIf you drive up or down steep gradients, the
4 symbol may appear in the display. The
engine operating safety is not put at risk if you
have filled the engine oil to the maximum level
before the journey.
XVehicle tool kit: check that the jack is work-
ing (Ypage 240).
XMake sure that a lug wrench (Ypage 240),
wooden underlay for the jack, a robust tow
cable and a folding spade are carried in the
vehicle.
XWheels and tires: check the tire tread depth
(Ypage 248) and tire pressure
(Ypage 250).
138Driving tips
Driving and parking

Rules for driving off-road
!Always bear the vehicle's ground clearance
in mind and avoid obstacles, e.g. deep ruts.
Obstacles may damage the following parts of
the vehicle:
Rthe chassis
Rthe drive train
Rthe fuel and supply tanks
For this reason, you should always drive
slowly when driving off-road. If you have to
drive over obstacles, have the front
passenger direct you.
iWe recommend that you additionally carry a
shovel and a recovery rope with shackle in the
vehicle.
REnsure that loads and items of luggage are
securely stowed or lashed down
(
Ypage 212).
RBefore driving off-road, stop the vehicle and
shift to a low gear.
RIf the surface demands it, temporarily deacti-
vate ASR when pulling away (Ypage 53).
ROnly drive off-road with the engine running
and a gear engaged.
RDrive slowly and smoothly. Walking pace is
necessary in many situations.
RAvoid spinning the drive wheels.
RMake sure that the wheels always remain in
contact with the ground.
RDrive with extreme care over unknown terrain
where you can only see for a short distance.
As a precaution, get out of the vehicle to take
a look at the route to be taken in advance.
RCheck the water depth before fording.
RWatch out for obstacles (e.g. rocks, holes,
tree stumps and ruts).
RAvoid edges where the surface could crumble
or break away.
Checklist after driving off-road
!If you detect damage to the vehicle after
driving off-road, have the vehicle checked
immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Off-road driving places a higher demand on your
vehicle than normal road operation. Check your
vehicle after driving on rough terrain. By doing
so you will notice any damage in good time and reduce the risk of an accident for yourself and
other road users. Clean your vehicle thoroughly
before driving on public roads.
Observe the following points after driving off-
road, on construction sites and before driving on
public roads:
XVehicles with all-wheel drive:
deactivate
all-wheel drive (Ypage 148).
XActivate ASR (Ypage 53).
XClean the headlamps and tail lamps and
check them for damage.
XClean the front and rear license plates.
XClean the windshield, windows and exterior
mirrors.
XClean the steps, door sills and grab handles.
This increases safety of footing.
XClean the wheels and tires, wheel arches and
the underbody of the vehicle with a water jet.
This increases road grip, especially on wet
road surfaces.
XCheck the wheels and tires and wheel arches
for trapped foreign objects and remove them.
Trapped foreign objects can damage the
wheels and tires or may be fl
ung out from the
vehicle when you continue driving.
XCheck the underbody for trapped branches or
other parts of plants and remove them.
Trapped branches or other parts of plants
increase the risk of fire and can cause dam-
age to fuel lines, brake hoses and the rubber
bellows of axle joints and drive shafts.
XClean the brake disks, brake pads and axle
joints, particularly after operation in sand,
mud, grit and gravel, water or similarly dirty
conditions.
XCheck the entire floor assembly, the tires,
wheels, bodywork structure, brakes, steering,
chassis and exhaust system for any damage.
XCheck the service brake for operating safety,
e.g. carry out a brake test.
XIf you notice strong vibrations after driving off-
road, check the wheels and drive train for for-
eign objects again. Remove any foreign
objects which can lead to imbalances and
thus cause vibrations.
Driving tips139
Driving and parking
Z

Weight information can be found in the “Per-
missible trailer and drawbar noseweights” sec-
tion (
Ypage 159).
iThe height of the ball neck changes accord-
ing to the load on the vehicle. If this is case,
use a trailer with a height-adjustable trailer
drawbar.
Driving tips
The maximum permissible speed for vehicle/
trailer combination depends on the type of
trailer. Before setting off, check the vehicle
documents of the your trailer to find out the
permissible maximum speed. Observe the
legally prescribed maximum speed for vehicle/
trailer combinations in the relevant country,
state or Canadian province.
When towing a trailer, your vehicle's handling
characteristics will be different in comparison to when driving without a trailer and it will con-
sume more fuel.
On long, steep downhill slopes you must select
shift range 3,2or 1in good time.
iThis also applies if cruise 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. which 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
pedal constantly, but periodically.
Driving tips
If the trailer begins to swing from side to side:
XDo not accelerate.
XDo not counter-steer.
XBrake if necessary.
iYou can reduce the risk of the trailer swing-
ing and rocking by retrofitting anti-roll bars or trailer stability programs. More information is
available from your authorized Sprinter
Dealer.
RMaintain a greater distance than you would
when driving without towing a trailer.
RAvoid sudden braking. Apply the brakes gen-
tly at first to allow the trailer brake to overrun.
Then, increase the brake force quickly.
RThe figures for the gradient climbing capabil-
ities from a standstill refer to sea level. When
driving in mountainous areas, note that the
power output of the engine, and with it its
gradient climbing capability, decrease with
increasing altitude.
Coupling up a trailer
Trailer coupled ready for use
XMake sure the selector lever of the automatic
transmission is in position P.
XApply the vehicle's parking brake.
XClose all doors.
XPosition the trailer horizontally behind your
vehicle.
iThe height of the ball neck changes accord-
ing to the load on the vehicle. In this case, use
a trailer with a height-adjustable trailer draw-
bar.
XCouple the trailer.
XEstablish all electrical and other connections to the trailer. When doing so, hook the break-
away cable of the trailer into eyelet :on the
ball coupling.
XRemove the objects that are preventing the
trailer from rolling, e.g. wheel chocks.
XRelease the trailer parking brake.
iThe subharness of the vehicle has a cable
connection to the brake lamp indicator lamp.
Observe the maximum permissible trailer
dimensions (width and length).
Towing a trailer157
Driving and parking
Z

The display switches off automatically after
approximately 30 seconds if:
Rthe key is in position0in the ignition lock.
Rthe vehicle lighting is not switched on.
Instrument lighting
When the lights are switched on, you can adjust
the brightness of the instrument cluster lighting
using the fand gbuttons.
XTo brighten: press thefbutton.
XTo dim: press the gbutton.
iVehicles with automatic headlamp mode:
the instrument lighting also adapts to auto-
matic headlamp mode.
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
a result 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 temperature
You should pay special attention to road condi-
tions when temperatures are around the freez-
ing point.
On vehicles without steering wheel buttons
(
Ypage 163) and on vehicles with steering
wheel buttons (Ypage 167), the outside tem-
perature display is in the display.
Changes in the outside temperature are dis-
played after a short delay.
Speedometer
The speed can also be shown in the display. You
can find information on the digital speedometer for vehicles without steering wheel buttons
under (
Ypage 163) and for vehicles with steer-
ing wheel buttons under (Ypage 167).
iIn some countries, a warning sounds when
the vehicle reaches the maximum speed limit,
e.g. at 75 mph (120 km/h).
Trip odometer
XTo reset: make sure that the display is show-
ing the trip odometer if you have a vehicle with
steering wheel buttons (
Ypage 167).
XPress and hold the 9reset button until the
trip odometer is reset to 0.0.
Fuel gage
:Fuel gage on vehicles without steering
wheel buttons
;Fuel gage on vehicles with steering wheel
buttons
=Fuel filler flap location indicator t: the
fuel filler flap is on the left-hand side. Fuel
filler flap location indicator u: the fuel
filler flap is on the right-hand side
?Reserve fuel warning lamp (Ypage 200)
DEF gage
Vehicles without steering wheel but-
tons
If the DEF supply is less than 1.5 US gal (5.5 l),
the dEF Chkmessage appears in the display.
In addition, the yellow åDEF indicator lamp
lights up in the instrument cluster and a warning
tone sounds.
162Instrument cluster
On-board computer and displays

If the supply of DEF falls below the reserve range
of 0.8 US gal (3.0l), the StArtS RExxmessage
appears in the display. In addition, the yellow
å DEF indicator lamp lights up in the instru-
ment cluster and three warning tones sound.
In the display, xx
corresponds to the number of
possible remaining engine starts (16to 0).
When the display shows that the number of
remaining starts is 0
, theStArtSIdLEmessage
appears in the display and three warning tones
sound.
In addition, the yellow åDEF indicator lamp
and the ;Check Engine indicator lamp light
up in the instrument cluster and three warning
tones sound.
The engine management only allows speeds of
up to 5 mph (8 km/h).
Add at least 1.5 US gal (5.5 l) of DEF
(
Ypage 129).
The display message only disappears when the
vehicle is stationary, at the latest after
20 seconds as soon as you switch on the ignition or start the engine after refueling.
Vehicles with steering wheel buttons
If the supply of DEF is less than 1.5 US gal
(5.5 l), the Check Diesel Exhaust Fluid
see Operator's Manualmessage appears in
the display.
If the supply of DEF falls below the reserve range
of 0.8 US gal (3.0 l), the XX
startsremainingmessage is displayed.
Three short warning tones also sound.
In the display,xx
corresponds to the number of
possible remaining engine starts (16to 0).
When the display shows that the number of
remaining starts is 0
, theStArtSIdLEmessage
appears in the display.
The yellow ;Check Engine indicator lamp
also lights up and three short warning tones
sound.
The engine management only allows speeds of
up to 5 mph (8 km/h).
Add at least 1.5 US gal (5.5 l) of DEF
(
Ypage 129).
The display message only disappears when the
vehicle is stationary, at the latest after
20 seconds as soon as you switch on the ignition or start the engine after refueling.
On-board computer (vehicles without
steering wheel buttons)
Operating the on-board computer
General notes
The on-board computer is activated as soon as
you turn the key to position 1in the ignition lock.
The on-board computer shows vehicle informa-
tion and settings in the display.
You can control the display and the settings in
the on-board computer using the adjustment
buttons on the instrument cluster.
Standard display
:Odometer
;Trip odometer
=Clock
?Outside temperature or digital speedometer
AFuel gage (Ypage 162)
BSelector lever position or current shift range
with automatic transmission (Ypage 124)
XTo call up the standard display: turn the key
to position 2in the ignition lock.
XPress the 4menu button for longer than
1 second.
The information shown in the display changes
from the outside temperature to the digital
speedometer.
Menus in the on-board computer
Overview
If you wish to exit a menu and go to the standard display:
XPress the 4menu button for longer than
1 second.
or
XDo not press any button for 10 seconds.
The display accepts the changed settings.
On-board computer (vehicles without steering wheel buttons)163
On-board computer and displays
Z

This function pertains to theInst. cluster(instrument cluster) menu, the Lightingmenu
and the Vehiclemenu.
Using the steering wheel buttons
XPress the VorU button repeatedly
until the Settingsmenu appears in the dis-
play.
XPress the 9button to switch to the sub-
menu selection.
XPress the WorX button to select the
Conveniencesubmenu.
XPress the 9button to select the Keyfunc-
tion.
The selection marker is on the current setting.
XPress the WorX button to activate or
deactivate key dependency.
Trip computer menu
General notes
You can call up or reset statistical data for the
vehicle in the Trip computer menu.
iWhen you call up the trip computer again, it
displays the last function called up.
The units of the statistical information dis-
played are set permanently for each specific
country, and are therefore independent of the
units selected in the Settings
menu.
Trip computer "After start" or "After
reset"
Example: "After start" trip computer
:
Distance
;Time
=Average speed
?Average fuel consumption Using the steering wheel buttons
XPress the
VorU button to select
After start.
or
XPress the 9or: button to select
After reset.
The values in the After
startsubmenu refer to
the start of the journey. The values in the After
resetsubmenu refer to the last reset of the trip
computer.
The After start
trip computer function is
automatically reset if:
Rthe ignition has been switched off for more
than 4 hours.
R999 hours have been exceeded.
R9,999 miles have been exceeded.
The After
resettrip computer is automatically
reset if the value exceeds 9,999 hours or
99,999 miles.
iIf you turn the key to position 0in the igni-
tion lock or remove it, all the values are reset
after approximately four hours.
The values will not be reset if you turn the key
back to position 1or 2during this time.
Calling up the range
Using the steering wheel buttons
XPress the VorU button to select
After start.
XPress the 9or: button to select
Range.
The approximate distance which can be cov-
ered with the tank's current contents and
your current style of driving is shown.
iIf there is only a small amount of fuel left in
the fuel tank, the 7Please refuelmes-
sage is shown instead of the range.
Resetting the trip computer
Using the steering wheel buttons
XPress the VorU button to select
After start.
XPress the 9or: button to select the
function you would like to reset.
XPress and hold the 9reset button until the
values are reset to "0".
174On-board computer (vehicles with steering wheel buttons)
On-board computer and displays

Display messages on vehicles withoutsteering wheel buttons
Display messagesPossible causes/consequences an dMSolutions
_ _ _
V
The activation condition sfo rcruise contro lhav eno tbee nmet .
You can only activat ecruise contro lfrom speeds of 20 mph
(30 km/h).
or
Cruise contro lhas bee ndeactivated due to amalfunction .
XHavecruise contro lchecke dat aqualified specialis tworkshop .
NO TPMSTheNOmessag eis displaye dfo r30 seconds. The TPMSmessag eis also
displaye dafter 30 seconds.
The tire pressure monito rhas malfunctioned.
XHav eth etire pressure monito rand th ewheels checke dat aquali-
fie dspecialis tworkshop .
NO TPMSTheNOmessag eis displaye dfo r30 seconds. The TPMSmessag eis also
displaye dafter 30 seconds.
The tire pressure monito ris no treceivin gsignal sfrom on eor more
wheels because :
Rawhee lhas bee nreplaced wit hth espar ewhee lwithout whee l
electronics.
Rth emaximum temperature on on eof th ewhee lelectronic sunits has
bee nexceeded.
Rth ewhee lelectronic sare malfunctioning.
XHav ewheels wit hsuitable whee lelectronic sunits installed at a
qualified specialis tworkshop .
— —TPMSThe — —messag eis displaye dfo r30 seconds. The TPMSmessag eis
also displaye dafter 30 seconds.
The pressure is insufficien tin on eor more tires ,or th epressures of th e
individual tires diffe rsignificantly.
XChec kth etire pressure and correc tit if necessary (Ypage 253).
dEF ChkIn addition,th eyello wå DEFindicator lamp lights up in th einstru-
men tcluster and awarnin gtone sounds.
The DE Fsupply has dropped belo w1.5US gal (5.5l).
XAdd DEF supply (Ypage 129).
The å DEF indicator lamp only disappears when the vehicle is
stationary, at the latest after 20 secondsa s soon as you switch on
the ignition or start the engine after refueling.
In addition, the yellow ;Check Engine indicator lamp and the yel-
low å DEF indicator lamp light up in the instrument cluster and a
warning tone sounds.
The DEF reducing agent is contaminated, diluted or is not compliant
with ISO 22241.
XHave the DEF tank cleaned and refilled at a qualified specialist
workshop as soon as possible.
178Display messages
On-board computer and displays

Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
StArtS RExxIn addition,th eyellow åDEFindicator lamp lights up and awarning
tone sequence sounds.
The DE Fsupply has dropped belo wthe0. 8US gal (3. 0l) reserv emark.
Afte rth emessage appear sfor th efirst time, th eremaining DE Fsupply
will last for approximately 1200 mile s(1900 km). The engin ecan then
only be started another 16 times .
The number of remaining engin estart sXX
(16to 1)is shown in th e
message every time th eengin eis started.
XAd dat least 1. 5US gal (5. 5l) of DE F (Ypage 129).
The å DEFindicator lamp disappear safter no mor ethan
20 seconds after th evehicl ehas stoppe dor you hav eswitched on
th eignition or started th eengin eafter refueling.
In addition ,th eyellow ;CheckEngin eindicator lamp and th eyel-
low å DEFindicator lamp ligh tup in th einstrumen tcluste rand
three short warning tone ssound.
The DE Freducin gagen tis contaminated, diluted or is no tcomplian t
wit hIS O 2224 1.
The exhaust gas aftertreatment is malfunctioning or an emission rel-
evant malfunction has occurred. This malfunction or defect can dam- age the exhaust gas aftertreatment.
XVisit a qualified specialist workshop immediately.
¯
StArtS IdLE
In addition, the yellow åDEF indicator lamp and the ;Check
Engine indicator lamp light up in the instrument cluster and three
warning tones sound.
If the StArtS
IdLEmessage is displayed, you cannot drive the vehicle
at a speed exceeding 5 mph (8 km/h).
XAdd at least 1.5 US gal (5.5 l) of DEF (Ypage 129).
The å DEF indicator lamp disappears after no more than
20 seconds after the vehicle has stopped or you have switched on the ignition or started the engine after refueling.
In addition, the yellow ;Check Engine indicator lamp and the yel-
low å DEF indicator lamp light up in the instrument cluster and a
warning tone sounds.
You cannot drive the vehicle at a speed exceeding 5 mph (8 km/h).
XVisit a qualified specialist workshop immediately.
Display messages179
On-board computer and displays
Z