Switching immediate heating mode
on/off
XTo switch on:press theÛorâ button
until the ysymbol in the menu bar flashes.
XPress the bbutton.
The operation duration flashes in the display.
iYou can preset the default value that is
shown (Ypage 113).
XUsing the Ûorâ button, set the
minute value (10 to 120) or select the à
symbol for continuous operation.
XPress the bbutton.
Immediate heating mode is activated. The
time and the ysymbol appear.
XTo switch off: press theÛorâ button
until the ysymbol flashes in the menu bar,
and then press the bbutton.
Immediate heating mode is deactivated. The
y symbol disappears.
The auxiliary heating operates for another
2 minutes and then switches off automati-
cally.
iIf you switch off the ignition during immedi-
ate heating (operating duration 10 to
120 minutes), you also switch off the imme-
diate heating mode. The auxiliary heating
operates for another two minutes and then
switches off automatically.
If you have set continuous operation as the
operating duration and you switch off the igni-
tion, the auxiliary heating switches off auto-
matically after about 15 minutes. If, in the
remaining time, the ignition is switched on
again, continuous operation of the auxiliary
heating continues.
Setting the preselection time
You can set three preselection times using the
timer.
After a malfunction or if the battery has been
disconnected, you must set the preselection
times again. You can find information on mal-
functions in the "Problems with the auxiliary
warm-air heater" section (
Ypage 115).
XPress the Ûorâ button until the B
symbol in the menu bar flashes.
XPress the bbutton.
In the program column, the Gpreselection
memory numbers appear. The selected pre-
selection memory flashes.
XPress the Ûorâ button to select the
desired preselection memory.
XPress the bbutton.
The preselection memory is selected. The
days are shown.
XSet the day and time as described in the "Set-
ting the day, time and operating duration"
section (
Ypage 113).
The preselection time is stored. The program
column disappears. In the display panel, the
on
message and the ysymbol appear.
XPress the bbutton.
The operating duration flashes.
XPress the Ûorâ button to set the
minute value (10 to 120).
XPress the bbutton.
The operating duration for the preselection
time is saved. The time and number of the
selected preselection memory are shown.
iThe preselection memory that will be acti-
vated next is underlined. Additionally, the day
that is set appears.
Deactivating the preselection time
XCarry out the steps as described in the "Set-
ting the preselection time" section.
If the y symbol in the status bar is shown:
XPress the Ûorâ button until the offmessage in the display panel is shown.
XPress thebbutton.
The preselection time is deactivated. The time
is shown.
Setting the heating level
You can set the heating level to a range between 10 and 30.
The heating level corresponds to a preselection
temperature for the vehicle interior. This is a
guide value and may, depending on the outside
temperature, differ from the interior tempera-
ture.
XPress the Ûorâ button until the ß
symbol in the menu bar flashes.
XPress the bbutton.
The heating level display flashes.
XUsing the Ûandâ buttons, set the
desired heating level to a range between 10
and 30.
XPress the bbutton.
The heating level is set and the ysymbol
appears.
114Operating the auxiliary heating system
Climate control
Problems with the auxiliary warm-air heater
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
The auxiliary heating
does not switch on.The outside temperature is above 39 ‡ (4 †). The auxiliary heating
switches off automatically.
The auxiliary heating
switches off automati-
cally and/or cannot be
switched on.The fuel tank is less thanÕfull. The auxiliary heating switches off
automatically.
XRefuel at the nearest gas station.
XThen, start the auxiliary heating several times until the fuel lines are
full.
or
The low-voltage protection system integrated in the control unit
switches off the auxiliary heating because the on-board voltage is less
than 10 V.
XHave the alternator and battery checked.
or
The fuse is blown.
XReplace the fuse; see the "Fuse allocation" supplement.
XHave the cause of the blown fuse determined at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Operating the cargo compartment air
vents
If your vehicle is equipped with a roof ventilator,
you can ventilate and extract air from the cargo
compartment.
XTurn the key to position 2in the ignition lock.
XTo activate and extract air: press the upper
section of the ´switch.
The roof ventilator removes used air from the
cargo compartment.
XTo activate and ventilate: press the lower
section of the ·switch.
The roof ventilator feeds fresh air into the
cargo compartment.
XTo switch off: set the switch to the middle
position.
Operating the cargo compartment air vents115
Climate control
Z
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 27).
Breaking-in notes
The first 1000 miles (1500 km)
New or replaced brake pads and brake disks
only reach their optimum braking effect after a
few 100 miles (a few 100 kilometers). Until then,
compensate for this by applying greater force to
the brake pedal.
For the service life and economy of your vehicle
it is crucial that you break in the engine with due
care.
RTherefore, protect the engine for the first
1000 miles (1500 km) by driving at varying
vehicle and engine speeds.
RAvoid overstraining the vehicle and high
engine speeds during this period, e.g. driving
at full throttle. Do not exceed Øof the max-
imum speed for each gear.
RDo not change down a gear manually in order to brake.
RTry to avoid depressing the accelerator pedal
beyond the point of resistance (kickdown).
RThe shift ranges 3,2or 1should only be
engaged when driving slowly, e.g. when driv-
ing in mountainous terrain.
After 1000 miles (1500 km), you can increase
the engine speed gradually and accelerate the
vehicle to full speed.
iYou should also observe these notes on
breaking-in if the engine or parts of the drive
train on your vehicle have been replaced.
Driving
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available
with limitations, or not at all. This could affect, for example, the power steering and the brake
boosting effect. You will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake. There is a risk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving.
GWARNING
If the parking brake has not been fully
released when driving, the parking brake can:
Roverheat and cause a fire
Rlose its hold function.
There is a risk of fire and an accident. Release
the parking brake fully before driving off.
If you park the vehicle for more than
three weeks:
Rconnect the batteries to a trickle charger or
Rdisconnect the vehicle's starter battery or
Rswitch off the electrical system using the bat-
tery main switch (Ypage 116) and
Rdisconnect the vehicle's auxiliary battery
Otherwise, you need to check the battery's con-
dition of charge every three weeks, since
standby power consumption can drain the bat-
tery. If the battery voltage is lower than 12.2 V,
the battery must be charged. Otherwise, the
battery may be damaged by exhaustive dis-
charging.
Be sure to observe the notes on disconnecting
and charging the batteries under "Battery"
(
Ypage 223). You can obtain information about
trickle chargers from a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Battery isolating switch
Important safety notes
!Make sure that the key is in position 0in the
ignition lock and that at least five minutes
have passed before removing or reconnecting
116Driving
Dr iving an d parking
the battery main switch. You could otherwise
damage components of the electrical system.
You can use the battery isolating switch to dis-
connect the power supply to all your vehicle's
consumers. This will prevent uncontrolled bat-
tery discharge caused by off-load current con-
sumption.
If your vehicle is equipped with an auxiliary bat-
tery in the engine compartment, you will need to
disconnect both batteries. Only then is the elec- trical system fully disconnected from the power
supply.
iOnly switch the vehicle to de-energized
using the battery main switch if:
Rthe vehicle is stationary for a lengthy period
Rit is absolutely necessary
After the power supply has been activated,
you will need to reset the side windows
(
Ypage 71).
Switching off the power supply
Battery main switch to the left of the center con-
sole
XRemove the key from the ignition lock and
wait for at least five minutes.
XPress button ;in the direction of the arrow
and hold.
XPull connector :from the ground pin.
XPush connector :as far to the side as pos-
sible so that it cannot make contact with the
ground pin.
All starter battery consumers are disconnec-
ted from the power supply.
Switching on the power supply
XInsert the key into the ignition lock.
XPress connector :onto ground pin ;until
you feel it engage and the lock inhibitor is
released.
Connector :must be in full contact with
ground pin ;.
All consumers are reconnected to the DC
power supply.
Key positions
gTo insert and remove the key, lock the steer-
ing wheel
1To unlock the steering wheel, power supply
for some consumers (e.g. the radio)
2To switch on the ignition. Power supply for
all consumers, preglow and drive position
3To start the engine
On vehicles with a battery main switch, you must
first switch on the power supply (
Ypage 116).
iTo unlock the steering, move the steering
wheel slightly while turning the key to position
1 .
Driving117
Dr iving an d parking
Z
Always park your vehicle safely and according to
legal requirements and secure it against rolling
away.
To ensure that the vehicle is properly secured
against rolling away unintentionally:
Rthe parking brake must be firmly applied
Rthe selector lever must be in positionPand
the key must be removed from the ignition
lock
Ron steep uphill or downhill gradients, the front
wheels must be turned towards the curb
Rthe rear axle must be secured, e.g. with a
wheel chock, on steep uphill or downhill gra-
dients
Use the wheel chock (
Ypage 129) to do so.
If you leave the vehicle parked for more than
three weeks:
Rconnect the batteries to a trickle charger or
Rdisconnect the vehicle's starter battery or
Rswitch off the electrical system using the bat-
tery main switch (Ypage 116) and
Rdisconnect the vehicle's auxiliary battery
Otherwise, you need to check the battery's con-
dition of charge every three weeks, since
standby power consumption can drain the bat-
tery. If the battery voltage is lower than 12.2 V,
the battery must be charged. Otherwise, the
battery may be damaged by exhaustive dis-
charging.
Be sure to observe the notes on disconnecting
and chargi ng th
e batteries under "Bat-
tery“ (Ypage 223). You can obtain information
about trickle chargers from a qualified specialist
workshop.
Parking brake
GWARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
Rstart the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. There is a risk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
GWARNING
If you must brake the vehicle with the parking brake, the braking distance is considerably
longer and the wheels could lock. There is an
increased danger of skidding and accidents.
Only use the parking brake to brake the vehi-
cle when the service brake is faulty. Do not
apply the parking brake too firmly. If the
wheels lock, release the parking brake until
the wheels begin turning again.
The brake lamps are not illuminated when you
brake the vehicle using the parking brake.
As a rule, you may only apply the parking brake
when the vehicle is stationary.
XTo apply the parking brake: pull brake
lever :up as far as the last possible detent.
The c warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up if the engine is running.
iOn vehicles with a folding brake lever, you
can then press lever :down to the stop.
XTo release the parking brake: on vehicles
with a folding brake lever, first pull brake
lever :up to the stop.
XRaise brake lever :slightly and press
release knob ;.
XGuide brake lever :down to the stop.
The c indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out.
128Parking
Driving an d parking
Rswitch off the electrical system using the bat-
tery main switch (Ypage 116) and
Rdisconnect the vehicle's auxiliary battery
Otherwise, you need to check the battery's con- dition of charge every three weeks, since
standby power consumption can drain the bat-
tery. If the battery voltage is lower than 12.2 V,
the battery must be charged. Otherwise, the
battery may be damaged by exhaustive dis-
charging.
Be sure to observe the notes on disconnecting
and charging the batteries under "Battery"
(
Ypage 223). You can obtain information about
trickle chargers from a qualified specialist work- shop.
If you leave the vehicle parked for longer than
6 weeks, the vehicle may suffer damage as a
result of lack of use. In this event, consult a
qualified specialist workshop.
Driving tips
General notes
Important safety notes
GWARNING
The driver's attention to the road must always be his/her primary focus when driving. For
your safety and the safety of others, we rec-
ommend that you pull over to a safe location
and stop before placing or taking a telephone
call. If you choose to use the telephone while
driving, please use the hands-free device and
only use the telephone when road, weather
and traffic conditions permit.
Some jurisdictions prohibit the driver from
using a mobile phone while driving a vehicle.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle covers
a distance of 44 feet (approximately 14 m)
ever yse cond.
GWARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available
with limitations, or not at all. This could affect, for example, the power steering and the brake
boosting effect. You will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake. There is a risk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving.
!Always observe the ground clearance of the
vehicle and avoid obstacles. On vehicles with a step, ground clearance is further restricted.
Obstacles can damage the vehicle.
If you must drive over obstacles, drive espe-
cially slowly and carefully. If necessary, have
another person direct you.
Drive sensibly – save fuel
In order to save fuel, observe the following tips:
XThe tires should always be inflated to the rec-
ommended tire pressure.
XRemove unnecessary loads.
XRemove roof carriers when they are not nee-
ded.
XWarm up the engine at low engine speeds.
XAvoid frequent acceleration or braking.
XHave all maintenance work carried out as
indicated by the service intervals in the Main-
tenance Booklet or by the service interval dis-
play.
Fuel consumption also increases when driving in cold weather, in stop-start traffic and in moun-
tainous terrain.
Overrun cutoff
If you are in overrun mode and take your foot off
the accelerator pedal, the fuel supply is cut off
when the engine speed is out of the idle speed
control range.
Drinking and driving
GWARNING
Drinking and driving and/or taking drugs and driving are very dangerous combinations.
Even a small amount of alcohol or drugs can
affect your reflexes, perceptions and judg-
ment.
The possibility of a serious or even fatal acci-
dent are greatly increased when you drink or
take drugs and drive.
130Driving tips
Driving and parking
water and contact a doctor immedi-
ately.
Keep children at a safe distance.
Children are not able to assess the
dangers posed by batteries and
acid.
When handling batteries, observe
the safety precautions and special
protective measures contained in
this Operator's Manual.
HEnvironmental note
Batteries contain dangerous
substances. It is against the
law to dispose of them with
the household rubbish. They
must be collected separatelyand recycled to protect the
environment.
Dispose of batteries in an
environmentally friendly
manner. Take discharged
batteries to a qualified spe-
cialist workshop or a special
collection point for used bat-
teries.
Observe the following notes:
RRecharge the battery more frequently, if you:
-predominantly drive short distances
-predominantly drive at low outside temper-
atures
-park the vehicle longer than 3 weeks
In order for the batteries to achieve their max- imum possible service life, they must always
be sufficiently charged.
RWhen you park the vehicle, remove the Smart-Key if you do not require any electrical con-
sumers. The vehicle will then use very little
energy, thus conserving battery power.
RWhen replacing a battery, only use batteries
that are recommended for use in Sprinter
vehicles.
RHave the battery removed at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
RIf you leave your vehicle parked longer than
3 weeks:
-consult a qualified specialist workshop or
-switch off the power supply using the bat-
tery main switch (Ypage 116) or
-disconnect the batteries (Ypage 225).
Otherwise, you need to check the battery's
condition of charge every 3 weeks, since
standby power consumption can drain the
battery. If the battery voltage is lower than
12.2 V, the battery must be charged. Other-
wise, the battery may be damaged by exhaus-
tive discharging.
Be sure to observe the notes on charging the batteries (
Ypage 228).
Installation locations
Your vehicle may be equipped with three bat-
teries, depending on the equipment version:
RStarter battery in the battery case in the left
footwell
RAdditional battery in the engine compartment
RAuxiliary battery under the left-hand front
seat
Have the auxiliary battery removed at a qualified
specialist workshop.
Installing/removing the floor cover-
ing (starter battery)
GWARNING
Objects in the driver's footwell can restrict the pedal travel or obstruct a depressed pedal.
The operating and road safety of the vehicle is
jeopardized. There is a risk of an accident.
Make sure that all objects in the vehicle are
stowed correctly, and that they cannot enter
the driver's footwell. Install the floormats
securely and as specified in order to ensure
sufficient clearance for the pedals. Do not use
loose floormats and do not place floormats on
top of one another.
224Battery
Maintenance and care