Setting the unit (vehicles with
steering wheel buttons) ................. 169
Theft deterrent systems
Immobilizer ...................................... 56
Tow-away alarm ............................... 57
Tightening torques for wheel nuts/
wheel bolts ........................................ 271
Time
Setting the time (vehicles with
steering wheel buttons) ................. 171
Setting the time (vehicles without
steering wheel buttons) ................. 164
Timer
Activating ....................................... 115
Auxiliary heating ............................ 114
Important safety notes .................. 114
Overview ........................................ 114
Setting the heating level (auxiliary
heating) ......................................... 116
Setting the preselection time
(auxiliary heating) .......................... 115
Setting weekday, time and oper-
ating duration (auxiliary heating) ... 115
Switching immediate heating
mode on/off (auxiliary heating) ..... 115
Tire pressure
Calling up (on-board computer) ..... 253
Checking manually ........................ 253
Display messages (vehicles with
steering wheel buttons) ................. 191
Display messages (vehicles with-
out steering wheel buttons) ........... 178
Maximum ....................................... 252
Notes ............................................. 251
Recommended ............................... 250
Setting the unit (vehicles with
steering wheel buttons) ................. 170
Tire label ........................................ 251
Tire pressure loss warning system .. 255
Tire pressure monitor
Checking the tire pressure elec-
tronically ........................................ 254
Display message ............................ 191
Function/notes ............................. 253
Indicator lamp ................................ 202
Restarting ...................................... 255
Warning lamp ................................. 255
Tire pressure table ............................ 257 Tires
Aspect ratio (definition) ................. 265
Average weight of the vehicle
occupants (definition) .................... 264
Bar (definition) ............................... 264
Chang ing a w
heel .......................... 266
Characteristics .............................. 264
Checking ........................................ 248
Curb weight (definition) ................. 265
Definition of terms ......................... 264
Direction of rotation ...................... 267
Distribution of the vehicle occu-
pants (definition) ............................ 266
DOT (Department of Transporta-
tion) (definition) ............................. 264
DOT, Tire Identification Number
(TIN) ............................................... 263
GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating)
(definition) ..................................... 264
GTW (Gross Trailer Weight) (defi-
nition) ............................................ 264
GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) (def-
inition) ........................................... 264
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rat-
ing) (definition) .............................. 265
Important safety notes .................. 247
Increased vehicle weight due to
optional equipment (definition) ...... 264
Kilopascal (kPa) (definition) ........... 265
Labeling (overview) ........................ 261
Load bearing index (definition) ...... 266
Load index ..................................... 263
Load index (definition) ................... 265
M+S tires ....................................... 249
Maximum load on a tire (defini-
tion) ............................................... 265
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
(definition) ..................................... 265
Maximum permissible tire pres-
sure (definition) ............................. 265
Maximum tire load ......................... 263
Maximum tire load (definition) ....... 265
Optional equipment weight (defi-
nition) ............................................ 265
PSI (pounds per square inch) (def- inition) ........................................... 265
Replacing ....................................... 266
Service life ..................................... 248
18Index
WheelsChanging a wheel .......................... 266
Checking ........................................ 248
Cleaning ......................................... 235
Important safety notes .................. 247
Installing the adapter (spare
wheel) ............................................ 269
Interchanging/changing ................ 266
Mounting a new wheel ...................2 70
Mounting a wheel .......................... 267
Removing a wheel .......................... 269
Removing and mounting the spare
wheel ............................................. 273
Snow chains .................................. 249
Storing ...........................................2 67
Tightening torque ........................... 271
Wheel size/tire size ....................... 272
Window curtain air bag ....................... 45
Windows
see Side windows
Windshield
Cleaning ......................................... 235
Defrosting ...................................... 103
Windshield heating
Problem (malfunction) ................... 104
Switching on/off ........................... 104
Windshield washer fluid
Adding ...........................................2 24
Indicator lamp ................................ 202
Windshield wipers
Problem (malfunction) ..................... 96
Rain and light sensor ....................... 93
Rear window wiper .......................... 94
Replacing the wiper blades .............. 94
Setting the sensitivity (vehicles
with steering wheel buttons and
rain/light sensor) ........................... 173
Switching on/off .............................. 93
Wiping with windshield washer
fluid ................................................. 93
Winter diesel ..................................... 278
Winter driving
Slippery road surfaces ................... 137
Snow chains .................................. 249
Winter operation
General notes ................................ 249
Radiator cover ................................. 28 Winter tires
M+S tires ................................... .... 249
Setti
ng a limit speed ......................1 34
Wiper blades
Cleaning ......................................... 235
Replacing ......................................... 94
Workshop
see Qualified specialist workshop
Index21
Pay particular attention to the information
regarding tires, tire tread and winter operation
under "Wheels and tires" (
Ypage 247).
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
Important safety notes
Observe the important safety guidelines for the
driving safety system (Ypage 52).
GWARNING
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. The steerability and braking charac-
teristics may be severely impaired. Addition-
ally, further driving safety systems are deac-
tivated. There is an increased danger of skid-
ding and accidents.
Drive on carefully. Have ABS checked imme-
diately at a qualified specialist workshop.
If ABS is malfunctioning, other systems will also
fail, including driving safety systems. Observe
the information relating to the !warning
lamp (
Ypage 195).
ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way that
the wheels do not lock when you brake. This
allows you to continue steering the vehicle when
braking.
ABS works from a speed of about 5 mph
(8 km/h), regardless of road-surface conditions. ABS works on slippery surfaces, even when you
only brake gently.
The yellow !warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the ignition is switched
on. The lamp goes out when the engine starts
running.
Braking
If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel a
pulsating in the brake pedal.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an indication
of hazardous road conditions and functions as a
reminder to take extra care while driving.
XIf ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal with force until the braking sit-
uation is over.
XTo make a full brake application: depress
the brake pedal with full force.
ASR (acceleration skid control)
General notes
Important safety notes
Observe the important safety guidelines for the
driving safety system (Ypage 52).
ASR can neither reduce the risk of an accident
nor suspend the laws of physics if the driver
does not pay attention when pulling away or
accelerating. ASR is only an aid. Always adapt
your driving style to suit the prevailing road and
weather conditions.
If you activate or deactivate the all-wheel drive
in a vehicle with this option, ASR will be deacti- vated for the duration of the activation/deacti-
vation process.
Vehicles without steering wheel buttons: if ASR
is malfunctioning, the :indicator lamp lights
up while the engine is running and the engine
power may be reduced (
Ypage 195).
ASR significantly improves traction, i.e. the
transmission of power from the tires to the road surface, and thus increases the vehicle's driving
stability. If the driving wheels start to spin, ASR
brakes individual drive wheels and limits the
engine torque. ASR thus significantly assists you
when pulling away and accelerating, especially
on wet or slippery roads.
If traction on the road surface is not sufficient,
even ASR will not allow you to pull away without
difficulty. The type of tires and total weight of the
vehicle as well as the gradient of the road also
play a crucial role.
If ASR intervenes, the dwarning lamp in the
instrument cluster flashes.
Activating/deactivating ASR
GWARNING
If deactivated, ASR will not attempt to stabi-
lize the vehicle during pulling away and accel- eration. There is an increased risk of skidding
and of an accident.
Only deactivate ASR in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
!If you deactivate ASR, ESP®will still inter-
vene to stabilize the vehicle. Frequent braking
automatically triggered by ESP
®can damage
the brake system.
Driving safety systems53
Safety
Z
For this reason, deactivate ASR only briefly
and when absolutely necessary.
When ESP®is intervening and thedwarning
lamp in the instrument cluster is flashing, leave
ASR on. In this case, only depress the acceler-
ator pedal as far as required when pulling away.
XPress the àbutton.
If ASR is deactivated, the dwarning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up.
ASR is automatically activated when the engine
is started.
It may be best to deactivate ASR briefly in the
following situations:
Rwhen using snow chains
Rin deep snow
Ron sand or gravel
If you deactivate ASR:
Rengine torque is not limited and the drive
wheels are able to spin. The spinning wheels
will then achieve a cutting effect for better
traction.
Rtraction control remains active through brake
intervention. If a drive wheel attains its tire
traction limit because one side of the road is
slippery, for example, that wheel is braked.
The traction is then increased in this situation.
Ractive brake intervention by ESP®to increase
driving stability remains active. The d
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes when ESP
®is intervening.
BAS (Brake Assist System)
GWARNING
If BAS is malfunctioning, the braking distance
in an emergency braking situation is
increased. There is a risk of an accident.
In an emergency braking situation, depress
the brake pedal with full force. ABS prevents
the wheels from locking.
Vehicles without steering wheel buttons: if the
BAS driving safety system is malfunctioning,
the : warning lamp lights up while the
engine is running (
Ypage 195).
BAS operates in emergency braking situations.
If you depress the brake quickly, BAS automat-
ically increases the brake pressure, thereby
reducing the stopping distance.
The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated.
EBD (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
GWARNING
If EBD is malfunctioning, the rear wheels can
lock, e.g. under full braking. This increases the
risk of skidding and an accident.
You should therefore adapt your driving style
to the different handling characteristics. Have
the brake system checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
EBD monitors and controls the brake pressure
to the rear wheels. This enables EBD to improve
handling during braking.
Observe the information on warning and indica-
tor lamps (
Ypage 195).
ESP®(Electronic Stability Program)
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If ESP
®is malfunctioning it will not provide
any vehicle stabilization. There is an increased
risk of skidding or of an accident.
Exercise caution when continuing to drive.
Have ESP
®checked at a qualified specialist
workshop.
!Do not run the vehicle on a roller dynamom-
eter (e.g. for performance tests). If you must
operate the vehicle on a roller dynamometer,
54Driving safety systems
Safety
remain either on the ground or be fully raised.
Observe the instructions for towing the vehi-
cle with all wheels in full contact with the
ground.
!A function or performance test should only
be carried out on a two-axle dynamometer.
Before you operate the vehicle on such a
dynamometer, please consult a qualified
workshop. You could otherwise damage the
drive train or the brake system.
If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you are
inattentive, the all-wheel drive system can nei-
ther reduce the risk of an accident nor override
the laws of physics. The all-wheel drive system
cannot take road, weather and traffic conditions
into account. The all-wheel drive system is only
an aid. You are responsible for the distance to
the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed and for
braking in good time.
4ETS ensures permanent drive for all four
wheels, and together with ESP
®it improves the
vehicle's traction.
If a driven wheel spins due to lack of traction:
RWhen pulling away, make use of the traction
control integrated in ESP®. Depress the
accelerator pedal as far as necessary.
RWhile driving, slowly take your foot off the
accelerator pedal
In wintry driving conditions, always use winter
tires (M+S tires) and if necessary, snow chains
(
Ypage 249). This is the only way to get the full
benefit from the all-wheel drive system.
For information on "Driving off-road", see
(
Ypage 137).
Engaging all-wheel drive
Conditions for engaging/disengaging
All-wheel drive can only be engaged or disen-
gaged if:
Rthe engine is running
Rthe vehicle is stationary
If it is not possible to engage all-wheel-drive:
Rmove the selector lever to position N
Rrelease the brake pedal
Rpress the;button
Rmove the selector lever from Nto Dor R
Engaging/disengaging all-wheel drive
XTo engage/disengage: press the;but-
ton.
The indicator lamp in the ;button flashes.
The h and: indicator lamps light up in
the instrument cluster. ESP
®and ASR are
deactivated for the duration of the engaging/ disengaging process.
If the engaging/disengaging process is suc-
cessful, the hand: indicator lamps in
the instrument cluster go out and ESP
®and
ASR are reactivated.
If the indicator lamp in the ;button is lit,
all-wheel drive is engaged. On vehicles with
steering-wheel buttons, the display then
shows the following message: Four-wheel
drive active.
If the engaging/disengaging process fails, the indicator lamp in the ;button flashes
three times briefly. One of the gear change
conditions was not fulfilled.
As long as the indicator lamp in the ;button
is flashing, you can cancel the engaging/disen-
gaging process by pressing the ;again.
iIf the LOW RANGE transmission ratio
(Ypage 148) is engaged, all-wheel drive can-
not be disengaged.
LOW RANGE transmission ratio
General notes
The LOW RANGE transmission ratio assists you
when driving on difficult terrain. If you engage
LOW RANGE, the engine's performance charac-
teristics and the automatic transmission's shift-
ing characteristics are adjusted accordingly.
The transmission ratio from the engine to the
wheels is around 40% lower than in the on-road position. This increases the drive torque.
148Driving systems
Driving and parking
Installing/removing cargo tie-down
rings for the load rails
GWARNING
If th ecargo tie-down rin gis no tproperly
installed, it may slip or become detached in
th eevent of abrup tchanges in direction ,brak -
ing maneuvers or an accident. This may caus e
objects ,luggag eor th eload to slip, ti pove ror
be tosse dabout ,striking vehicl eoccupants.
Ther eis aris kof injury.
Before usin gth ecargo tie-down rings, always
mak esur ethey are properly installed and
canno tbe moved.
XTo install: slide thecargo tie-down rin g
throug h arecess in th eloadin grail close to
th eload until lockin gmechanism :engage s
in th erecess .
iWhen you pull lockin gmechanism :up and
out of th erecess ,th ecargo tie-down rin gis
able to mov ewithin th eloadin grail. Mak e
sur ethat lockin gmechanism :is always
engage din arecess .
XCheckth ecargo tie-down rin gfor fir mseat -
ing .
XTo remove: pull lockingmechanism :up
and pull th ecargo tie-down rin gtowards th e
lockin gmechanism and out of th eloadin grail
throug h arecess .
Carrier systems
Roof carrier
GWARNIN G
When you load th eroof, th ecenter of gravit y
of th evehicl erises and th edriving character-
istics change. If you exceed th emaximum roo f
load, th edriving characteristics ,as well as
steering and braking ,will be greatl yimpaired.
Ther eis aris kof an accident.
Never exceed th emaximum roo fload and
adjust your driving style.
You can fin dinformation about th emaximum
roo fload in th e"Technical data" section
(
Ypage 286).
!Mak esur ethat:
Rth escrews for th eroo fcarrie rare tightened
in th esliding blocks to atorque of
6. 0 – 7.4lb-ft (8 –10 Nm)
Rth ebolts, when tightened, do no ttouch th e
rails .
Rtheslot nut sare no tlocate din th earea of
th eplastic caps.
Rth eslot nut shav eth eright cross-section .
Rthemounting rails in th einterior are free of
dirt .
Rthescrews are retightened evenly after
approximately 30 0mile s(50 0km).
We recommen dtha tyou only use roo fracks
tested and approve dby Sprinter. These help
avoid vehicl edamage.
!If you wan tto retrofit securin grails, hav eit
don eat aqualified specialist workshop .You
could otherwise damage th evehicle.
:Securin grail s
216Carrier systems
Transporting loads
Jacking point, front axle
XPlace the jack under the jacking point in frontof the front axle.
XVehicles with all-wheel drive: unscrew jack
spindle =counter-clockwise as far as it will
go.
Jacking point, rear axle (example: vehicle type
2500)
Jacking point, rear axle (example: vehicle type
3500)
XPlace the jack under the jacking point in front
of the rear axle.
Jacking point, rear axle (example: Cab Chassis)Jacking point at the rear axle on chassis ver-
sions
XPlace the jack next to the front leaf spring
support beneath the jacking point.
Removing a wheel
!Do not place the wheel bolts or the wheel
nuts in sand or dirt. The threads of the wheel
bolts and wheel nuts could otherwise be dam-
aged when being tightened.
XUnscrew the wheel bolts or nuts.
XOn front wheels with wheel nuts, remove the
wheel nut cover.
XRemove the wheel.
Installing the adapter
GWARNING
If you tighten the adapter bolts when the vehi-
cle is raised, the jack could tip over. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure that the vehicle is properly pre-
pared for a wheel change. Tighten the adapter
bolts with particular care and attention.
Always observe the instructions and safety
notes on "Changing a wheel" (
Ypage 266).
GWARNING
If you do not tighten the bolts of the adapter to
the specified tightening torque, the adapter
may come loose with the spare wheel. There
is a risk of an accident.
Tighten the bolts of the adapter to the speci-
fied tightening torque. Have the spare wheel
replaced with a complete wheel and an extra-
Changing wheels269
Wheels and tires
Z
wide tire at a qualified specialist workshop
immediately.
!Vehicles with Super Single tires:if you
install the spare wheel, do not exceed the
maximum speed of 40 mph (60 km/h) and do
not drive further than 65 miles(100 km).
The transmission could otherwise be dam-
aged by the difference in wheel rotation
speeds.
On vehicles with Super Single tires, you must
attach the narrow spare wheel to the rear axle by
means of an adapter. The adapter is bolted to
the spare wheel using the adapter bolts for
transportation.
The handling characteristics of your vehicle are affected when driving with a spare wheel instal-
led. After changing a wheel, drive to the nearest
specialist workshop and have the spare wheel
replaced with a wheel and tire assembly that hasa Super Single tire.
XClean the wheel and wheel hub contact sur-
faces.
XUnscrew the six adapter bolts on the spare
wheel and remove the adapter.
XTighten the adapter with the six adapter boltsevenly in a crosswise pattern through the
outer holes on the wheel hub.
XTighten the six adapter bolts on the wheel hub
to a tightening torque of 177 lb-ft(240 Nm).
XPush the wheel onto the adapter and attach it.
Mounting a new wheel
GWARNING
Oiled or greased wheel bolts or damaged
wheel bolts/hub threads can cause the wheel bolts to come loose. As a result, you could
lose a wheel while driving. There is a risk of
accident.
Never oil or grease wheel bolts. In the event of
damage to the threads, contact a qualified
specialist workshop immediately. Have the
damaged wheel bolts or hub threads
replaced/renewed. Do not continue driving.
GWARNING
If you tighten the wheel bolts or wheel nuts
when the vehicle is raised, the jack could tip
over. There is a risk of injury.
Only tighten the wheel bolts or wheel nuts
when the vehicle is on the ground.
Always observe the instructions and safety
notes on "Changing a wheel" (
Ypage 266).
Only use wheel bolts or wheel nuts that have
been designed for the wheel and the vehicle. For safety reasons, we recommend that you only
use wheel bolts or wheel nuts which have been
approved for Sprinter vehicles and the respec-
tive wheel.
!For a steel wheel, only use the short wheel
bolts to mount the steel spare wheel. Using
other wheel bolts to mount the steel spare
wheel could damage the brake system.
!On vehicles equipped with a tire pressure
monitor, electronic components are located
in the wheel.
Tire-mounting tools should not be used near
the valve. This could damage the electronic
components.
Only have tires changed at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
:Wheel bolt for alloy wheel
;Wheel bolt for steel wheel
XClean the wheel and wheel hub contact sur-
faces.
XVehicles with Super Single tires: first attach
the adapter for the narrow spare wheel to the
wheel hub (
Ypage 269).
Slide the new wheel onto the wheel hub or
onto the adapter for the spare wheel and push
it on.
270Changing wheels
Wheels and tires