warning MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER 2011 MY11 Operator’s Manual

G
Warning
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
backrest in an
excessively reclined position as
this can be dangerous. You could slide under
the seat belt in a collision. If you slide under
it, the seat belt would apply force at the
abdomen or neck. That could cause serious
or even fatal injuries. The seat backrest and
seat belt provide the best restraint when the
wearer is in a position that is as upright as
possible and the seat belt is properly
positioned on the body. G
Warning
Never let
more people ride in the vehicle than
there are seat belts available. Make sure
everyone riding in the vehicle is correctly
restrained with a separate seat belt. Never
use a seat

belt for more than one person at a
time. G
Warning
Damaged seat belts or seat belts that have
been subjected to

stress in an accident must
be replaced and their anchoring points must
also be checked.
Only use seat belts which have been approved
by the distributor named on the inside of the
front cover.
Do not make any modifications to the seat
belts. This can lead to unintended activation
of the ETDs or to their failure to activate when
necessary.
Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this may
severely weaken them. In a crash they may
not be able to provide adequate protection.
Have all work carried out only by qualified
technicians. Contact an authorized Sprinter
Dealer. Proper use of the seat belts G
Warning
USE SEAT BELTS PROPERLY
R Seat belts can only protect when used
properly. Never wear

seat belts in any other
way than as described in this section, as
that could result in serious injuries in case
of an accident.
R Each occupant should wear their seat belt
at all times, because seat belts help reduce
the likelihood of and potential severity of
injuries in accidents, including rollovers.
The integrated restraint system includes
SRS (driver's front air bag, front-passenger
front air bag, side impact air bags, window
curtain air bags for door windows),
Emergency Tensioning Devices, seat belt
force limiters, and front seat knee bolsters.
The system is designed to enhance the
protection offered to properly belted
occupants in certain frontal (front air bags
and ETDs) and side (side impact air bags,
window curtain air bags, and ETDs) impacts
which exceed preset deployment
thresholds and in certain rollovers (window
curtain air bags and ETDs).
R Never wear the shoulder belt under your
arm, across your neck or not routed across
your shoulder. In a frontal crash, your body
would move too far forward. That would
increase the chance of head and neck
injuries. The seat belt would also apply too
much force to the ribs or abdomen, which
could severely injure internal organs such
as your liver or spleen.
Adjust the seat belt so that the shoulder
section is located as close as possible to
the middle of the shoulder. It should not
touch the neck. Never pass the shoulder
portion of the seat belt under your arm. For
this purpose, you can adjust the height of
the seat belt outlet.
R Position the lap belt as low as possible on
your hips and not across the abdomen. If
the lap belt is positioned across your Occupant safety
33
Safety
Z

abdomen, it could cause serious injuries in
a crash.
R Never wear seat belts over rigid or
breakable objects in or on your clothing,
such as eyeglasses, pens, keys etc., as
these might cause injuries.
R Make sure the seat belt is always routed
snugly. Take special care of this when
wearing loose clothing.
R Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time. Do not fasten a seat belt
around a person and another person or
other objects at the same time.
R Seat belts should not be worn twisted. In a
crash, you would not have the full width of
the seat belt to distribute impact forces.
The twisted seat belt against your body
could cause injuries.
R Pregnant women should also always use a
lap-shoulder belt. The lap belt portion
should be positioned as low as possible on
the hips to avoid any possible pressure on
the abdomen.
R Place the seat backrest in a position that is
as upright as possible.
R Check your seat belt during travel to make
sure it is properly positioned.
R Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard, or on the seat. Always
keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.
R When using a seat belt to secure infant
restraints, toddler restraints, or children in
booster seats, always follow the child seat
manufacturer's instructions. G
Warning
Do not pass seat belts over sharp edges. They
could tear.
Do not allow the seat belt to get caught in the
door or in the seat adjustment mechanism.
This could damage the seat belt.
Never attempt to make modifications to seat
belts. This could impair the effectiveness of
the seat belts. Fastening seat belts G
Warning
According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained on the rear
seats than on the front-passenger seat. Thus,
we strongly recommend that children be
placed in the rear seat whenever possible.
Regardless of seating position, children 12
years old and under must be seated and
properly secured in an appropriately sized
child restraint system or booster seat
recommended for the size and weight of the
child. For additional information, see the
"Children in the vehicle" section.
A child's risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and/
or the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.
X Adjust the seat and move the backrest to
an almost vertical position ( Y
page 63). X
Pull the seat belt smoothly through belt
sash guide 0046.34
Occupant safety
Safety

X
Without twisting it, place the shoulder
section of the seat belt over the center of
the shoulder and the lap section across the
hips.
X Engage belt tongue 0047 in buckle 0088.
X If necessary, adjust the seat belt to the
appropriate height ( Y
page 35).
X If necessary, pull upwards on the shoulder
section of the seat belt to tighten the belt
across your body.
All seat belts in the vehicle, except the
driver's seat
belt, are equipped with a special
seat belt retractor to secure child restraint
systems properly. For further information on
"Special seat belt retractors", see
(Y page 43).
For more information about releasing the seat
belt with release button 0088, see "Releasing
seat belts" ( Y page 35).
Adjusting the seat belt height
You can adjust the seat belt height on the
driver's seat and the outer co-driver's seat.
Adjust the belt to a height that allows the
upper part

of the seat belt to be routed across
the center of your shoulder. X
To raise: slide belt sash guide 0046 upwards.
The belt sash guide engages in various
positions. X
To lower: press and hold belt sash guide
release 0086.
X Slide belt sash guide 0046
downwards.
X Release belt sash guide release 0086 and
make sure that belt sash guide 0046 has
engaged.
Releasing seat belts
X Press release button 008A and guide belt
tongue 0047

back towards belt sash
guide 0046.
! Make sure

that the seat belt retracts fully.
The seat belt or belt buckle may otherwise
become trapped in the door or the seat
adjustment mechanism. This could
damage the door, door trim panels and the
seat belt. Damaged seat belts can no
longer provide the intended degree of
protection and must be replaced. Contact
an authorized Sprinter Dealer.
Belt warning for drivers and co-drivers Regardless of whether the driver's and co-
driver's seat belts have already been
fastened, the 0082 seat belt warning lamp
lights up for six seconds each time the engine
is started. It then goes out once the driver and
the front passenger have fastened their seat
belts.
If the driver's seat belt is not fastened after
the engine is started, an additional warning
tone will sound. The warning tone goes out
after approximately six seconds or once the
driver's seat belt is fastened.
Emergency Tensioning Devices, seat
belt force limiters
If the vehicle is equipped with a driver's front
air bag, the seat belts on the driver's and co-
driver's seats have ETDs.
!
If the front-passenger seat is not
occupied, do not engage the seat belt
tongue in the buckle on the front-
passenger seat. Otherwise, the Emergency Occupant safety
35
Safety Z

Tensioning Device could be triggered in the
event of an accident.
ETDs help remove
slack in the seat belts in an
accident, pulling the seat belt close against
the occupant's body.
ETDs do not correct incorrect seat positions
or incorrectly fastened seat belts.
ETDs do not pull vehicle occupants back
towards the backrest.
If the seat belt is also equipped with a seat
belt force limiter and this is triggered, the
force exerted by the seat belt on the vehicle
occupant is reduced.
The seat belt force limiters are synchronized
with the front air bags, which take on a part
of the deceleration force in an accident. Thus,
the force exerted on the occupant is
distributed over a greater area.
The ETDs can only be triggered if the ignition
is switched on and the restraint systems are
operational, see "SRS warning lamp" .
The ETDs are triggered depending on the type
and severity of an accident:
R in the event of a head-on or rear-end
collision, if the vehicle decelerates or
accelerates rapidly in a longitudinal
direction during the initial stages of the
impact
R in the event of a side impact if the vehicle
decelerates or accelerates rapidly in a
lateral direction and the vehicle is equipped
with side impact air bags and/or window
curtain air bags
R in certain situations, if the system detects
that the vehicle will overturn
If the ETDs are triggered, you will hear a bang
and powder may also be released. In rare
cases the bang may temporarily affect your
hearing. The power emitted is generally not
hazardous to health. The 008A SRS indicator
lamp lights up. G
Warning
Pyrotechnic ETDs that were activated must be
replaced. For your safety, when disposing of the
pyrotechnic ETDs always follow our safety
instructions. These are available at any
authorized Sprinter Dealer.
SRS (Supplemental Restraint System)
Introduction SRS reduces the risk of occupants hitting the
vehicle interior
in

the event of an accident. In
addition, it can reduce the forces the
occupants are subjected to during an
accident.
SRS consists of:
R the 008A SRS indicator lamp
R air bags
R air bag control unit (with crash sensors)
R ETDs for the driver's and co-driver's seat
R seat belt force limiters, for the driver's and
co-driver's seat
008A indicator lamp The SRS system conducts a self-test when
the ignition is switched on and in regular
intervals while the engine is running. This
facilitates detection of system malfunctions.
The 008A SRS indicator lamp in the
instrument cluster comes on when the
ignition is switched on.
It goes out no later than a few seconds after
the engine has been started.
The SRS components are in operational
readiness when
the 008A

SRS indicator lamp
is not lit while the engine is running. G
Warning
The SRS self-check has detected a
malfunction if the 008A SRS indicator lamp:
R does not come on at all
R fails to go out approximately 4 seconds
after the engine was started
R comes on after the engine was started or
while driving36
Occupant safety
Safety

For your safety, we strongly recommend
having the system checked by an authorized
Sprinter Dealer immediately. Otherwise SRS
may not be activated when it is needed in an
accident, which
could
result in serious or fatal
injury. SRS might also deploy unexpectedly
and unnecessarily which could also result in
injury.
In addition, improper work on SRS creates a
risk of rendering SRS inoperative or causing
unintended air bag deployment. Work on SRS
must therefore be performed by qualified
technicians. Contact an authorized Sprinter
Dealer.
If it is necessary to modify an air bag system
to accommodate a person with disabilities,
contact an authorized Sprinter Dealer for
details.
USA only: for detailed information, please
consult our Customer Assistance Center at
1-877-762-8267.
Safety guidelines for the seat belts, the
Emergency Tensioning Devices and the
air bags G
Warning
R Damaged seat belts

or seat belts that have
been subjected to stress in an accident
must be replaced and their anchoring
points must also be checked. Only use seat
belts which have been installed or supplied
by an authorized Sprinter Dealer.
R Air bags and pyrotechnic Emergency
Tensioning Devices (ETDs) contain
perchlorate material, which may require
special handling and regard for the
environment. Check with your local
government’s disposal guidelines.
California residents, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/HazardousWaste/
Perchlorate/index.cfm.
R Air bags and ETDs are designed to function
on a one-time-only basis. An air bag or ETD
that has deployed must be replaced. R
Do not pass seat belts over sharp edges.
They could tear.
R Do not make any modification that could
change the effectiveness of the seat belts.
R Do
not bleach

or dye seat belts as this may
severely weaken them. In a crash they may
not be able to provide adequate protection.
R No modifications of any kind may be made
to any components or wiring of the SRS.
R Do not change or remove any component
or part of the SRS.
R Do not install additional paneling, seat
covers, badges etc. over the steering wheel
hub, co-driver's front air bag cover,
outboard sides of the seat backrests, door
trim panels, or door frame trims.
R Do not install additional electrical/
electronic equipment on or near SRS
components and wiring.
R Keep the area between air bags and
occupants free of objects (e.g. packages,
purses, umbrellas etc.).
R Do not hang items such as coat hangers
from the coat hooks or handles over the
door. These items may be thrown around in
the vehicle and cause head and other
injuries when the window curtain air bag is
deployed.
R Air bag system components will be hot after
an air bag has inflated. Do not touch them.
R Never place your feet on the instrument
panel or on the seat. Always keep both feet
on the floor in front of the seat.
R Improper repair work creates a risk of
rendering the SRS inoperative or causing
unintended air bag deployment. Work on
the SRS must therefore only be performed
by qualified technicians. Contact an
authorized Sprinter Dealer.
R For your protection and the protection of
others, when scrapping the air bag unit or
ETD, our safety instructions must be Occupant safety
37
Safety
Z

followed. These instructions are available
from any authorized Sprinter Dealer.
R Given the considerable
deployment speed,
required inflation volume, and the material
of the air bags, there is the possibility of
abrasions or other, potentially more serious
injuries resulting from air bag deployment.
If you sell your vehicle, we strongly
recommend that you inform the subsequent
owner that the vehicle is equipped with SRS.
Also refer them to the applicable section in
the Operator's Manual. Air bags
Important safety notes G
Warning
Air bags
are designed to reduce the incidence
of injuries and fatalities in certain situations:
R frontal impacts (driver's and front-
passenger front air bags)
R side impacts (side impact air bags and
window curtain air bags)
R rollover (window curtain air bags)
However, no system available today can
completely eliminate injuries and fatalities.
When the air bags are deployed, a small
amount of powder is released. The powder
generally does not

constitute a health hazard
and does not indicate that there is a fire in the
vehicle. In order to prevent potential
breathing difficulties, you should leave the
vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so. If you
have any breathing difficulty but cannot get
out of the vehicle after the airbag inflates,
then get fresh air by opening a window or
door. G
Warning
To reduce
the risk of injury when the front air
bags inflate, it

is very important for the driver
and co-driver to always be in a properly seated position and to wear their respective seat
belt.
For maximum protection in the event of a
collision always be in normal seated position
with your back against the seat backrest.
Fasten your seat belt and make sure it is
properly positioned on your body.
Since the air bag inflates with considerable
speed and force, a proper seating position
and correct positioning of the hands on the
steering wheel
will

help to keep you at a safe
distance from the air bag. Occupants who are
not wearing their seat belt, are not seated
properly or are too close to the air bag can be
seriously injured or killed by an air bag as it
inflates with great force instantaneously:
R Sit with the seat belt properly fastened in a
position that is as upright as possible with
your back against the seat backrest.
R Move the driver’s seat as far back as
possible, still permitting proper operation
of vehicle controls. The distance from the
center of the driver’s chest to the center of
the air bag cover on the steering wheel
must be at least 10 inches (25 cm) or more.
You should be able to accomplish this by
adjusting the seat and steering wheel. If
you have any difficulties, please contact an
authorized Sprinter Dealer.
R Do not lean your head or chest close to the
steering wheel or instrument panel.
R Keep hands on the outside of the steering
wheel rim. Placing hands and arms inside
the rim can increase the risk and potential
severity of hand/arm injury when the driver
front air bag inflates.
R Move the co-driver's seat as far as possible
away from the instrument panel when the
seat is occupied.
R Occupants, especially children, should
never place their bodies or lean their heads
in the area of the door where the side
impact air bag inflates. This could result in
serious injuries or death should the side
impact air bag be deployed. Always sit as
upright as possible, wear the seat belt38
Occupant safety
Safety

properly and use an appropriately sized
infant restraint, toddler restraint, or
booster seat
recommended
for the size and
weight of the child.
R Children twelve years old and under must
never travel on the co-driver's seat. They
will otherwise be struck by the co-driver's
front air bag when it inflates in a crash. This
could result in serious or fatal injury.
Failure to follow these instructions can result
in severe injuries to you or other occupants.
If you sell your vehicle, it is important that you
make the buyer aware of this safety
information. Be sure to give the buyer this
Operator’s Manual. G
Warning
Accident research
shows that the safest place
for children in

an automobile is in a rear seat.
A side impact air bag related injury may occur
if occupants, especially children, are not
properly seated or restrained when next to a
side impact air bag which needs to deploy
rapidly in a side impact in order to do its job.
To help avoid the possibility of injury, please
follow these guidelines:
(1) Occupants, especially children, should never place
their bodies or
lean their heads in the area of the
door where the side impact air bag
inflates. This could result in
serious injuries or death should
the side impact air bag be
deployed.
(2) Always sit as upright as possible and use the seat belts properly.
Make sure that children 12 years
old and under

use an appropriately
sized child restraint, infant
restraint, or booster seat
recommended for the size and
weight of the child.
(3) Always wear seat belts properly.
The air bags are only deployed if the air bag
control unit detects

the need for deployment. Only in the event of such a situation will they
provide their supplemental protection.
The driver and

passenger should always wear
their seat belts. Otherwise, it is not possible
for the air bags to provide their supplemental
protection.
In the event of other types of impacts and
impacts below air bag deployment
thresholds, air bags will not deploy. The driver
and passengers will then be protected to the
extent possible by a properly fastened seat
belt. A properly fastened seat belt is also
needed to provide the best possible
protection in a rollover.
Air bags provide supplemental protection, but
are not a substitute for the seat belts. All
vehicle occupants must fasten their seat
belts regardless of whether your vehicle is
equipped with air bags or not.
It is important for your safety and that of your
passengers to have deployed air bags
replaced and to have any malfunctioning air
bags repaired. This will help to make sure the
air bags continue to perform their protective
function for the vehicle occupants in the
event of a crash.
Front air bags G
Warning
Observe "Important safety notes"
(Y
page 38).
The front air bags increase the degree of
protection afforded to

the driver and co-driver
against head and chest injuries. Occupant safety
39
Safety Z

Driver's front air bag 0046 deploys in front of
the steering wheel; co-driver's front air
bag
0047 deploys in front of and above the glove
box. They are deployed:
R in the event of certain frontal impacts
R if the system determines that air bag
deployment can
offer additional protection
to that provided by the seat belt
R if the respective seat belt is fastened
R independently of other air bags in the
vehicle
If the event of a rollover, the front air bags are
generally not deployed unless the system
detects high vehicle deceleration in a
longitudinal direction.
The air bags will not deploy in impacts which
do not exceed the system's preset
deployment thresholds. You will then be
protected by the seat belt, provided that it is
fastened.
Side impact air bags G
Warning
Observe "Important safety notes"
(Y page 38). G
Warning
If you wish to use seat covers, we recommend
for safety reasons that you use only those
approved for Sprinter vehicles.
The seat covers must feature a special tear
seam for the side impact air bags. The side
impact air bag may otherwise not deploy
correctly and may fail to provide the intended
degree of protection in the event of a collision.
Suitable seat covers can be obtained from any
authorized Sprinter Dealer. G
Warning
The pressure sensors for side impact air bag
control are located in the doors. Do not
modify any components of the doors or door
trim panels including, for example, the
addition of door speakers. Improper repair work on the doors or the
modification or addition of components to the
doors creates a risk of rendering the side
impact air bags inoperative or causing
unintended air bag deployment. Work on the
doors must therefore only be performed by
qualified technicians. Contact an authorized
Sprinter Dealer.
G
Warning
Only use seat covers which have been tested
and approved for your vehicle type by the
distributor named on the inside of the front
cover. Using other seat covers may interfere
with or prevent the deployment of the front
side impact air bags. Contact an authorized
Sprinter Dealer for availability.
When deployed, the side impact air bags offer
additional protection for the thorax of the
vehicle occupants on the side of the vehicle
on which the impact occurs. However, they
do not protect the:
R head
R neck
R arms Side impact air bags
0046
deploy next to the
outer seat cushions.
Side impact air bags 0046 are deployed:
R on the side on which the impact occurs
R at the start of an accident with a high rate
of lateral vehicle deceleration or
acceleration, e.g. in a side impact
R whether or not the seat belt is fastened40
Occupant safety
Safety

R
independently of the front air bags
R independently of the Emergency
Tensioning Devices
The side impact air bags are generally not
deployed in the
event of a rollover, unless the
system detects high vehicle deceleration or
acceleration in a lateral direction and
determines that they can offer additional
protection to that provided by the seat belt.
The side impact air bags are not deployed in
side impacts which do not exceed the
system's deployment threshold.
Window curtain air bags G
Warning
Observe "Important safety notes"
(Y page 38).
The window curtain air bags enhance
protection for the head (but not the chest or
arms) of the

vehicle occupants on the side of
the vehicle on which the impact occurs.
The window curtain air bags are installed in
the side of the roof frame above the front
doors. Window curtain air bags
0046 are deployed:
R on the side on which the impact occurs
R at the start of an accident with a high rate
of lateral vehicle deceleration or
acceleration, e.g. in a side impact
R regardless of whether the co-driver's seat
is occupied
R whether or not the seat belt is fastened R
in the event
of a rollover where the system
determines that air bag deployment can
offer additional protection to that provided
by the seat belt
R independently of the front air bags
R independently of the Emergency
Tensioning Devices
The window curtain air bags will not deploy in
impacts which do not exceed the system's
preset thresholds. You will then be protected
by the seat belt, provided that it is fastened. Children in the vehicle
Important safety notes If an infant or child is traveling in the vehicle:
X
Secure the child using an infant or child
restraint system appropriate

to the age and
weight of the child.
X Make sure that the infant or child is
properly secured at all times while the
vehicle is in motion. G
Warning
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from the

ignition lock. Always take the key
with you and lock the vehicle. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, even if
they are secured in a child restraint system,
or with access to an unlocked vehicle. A
child's unsupervised access to a vehicle could
result in an accident and/or serious personal
injury.
Children could injure themselves on parts of
the vehicle or could suffer severe or fatal
injury due to extreme heat or cold.
If children open a door, they could injure other
persons or get out of the vehicle and injure
themselves or be injured by following traffic.
Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. This could cause, for example,
metal parts of the child restraint system to
become very hot. Touching these parts could
cause burns. Occupant safety
41
Safety Z

G
Warning
Do not carry heavy or hard objects in the
passenger compartment unless they are
firmly secured in place.
Unsecured or improperly positioned cargo
increases a child's risk of injury in the event
of:
R strong braking maneuvers
R sudden changes of direction
R an accident
Child restraint systems Important safety notes
G
Warning
Observe "Important safety notes"
(Y page 41).
We recommend all infants and children be
properly restrained using the child restraint
systems at all times while the vehicle is in
motion.
The use of

infant or child restraints is required
by law in all 50 states, the District of
Columbia, the U.S. territories and all
Canadian provinces.
Infants and small children should always be
seated in an infant or child seat restraint
system appropriate for the size and weight of
the child. They must be properly secured in
accordance with the manufacturer's
installation instructions for the infant or child
seat restraint system. All infant and child seat
restraint systems must comply with the US
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards 213
and 225 and Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards 213 and 210.2.
A statement by the child restraint
manufacturer of compliance with these
standards can be found on the instruction
label on the child restraint system. You will
also find the statement in the instruction
manual provided with the child restraint
system. When using any infant restraint, child
restraint or booster seat, make sure to
carefully read and follow all manufacturer's
instructions for installation and use.
Please read the warning labels affixed to the
interior
of the

vehicle or to the infant restraint
system or child restraint system. G
Warning
Accident statistics show that children
secured in the rear seats are safer than
children secured in the co-driver's seat. For
this reason, we strongly advise that you
always secure children in the rear seats.
Regardless of the seat position, children
under 12 years must be secured correctly in
a suitable infant or child restraint system or
booster seat suitable for the size and weight
of the child.
The infant or child restraint must be properly
secured with the vehicle’s seat belt, the seat
belt and Top Tether strap, or lower anchors
and Top Tether

strap, fully in accordance with
the child seat manufacturer’s instructions.
Occupants, in particular children, must sit as
upright as possible, fasten the seat belt
correctly and use a suitable infant restraint
system, child restraint system or booster seat
suitable for the size and weight of the child.
Children can be seriously or even fatally
injured by an air bag deploying. Observe the
following important information if it is
absolutely necessary to carry a child on the
co-driver's seat:
R The co-driver's front air bag is not
deactivated.
R Never secure your child in a rearward-
facing child restraint system on the co-
driver's seat. Only install a rearward-facing
child restraint system on a suitable rear
seat.
R Where permitted by law, if you secure your
child in a forward-facing child restraint
system on the co-driver's seat, move the
co-driver's seat as far back to the rear as
possible.42
Occupant safety
Safety