2020 MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER transmission

Driving
Swit
ching on po wer supply or ignition with
the start/s top button &
WARNING Risk of accident and inju ry
due tochildren left unat tended in the
ve hicle
If ch ildren are left unat tended in theve hicle,
th ey could:
R Open doo rs,th ereby endangering other
persons or road users.
R Get out and be stru ck byoncoming traf‐
fi c.
R Ope rate ve hicle equipment and become
trapped, forex ample.
In addition, thech ildren could also set the
ve hicle in motion, forex ample by:
R Releasing the parking brake.
R Changing the transmission position.
R Starting theve hicle. #
Never lea vechildren unat tended in the
ve hicle. #
When leaving theve hicle, alw aysta ke
th eke y with you and lock theve hicle. #
Keep theve hicle key out of reach of
ch ildren. &
DANG ER Risk of death caused by
ex haust gases
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
ga ses such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
th ese exhaust gases is hazardous tohealth
and leads topoisoning. #
Never lea vethe engine or, if present,
th e auxiliary heating running in an
enclosed space wi thout suf ficient venti‐
lation. &
WARNING Risk offire due toflammable
material in the engine compartment or
th eex haust sy stem
Flammable materials brought in byeither ani‐
mals or environmen tal influences may ignite if
th ey come into contact wi thhot parts of the
engine or exhaust sy stem. #
Therefore, check regularly that there are
no flammable materials in the engine
compartment or on theex haust sy stem. Re
quirements:
R The key is in de tection range of the antenna
(/ page 46) and theke y bat tery is not dis‐
ch arge d. #
Toswitch on the po wer suppl y:press but‐
to n1 once.
Yo u can now activate the windshield wipers,
fo rex ample.
The po wer supp lyis switched off again when one
of thefo llowing conditions is me t:
R The driver's door is open.
R You press button 1twice. #
Toswitch on the ignition: press button 1
twice.
The indicator lamps appear in the instrument
clus ter.
The ignition is switched off again when one of the
fo llowing conditions is me t:
R You do not start theve hicle within
15 minutes.
R You press button 1once. Driving and parking
109

St
arting the engine St
arting theve hicle with thest art/s top but‐
ton &
WARNING Risk of accident and inju ry
due tochildren left unat tended in the
ve hicle
If ch ildren are left unat tended in theve hicle,
th ey could:
R open doo rs,th ereby endangering other
persons or road users.
R get out of theve hicle and be hit by
oncoming traf fic.
R operate ve hicle equipment and become
trapped, forex ample.
In addition, children could also set theve hicle
in motion, forex ample, by:
R releasing the parking brake.
R shifting the automatic transmission out of
park position 005D.
R starting the engine #
Never lea vechildren and animals unat‐
te nded in theve hicle. #
When leaving theve hicle, alw aysta ke
th e SmartK eywith you and lock the
ve hicle. #
Keep the SmartK eyout of there ach of
ch ildren. Re
quirements:
R The key is in de tection range of the antenna
(/ page 46) and theke y bat tery is not dis‐
ch arge d. #
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the transmission toposition 005Dor005C. #
Depress the brake pedal and press button 1
once. #
Ifth eve hicle does not star t:switch off unnec‐
essary consumers and press button 1once. #
Ifth eve hicle still does not start and the
Place the Key in the Marked Space See Oper-
ator's Manual display message appears in the
multifunction display: start theve hicle in
emergency operation mode.
St arting theve hicle in emer gency operation
mode &
WARNING Risk of accident and injury
due tochildren left unat tended in the
ve hicle
If ch ildren are left unat tended in theve hicle,
th ey could:
R Open doo rs,th ereby endangering other
persons or road users.
R Get out and be stru ck byoncoming traf‐
fi c.
R Ope rate ve hicle equipment and become
trapped, forex ample.
In addition, thech ildren could also set the
ve hicle in motion, forex ample by:
R Releasing the parking brake.
R Changing the transmission position.
R Starting theve hicle. #
Never lea vechildren unat tended in the
ve hicle. #
When leaving theve hicle, alw aysta ke
th eke y with you and lock theve hicle. #
Keep theve hicle key out of reach of
ch ildren. If
th eve hicle does not start and thePlace Key in
Marked Space See Operator's Manual display
message appears in the multifunction displa y,
yo u can start theve hicle in emergency operation
mode. 11 0
Driving and pa rking

#
Remo vekey1 from your keyring. #
Inse rtkey1 into the slot.
The vehicle is star ted af ter a brief time. #
Leavetheke y inser ted during the entire jour‐
ne y. #
Ifyo u pull key1 out of the slot, the engine
continues torun. #
Have key1 checked at a qualified specialist
wo rkshop.
If th eve hicle does not star t: #
Leavekey1 inthe slot. #
Depress the brake pedal. #
Start theve hicle with thest art/ stop button.
% Yo
u can also swit chon the po wer supp lyor
th e ignition with thest art/ stop button. Breaking-in no
tes Pr
otect the engine during thefirs t1, 000 miles
(1,500 km) by:
R Driving at varying road and engine speeds.
R Shifting tothe next gear up when or before
th eta ch ome ter needle is 00C3ofthewa yto the
re d area.
R Avoiding stre ss on theve hicle such as driving
at full thro ttle.
R Not shi fting manually toa lo werge ar to
brake.
R After1, 000 miles (1,500 km), gradually
increasing the engine speed and accelera te
th eve hicle up tofull speed.
R Vehicles with automatic transmission: not
depressing the accelera tor pedal be yond the
pressure point (kickdown). This also applies if
the engine or parts of the driv‐
et ra in ha vebeen replaced.
Also obser vethefo llowing breaking-in no tes:
R The sensors of the ESP ®
driving saf ety sy stem
adjust automatically while a cer tain dis tance
is being driven af terth eve hicle has been
delivered or af terre pairs. Full sy stem ef fec‐
tiveness is not reached until the end of this
te ach-in process.
R New or exchanged brakepads, brake discs
and tires only pr ovide optimal braking and
bonding af ter se veral hundred kilom eters.
Un tilthen, compensate forth ere duced brak‐
ing ef fect by applying greater pressure tothe
brake pedal. Driving tips
Note
s on driving &
WARNING Risk of accident due to
objects in the driver's foot we ll
Objects in the driver's foot we ll may impede
pedal tr avel or block a depressed pedal.
This jeopardizes the operating and road
saf ety of theve hicle. #
Stow all objects in theve hicle securely
so that they cannot getinto the driver's
fo ot we ll. #
Ensure floor mats and carpets cannot
slip and pr ovide suf ficient room forthe
pedals. #
Do not lay multiple floor mats or carpets
on top of one ano ther. &
WARNING Risk of accident due to
unsuitable foot we ar
Operation of the pedals may be restricted due
to unsuitable foot we ar such as:
R Shoes with plat form soles
R Shoes with high heels
R Slippers #
When driving alw ayswe ar suitable
shoes in order tobe able tooperate the
pedals safel y. Driving and pa
rking 111

Uns
uitable fuel can cause engine damage. In for‐
mation about fuel can be found in the "Fuel" sec‐
tion (/ page 341).
Information about transport byrail
Tr ansporting your vehicle byrail may be subject
to cer tain restrictions or require special meas‐
ures tobe take n in some countries due tovarying
tunnel heights and loading standards.
Yo u can obtain information about this from any
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Note s on brakes &
WARNING Risk of skidding and of an
accident due toshifting down on slippery
ro ad sur faces
If yo u shift down on slippery road sur faces to
inc rease the engine braking ef fect, the drive
wheels may lose traction. #
Do not shift down on slippery road sur‐
fa ces toinc rease the engine braking
ef fect. &
WARNING Risk of accident due tothe
brake sy stem overheating
If yo u lea veyour foot on the brake pedal
when driving, the brake sy stem may overheat.
This increases the braking dis tance and the
brake sy stem may evenfa il. #
Never use the brake pedal as a foot re st. #
Do not depress the brake pedal and the
accelerator pedal at the same time
while driving. Downhill
gradients
On long and steep downhill gradients you should
obse rveth efo llowing instructions:
R Invehicles with an automatic transmission,
shift down toshift ranges 2or 1in good time
so that the engine is running at a medium to
high engine speed (/ page124).
% Cha
nge the shift range in good time when
cruise control is acti vated. Obser vethe driv‐
ing tips (/ page111).
Yo uth ereby make use of the braking ef fect of the
engine and do not ha vetobrake as of tento main‐
tai nth e speed. This relie vesth e load on the
service brake and pr events the brakes from over‐
heating and wearing tooqu ickl y. Heavy and light loads
If
th e brakes ha vebeen subjected toa heavy
load, do not stop theve hicle immediatel y.Drive
on for a short while. The brakes cool down more
qu ickly in the air flow.
If th e brakes ha vebeen used only moderately,
yo u should occasionally test their ef fectiveness.
To do this, brake more firm ly from a higher speed
while pa ying attention tothe traf fic conditions.
The brakes will grip better as a result.
We tro ad sur faces
If yo u ha vebeen driving for a long time in heavy
ra in without braking, there may be a dela yed
re sponse when youfirs t apply the brakes. This
may also occur af ter driving thro ugh a car wash
or deep water.Yo u must depress the brake pedal
more firm ly. Maintain a grea ter dis tance tothe
ve hicle in front.
While paying attention tothe traf fic conditions,
yo u should brake theve hicle firm lyafte r driving
on a wetro ad sur face or thro ugh a car wash. This
heats the brake discs so that they dry more
qu ickl y,which pr otects them against cor rosion.
Limited braking ef fect on salt-trea tedro ads:
R A layer of salt on the brake discs or brake‐
pads can increase braking dis tances consid‐
erably, or braking may happen on only one
side
R Maintain an especially large safe dis tance to
th eve hicle in front
To remo vethe la yer of salt:
R Apply the brakes from time totime, paying
attention totraf fic conditions
R Carefully depress the brake pedal at the end
of a journey and af terth est art of a new jour‐
ney
Checking the brakepad thickness
In addition tomonitoring using the brakepad wear
sensor, regular lymonitor and check all of the
brakepads byper form ing a visual inspection to
look for pad material wear.
If yo u are unable tocheck the brakepad wear on
th e inside of the wheels, remo vethe wheels if
yo u possess there qu ired skills, or visit a qualified
specialist workshop.
If th e brakepad material thickness is less than
0. 12 in (3 mm), ha vethe brakepads checked and
re placed at a qualified specialist workshop, if
necessar y.
Do not solely rely on the brakepad wear sensor. 11 4
Driving and pa rking

It is also
strongly recommended that you ha ve
th e brakepads checked at a qualified specialist
wo rkshop, not only at everyservice displa yedby
th e maintenance inter val displa y,but also prior to
long journe ysand when ever the wheels are
re mo ved.
Ne w brake discs and brakepads
New brakepads and brake discs on lyreach their
optimal braking ef fect af ter appro ximately
10 0 miles (100 kilome ters).
Unti lth en, compensate forth ere duced braking
ef fect by applying greater pressure tothe brake
pedal. For saf etyre asons, Mercedes-Benz recom‐
mends that you only ha vebrakepads and brake
discs which are appr ovedby Mercedes-Benz
ins talled on your vehicle.
Other brake discs or brakepads may compromise
th e saf ety of your vehicle.
Alw aysre place all brake discs and brakepads on
an axle at the same time. Alw ays ins tall new
brakepads when replacing brake discs.
Pa rking brake &
WARNING Risk of skidding or an acci‐
dent bybraking with the parking brake
If yo u ha vetobrake your vehicle with the
parking brake, the braking dis tance is consid‐
erab lylonger and the wheels may loc k.There
is an increased risk of skidding and/or acci‐
dent. #
Only brake theve hicle with the parking
brake if the service brake has failed. #
Inthis case, do not apply the parking
brake with too much forc e. #
Ifth e wheels loc k,immediately release
th e parking brake as much as required
fo rth e wheels toturn again. Ve
hicles with a manual parking brake
When driving on wetro ads or dirt-co vered sur fa‐
ces, road salt or dirt may getinto the parking
brake. This causes cor rosion and a reduction of
braking forc e.
In order topreve ntthis, drive with the parking
brake lightly applied from time totime.
When doing so, drive for a dis tance of appr ox‐
imately 300 ftat a maximum speed of 13mph
(20 km/h).
The brake lights do not light up when you brake
th eve hicle with the parking brake. Information about driving on
wetroads
Hydroplaning &
WARNING Risk of aquaplaning because
tire tread is too low
Depending on the dep thofthewate r onthe
ro adw ay, aquaplaning can occur despite suf fi‐
cient tire tread dep thand low speed. #
Avoid tire ruts and brake carefully. The
refore , in heavy rain or other conditions in
which hydroplaning can occur, drive as follo ws:
R Reduce your speed
R Avoid tire ruts
R Brake carefully
Driving on flooded roads
Bear in mind that vehicles tr aveling in front or in
th e opposite direction create waves. This may
cause the maximum permissible dep thofwater
to be exc eeded. These no tes must be obser ved
under all circum stances. Otherwise, you can
damage the engine, electrics and transmission.
If yo u ha vetodrive on stre tches of road on which
wate r has collected, please bear in mind thefo l‐
lowing:
R The wate r level of standing water may not be
abo vethe lo wer edge of the front bumper.
R You may drive no fasterthan walking pace.
Obser vethe no tes on ford ing while off- road for
all-wheel drive vehicles (/ page116).
Infor mation about driving in winter &
DANG ER Risk of fata l injury due topoi‐
sonous exhaust gases
If th eta ilpipe is bloc ked or suf ficient ventila‐
tion is not possible, poisonous exhaust gases
such as carbon monoxide may enter theve hi‐
cle. This is the case when theve hicle
becomes stuck in sn ow,fo rex ample. #
Keep theta ilpipe and the area around
th eve hicle free from snow when the
engine or thest ationary heater are run‐
ning. #
Open a window on the side of theve hi‐
cle facing away from the wind toensure
an adequate supply of fresh air. Driving and parking
11 5

&
WARNING Risk of skidding and of an
accident due toshifting down on slippery
ro ad sur faces
If yo u shift down on slippery road sur faces to
inc rease the engine braking ef fect, the drive
wheels may lose traction. #
Do not shift down on slippery road sur‐
fa ces toinc rease the engine braking
ef fect. Ve
hicles with automatic transmissions may roll in
neut ral position 005Cfor only a short time. Allowing
th e wheels torollfo r longer, e.g. when towing,
causes transmission damage.
If th eve hicle thre atens toskid, or cannot be stop‐
ped when tr aveling at a low speed, you can stabi‐
lize theve hicle using thefo llowing measures:
R Shift the automatic transmission toneutral
position 005C.
R Tryto maintain control of theve hicle using
cor rective steering.
Drive particularly carefully on slippery roads.
Av oid sudden acceleration, steering and braking
maneuvers.
Ha ve your vehicle winterized at a qualified spe‐
cialist workshop in good time at the onset of win‐
te r.
Obser vethe no tes on snow chains
(/ page 309).
Re gular lych eck theve hicle and remo vesnow or
ice when tr aveling in wintry conditions.
An accumulation of snow and ice, particular ly
when frozen, in the area around the air intake,
moving parts, the axles and the wheel housing,
may cause thefo llowing problems:
R Obstruction of the air intake
R Damage tovehicle parts
R Malfunctions due torestriction of mobility
intended bythe design (e.g. reduced steering
mo vement)
If th ere is any damage, inform a qualified special‐
ist workshop. Information about driving off-road &
WARNING Risk of accident if you do not
ke ep toline of fall on inclines
If yo u drive at an angle or turn on an incline,
th eve hicle could slip side ways, tip and roll‐
ove r. #
Always drive on inclines in the line of fall
(straight up or down) and do not turn. &
WARNING Risk of inju rydue toacceler‐
ating forc e during off-road driving
When driving off-road on une ven su rfaces,
th efo rc e of theve hicle's acceleration af fects
yo ur body from all directions.
Yo u could, forex ample, be thro wn from your
seat. #
Alwayswe ar a seat belt when driving
off- road. &
WARNING Risk of inju ryto the hands
when driving over obs tacles
If yo u drive over obs tacles or in tire ruts, the
st eering wheel may fold back and cause inju‐
ri es tothe hands. #
Steering wheel must alw ays be held
securely with bo thhands. #
When driving over obs tacles, expect
increased steering forc es at short
notice. &
WARNING Risk offire due toflammable
materials on hot parts of theex haust sys‐
tem
Flammable material such as lea ves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact
wi th hot parts of theex haust sy stem. #
When driving on unpa vedro ads or off-
ro ad, regular lych eck theve hicle under‐
side. #
Remo vetrapped plants or other flam‐
mable material. #
Ifth ere is damage, consult a qualified
specialist workshop immediately. 11 6
Driving and pa rking

*
NO
TEDama getotheve hicle af ter driving
off-road When driving off-road or on unpa
ved sur fa‐
ces, fore ign bodies such as stones and
branches could become trapped on theve hi‐
cle underside, on wheels and tires, causing
damage totheve hicle.
Fo reign bodies could cause thefo llowing
damage:
R Damage the suspension, the fuel tank or
th e brake sy stem.
R Disturb the balance and cause vibrations. #
Regular lyremo veany trapped fore ign
bodies, e.g. stones and branches. #
After driving off-road, check carefully
whe ther there is any damage tothe
ve hicle. #
Ifth ere is damage, ha vetheve hicle
ch ecked at a qualified specialist work‐
shop. When driving off-road or on unpa
ved sur faces,
ch eck theve hicle underside, wheels and tires
re gularly at regular inter vals. In particular,
re mo veany trapped fore ign bodies, such as
st ones and branches.
Obser vethefo llowing no tesre ga rding fore ign
bodies of this kind:
R They may damage the suspension, the fuel
ta nk or the brake sy stem.
R They may disturb the balance and cause
vibrations.
R They may be flung out from theve hicle when
yo u continue driving.
If th ere is any damage, inform a qualified special‐
ist workshop.
When driving off-road on steep inclines, you must
make sure that the DEF tank is su fficiently filled.
Therefore, ensure a le vel of at least ten li ters
before off-road driving.
When driving off-road and on con stru ction sites,
sand, mud and water,also mixed with oil, can get
into the brakes. This may lead toare duction in
braking ef fect or total brake failure, also as a
re sult of increased wear. The braking characteris‐
tics will vary depending on the material that has
got into the sy stem. Clean the brakes af ter driv‐
ing off-road. If youth en notice a reduced braking
ef fect or hear scraping noises, ha vethe brake sy
stem checked immediately at a qualified spe‐
cialist workshop. Adjust your driving style to the
ch anged braking characteristics.
Driving off- road or on con stru ction sites increa‐
ses the possibility of vehicle damage which may
in turn lead tothefa ilure of cer tain major assem‐
blies and sy stems. Adapt your driving style to the
off-road driving conditions. Drive carefull y.Ha ve
any vehicle damage rectified at a qualified spe‐
cialist workshop as soon as possible.
When driving on rough cross-country terrain, do
not shift the transmission toneutral and do not
disengage the clutch. You could lose control
when attem pting tobrake theve hicle with the
service brake. If your vehicle cannot manage an
uphill incline, drive back down in reve rsege ar.
When loading your vehicle for off-road driving or
on a construction site, keep theve hicle's center
of gr avity as low as possible.
Checklist before off-road driving R Check the fuel and DEF le vels (/ page175)
and refill if necessary (/ page133).
R Engine: check the oil le vel and add oil if nec‐
essary (/ page 281). Before driving up or
down extreme inclines or slopes, fill th e oil to
th e maximum le vel.
% If
yo u drive up or down extreme inclines or
slopes, the00B2 symbol may appear in the
multifunction displa y.The engine operating
saf ety is not put at risk if you ha vefilled the
engine oil tothe maximum le vel before the
jou rney.
R Vehicle tool kit: check that the jack is work‐
ing (/ page 327).
R Make sure that a lug wrench (/ page 327), a
wo oden underlay forth e jac k,aro bust tow
ro pe, a folding spade and a wheel chock
(depending on equipment) are car ried in the
ve hicle.
R Tire s and wheels: check the tire tread dep th
( / page 308) and the tire pressure
(/ page 316).
Ru les for off-road driving
Alw ays be aware of the ground clearance of the
ve hicle and avoid obs tacles such as deep tire
ru ts. Driving and pa
rking 117

Obs
tacles can damage thefo llowing parts of the
ve hicle, forex ample:
R Suspension
R Driv etra in
R Fuel and supply tanks
The refore , alw ays drive slowly when off-road. If
yo u must drive over obs tacles, ha vethe co-driver
instruct you.
% Mercedes-Benz
recommends that you addi‐
tionally car rya sho vel and a reco very rope
with a shackle in theve hicle.
R Make sure that loads and items of luggage
are securely stored or lashed down
(/ page 271).
R Before driving off-road, stop theve hicle and
engage a low gear.
R Vehicles with DSR: activate DSR when you
are driving downhill (/ page127).
R All-wheel drive vehicles: activate the all-
wheel drive (/ page125) and, if necessa ry,
activate theLO W RANGE transmission ratio
(/ page 126).
R Ifth e sur face requ ires, temp orarily deactivate
ESP ®
when pulling away ( / page 148).
R Only drive off-road wi th the engine running
and a gear engaged.
R Drive slowly and smo othly. Wa lking pace is
necessary in many situations.
R Avoid spinning the driven wheels.
R Always ensure that the wheels remain in con‐
ta ct wi th the ground.
R Exercise the utmost caution when driving
across unfamiliar, unpredictable terrain. As a
precaution, getout of theve hicle totake a
look at thero ute tobe take nfirs t.
R Look out for obs tacles (e.g. rock s, holes, tree
st umps and tire ruts).
R Avoid edges where the sur face could crumble
or break away.
Ru les forfo rd ing off-road (all-wheel drive
ve hicles)
R Obser vethe saf ety no tes and general no tes
on driving off-road.
R Check the dep thand characteristics of the
body of water before ford ing. The water must
not be deeper than 23.6 in (60 cm).
R The climate control sy stem is switched off
(/ page 101). R
The auxiliary heating is swit ched off
(/ page 106).
R Activate all-wheel drive (/ page 125) and
ac tivate it on vehicles with theLO W RANGE
transmission ratio (/ page 126).
R Restrict the shift range to1or 2.
R Avoid high engine speeds.
R Drive slowly and smoo thly at no mo rethan a
wa lking pace.
R Ensure that no bow wavefo rm s while driving.
R Afterfo rd ing, dry the brakes.
Af ter driving thro ugh a body of water deeper than
19 .7 in (50 cm), make su retocheck all vehicle
fl uids for any signs of penetration bywater.
Checklist af ter driving off-road
Driving over rough terrain places greater
demands on your vehicle than normal road opera‐
tion. Check your vehicle af ter driving on rough
te rrain. This allo wsyouto detect damage
prom ptly and reduce therisk of an accident for
yo urself and other road users. Clean your vehicle
th oroughly before driving on public roads.
If yo ufind damage totheve hicle af ter off-road
driving, ha vetheve hicle checked at a qualified
specialist workshop immediately.
Obser vethefo llowing points af ter driving off-
ro ad, on con stru ction sites and before driving on
public roads:
R Vehicles with DSR: deactivate DSR
(/ page 127).
R All-wheel drive vehicles: deactivate the all-
wheel drive (/ page125).
R Activate ESP ®
(/ page 148).
R Clean theex terior lighting, particularly the
headlamp s andtail lamps, and check them
fo r dama ge.
R Clean the front and rear license plates.
R Clean the windshield, windo wsand outside
mir rors.
R Clean thesteps, entra nces and grab handles.
This increases the saf ety of your foot ing.
R Clean the wheels and tires, wheel wells and
th e underbody of theve hicle with a water jet.
This increases road adhesion, especially on
we tro adw ays.
R Check the wheels and tires and wheel wells
fo r trapped fore ign objects and remo vethem.
Tr apped fore ign objects can damage the11 8
Driving and pa rking