2018 MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER MY18 Operator’s Manual

If the drive wheels get trapped on loose or
muddy ground, recover the vehicle with the
utmost care. This is especially the case if the
vehicle is laden.
Never attempt to recover a vehicle with a trailer
attached.
Pull out the vehicle backwards, if possible, using
the tracks it made when it became stuck.
Transporting the vehicle
!
You may only secure the vehicle by the
wheels, not by parts of the vehicle such as
axle or steering components. Otherwise, the
vehicle could be damaged.
Tow-starting (emergency engine
starting)
Vehicles with automatic transmission
!Vehicles with automatic transmission must
not be tow-started. You could otherwise dam-
age the automatic transmission.
You can find information on jump-starting under
"Jump-starting“ (
Ypage 243).
Electrical fuses
The fuse allocation chart and further information
on the electric fuses and relays can be found in the "Fuse allocation chart" supplement.
Electrical fuses247
Breakdown assistance
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).
Important safety notes
GWarning
A flat tire severely impairs the driving, steer-
ing and braking characteristics of the vehicle.
There is a risk of an accident.
do not drive with a flat tire. Immediately
replace the flat tire with your spare wheel, or
consult a qualified specialist workshop.
GWARNING
If wheels and tires of the wrong size are used, the wheel brakes or suspension components
may be damaged. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
Always replace wheels and tires with those
that fulfill the specifications of the original
part.
When replacing wheels, make sure to use the
correct:
Rdesignation
Rmodel
When replacing tires, make sure to use the
correct:
Rdesignation
Rmanufacturer
Rmodel
Accessories that are not approved for your vehi-
cle by Mercedes-Benz or are not being used cor-
rectly can impair operating safety. Before purchasing and using non-approved
accessories, visit a qualified specialist work-
shop and inquire about:
Rsuitability
Rlegal stipulations
Rfactory recommendations
Contact an authorized Sprinter dealer if you
require information on tested and recommen-
ded wheels and tires for summer and winter
driving. Advice on purchasing and caring for
tires is also available there.
Information on tire and wheel dimensions and
types as well as the recommended tire pressure
for your vehicle can be found in the "Tire pres-
sure" section (
Ypage 257).
This data can also be found on the Tire and
Loading Information placard on the B-pillar.
Modifications to the brake system or wheels are
not permitted. The use of a spacer and brake
dust shields is not permitted. This invalidates
the general operating permit for the vehicle.
iFurther information on wheels and tires can
be obtained at any qualified specialist work-
shop.
Operation
Information for a journey
If the vehicle is heavily laden, check the tire
pressures, and correct them, if necessary
(
Ypage 251).
While driving, pay attention to vibrations, noises
and unusual handling characteristics, e.g. pull-
ing to one side. This may indicate that the
wheels or tires are damaged. If you suspect that
a tire is defective, reduce your speed immedi-
ately. Stop the vehicle as soon as possible to
check the wheels and tires for damage. Hidden
tire damage could also be causing the unusual
handling characteristics. If you find no signs of
damage, have the tires and wheels checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
When parking your vehicle, make sure that the
tires do not get deformed by the curb or other
obstacles. If it is necessary to drive over curbs,
speed humps or similar elevations, try to do so
slowly and not at a sharp angle. Otherwise, the
tires, particularly the sidewalls, can get dam-
aged.
248Operation
Wheels and tires

Regular wheel and tire checks
GWARNING
Damaged tires can cause tire inflation pres-
sure loss. As a result, you could lose control of
your vehicle. There is a risk of accident.
Check the tires regularly for signs of damage
and replace any damaged tires immediately.
Check the wheels and tires of your vehicle for
damage regularly, i.e. at least every two weeks,
as well as after driving off-road or on rough
roads. Damaged wheels can cause a loss of tire
pressure. Pay particular attention to damage
such as:
Rcuts in the tires
Rpunctures
Rtears in the tires
Rbulges on tires
Rdeformation or severe corrosion on wheels
Regularly check the tire tread depth and the
condition of the tread across the whole width of
the tire (
Ypage 249). If necessary, turn the
front wheels to full lock in order to inspect the
inner side of the tire surface.
All wheels must have a valve cap to protect the valve against dirt and moisture. Do not install
anything onto the valve other than the standard
valve cap or other valve caps approved for your vehicle by dealers listed on the inside of the
front cover. Do not install any other valve caps
or systems, e.g. tire pressure monitor systems.
Regularly check the pressure of all the tires,
particularly prior to long trips. Adjust the tire
pressure if ne
cessary (Ypage 251).
The service life of tires depends on various fac-
tors, including the following:
RDriving style
RTire pressure
RMileage
Tire tread
GWARNING
Insufficient tire tread will reduce tire traction.
The tire is no longer able to dissipate water.
This means that on wet road surfaces, the risk
of hydroplaning increases, in particular where
speed is not adapted to suit the driving con-
ditions. There is a risk of accident.
If the tire pressure is too high or too low, tires may exhibit different levels of wear at differ-
ent locations on the tire tread. Thus, you
should regularly check the tread depth and
the condition of the tread across the entire
width of all tires.
Minimum tire tread depth for:
RSummer tires: âin (3 mm)
RM+S tires: ãin (4 mm)
For safety reasons, replace the tires before
the legally prescribed limit for the minimum
tire tread depth is reached.
Bar marking :for tread wear is integrated into
the tire tread.
Tread wear indicators (TWIs) are required by
law. Six indicators are positioned over the tire
tread. They are visible once the tread depth is
approximately áin. (1.6 mm). If this is the
case, the tire is so worn that it must be replaced.
Selecting, mounting and replacing
tires
ROnly mount tires and wheels of the same type
and make.
ROnly mount tires of the correct size onto the
wheels.
RBreak in new tires at moderate speeds for the first 65 miles (100 km).
Operation249
Wheels and tires
Z

RDo not drive with tires which have too little
tread depth, as this significantly reduces the
traction on wet roads (hydroplaning).
RReplace the tires after six years at the latest,
regardless of wear. This also applies to the
spare wheel.
Operation in winter
General notes
Have your vehicle winterproofed at a qualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
Prior to the onset of winter, ensure that snow
chains are stowed in the vehicle (
Ypage 251).
Also observe the notes in the "Changing a
wheel" section (
Ypage 267).
Regularly check the vehicle and remove snow or
ice when traveling in wintry conditions.
An accumulation of snow and ice, particularly
when frozen, caught in the area around the air
intake slots, moving parts, the axles and the
wheel arches may:
Rrestrict air intake
Rdamage vehicle parts
Rcause malfunctions by restricting the mobility
intended by the design (e.g. reduced possible
steering input).
If there is any damage, inform a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Driving with summer tires
At temperatures below 45 ‡ (+7 †), summer
tires lose elasticity and therefore traction and
braking power. Change the tires on your vehicle
to M+S tire. Using summer tires at very cold
temperatures could cause tears to form,
thereby damaging the tires permanently. We
cannot accept responsibility for this type of
damage.
M+S tires
GWARNING
Wheel and tire dimensions as well as the type of tire can vary between the spare wheel and
the wheel to be replaced. When the spare
wheel is mounted, driving characteristics may
be severely affected. There is a risk of an acci- dent.
In order to reduce risks:
Ryou should therefore adapt your driving
style and drive carefully.
Rnever mount more than one spare wheel
that differs from the wheel to be replaced.
Ronly use a spare wheel that differs from the
wheel to be replaced for a short time.
Rdo not deactivate ESP®.
Rhave a spare wheel that differs from the
wheel that has been changed replaced at
the nearest qualified specialist workshop.
You must observe the correct wheel and
tire dimensions as well as the wheel type.
GWARNING
M+S tires with a tire tread depth of less than
ã in (4 mm) are not suitable for use in winter
and do not provide sufficient traction. There is
a risk of an accident.
M+S tires with a tread depth of less than ãin
(4 mm) must be replaced immediately.
Use winter tires or all-season tires at tempera-
tures below 45 ‡ (+7 †). Both types of tire are
identified by the M+S marking.
Only winter tires bearing the isnowflake
symbol in addition to the M+S marking provide
the best possible grip in wintry road conditions.
Only these tires will allow driving safety systems
such as ABS and ESP
®to function optimally in
winter. These tires have been developed specif-
ically for driving in snow.
For safe driving, use M+S tire sof the same make
and tread pattern on all wheels.
Always observe the maximum permissible
speed specified for the M+S tires you have
mounted.
If you install M+S tires that have a lower maxi-
mum permissible speed than the maximum per-
missible speed of the vehicle, affix an appropri-
ate warning sign in the driver's field of vision.
You can obtain this at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
250Operation in winter
Wheels and tires

Once you have mounted the winter tires:
XCheck the tire pressure (Ypage 251).
XReactivate the tire pressure moni-
tor* (
Ypage 256).
Snow chains
GWARNING
If you drive too fast with snow chains moun-
ted, they may snap. As a result, you could
injure others and damage the vehicle. There is
a risk of an accident.
Observe the maximum permissible speed for
operation with snow chains.
When driving with snow chains installed, do not
exceed the maximum permissible speed of
30 mph (50 km/h). Observe the country-spe-
cific laws and regulations for operation with
snow chains.
!Check the snow chains for damage before
mounting them. Damaged or worn snow
chains may snap and damage the following
components:
Rwheel
Rwheel housing
Rwheel suspension
For this reason, you must use only snow
chains that are free of defects. Observe the
manufacturer's mounting instructions.
!Vehicles with steel wheels: if you mount
snow chains on steel wheels, you may dam-
age the hub caps. Remove the hub caps from
the relevant wheels before mounting the
snow chains.
Snow chains increase traction on roads in wintry
conditions.
For reasons of safety we only recommend using snow chains or traction aids that are approved
for the Sprinter. The snow chains or traction aids
must be of class U or meet the SAE type U
specification. Information on snow chains is
available at any qualified specialist workshop.
When mounting snow chains, please bear the
following points in mind:
RSnow chains cannot be mounted on all
wheel/tire combinations. When mounting the snow chains, note the permissible tire and
snow chain dimensions.
RMount snow chains only in pairs and only to
the rear wheels. On vehicles with twin tires,
mount the snow chains to the outer wheels.
Observe the manufacturer's mounting
instructions.
RVehicles with all-wheel-drive:
snow chains
are not permitted on the front axle. There is
not sufficient space for commercially-availa-
ble snow chains. Information about snow
chains for all-wheel-drive vehicles can be
obtained from an authorized Sprinter Dealer.
ROnly use snow chains when the road is cov-
ered by a layer of snow. Remove the snow
chains as soon as possible when you come to
a road that is not snow-covered.
RThe use of snow chains may be restricted by
local regulations. Observe the appropriate
regulations before mounting snow chains.
RActivate all-wheel drive before driving off with
snow chains (Ypage 147).
RWhen driving with snow chains installed, do
not exceed the maximum permissible speed
of 30 mph (50 km/h).
RCheck the tension of the chains after a dis-
tance of approximately 0.5 miles (1.0 km).
You can deactivate ASR (
Ypage 55) when pull-
ing away with snow chains mounted. This allows
the wheels to spin in a controlled manner, ach-
ieving an increased driving force (cutting
action).
Tire pressure
Tire pressure specifications
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Underinflated or overinflated tires pose the
following risks:
Rthe tires may burst, especially as the load
and vehicle speed increase.
Rthe tires may wear excessively and/or
unevenly, which may greatly impair tire
traction.
Rthe driving characteristics, as well as steer-
ing and braking, may be greatly impaired.
Tire pressure251
Wheels and tires
* optionalZ

There is a risk of an accident.
Follow recommended tire inflation pressures
and check the pressure of all the tires includ-
ing the spare wheel:
Rmonthly, at least
Rif the load changes
Rbefore beginning a long journey
Runder different operating conditions, e.g.
off-road driving
If necessary, correct the tire pressure.
iThe specifications shown on the sample Tire
and Loading Information placard and tire
pressure plate are examples. Tire pressure
data are vehicle-specific and may deviate
from the data illustrated here. The tire pres-
sure data applicable to your vehicle can be
found on the Tire and Loading Information
placard or tire pressure plate of your vehicle.
HEnvironmental note
Check the tire pressure regularly, at least
every 14 days.
General notes
You will find information on tire pressure for the
vehicle's factory-mounted tires on the plates
described here.
The recommended tire pressure can be found
on the Tire and Loading Information placard
4or
the tire pressure table on the B-pillar on the
driver's side of your vehicle.
Further information on tire pressure can be
obtained at a qualified specialist workshop.
Tire and Loading Information placard
Example: Tire and Loading Information placard4
The Tire and Loading Information placard is on
the B-pillar on the driver's side of the vehicle
(
Ypage 259).
The Tire and Loading Information placard con-
tains recommended tire pressures :for cold
tires. Recommended tire pressures :are valid
for the maximum permissible load and up to the
maximum permissible speed of the vehicle.
Tire pressure plate
Example: tire pressure table
The tire pressure plate is located on the B-pillar
on the driver's side of the vehicle (Ypage 259).
The tire pressure table contains recommended
tire pressures for cold tires. Recommended tire pressures are valid for the maximum permissi-
ble load and up to the maximum permissible
speed of the vehicle.
4Only for vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of less than 10,000 lbs (4,536 kg)
252Tire pressure
Wheels and tires

Important notes on tire pressure
GWARNING
If th etire pressur edrops repeatedly, th e
wheel, valv eor tire may be damaged. Tir e
pressur ethat is to olow may result in atire
blow-out .Ther eis aris kof an accident.
RChec kth etire for foreign objects .
RCheckwhether th ewhee lis losing air or th e
valv eis leaking .
If you are unable to rectify th edamage, con-
tac t a qualified specialist workshop.
Use asuitable pressur egauge to chec kth etire
pressure. The outer appearanc eof atire does
no tpermit any reliable conclusio nabout th etire
pressure. On vehicles equipped wit hth eelec -
tronic tire pressur emonitor, th etire pressur e
can be checke dusin gth eon-board computer.
The tire temperature and pressur eincreas e
when th evehicl eis in motion .This is dependen t
on th edriving spee dand th eload.
Therefore, you should only correc ttire pressur e
when th etires are cold.
The tires are cold:
Rif th evehicl ehas been parked for at least
three hour swithout direct sunligh ton th e
tires ,and
Rif th evehicl ehas no tbeen driven further than
1 mile (1. 6km)
Tir etemperature changes depending on th e
ambien ttemperature, driving spee dand tire
load. If th etire temperature changes by 18 ‡
(10 †), th etire pressur echa
nges by approx
-
imately 10 kP a(0.1 ba r/1.5psi) . Take this into
account when checking the pressure of warm
tires. Only correct the tire pressure if it is too low
for the current operating conditions. If you
check the tire pressure when the tires are warm,
it results in a higher value than when the tires
are cold. This is normal. Do not under any cir-
cumstances release the air in order to adjust the pressure to the prescribed value for cold tires.
The tire pressure would otherwise be too low. Observe the recommended tire pressures for
cold tires:
Ron the Tire and Loading Information placard5
on the B-pillar on the driver's side, or
Ron the tire pressure plate on the B-pillar on the
driver's side of the vehicle
Underinflated or overinflated tires
Underinflated tires:
GWARNING
Tires with pressure that is too low can over-
heat and burst as a consequence. In addition, they also suffer from excessive and/or irreg-
ular wear, which can severely impair the brak-
ing properties and the driving characteristics.
There is a risk of an accident.
Avoid tire pressures that are too low in all the
tires, including the spare wheel.
Underinflated tires can:
Rfail from being overheated
Radversely affect handling
Rwear excessively and/or unevenly
Rhave an adverse effect on fuel consumption
Overinflated tires
GWARNING
Tires with excessively high pressure can burst
because they are damaged more easily by
road debris, potholes etc. In addition, they
also suffer from irregular wear, which can
severely impair the braking properties and the driving characteristics. There is a risk of an
accident.
Avoid tire pressures that are too high in all the
tires, including the spare wheel.
Overinflated tires can:
Rincrease the braking distance
Radversely affect handling
Rwear excessively and/or unevenly
5Only for vehicles with a gross weight of less than 10,000 lbs (4,536 kg).
Tire pressure253
Wheels and tires
Z

Radversely affect ride comfort
Rbe more susceptible to damage
Maximum tire pressures
:Maximum permitted tire pressure (example)
Never exceed the maximum permissible tire
inflation pressure. When adjusting the tire pres-
sures always observe the recommended tire
pressure for your vehicle (
Ypage 251).
iThe actual values for tires are specific to
each vehicle and may deviate from the values in the illustration.
Tire valve
GWARNING
Tire valve that are not approved for your vehi-
cle by the distributor named on the inside
cover page may result in a loss of tire pres-
sure. This may affect road safety. There is a
risk of an accident.
Only use tire valve that are approved for your
vehicle by the distributor named on the inside
cover page. Always make sure you have the
correct tire valve type for the tires on your
vehicle.
!Do not screw additional weights (check
valves, etc.) onto the tire valves. The elec-
tronic components could thus be damaged.
Only for vehicles without a tire pressure moni-
tor:
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use tire valves that have
been tested for use on your vehicle.
Checking the tire pressure manually
In order to determine and adjust the tire pres-
sures, proceed as follows:
XRemove the valve cap of the tire you wish to
check.
XPress the tire pressure gauge securely onto
the valve.
XRead the tire pressure and compare it with the
recommended value on the loading informa-
tion table or the tire pressure table
(
Ypage 251).
XIf the tire pressure is too low, increase it to the
recommended value.
XIf the tire pressure is too high, release air by
pressing down the metal pin in the valve. Use
the tip of a pen, for example. Then, check the
tire pressure again using the tire pressure
gauge.
XScrew the valve cap onto the valve.
XRepeat the steps for the other tires.
Tire pressure monitor
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked at least once a month
when cold and inflated to the pressure rec-
ommended by the vehicle manufacturer on
the Tire and Loading Information placard on
the driver's door B-pillar or the tire pressure
label on the inside of the fuel filler flap. If your
vehicle has tires of a different size than the
size indicated on the Tire and Loading Infor-
mation placard or the tire pressure label, you
should determine the proper tire pressure for
those tires.
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has
been equipped with a tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pres-
sure telltale when one or more of your tires
are significantly underinflated. Accordingly,
when the low tire pressure telltale illuminates,
you should stop and check your tires as soon
as possible, and inflate them to the proper
pressure. Driving on a significantly underin-
254Tire pressure
Wheels and tires