2016 MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER MY16 Operator’s Manual

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 variations are possi-
ble. Note that your vehicle may not be equipped
with all of the described functions. This also
applies to systems and functions relevant to
safety.
Read the information on qualified specialist
workshops (
Ypage 26).
Occupant safety
Restraint system introduction
The restraint system can reduce the risk of vehi-cle occupants coming into contact with parts of
the vehicle's interior in the event of an accident.
Furthermore, the restraint system may also
reduce the forces exerted on the vehicle occu-
pants when an accident occurs.
The restraint system includes:
RSeat belt system
RAir bags
RChild restraint system
RChild seat securing systems
The components of the restraint system work in
conjunction with each other. They can only offer
the intended level of protection if all vehicle
occupants:
Rare correctly wearing their seat belts.
(Ypage 41)
Radjust their seat and head restraint properly
(Ypage 72).
The driver is also responsible for ensuring that
the steering wheel has been correctly posi-
tioned. Observe the information relating to the
correct driver's seat position (
Ypage 72).
Always ensure the air bag can inflate properly if
deployed (
Ypage 43).
An air bag supplements a correctly fastened
seat belt. As an additional safety device, the air bag increases the level of protection for vehicle
occupants in the event of an accident. For exam-
ple, if the protection already provided by a cor-
rectly fastened seat belt will suffice, the air bags
are not deployed. Furthermore, only the air bags
that would increase the degree of protection
afforded to the vehicle occupants in the event of an accident are deployed. Seat belts and air
bags generally do not protect against objects
penetrating the vehicle from the outside.
Information on restraint system operation can
be found under "Triggering of Emergency Ten-
sioning Devices and air bags" (
Ypage 45).
See “Children in the vehicle” for information on children traveling with you as well as vehicle
restraint systems (
Ypage 47).
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Modifications to the restraint system, may
cause it to no longer work as intended. The
restraint system may then not perform its
intended protective function and may fail in an
accident or trigger unexpectedly, for example.
This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Never modify parts of the restraint system.
Never tamper with the wiring, the electronic
components or their software.
If it is necessary to modify an airbag system to
accommodate a person with disabilities, con-
tact an authorized Sprinter dealership for
details. USA only: contact our Customer
Assistance Center at 1‑ 877‑762‑8267 for
details.
Restraint system warning lamp
The functions of the restraint system are
checked after the ignition is switched on and at
regular intervals while the engine is running.
Therefore, malfunctions can be detected in
good time.
The 6 restraint system warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up when the ignition is
switched on. It goes out no later than a few sec-
onds after the vehicle is started. The compo-
nents of the restraint system are in operational
readiness.
Occupant safety39
Safety
Z

A malfunction has occurred if the6restraint
system warning lamp:
Rdoes not light up after the ignition is switched
on
Rdoes not go out after a few seconds
Rgoes out but then lights up again while the
engine is running, for example
GWARNING
If restraint system is malfunctioning, restraint
system components may be triggered unin-
tentionally or might not be triggered at all in
the event of an accident with a high rate of
vehicle deceleration. This can affect the Emer- gency Tensioning Device or air bag, for exam-
ple. This poses an increased risk of injury or
even fatal injury.
Have the restraint system checked and
repaired in a qualified specialist workshop as
soon as possible.
Seat belts
Introduction
A correctly fastened seat belt is the most effec- tive means of restraining the movement of vehi-
cle occupants in the event of an accident or the
vehicle rolling over. This reduces the risk of
vehicle occupants coming into contact with
parts of the vehicle interior or being thrown from
the vehicle. Furthermore, the seat belt helps to
keep the vehicle occupants in the best position
in relation to the air bag.
The seat belt system consists of:
RSeat belts
REmergency Tensioning Devices for the front
seat belts
If the vehicle is equipped with a front air bag,the seat belt system also includes a seat belt
force limiter for the corresponding seat.
On vehicles with a front-passenger bench
seat, only the seat belt of the outer front-
passenger seat has a seat belt force limiter.
If the vehicle does not have a driver's air bag, the
seat belt system does not include an Emergency
Tensioning Device or a seat belt force limiter.
If the seat belt is pulled quickly or suddenly from
the belt outlet, the inertia reel locks. The belt
strap cannot be pulled out further. Emergency Tensioning Devices tighten the seat
belts in an accident, pulling them close against
the occupant's body. They do not, howe
ver, pull
vehicle occupants back towards the backrest.
Emergency Tensioning Devices do not correct
an incorrect seat position or incorrectly worn
seat belts.
When triggered, the seat belt force limiter
reduces the force exerted by the seat belt on the
vehicle occupant.
The seat belt force limiters are synchronized
with the front air bags, which absorb part of the
deceleration force. This makes it possible to
reduce the forces to which vehicle occupants
are subjected during an accident.
The Emergency Tensioning Device of the co-
driver's seat is triggered independently of the
lock status of the seat belt.
Important safety notes
The use of seat belts and child restraint systems
is required by law in:
Rall 50 states
Rthe U.S. territories
Rthe District of Columbia
Rall Canadian provinces
Even where this is not required by law, all vehicle
occupants should correctly fasten their seat
belts before starting the journey.
GWARNING
If the seat belt is incorrectly fastened, it can-
not protect as intended. Furthermore, an
incorrectly fastened seat belt can cause addi-
tional injury, for example, in an accident, dur-
ing braking or when abruptly changing direc-
tion. This poses an increased risk of injury or
even fatal injury.
Make sure that all vehicle occupants are
seated properly with a correctly fastened seat belt.
GWARNING
The seat belt does not offer the intended level of protection if you have not moved the back-
rest to an almost vertical position. When brak-
ing or in the event of an accident, you could
slide underneath the seat belt and sustain
abdomen or neck injuries, for example. This
40Occupant safety
Safety

poses an increased risk of injury or even fatalinjury.
Adjust the seat properly before beginning
your journey. Always ensure that the backrest
is in an almost vertical position and that the
shoulder section of your seat belt is routed
across the center of your shoulder.
GWARNING
Persons under 5 ft (1.50 m) in height cannot
fasten the seat belt correctly without an addi- tional suitable restraint system. If the seat
belt is incorrectly fastened, it cannot protect
as intended. Furthermore, an incorrectly fas-
tened seat belt can cause additional injury, for
example, in an accident, during braking or an
abrupt change of direction. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
For this reason, always secure persons under
5 ft (1.50 m) in height in suitable restraint
systems.
If a child younger than twelve years old and
under 5 ft (1.50 m)in height is traveling in the
vehicle:
Ralways secure the child in a child restraint
system suitable for this vehicle. The child
restraint system must be appropriate to the
age, weight and size of the child
Ralways observe the instructions and safety
notes in the "Children in the vehicle" section
of this Operator's Manual (
Ypage 47) in
addition to the child restraint system manu-
facturer's installation instructions
GWARNING
The seat belts may not perform their intended protective function if:
Rthey are damaged, modified, extremely
dirty, bleach or dyed
Rthe seat belt buckle is damaged or
extremely dirty
Rthe Emergency Tensioning Devices, belt
anchorages or inertia reels have been modi-
fied
Seat belts may sustain non-visible damage in an accident, e.g. due to glass splinters. Modi-
fied or damaged seat belts may tear or fail,
e.g. in an accident. Modified Emergency Ten-
sioning Devices could accidentally trigger or
fail to deploy when necessary. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Never modify the seat belts, Emergency Ten-
sioning Devices, belt anchorages or inertia
reels. Make sure that the seat belts are
undamaged, not worn out and clean. Follow-
ing an accident, have the seat belts checked
immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Only use seat belts that have been approved for
your vehicle by the sales organization named on
the inside cover.
Proper use of the seat belts
Pay attention to the safety notes about the seat
belt (Ypage 40).
All vehicle occupants must fasten the seat belt
correctly before setting off. Make sure that all
occupants are wearing their seat belts correctly
for the entire journey.
When fastening the seat belt, make sure that:
RThe seat belt tongue is inserted into the belt
buckle that belongs to the seat.
RThe seat belt is tightened across your body.
Avoid wearing bulky clothing, e.g. a winter
coat.
RThe seat belt is not twisted.
Only then can the forces produced in the
event of an accident be evenly distributed
across the belt.
RThe shoulder section of the belt must always
be routed across the center of the shoulder.
The shoulder section of the belt should not
come into contact with your neck and must
not be routed under the arm. Where possible,
adjust the seat belt to the appropriate height.
RThe lap belt must be taut and as low as pos-
sible over your lap.
The lap belt must always pass across your hip
joints and never across your stomach or
abdomen. Pregnant women must take partic-
ular care. If necessary, the lap belt can be
pushed down across the hip joints and pulled
tight using the shoulder section.
Occupant safety41
Safety
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RThe seat belt is not routed over sharp, pointed
or fragile objects.
If these items are on or in your clothing, e.g.
eyeglasses, pens, keys, etc., stow these items
in a more suitable location.
ROnly one person should use each seat belt at
any one time.
On no account should babies or children
travel sitting on the lap of another vehicle
occupant. During an accident, they could be
crushed between the occupant and seat belt.
RObjects are not secured with a seat belt if theseat belt is being used by one of the vehicle’s
occupants.
Also make sure that there are no objects, e.g.
cushions, between the occupant and the seat.
Seat belts are solely intended for the protection
and restraint of the vehicle occupants. To
secure objects, luggage or loads, always
observe the "Loading guidelines" (
Ypage 212).
Fastening and adjusting seat belts
Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
(Ypage 40) and the notes on correct use of seat
belts (Ypage 41).
Basic illustration
XAdjust the seat (Ypage 72).
The seat backrest must be in an almost ver-
tical position.
XPull the seat belt smoothly from belt outlet =
and engage belt tongue ;into belt
buckle :.
XIf necessary, pull upwards on the shoulder
section of the seat belt to tighten the belt
across your body.
The shoulder section of the seat belt must
always be routed across the center of the shoul-
der. Adjust the belt outlet if necessary.
XTo raise: slide belt outlet =upwards.
The belt outlet will engage in various posi-
tions.
XTo lower: hold belt outlet release ?and slide
the belt outlet =downwards.
XLet go of belt outlet release ?in the desired
position and make sure that the belt outlet
engages.
All seat belts except the driver's seat belt are
equipped with a special seat belt retractor to
securely fasten child restraint systems in the
vehicle. Further information can be found under
"Special seat belt retractor" (
Ypage 48).
Releasing seat belts
!Make sure that the seat belt is fully rolled up.
Otherwise, the seat belt or belt tongue will be
trapped in the door or in the seat mechanism.
This could damage the door, the door trim
panel and the seat belt. Damaged seat belts
can no longer fulfill their protective function
and must be replaced. Visit a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
42Occupant safety
Safety

Basic illustration
XPress release button:, hold belt tongue;
firmly and guide it back towards belt outlet
=.
Belt warning for drivers and front pas-
sengers
The 7 seat belt warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster is a reminder that all vehicle occu-
pants must wear their seat belts. It may light up
continuously or flash. In addition, there may be
a warning tone.
Regardless of whether the driver's seat belt has
already been fastened, the 7seat belt warn-
ing lamp lights up for 6 seconds after each time
the ignition is switched on. After the engine has
been started, it goes out once the driver has
fastened the seat belt.
If the driver's seat belt is not fastened after the
engine is started, an additional warning tone will
sound. This warning tone stops after a maximum
of six seconds or once the driver's seat belt is
fastened.
If the vehicle speed exceeds 15 mph (25 km/h)
and the driver's seat belt is not fastened, a
warning tone sounds again. The warning tone
sounds for 60 seconds or until the driver's seat
belt is fastened.
If the driver unfastens the seat belt while the
vehicle is in motion, the belt warning automati-
cally reactivates.
iFurther information on the 7seat belt
warning lamp; see "Warning and indicator lamps in the instrument cluster"
(
Ypage 203).
Air bags
Introduction
The air bag installation location is identified by
the label SRS/AIR BAG or AIR BAG.
An air bag supplements a correctly fastened
seat belt. However, it is not intended as a sub-
stitute for the seat belt. Air bags provide addi-
tional protection in the event of an accident.
Not all air bags are deployed in an accident. The
various air bag systems work independently of
each other (
Ypage 45).
There is, however, no system available today
that can completely rule out injury or death.
It is also not possible to rule out a risk of injury
caused by an air bag due to the high speed at
which the air bag must be deployed.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you do not sit in the correct seat position,
the air bag cannot protect as intended and
could even cause additional injury when
deployed. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
To avoid hazardous situations, always make
sure that all of the vehicle's occupants:
Rhave fastened their seat belts correctly,
including pregnant women
Rare sitting correctly and maintain the great-
est possible distance to the air bags
Rfollow the following instructions
Always make sure that there are no objects
between the air bag and the vehicle's occu-
pants.
RCorrectly adjust the seats before driving off.
Always make sure the seat backrests are
positioned as close to the vertical as possible.
The center of the head restraints should sup-
port the back of the head at about eye level.
RMove the driver's and front-passenger seat as
far back as possible. The driver's seat position
Occupant safety43
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must be such that the vehicle can be driven
safely.
RKeep hands on the outside of the steering
wheel rim. This allows the air bag to deploy
fully.
RAlways sit with your back against the seat
backrest when driving. Do not lean forward,
on the door or against the side window. Oth-
erwise, you are in the air bag deployment
area.
RAlways keep your feet in the footwell in front
of the seat. Do not, for example, place your
feet on the dashboard. Otherwise, your feet
are in the air bag deployment area.
RSuitable restraint systems must always be
used for persons under 5 ft (1.50m)in height.
The seat belt cannot be worn correctly by
persons who do not reach this height.
If children are also traveling in the vehicle,
please take note of the following points.
RAlways secure children younger than twelve
years of age and under 5 ft (1.50 m) tall in
suitable child restraint systems.
RChild restraint systems should preferably be
installed on the rear seats.
RIf you secure a child in a rearward-facing child
restraint system, always do so on a suitable
rear seat. The front-passenger front air bag
cannot be deactivated.
RBe sure to observe the instructions and safety
notes on "Children in the vehicle"
(
Ypage 47) and "Child restraint system on
the front-passenger seat" (Ypage 51) in
addition to the child restraint system manu-
facturer's installation instructions.
Objects in the passenger compartment
could prevent an air bag from functioning
properly. To prevent risks due to the required
air bag speed after deployment, ensure the fol-
lowing before starting the journey:
Rthere are no persons, animals or objects
between the vehicle occupants and an air
bag.
Rthere are no objects between the seat, door
and B-pillar.
Rno hard objects, e.g. coat hangers, hang on
the grab handles or coat hooks.
Rno accessories, such as cup holders, are
attached to the vehicle within the deployment area of an air bag, e.g. to doors or side win-
dows.
Rthere are no heavy, sharp or fragile objects in
the pockets of items of clothing. Such items
should be suitably stowed elsewhere.
GWARNING
If you modify the air bag cover or affix objects
such as stickers to it, the air bag can no longer
function correctly. There is an increased risk
of injury.
Never modify an air bag cover or affix objects
to it.
GWARNING
Sensors to control the air bags are located in
the doors. Modifications or work not per-
formed correctly to the doors or door panel-
ing, as well as damaged doors, can lead to the
function of the sensors being impaired. The air
bags might therefore not function properly
anymore. Consequently, the air bags cannot
protect vehicle occupants as they are
designed to do. There is an increased risk of
injury.
Never modify the doors or parts of the doors.
Always have work on the doors or door pan-
eling carried out at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Front air bags
Driver's air bag :deploys in front of the steer-
ing wheel. Front-passenger air bag ;deploys in
front of and above the glove box and the center
console.
44Occupant safety
Safety

When deployed, the front air bags offer addi-
tional head and thorax protection on the front
seats.
Side impact air bags
Depending on the vehicle's equipment, some
front seats are equipped with a side impact air
bag; see the AIR BAG label on the outer side of
the seat backrest.
GWARNING
Unsuitable seat covers may obstruct or even
prevent deployment of the air bags integrated
into the seats. The air bags may then fail to
protect the vehicle occupants as intended.
There is an increased risk of injury, possibly
even fatal.
Only use seat cushions that are approved for
your vehicle by the distributor named on the
inside cover page.
Side impact air bags :deploy next to the outer
bolster of the seat backrest.
When deployed, the side impact air bag offers
additional thorax protection. However, it does
not protect the:
Rhead
Rneck
Rarms
In the event of a side impact, the side impact air
bag is deployed on the side on which the impact
occurs.
Window curtain air bags
Window curtain air bags :are installed in the
side of the roof frame above the front doors.
When deployed, the window curtain air bag
offers additional head protection. However, it
does not protect the chest or arms.
In the event of a side impact, the window curtain
air bag is deployed on the side on which the
impact occurs.
If the system determines that it can offer addi-
tional protection to that provided by the seat
belt, a window curtain air bag may be deployed
in other accident situations (
Ypage 45).
Deployment of Emergency Tensioning
Devices and air bags
Important safety notes
GWARNING
The air bag parts are hot after an air bag has
been deployed. There is a risk of injury.
Do not touch the air bag parts. Have a
deployed air bag replaced at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop as soon as possible.
GWARNING
A deployed air bag no longer offers any pro-
tection and cannot provide the intended pro-
tection in an accident. There is an increased
risk of injury.
Have the vehicle towed to a qualified special-
ist workshop in order to have a deployed air
bag replaced.
It is important for your safety and that of any
passengers to have deployed air bags replaced
Occupant safety45
Safety
Z

and to have any malfunctioning air bags
repaired. This will help to make sure the air bags
continue to perform their protective function for
the vehicle occupants in the event of a crash.
GWARNING
Pyrotechnic Emergency Tensioning Devices
that have been deployed are no longer opera-
tional and are unable to perform their inten-
ded protective function. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Therefore, have pyrotechnic Emergency Ten-
sioning Devices which have been triggered
immediately replaced at a qualified specialist workshop.
If the Emergency Tensioning Devices or air bags
are deployed, you will hear a bang and a small
amount of powder may also be released. The
6 restraint system warning lamp will light up.
Only in rare cases will the bang affect your hear-
ing. The powder released is generally not haz-
ardous to health, it could however cause short-
term breathing difficulties in people with asthma
or other respiratory problems. If it is safe to do
so, you should leave the vehicle immediately or
open a window in order to prevent breathing
difficulties.
Air bags and pyrotechnic Emergency Tensioning
Devices (ETDs) contain perchlorate material,
which may require special handling and regard
for the environment. Check with your local gov- ernment’s disposal guidelines. California resi-
dents, see www.dtsc.ca.gov/
HazardousWaste/Perchlorate/index.cfm .
Method of operation
During the first stage of a collision, the restraint
system control unit evaluates important physi-
cal data relating to vehicle deceleration or accel-
eration, such as:
RDuration
RDirection
RIntensity
Based on the evaluation of this data, the
restraint system control unit triggers the Emer-
gency Tensioning Devices in the event of a fron-
tal or rear-end collision. An Emergency Tensioning Device can only be
triggered if:
Rthe ignition is switched on
Rthe components of the restraint system are
operational. You can find further information
under "Restraint system warning lamp"
(
Ypage 39)
Rthe belt tongue is inserted into the buckle on
the respective front seat
The Emergency Tensioning Device of the co-
driver's seat is triggered independently of the
lock status of the seat belt.
If the restraint system control unit detects a high
accident severity, additional components of the
restraint system are deployed independently of
one another in certain frontal collision situa-
tions:
RFront air bags
RWindow curtain air bag on side of collision
The deployment thresholds for the Emergency
Tensioning Devices and air bags are calculated
on the basis of the vehicle deceleration or accel-
eration occurring at various points in the vehi-
c

le. This process is pre-emptive in nature. The
air bag must be deployed on time, at the start of the collision.
The rate of vehicle deceleration or acceleration
and the direction of the force are essentially
determined by:
Rdistribution of the force during the impact
Rcollision angle
Rdeformation characteristics of the vehicle
Rcharacteristics of the object with which the
vehicle has collided
Factors which can only be seen and measured
after the collision has occurred do not play a
decisive role in the deployment of an air bag, nor
do they provide an indication of air bag deploy-
ment.
The vehicle may be considerably deformed with-
out an air bag being deployed. This is the case if
only relatively easily deformable parts have
been hit and a high rate of deceleration has not been reached. Conversely, an air bag may be
deployed even though the vehicle suffers only
minor deformation. This is the case if, for exam-
ple, very rigid vehicle parts such as the longitu-
dinal body members are hit in an accident and
the rate of deceleration is sufficient.
46Occupant safety
Safety