2018 MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER air condition

If the: indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster goes on, drain the fuel filter with the
water separator immediately.
iWe recommend that you have this mainte-
nance work carried out at a qualified special-
ist workshop.
XPark the vehicle safely and secure it from roll-
ing away.
XSwitch off the auxiliary heating system .
XSwitch off the engine.
XOpen the hood (Ypage 219).
XPlace a suitable receptacle under drain
hose :.
XTurn the key to position 2in the ignition lock.
XOpen drain plug ;immediately until the
water/fuel mixture flows out of drain hose :.
XScrew in drain plug;as soon as approx-
imately 0.2 qt (0.2 l)of the water/fuel mixture
has been collected.
The electrical fuel pump automatically halts
the flow of the water/fuel mixture after
30 seconds.
XAfter draining, turn the key back to position 0
in the ignition lock.
XDispose of the collected water/fuel mixture
in an environmentally responsible manner,
e.g. at a qualified specialist workshop.
XCheck drain plug ;. The drain plug must be
closed.
When the engine is running and drain hose ;
is open, fuel is lost through drain hose :.
XClose the hood (Ypage 220).
If the : indicator lamp does not go out after
draining:
XDrain the fuel filter again.
XIf the : indicator lamp does not go out
after draining for the second time, have the
cause checked immediately at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Vehicle interior
Air filter for the rear-compartment air
conditioning
!
Regularly check the air filters for visible dirt.
Clean or replace a dirty filter mat. The dirt may
otherwise lead to damage to the air-condi-
tioning system.
Filter magazine, located on the roof in the rear
compartment
An increased amount of sand or dust may collect in the air filter of the rear-compartment air con-
ditioning when you drive on dusty or sandy
roads.
XTo remove the filter mat: carefully pry
cover :out of recesses ;and remove.
XRemove the filter mat from the air duct.
XTo clean the filter mat: wash the dirty filter
mat with clear water.
XLeave the filter mat to dry.
iThe filter mat must not be cleaned or dried in
a machine.
XTo install the filter mat: insert the filter mat
into the air duct.
XReplace and engage cover :.
Maintenance
General notes
HEnvironmental note
Observe measures to protect the environ-
ment when working on the vehicle. You must
observe the legal requirements when dispos-
ing of service products, e.g. engine oil. This
also includes all components, e.g. filters,
which have come into contact with service
products. Any qualified specialist workshop
can provide information about this.
Dispose of empty containers, cleaning cloths
and care products in an environmentally
responsible manner. Comply with the instruc-
tions for use of the care products.
226Maintenance
Maintenance and care

Do not run the engine for longer than neces-
sary when the vehicle is stationary.
Before having maintenance and repairs per-
formed, it is essential to read the materials rela-
ted to the maintenance and repairs:
Rthe applicable sections of the technical doc-
umentation, e.g. the Operator's Manual and
workshop information.
Rregulations such as industrial safety regula-
tions and accident prevention regulations.
While working under the vehicle, you must
secure the vehicle on jack stands with sufficient load capacity.
Never use the jack as a substitute. The vehicle's
jack is intended only to raise the vehicle for a
short time when changing a wheel. It is not
suited for performing maintenance work under
the vehicle.
Please also refer to the notes about qualified
specialist workshops (
Ypage 27).
The scope and regularity of the inspection and
maintenance work primarily depend on the
often diverse operating conditions. Specialist
knowledge beyond the scope of this Operator's
Manual is required when carrying out testing
and maintenance work. This work should only be
carried out by trained staff.
The vehicle Maintenance Booklet describes the scope and fre que
ncy of maintenance work and
contains additional notes on the New Vehicle
Limited Warranty and on service products.
Maintenance services must be carried out in
accordance with the provisions and recommen-
dations in the Maintenance Booklet. Not doing
so could void the warranty claim and lead to
refusal of goodwill gestures after the manufac-
turer has submitted a damage report.
iObserve the notes on genuine Sprinter parts
(Ypage 29).
Service interval display
General notes
A service that is due is displayed in the service
interval display about one month in advance. A
message is then displayed while the vehicle is in
motion or when the ignition is switched on.
iThe service interval display does not provide
information about the engine oil level. The service interval display should therefore not
be confused with the
5engine oil level
display.
The service due date is displayed in days or
miles (kilometers), depending on the total dis-
tance driven.
The symbols or letters on the service display
show the type of service that is due.
¯ orA
for a minor service
° orB
for a major service
Service due date display
Vehicles with steering wheel buttons: the
following messages may be displayed.
R¯ Service A due in ... days
R¯Service A due in ... mi(km)
R¯ Service A Carry out now
Vehicles without steering wheel buttons:
the following messages may be displayed.
R¯for service A
R°for Service B
Additionally, you will see the remaining distance
in miles ( mi
) or kilometers ( km) or the remaining
time in days ( d).
Service due date has been exceeded
Vehicles with steering wheel buttons: if you
have missed the service due date, one of the
following messages appears in the display and
warning tone also sounds.
R¯ Service A overdue by ... days
R¯Service A overdue by ... km(km)
Vehicles without steering wheel buttons: if
you have missed the service due date, the ¯
or ° symbol for the service flashes for ten
seconds after the ignition is switched on. A
minus sign also appears in front of the service
due date.
Calling up the service due date
XTurn the key to position 2in the ignition lock.
The display is activated.
Vehicles without steering wheel buttons
XPress the 4menu button on the instrument
cluster repeatedly until the ¯or°
symbol for the service appears in the display.
Maintenance227
Maintenance and care
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

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

Flat tire
General notes
If your vehicleis equipped wit h aspar ewheel,
th espar ewhee lis under th erear of th evehicl e
(
Ypage 273).
Information about installin g awhee lcan be
foun din th e"Whee lchange" section
(
Ypage 268).
Changing wheels
Rotating the wheels
GWARNIN G
Interchangin gth efron tand rear wheels may
severely impair th edriving characteristics if
th ewheels or tires have different dimensions.
The whee lbrakes or suspension component s
may also be damaged. Ther eis aris kof acci-
dent.
Rotate fron tand rear wheels only if th ewheels
and tires are of th esam edimensions.
!On vehicles equipped wit h atire pressur e
monitor, electronic component sare locate d
in th ewheel.
Tire-mounting tools should no tbe used near
th evalve. This could damag eth eelectronic
components.
Only have tires changed at aqualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Always observ eth einstruction sand safet y
note sin th e"Mounting awheel" section
(
Ypage 268).
The wear pattern son th efron tand rear tires
differ, depending on th eoperating conditions.
Rotate th ewheels before aclear wear pattern
has formed on th etires .Fron ttires typically
wear mor eon th eshoulder sand th erear tires in
th ecenter.
If your vehicle's tire configuration allows ,you
can rotate th etires according to th eintervals in
th etire manufacturer' swarrant ybook in your
vehicl edocuments .If no warrant ybook is avail-
able, th etires should be rotate devery 3,000 to
6,000 mile
s(
5,00 0to 10,00 0km), or earlier if
tire wear requires. Do no tchang eth edirection
of rotation . Clean th
econtact surface sof th ewhee land th e
brak edisc thoroughly every time awhee lis rota-
ted.
Chec kth etire pressur eand reactivat eth etire
pressur emonitor if necessary.
Diagram showin gtir erotation for single and dual
tires
Single tires: if thetires are of identical dimen-
sions, you can rotate bot hwheels on bot hth e
fron tand rear axle sso that th etires 'original
direction of rotation is maintained. On unidirec -
tional tires ,an arrow on th esidewall shows th e
prescribe ddirection of rotation of th etire.
Twin rea rtires: if thetires are of identical
dimensions, you can rotate th ewheels on th e
fron taxle and th einner wheels on th erear axle
in pair ssuc hthat th eoriginal direction of tire
rotation is retained. Wit hunidirectional tires ,
you may rotate th eoutside wheels at th erear
axle from on eside to th eother .
Direction of rotation
Tires wit h aspecifie ddirection of rotation have
additional benefits ,e.g. if there is aris kof hydro-
planing .You will only gain these benefits if th e
correct direction of rotation is observed.
An arrow on th esidewall of th etire indicates it s
correct direction of rotation .
You may moun t aspar ewhee lagainst th edirec-
tion of rotation .Observ eth etime restriction on
use as well as th espee dlimitation specifie don
th espar ewheel.
Storing wheels
Store wheels that are no tbein gused in acool,
dry and preferably dark place. Protect th etires
from contact wit hoil, grease and fuel .
Changing wheels267
Wheels and tires
Z

To prevent operating problems, diesel with bet-
ter flow qualities is available during the winter
months. You can obtain information at the gas
station or from your fuel supplier.
Your vehicle is equipped with a fuel preheating
system. This improves the flow properties of the
diesel by approximately 14.5 ‡ (8 †). ULTRA-
LOW SULFUR DIESEL can be used without risk
of malfunction down to an outside temperature
of approximately 14 ‡ (Ò10 †).
Fuel additives
!Do not add gasoline or kerosene to diesel
fuel to improve its flow characteristics. Gas-
oline or kerosene impairs the lubricating
properties of the diesel fuel. This can result in
damage to the fuel injection system, for
example.
B20 fuels with bio-diesel content
!Continuous use of fuels with bio-diesel con-
tent over 5% (B20 fuels) can lead to fuel filter
clogging. Deposits may also form on the fuel
injector. This may reduce the engine output.
Unburned fuel can get into the oil pan. This
causes the engine oil level to rise. This can
cause engine mechanical damage.
To avoid damages and performance degrada-
tion, observe the following points:
RFill up with fuels with bio-diesel content of
5% (ULSD) or less, whenever possible.
RRegularly monitor your engine oil level if
you use B20 fuels on a regular basis.
RStrictly follow the oil change intervals quo-
ted in the instrument cluster and within
your maintenance booklet.
RUse only engine oils and filters approved for
use in your vehicle.
RIf you do not plan to drive your vehicle for
several weeks, completely fill the fuel tank
in advance with ULSD fuel.
For more information, consult the gas station
staff. The identification of fuels with bio-diesel
content (ULSD or B20) must be clear. If the
marking does not make this clear, do not refuel
from that pump.
Do not refuel with any fuels that have not been
approved for your vehicle.
For more information about refueling
(
Ypage 127).
Information on fuel consumption
HEnvironmental note
CO
2(carbon dioxide) is the gas which scien-
tists believe to be principally responsible for
global warming (the greenhouse effect). Your
vehicle's CO
2emissions are directly related to
fuel consumption and therefore depend on:
Refficient use of the fuel by the engine
Rdriving style
Rother non-technical factors, such as envi-
ronmental influences, road conditions or
traffic flow
You can minimize your vehicle's CO
2emis-
sions by driving carefully and having it serv-
iced regularly.
Fuel consumption depends on:
Rthe vehicle version
Rthe style of driving
Rthe operating conditions
Rthe type or quality of the fuel used
The vehicle will use more fuel than usual in the
following situations:
Rat very low outside temperatures
Rin city traffic
Rduring short journeys
Ron mountainous terrain
Rwhen towing a trailer
To keep fuel consumption low, observe the
advice in the "Protection of the environment"
section (
Ypage 25).
The following components of the different vehi-
cle versions influence fuel consumption:
Rtire sizes, tire tread, tire pressure, tire condi-
tion
Rbody
Rtransmission ratios for the drive assemblies
Radditional equipment (e.g. air-conditioning
system, auxiliary heating system)
For these reasons, the actual consumption fig-
ures for your vehicle may deviate from the con-
sumption figures determined according to EU
Directive 80/1268/EE C.
Data concerning fuel consumption are recorded in the on-board computer; use the steering
280Service products and capacities
Technical data

wheel buttons to call up theTrip computer
menu (Ypage 173).
Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF)
General notes
When opening the DEF tank filler cap at high
outside temperatures, ammonia vapors may
escape.
Ammonia vapors have a pungent smell and pri-
marily cause irritation of the:
Rskin
Rmucous membranes
Reyes
You may experience a burning sensation in your
eyes, nose and throat, as well as coughing and
watering of the eyes.
Do not inhale ammonia vapors. Avoid contact
with DEF.
Do not allow DEF to come into direct contact
with your skin; it is hazardous to your health.
Rinse any affected areas off with plenty of clean water. Consult a doctor if necessary.
If DEF heats up, e.g. in direct sunlight, in the DEF
supply reservoir for some time to over 122 ‡
(50 †) , ammonia vapor will develop.
To conform to emission regulations, you must
operate the vehicle with DEF and refill the supply
regularly. The engine management recognizes
attempts to operate the vehicle without DEF,
with thinned DEF or with another reducing
agent. After previous warning messages, the
engine management then prevents a further
engine start.
When the number of remaining engine starts is 0
the engine management prevents the vehicle
from being driven at a speed exceeding 5 mph
(8 km/h). The multifunction display shows the
Idle Mode
message.
DEF consumption
DEF consumption depends on operational and
driving conditions and it is not necessary to wait
until the next scheduled service to replenish the
fluid. Therefore, refill the DEF supply tank regu-
larly during vehicle operation or, at the latest,
after receiving the first warning message via the
on-board computer.
Low ambient temperatures
DEF freezes at a temperature of approximately
12‡(Ò11 †). The vehicle is equipped with a DEF
preheating system at the factory. Winter oper-
ation is therefore also guaranteed at tempera-
tures under 12 ‡ (Ò11 †).
iIf you add DEF at temperatures below 12 ‡
(Ò11 †) it is possible that the level is not
shown correctly due to the frozen DEF.
Drive for at least 20 minutes (heating phase in
the fuel tank activated) and then stop the
vehicle for at least 30 seconds. The level is
then shown correctly.
Additives
!Do not mix DEF with any additives and do
not dilute DEF with tap water. Otherwise, the
exhaust gas aftertreatment may be damaged.
Observe the MB Specifications for Service
Products, Sheet No. 352.0.
Damage that arises through the use of addi-
tives or tap water will invalidate the New Vehi-
cle Limited Warranty.
Storage
!Containers made of aluminum, copper, cop-
per alloys as well as unalloyed or galvanized
steel are not suitable for storing DEF. If stored
in these types of containers, DEF could cause
constituents of these metals to dissolve and
cause irreparable damage to the exhaust gas
aftertrea tment.
Da

mage caused by such impurities in the DEF
will invalidate the New Vehicle Limited War-
ranty.
Only store DEF in containers made of high-alloy
Cr‑ Ni steel or Mo ‑Cr‑Ni steel in accordance with
DIN EN 10 088 ‑1/2/3 or plastic containers
made of polypropylene or polyethylene.
Purity
!Impurities in DEF (e.g. caused by other ser-
vice products, cleaning agents, dust, etc.)
result in increased emissions, malfunctions,
catalytic converter damage or engine dam-
age.
The purity of DEF is essential to prevent mal-
functions in the exhaust gas aftertreatment.
If DEF is pumped out of the DEF tank, e.g. during
repair work, the same liquid must not be used to
refill the tank. Its purity is no longer guaranteed.
Service products and capacities281
Technical data
Z