trailer MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER 2013 MY13 Operator’s Manual

Useful information
This Operator's Manual describes all models
as well as standard and optional equipment
of your vehicle that were available at the time
of going to print. Country-specific variations
are possible. Note that your vehicle may not
be equipped with all of the described
functions. This also applies to systems and
functions relevant to safety.
Read the information on qualified specialist
workshops (Y page 26). Exterior lighting
Important safety notes
For reasons of safety, we recommend that
you drive with the lights switched on even
during the daytime. There may be differences
in operation due to legal requirements and
voluntary recommendations in some
countries. Lamp failure indicator
The bulb failure indicator is only an aid. You
are responsible for the proper functioning of
the vehicle lighting. Insufficient or non-
functioning vehicle lightin gputs the operating
safety of the vehicle at risk.
For this reason, check the condition and
function of your vehicle's lighting system and,
if necessary, that of the trailer before each
journey.
The bulb failure indicator monitors all of the
exterio rlighting lamps, except the perimeter
lamp and the trailer lighting. If a bulb fails,
either the 0002(Ypage 34) indicator lamp
lights up, or you will see a corresponding
message in the display (Y page 201).
i Depending on the equipment, the bulb
failure indicator can fail for all lamps with
the exceptio nofthe turn signal lamps. Light switch
Operation 00080007
Automatic headlamp mode
0009000C Lights off/daytime running lamp
mode
000A000B Parking lamps, license plate and
instrumentl ighting
000E0004 Low-beam/high-beam headlamps
000F0005 Fog lamps
00100007 Rear fog lamp
If you hear a warning tone when you leave the
vehicle, the lights may still be switched on.
X Turn the light switch to 000Cor0007.
Or
X If the rear fog lamp is switched on: press
the light switch in to the stop.
The tur nsignals, high-beam headlamps and
the high-beam flasher are operated using the
combination switch (Y page 92).
Low-beam headlamps X
To switch on: turnthe key to position 2in
the ignition lock or start the engine.
X Turn the light switch to position 0004.
The 0004 indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up.
X To switch off: turn the light switch to
000C. 90
Exterior lightingLights and windshield wipers

Useful information
............................132
Breaking-in notes .............................. 132
Driving ............................................... 132
Automatic transmission ...................138
Refueling ............................................ 142
Parking ............................................... 145
Driving tips ........................................ 147
Driving systems ................................ 155
Working mode ................................... 167
Towing atrailer ................................. 168 131Driving and parking

i
To unlock the steering, move the steering
wheel slightly while turning the key to
position 1. Preparing for a journey
Visual check of the vehicle exterior X
In particular, check the following
components on the vehicle, and on the
trailer as necessary:
R
license plates, vehicle lighting, turn
signals, brake lamps and wiper blades for
dirt and damage
R tires and wheels for firm seating, correct
tire pressure and general condition
R trailer tow hitch for play and security
i The trailer coupling is one of the most
importan tvehicle parts with regard to road
safety. The separate instructions issued by
the manufacturer pertaining to operation,
care and maintenance should be observed.
X Rectify any noticeable defects before
commencing the journey.
Checks in the vehicle Emergency equipment/first-aid kit
X
Check the equipment to make sure that it
is accessible, complete and ready for use.
The first aid and breakdown assistance
equipment is in the fron tdoor stowage
compartments and behind the driver's seat.
Vehicle lighting
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
X Check the lighting system with the aid of a
second person.
X Replace defective bulbs (Y page 96). Before driving off
G
WARNING
Objects in the driver's footwell may restrict
the clearance around the pedals or block a
depressed pedal. This jeopardizes the
operating and road safety of the vehicle.
There is a risk of an accident.
Stow all objects securely in the vehicle so that
they do not get into the driver's footwell.
When using floormats or carpets, make sure
that they are properly secured so that they do
not slip or obstruct the pedals. Only use non-
slip floormats. G
WARNING
Unsuitable footwear can hinder correc tusage
of the pedals, e.g.:
R shoes with thick soles
R shoes with high heels
R slippers
There is a risk of an accident.
Wear suitable footwear to ensure correct
usage of the pedals.
X Secure the load as per the loading
guidelines (Y page 232).
X Make sure that the floormats and carpets
are properly secured so that they cannot
slip and obstruct the pedals.
X Close all doors. Starting the engine
G
WARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
these exhaust gases leads to poisoning. There
is a risk of fatal injury. Therefore never leave
the engine running in enclosed spaces
without sufficient ventilation.
! Do not depress the accelerator pedal
when starting the engine.
X Before starting the engine, make sure that: 134
DrivingDriving and parking

X
To derestrict the shift range: press and
hold the selecto rlever towards D+until D appears in the display again.
The automatic transmission shifts from the
current shift range directly to
D.
X To select the optimum shift range: press
and hold the selector lever to the left
towards D–.
The automatic transmission will shift to a
range which allows easy acceleration and
deceleration .To do this, the automatic
transmission will shift down one or more
gears. Shift ranges
When the selector lever is in position Dyou
can restrict or derestrict the shift range for
the automatic transmission.
X To extend/restrict the shift range: press
the selector lever briefly to the right
towards D+or left towards D–.
The display shows the selected shift range.
The automatic transmission shifts only as
far as the relevant gear.
i If the maximum engine speed for the
restricted shift range is reached and you
depress the accelerator pedal, the
automatic transmission will not shift up. Driving situations
0009
Use the braking effect of the engine
on steep downhill gradients and for
driving:
R
on steep mountain roads
R in mountainous terrain
R in arduous conditions 000E
Use the braking effect of the engine
on extremely steep downhill
gradients and long downhill
stretches. Driving tips
Accelerator pedal position Your style of driving influences how the
automatic transmission shifts gear:
R little throttle: early upshifts
R lots of throttle: later upshifts
Kickdown Use kickdown for maximum acceleration:
X
Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to the
next gear down, depending on the engine
speed.
X Ease off on the accelerator pedal once the
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts up again.
Maneuvering Maneuvering in a tight space:
X
Control the vehicle's speed by braking
carefully.
X Depress the accelerator pedal slightly and
evenly.
i You can shift back and forth between
drive position Dand reverse gear Rat low
speeds without applying the brakes. This
can help you, for example when rapidly
maneuvering the vehicle or rocking it out of
snow or slush.
Towing atrailer X
Drive at moderate engine speeds on steep
uphill gradients.
X Depending on the uphill or downhill
gradient, shift down to ashift range
adapted to the driving situation
(Y page 140), even if cruise control is
activated. 140
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

cross the border, bu
tas close to it as
possible.
When you return from your journey, and as
close to the border as possible, you will need
to:
R remove the adhesive surfaces from your
halogen headlamps and clean the glass of
the headlamps if necessary
R have the Bi-Xenon headlamps reset to
asymmetrical low beam at aqualified
specialist workshop Transport by rail
Transporting your vehicle by rail may be
subject to certain restrictions or require
special measures to be taken in some
countries due to varying tunnel heights and
loading standards.
You can obtain further information from any
authorized Sprinte rdealer. Braking
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If you shift down on a slippery road surface in
an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels could lose their grip.
There is an increased danger of skidding and
accidents.
Do not shift down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface.
Downhill gradients !
Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
On long and steep downhill gradients, you
should change down to shift range 0009or0008
in good time. This should be observed in
particular when driving with a laden vehicle
and when towing a trailer. i
You must also change the shift range in
good time when cruise control is switched
on.
You thereby make use of the braking effec tof
the engine and do not have to brake as often
to maintain the speed. This relieves the load
on the service brake and prevents the brakes
fro mo verheating and wearing too quickly.
Heavy and light loads G
WARNING
If you rest yourf oot on the brake pedal while
driving, the braking system can overheat. This
increases the stopping distance and can even
cause the braking system to fail. There is a
risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest .Never
depress the brake pedal and the accelerator
pedal at the same time.
! Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately.
Drive on for a short while. The brakes are
cooled down more quickly in the airflow.
Wet road surfaces If you have been driving for a long time in
heavy rain without braking
,there may be a
delayed response when you first apply the
brakes. This may also occur after driving
through a car wash or deep water.
You must depress the brake pedal more
firmly. Maintain a longer distance to the
vehicle in front.
While paying attention to the traffic
conditions, you should brake the vehicle
firmly after driving on a wet road surface or
through a car wash. This heats the brake
discs, so that they dry more quickly, which
protects them against corrosion. 150
Driving tipsDriving and parking

Deactivating cruise control
There are various ways to deactivate cruise
control:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever
forwards 0025.
Or
X Apply the brakes.
The last speed set remains stored. The last
speed stored is deleted when you switch off
the engine.
Cruise control is deactivated automatically
when:
R you apply the brakes
R you apply the parking brake and the 000B
indicator lamp in the instrument cluster
lights up
R you are driving slower than 20 mph
(30 km/h)
R you shift the automatic transmissio nto
neutral position Nwhile the vehicle is in
motion
R ESP ®
or ASR intervenes
R there is a malfunction in the ESP ®
, ASR or
ABS system
Problems with cruise control On vehicles with steering wheel buttons, the
speed canno
tbe set when cruise control is
activated.
The display is showing a message of high
priority and cannot therefore show a change
in speed.
X Proceed as instructed by the message in
the display.
X Deactivate cruise control PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It cannot replace
your own awareness of the immediate
surroundings. You are responsible for safe maneuvering, parking and pulling away. When
maneuvering, parking and pulling away, make
sure that there are no persons, animals or
objects in the maneuverin
garea.
PARKTRONIC does not account for obstacles
that are:
R beneath its detection range, e.g. persons,
animals or objects
R above its detection range, e.g. overhanging
loads, overhangs or truck loading ramps
PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid with
ultrasonic sensors. It indicates the distance
between yourv ehicle and an objec tvisually
and audibly.
Your vehicle features two separate sound
emitters with different frequencies for the
warning tones. The warning ranges in front of
and behind the vehicle are indicated by
different warning tones.
PARKTRONIC is activated automatically when
you:
R tur nthe key to position 2in the ignition lock
R release the parking brake and
R move the selector lever to D,Nor R.
PARKTRONIC is deactivated at speeds above
11 mph (18 km/h). PARKTRONIC is
reactivated at speeds below 10 mph
(16 km/h).
PARKTRONIC monitors the area around your
vehicle with sensors in the front and rear
bumpers.
Range of the sensors !
Pay particular attention to obstacles
above or below the sensors when parking,
such as flower pots or trailer towbars.
PARKTRONIC does not recognize such
objects when they are in the immediate
vicinity of the vehicle. You could damage
the vehicle or objects. Driving systems
157Driving and parking Z

X
Press the 000Cbutton.
If PARKTRONIC is deactivated, the
indicator lamp in the switch lights up.
Towing atrailer PARKTRONIC detects a coupled trailer if your
vehicle is equipped with the corresponding
electrical installations for trailer towing.
PARKTRONIC is deactivated for the rea
rarea
when you establish an electrical connection
between yourv ehicle andatrailer. If you use
an adapter for the socket, remove it from the
socket after detaching the trailer. Otherwise,
PARKTRONIC remains deactivated for the
rear area.
Remove a detachable trailer coupling if it is
no longer required .PARKTRONIC measures
the minimum detection range to an obstacle
fro mt he bumper, not the ball coupling. 160
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Problems with PARKTRONIC
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
0004 Solutions
Only the red segments
in the PARKTRONIC
warning displays are lit.
Aw
arning tone also
sounds for
approximately
2s econds.
PARKTRONIC is
deactivated after
approximately
20 seconds.
The indicator lamp of
the 000C button lights
up and the red
segments in the
PARKTRONIC warning
display go out. PARKTRONIC has malfunctioned and has switched itself off.
X
If problems persist, have PARKTRONIC checked at a qualified
specialist workshop. The PARKTRONIC
warning displays
implausible distances.
For example, all the
segments may be lit
even though there is no
obstacle present. The PARKTRONIC sensors are dirty or iced up.
X
Clean the PARKTRONIC sensors (Y page 259).
X Turn the key to position 2again in the ignition lock. The license plate or other parts attached near the sensors may
not be secured correctly.
X
Check the license plate and attachment parts near the sensors
for correct seating. An external radio or ultrasonic source may be causing
interference.
X
Check PARKTRONIC functions in a different location. Rear view camera
Important safety notes !
Objects that are not at ground level
appear further away than they actually are,
for example:
R the bumper of the vehicle parked behind
R the drawbar of a trailer
R the ball coupling of a trailer tow hitch R
the tail-end of a truck
R slanted posts
Only use the camera guide lines for
orientation. Do not get any closer to
objects than the lowest horizontal guide
line. You may otherwise damage your
vehicle and/or the object.
The rear view camera is only an aid. It cannot
replace your own awareness of the
immediate surroundings. You are responsible Driving systems
161Driving and parking Z

Setting the working speed
X
Activate ADR.
X To increase: press the0023button.
X To decrease: press the0024button. Towing
atrailer Notes on traile
rtowing
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If you install a ball coupling other than the one
delivered with the vehicle, the trailer tow hitch
and the rear axle may be overloaded. This
applies especially if the ball coupling in
question is longer or angled differently. This
could seriously impair the driving
characteristics and the trailer can come
loose .There is a risk of an accident.
Only install the ball coupling delivered with
the vehicle or a ball coupling that is designed
to meet your trailer towing requirements. Do
not modify the ball coupling or the trailer tow
hitch. G
WARNING
If you use a ball coupling that is not approved
for your vehicle, it may cause excessive strain
on the trailer tow hitch. This can cause
damage to the vehicle and the trailer may
come loose during the journey. The handling
may be impaired and the rear axle may be
overloaded. This may lead to an accident
involving serious or even fatal injury. Therefore note the following:
R
Only install a ball coupling that is approved
for your vehicle.
R Before the journey, make sure that the ball
coupling is correctly installed and secured.
To do this, observe the operating
instructions of the ball coupling
manufacturer.
R Do not make any modifications to the ball
coupling or the trailer tow hitch.
You must observe the operating instructions
of the trailer tow hitch or ball coupling
manufacturer. G
WARNING
If the ball coupling is not correctly installed
and secured, it could come loose while driving
and endanger other road users. There is a risk
of an accident and injury.
Install and secure the ball coupling as
described in the ball coupling manufacturer's
installation instructions. Make sure that the
ball coupling is correctly installed and
secured before every journey. G
WARNING
When the vehicle/trailer combination begins
to lurch, you could lose control of it. The
vehicle/trailer combination could even
rollover. There is a risk of an accident.
On no account should you attempt to
straighten up the vehicle/trailer combination
by increasing the speed. Reduce vehicle
speed and do not countersteer. Apply the
brake as necessary. G
WARNING
If you rest your foot on the brake pedal while
driving, the braking system can overheat. This
increases the stopping distance and can even
cause the braking system to fail. There is a
risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest.N ever
depress the brake pedal and the accelerator
pedal at the same time. 168
Towing
atrailerDriving an d parking

!
Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
Always observe the operating instructions
provided by the manufacturers of the trailer
coupling and the ball coupling.
Couple and decouple the trailer carefully.
When backing up the towing vehicle, make
sure nobody is standing between the vehicle
and the trailer.
At railer which is incorrectly coupled to the
towing vehicle could brea kaway. Acorrectly
coupled trailer must be positioned
horizontally behind the towing vehicle.
Ensure that the following weights are not
exceeded:
R the permissible noseweight
R the permissible trailer load
R the permissible rear axle load of the towing
vehicle
R the permissible gross weight of both the
towing vehicle and the trailer
R the permissible gross combination weight
The applicable permissible values that may
not be exceeded can be found:
R in your vehicle documents
R on the type plates for the trailer tow hitch
R on the type plates for the trailer
R on the vehicle identification plate
(Y page 315).
Where the values differ, the lowest is valid.
You will find values approved by the
manufacturer on the identification plates and
those for the towing vehicle in the
"Permissible trailer loads and trailer drawbar
noseweights" section (Y page 169).
Your vehicle behaves differently with a trailer
than without one.
The vehicle/trailer combination:
R is heavier
R is restricted in its acceleration and
gradient-climbing capability
R has an increased braking distance R
is more susceptible to strong crosswinds
R requires more sensitive steering
R has a larger turning circle
This may impair the handling characteristics.
When towing a trailer, always adjust your
speed to suit the road and weather
conditions. Drive carefully. Maintain a safe
distance.
If you require explanations for the information
in this Operator's Manual, contract an
authorized Sprinter Dealer.
General notes R
Observe the legally prescribed maximum
speed for vehicle/trailer combinations in
the relevant country, state or Canadian
province. Before setting off, check the
vehicle documents of the your trailer to find
out the permissible maximum speed.
This reduces the risk of accidents.
R Install only an approved trailer coupling on
your vehicle. Only use aball coupling that
is approved for your vehicle and Sprinter
trailer tow hitch. More information on the
availability, mounting and installatio nofthe
trailer electrics is available at any qualified
specialist workshop.
R The turn signals on the trailer are only
guaranteed to function when incandescent
bulbs are used. You can obtain more
information about installing the trailer
electrics at any qualified specialist
workshop.
R The trailer coupling is one of the most
important vehicle parts with regard to road
safety. The notes on operation, care and
maintenance issued by the manufacturer
should be observed.
R The bumpers of your vehicle are not
suitable for installing detachable trailer
couplings. Towing
atrailer
169Driving an d parking Z