2020 MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER ESP

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

wheels and tires or may be
flung out from the
ve hicle when continuing the journe y.
R Check the underbody for trapped branches or
ot her parts of plants and remo vethem.
R Clean the brake discs, brakepads and axle
joints, particularly af ter operation in sand,
mud, grit and gr avel,wate r or similar lydirty
conditions.
R Check the entire floor assembly, the tires,
wheels, bodywork stru cture, brakes, steering,
suspension and exhaust sy stem for any dam‐
age.
R Check the service brake for operating saf ety,
e.g. car ryout a brake test.
R Ifyo u notice strong vib rations af ter driving
off-road, check the wheels and driv etra in for
fo re ign objects again. Remo veany fore ign
objects which can lead toimbalances and
th us cause vibrations. In theeve nt of damage
to the wheels and the drive train, visit a quali‐
fi ed specialist workshop immediately. Fu
nction of the ECO display The ECO display sums up
your driving character‐
istics from thest art tothe end of the trip and
supports a consum ption-optimized driving style.
Yo u can influence consum ption as follo ws:
R Anticipa teroad and traf fic conditions.
R Obser vethege arshift recommendation. Instrument Display wi
thcolor display
The segment's lettering lights up brightl y,the
outer edge lights up and the segment is filled
when theve hicle is driven with thefo llowing char‐
acteristics:
R 1 ACCELERATION: mode rate acceleration
R 2 CONSTANT: consis tent speed
R 3 COASTING: gentle deceleration and roll‐
ing The segment's lettering is gr
ay,th e outer edge is
dark and the segment is em ptied when theve hi‐
cle is driven with thefo llowing characteristics:
R 1 ACCELERATION: sporty acceleration
R 2 CONSTANT: speed fluctuations
R 3 COASTING: heavy braking
Yo u ha vedriven in a consum ption-optimized man‐
ner when:
R The thre e segments ha vebeen comple tely fil‐
led simultaneousl y.
R The edge of all thre e segments lights up. Instrument Display with black and white dis‐
play
The bars will fill up when theve hicle is driven
with thefo llowing characteristics:
R 1Moderate acceleration
R 2Consis tent speed
R 3Gentle deceleration and rolling
The bars will em pty when theve hicle is driven
with thefo llowing characteristics:
R 1Spo rty acceleration
R 2Speed fluctuations
R 3Heavy braking
The displ aywill also show the additional range
(4 Bonu sXXX mi Fr. Start orXXX mi From
Start) that you ha veachie ved with your driving
st yle compared with a driver with a very sporty
driving style. This range does not cor respond to
any fixe d consum ption saving. Driving and parking
11 9

Re
stricting the shift range Re
quirements:
R Transmission position 005Bis engaged
(/ page 123). #
Torestrict the shift range: briefly pull steer‐
ing wheel paddle shif ter1.
The automatic transmission shifts tothe next
ge ar down, depending on thege ar cur rently
engaged. The shi ftrange is also restricted.
The shi ftrange selected is shown in the multi‐
function displa y.The automatic transmission
shifts only as far as the selected gear. #
Pull and hold steering wheel paddle shif ter
1 .
The automatic transmission will change to a
shift range which allo wseasy acceleration
and deceleration. Todo this, the automatic
transmission shifts down one or more gears
and restricts the shift range.
The shi ftrange selected is shown in the multi‐
function displa y.The automatic transmission
shifts only as far as the selected gear.
% The automatic transmission does not shift
down if you pull steering wheel paddle shif ter
1 whilst tr aveling at too high a speed.
If th e shift range is restricted and the maxi‐
mum engine speed forth ere stricted shi ft
ra nge is reached, the automatic transmission
will not shift up. #
Toderestrict the shi ftrange: briefly pull
st eering wheel paddle shif ter2.
The automatic transmission shifts tothe next
ge ar up, depending on thege ar cur rently
engaged. This de restricts the shift range at
th e same time. The shift
range selected is shown in the multi‐
function displa y.The automatic transmission
shifts only as far as the selected gear. #
Toderestrict the shi ftrange: pull and hold
st eering wheel paddle shif ter2.
or #
Engage transmission position 005Bagain
(/ page 123).
The auto matic transmission shifts up one or
more gears depending on thege ar cur rently
engaged. Simultaneously, the shift range
re striction is deactivated and the transmis‐
sion position appears in the multifunction dis‐
play 005B.
Ad apt the shift range tothe driving situation:
0049 Use
the engine's braking ef fect.
0048 Use
the engine's braking ef fect on downhill
gradients and when driving on steep roads,
in mountainous areas as well as under ardu‐
ous operating conditions.
0047 Use
the engine's braking ef fect on extreme ly
st eep downhill gradients and on long down‐
hill stre tches. Using kickdown
#
For maximum acceleration: depressthe
accelerator pedal be yond the pressure point. #
Ease off the accelera tor pedal once the
desired speed is reached. All-wheel drive
Note
s on all-wheel drive All-wheel drive ensures permanent drive
for all
fo ur wheels, and toget her with ESP ®
it impr oves
th e traction of theve hicle.
The traction contro l ofthe all-wheel drive also
ta ke s place via the brake sy stem. Therefore, the
brake sy stem can overheat during extreme off-
ro ad use. In this case, ease off the accelerator
pedal or stop toallow the brake sy stem tocool
down.
If a driven wheel spins due toinsuf ficient trac‐
tion, obser vethefo llowing no tes:
R When pulling away, make use of the traction
cont rol integrated in ESP ®
. Depress the
accelerator pedal as far as necessar y.
R Take your foot off the accelera tor pedal,
slowly, while theve hicle is in motion. 124
Driving and pa rking

In wintry driving conditions, alw
ays use winter
tires (M+S tires) and, if necessar y,snow chains
(/ page 309). On lyin this wa y can the maximum
ef fect of all-wheel drive be achie ved.
Use DSR (Downhill Speed Regulation) when driv‐
ing downhill off-road (/ page126).
If yo ufa ilto adapt your driving style or if you are
inat tentive, the all-wheel drive sy stem can neither
re duce therisk of an accident nor override the
la ws of ph ysics. The all-wheel drive sy stem can‐
not take road, weather and traf fic conditions into
account. The all-wheel drive sy stem is only an
aid. You are responsible for maintaining a safe
dis tance from theve hicle in front, forve hicle
speed, for braking in good time and forst ay ing in
lane.
* NO
TERisk of damage tothe driv etra in
and the brake sy stem If
yo u operate vehicles with all-wheel drive on
a one-axle test st and, you may damage the
driv etra in or the brake sy stem. #
A function or per form ance test should
only be car ried out on a two-axle test
st and. #
Ifyo u wish tooperate theve hicle on
such a test st and, please consult a
qu alified specialist workshop in
advance. *
NO
TERisk of damage tothe transfer
case If
yo uto w theve hicle with a raised axle, the
trans fer case can getdamaged. Such damage
is not co veredby Mercedes-Benz Limited
Wa rrant y. #
Neverto w theve hicle with a raised axle. #
Only tow theve hicle with all wheels on
th e ground or fully raised. #
Notethe instructions on towing the
ve hicle with full contact with the ground
fo r all wheels. Engaging all-wheel drive
Conditions
for en gaging/disengaging
Yo u can engage and deactivate the all-wheel drive
when stationary or while driving slowl y.When
stationar y,thefo llowing must be obser ved:
R The engine is running.
R The steering wheel in thest ra ight-ahead posi‐
tion.
If th e all-wheel drive cann otbe engaged when
st ationary: #
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the selector le ver from 005Cto005B from
005B to005C from 005Cto005E and back to005C .
Engaging and disengaging the all-wheel drive
can be made easier in this wa y.
Obser vethefo llowing when driving slowly:
R The engine is running.
R The vehicle is not tr aveling fasterthan
6.2 mph (1 0 km/h).
R The vehicle is not being driven around a bend.
If it is not possible toengage all-wheel drive when
th eve hicle is rolling: #
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
brief lymo vethe selector le verto 005C . Engaging/disen
gaging all-wheel drive *
NO
TERisk of damage tothe transfer
case If
yo ustep on the accelerator pedal while the
all-wheel drive is engaged or disen gage d, the
trans fer case may be dama ged. #
Do not step on the accelera tor pedal
when the indicator lamp in the switch
fo rth e all-wheel drive is flashing. Driving and parking
12 5

#
Toengage/disen gage:press the upper sec‐
tion of switch 1.
The indicator lamp in switch 1flashes while
th e all-wheel drive is engaged or disengaged.
The 00E5 and003D warning lamps light up in
th e instrument displa y.ESP ®
and ASR are
deacti vatedfo rth e duration of the shift oper‐
ation. If the shift operation is successful, the
00E5 and003D warning lamps in the instru‐
ment display go out and ESP ®
and ASR are
re activated.
As long as the indicator lamp in switch 1is
fl ashing, you can cancel the shift operation by
pressing switch 1again. If the shift operation
fa ils, the indicator lamp in switch 1brief ly
fl ashes thre e times. One of the shift conditions
wa s not met.
If th e indicator lamp in switch 1lights up, all-
wheel drive is engaged. A releva nt messa ge
appears in the display of the on-board computer.
% If
th eLO W RANGE gear reduction is engaged,
th e all-wheel drive cann otbe disengaged. Fu
nction of theLO W RANGE gear reduction The
LOW RANGE gear reduction enables very
slow driving in there spective gears. If you engage
LO W RANGE, the engine's per form ance charac‐
te rist ics and the automatic transmission's shift‐
ing characteristics are adjus ted according ly. The
transmission ratio from the engine tothe wheels
is around 40% lo werth an in thero ad position.
The drive torque is in creased cor respondingly.
Conditions for en gaging/disengaging
The following shifting conditions must be met in
order toengage or disengage LOW RANGE:
R All-wheel drive is engaged (/ page125).
R The engi ne isrunning.
R The vehicle is stationar y.
R You depress the brake pedal.
R Vehicles with automatic transmission: the
selector le ver is in position 005Dor005C. Engaging and disen
gaging LOWrange 1
Enga ging and disengaging LOWrange
% On
vehicles with DSR (Downhill Speed Regu‐
lation), switch 1isreplaced with the switch
fo r DSR. #
Toengage and disen gage:press the upper
section of switch 1.
The 002E indicator lamp flashes in the instru‐
ment display forth e duration of the shift
operation.
R When the shift operation take s place and
LO W RANGE is engaged, the002E indica‐
to r lamp lights up.
R When the shift operation take s place and
LO W RANGE is disengaged, the002E indi‐
cator lamp goes out.
As long as the indicator lamp 002Eisflashing,
yo u can cancel the shift operation bypressing
button 1again. If the shift operation fails, the
indicator lamp 002Ebrieflyflashes thre e times.
One of the shift conditions was not met. DSR (Downhill Speed
Regulation) Note
s on DSR If
yo ufa ilto adapt your driving style or you are
inat tentive, DSR can nei ther reduce therisk of
accident nor override the la wsof ph ysics. DSR
cannot take road, weather and traf fic conditions
into account. DSR is only an aid. You are respon‐
sible for a safe dis tancetotheve hicle in front, for
ve hicle speed and for braking in good time.
DSR supports you when driving downhill. DSR
main tains a set speed foryo u on downhill gradi‐
ents byapplying the brakes as required. Main‐ 12 6
Driving and pa rking

ta
ining the speed is dependent on thero ad sur‐
fa ce conditions and the downhill gradient and
cann ottherefore be guaranteed in all situations.
Yo u can set the speed depending on thege ar
ra nge tobetween 2 mph (4 km/h) and 11mph
(18 km/h) using the brake and accelerator pedals
or therock er switch on thesteering wheel.
DSR automatically cont rols in thefo llowing situa‐
tions:
R Ifth eve hicle is stationar y,or its speed is less
th an 2 mph (4 km/h) , the speed is set to
2 mp h (4 km/h) or it is set tothe minimum
speed forth ere spective gear range.
R Ifyo u drive fasterthan 11mp h (18 km/h) off-
ro ad, DSR swit ches tostandby mode. DSR
re mains activated, but does not brake auto‐
matically.
R Ifyo u drive downhill slo werth an 11mph
(18 km/h), DSR sets the speed tothe pr evi‐
ously set speed.
R Ifyo u drive faster than 28 mph (45 km/h),
DSR switches off automaticall y.Ac
tivating/deactivating DSR Ac
tivating DSR Yo
u can activate DSR when theve hicle is station‐
ary or moving. #
Press the upper section of switch 1.#
Brake or accelerate theve hicle tothe desired
speed between 2 mph (4 km/h) and 11mph
(18 km/h). #
Release the brake or accelera tor pedal.
The cur rent speed is stored. When stationar y,
2 mp h (4 km/h) or the minimum possible
speed for each gear range is stored. DSR maintains
thestored speed on the downhill
gradient and brakes automaticall y.
When DSR is activated and theve hicle pulls
aw ay, accelerates or brakes on an incline, the
speed set cor responds tothe speed at which the
accelerator or brake pedal is released or the
rock er switch is pressed during DSR regulation.
This is only the case if you are not driving faster
th an 11mp h (18 km/h).
DSR status display in the on-board computer
R DSR is activated:
- DSR andthe set speed appear in thest a‐
tus area of the on-board computer.
R DSR is activated, but is not inter
vening:
- You are driving between 11mph
(18 km/h) and 28 mph (45 km/h).
- DSR andthe speed 11mp h (18 km/h)
appear in thest atus area of the on-board
computer.
DSR is in standby mode.
R DSR is inactive:
- You are exceeding a speed of 28 mph
(45 km/h).
- DSR appears in thest atus area of the on-
board computer. In addition, theDSR Off
message appears.
- DSR - - - appears in thest atus area of the
on-board computer.
Setting the speed while driving downhill
Yo u can set the speed tobetween 2 mph
(4 km/h) and, depending on thege ar range, up to
11 mp h (18 km/h) using the brake and accelera‐
to r pedals or thero ck er switch on thesteering
wheel. Driving and parking
127

#
Brake or accelerate theve hicle tothe desired
speed on the downhill gradient. #
Release the brake or accelera tor pedal.
The cur rent speed is stored.
or #
Press rocker switch 1up or down during a
DSR regulation.
The last sa ved speed is increased or reduced. #
Release rocker switch 1.
The cur rent speed is stored.
or #
Press rocker switch 1up or down until
desired speed is reached. #
Release rocker switch 1.
The cur rent speed is stored.
% It may be a moment before
theve hicle starts
to brake tothe set speed. Take this delay into
account when setting the speed with rock er
switch 1.
Deactivating DSR #
Press the upper section of switch 1.
or #
Accele rate and drive fasterthan 28 mph
(45 km/h).
DSR deactivates automatically in thefo llowing
situations:
R You drive fasterthan 28 mph (4 5 km/h).
R There is a malfunction in the ESP ®
or ABS
sy stem. Electronic le
vel control Fu
nction of ENR (electronic le vel control) &
WARNING Risk of entrapment from vehi‐
cle lo wering
When lo wering theve hicle, people could
become trapped if their limbs are between
th eve hicle body and the tires or underneath
th eve hicle. #
Make sure no one is underneath the
ve hicle or in the immediate vicinity of
th e wheel ar ches when theve hicle is
being lo wered. &
WARNING Risk of inju ryfrom jack tip‐
ping
If yo u park a vehicle with air suspension, the
air suspension may remain activated for up to
one hour, even when the ignition is switched
off. If youth en raise theve hicle with the jac k,
th e air suspension will attem pttoadjust the
ve hicle le vel.
The jack may tip. #
Press the Service button on the air sus‐
pension remo tecontrol before raising
th eve hicle.
This pr events au tomatic readjustment
of theve hicle le vel and pr events it from
being raised or lo wered manually. &
WARNING Risk of accident due tolow‐
ered or raised chassis
Driving with a lo wered or raised chassis may
greatly impair braking and handling charac‐
te rist ics. You may also exceed the permissible
ve hicle height when thech assis is raised. #
Set the driving le vel before pulling away. &
WARNING Risk of accident from mal‐
function of electronic le vel control
If elect ronic le vel control is malfunctioning,
th eve hicle le vel may be asymmetrical, too
high or too lo w.
The driving and steering characteristics of the
ve hicle may be noticeably dif fere nt. #
Adapt your driving style according lyand
drive carefull y. 12 8
Driving and pa rking

Using electronic le
vel control forch arging
with air in an emer gency *
NO
TEDama gedue topressure being too
high If
th e pressure in the air suspension bello ws
is too high, the compressed-air lines or the air
suspension bello wsmay be dama ged. #
Ensure you obse rveth e maximum per‐
missible operating pressure of 900 kPa
(9 bar/130 psi). Only
forve hicles with valves for electronic le vel
control emergency charging. If electronic le vel
control is malfunctioning and theve hicle is lean‐
ing, you can raise or lo werth eve hicle bycon‐
necting an extern al compressed-air source toone
of the emer gency valves (similar ly as withtire
va lve) . If electronic le vel control is not opera‐
tional, you can drive on carefully tothe nearest
qu alified specialist workshop and ha vethe mal‐
function remedied. #
Apply the parking brake. #
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the transmission toposition 005D. #
Switch off the engine. #
Turn theva lve cap of the cor responding valve
(1 L = left, 2R = right). #
Connect theex tern al compressed-air source. #
Raise or lo werth eve hicle le velby charging or
re leasing compressed air until the driving
le ve l has been reached and theve hicle is in a
horizontal position. While doing so, ensure
yo u obse rveth e maximum permissible oper‐
ating pressure of 900 kPa (9 bar/130 psi). #
Disconnect theex tern al compressed-air
source. #
Tighten theva lve cap on theva lve (1 L =
left, 2R = right). #
Drive on carefully tothe nearest qualified
specialist workshop. 13 2
Driving and pa rking