trailer MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER 2015 MY15 Operator’s Manual

Useful information
............................136
Breaking-in notes .............................. 136
Driving ............................................... 136
Automatic transmission ...................142
Refueling ............................................ 145
Parking ............................................... 149
Driving tips ........................................ 151
Driving systems ................................ 159
Working mode ................................... 172
Towing a trailer ................................. 173 135Driving and parking

Key positions
005A
To insert/remove the key, to lock the
steering wheel
0047 To unlock the steering wheel, power sup-
ply for some consumers (e.g. the radio)
0048 To switch on the ignition. Power supply for
all consumers, preglow and drive position
0049 To start the engine
On vehicles with a battery main switch, you
must first switch on the power supply
(Y page 137).
i To unlock the steering, move the steering
wheel slightly while turning the key to posi- tion 1. Preparing for a journey
Visual check of the vehicle exterior X
In particular, check the following compo-
nents on the vehicle, and on the trailer as
necessary:
R license plates, vehicle lighting, turn sig-
nals, 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
The trailer coupling is one of the most
important vehicle 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 com-
mencing 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 equip-
ment is in the front door stowage compart-
ments 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 99). 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 oper-
ating 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. Do not place
several floormats or carpets on top of one
another. G
WARNING
Unsuitable footwear can hinder correct usage of the pedals, e.g.:
R shoes with thick soles
R shoes with high heels
R slippers
There is a risk of an accident. 138
DrivingDriving and pa
rking

X
To derestrict the shift range: press and
hold the selector lever towards D+until D
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 derestrict/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 auto-
matic transmission will not shift up. Driving situations
0038
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 0037
Use the braking effect of the engine
on extremely steep downhill gradi-
ents and long downhill stretches. Driving tips
Accelerator pedal position Your style of driving influences how the auto-
matic 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 a trailer X
Drive at moderate engine speeds on steep
uphill gradients.
X Depending on the uphill or downhill gradi-
ent, shift down to a shift range adapted to
the driving situation (Y page 144), even if
cruise control is activated. 144
Automatic transmissionDriving an
d parking

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 a qualified spe-
cialist workshop Transport by rail
Transporting your vehicle by rail may be sub-
ject to certain restrictions or require special
measures to be taken in some countries due
to varying tunnel heights and loading stand-
ards.
You can obtain further information from any
authorized Sprinter dealer. 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 brak-
ing on a slippery road surface. 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. 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. 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 0048or0047
in good time. This should be observed in par- ticular 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 effect of the engine and do not have to brake as oftento maintain the speed. This relieves the load
on the service brake and prevents the brakes
from overheating and wearing too quickly.
Heavy and light loads 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. 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. 154
Driving tipsDriving and parking

0043
Yellow indicator lamp/red warning lamp
If yellow indicator lamp 0043lights up:
R you are driving at less than 20 mph
(30 km/h)
R Blind Spot Assist is deactivated
R Blind Spot Assist is malfunctioning
R there is no clear warning, depending on the
situation
Blind Spot Assist is active from a speed of
20 mph (30 km/h). If a vehicle is detected in
the blind spot monitoring range, red warning
lamp 0043on the corresponding side lights up.
This warning occurs when a vehicle enters the blind spot monitoring range from behind or
from the side. When you overtake a vehicle,
the warning only occurs if the difference in
speed is less than 14 mph (22 km/h).
Yellow indicator lamp 0043goes out if reverse
gear is engaged. Blind Spot Assist is then
deactivated.
The brightness of the indicator/warning
lamps is adjusted automatically according to
the ambient light.
Collision warning
If a vehicle is detected in the monitoring range of Blind Spot Assist and you switch on the
corresponding turn signal, a double warning
tone sounds once. Red warning lamp 0043
flashes. If the turn signal remains on, detec-
ted vehicles are indicated by the flashing of
red warning lamp 0043. There are no further
warning tones. Activating/deactivating Blind Spot Assist
i Blind Spot Assist is activated when you
switch on the ignition.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
Warning lamps 0043in the exterior mirrors
light up red for approximately 1.5 seconds
and then turn yellow.
X To deactivate: press the button in
the center console (Y page 37).
The yellow indicator lamp in exterior mir-
ror 0043first flashes and then lights up con-
tinuously.
X To activate: press the button in the
center console again (Y page 37).
The yellow indicator lamp in exterior mir-
ror 0043flashes initially. If you exceed
20 mph (30 km/h) while driving, the yellow
indicator lamp in exterior mirror 0043goes
out.
Towing a trailer
If you attach a trailer, make sure that you have
correctly established the electrical connec-
tion. This can be accomplished by checking
the trailer lighting. Blind Spot Assist is deac-
tivated as a result. The indicator lamp in the
exterior mirrors lights up yellow.
On vehicles with steering wheel buttons, the
Blind Spot Assist Deactivated
Blind Spot Assist Deactivated mes-
sage also appears in the display.
Lane Keeping Assist General notes
Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area in
front of your vehicle by means of a camera at
the top of the windshield. Lane Keeping Assist detects lane markings on the road and warns you before you leave your lane unintention-
ally. Driving systems
165Driving and parking Z

The
Lane Keep. Assist Deactivated
Lane Keep. Assist Deactivated
message appears in the display and the
00B0 indicator lamp in the instrument clus-
ter flashes and then lights up continuously.
Lane Keeping Assist is deactivated.
X To activate: press thejbutton in the
center console again (Y page 37).
On vehicles without steering wheel but-
tons:
ON ON flashes briefly in the display and the
00B0 indicator lamp in the instrument clus-
ter flashes and then goes out.
On vehicles with steering wheel but-
tons:
The Lane Lane Keep.
Keep. Assist
Assist Activated
Activated mes-
sage appears in the display and the 00B0
indicator lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes and then goes out.
Lane Keeping Assist is activated.
A Lane Keeping Assist warning is suppressed if:
R a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ABS, BAS or ESP ®
.
R you have set the turn signal and a lane
change is detected. In this case, the warn-
ings are suppressed for a certain period of
time.
R you accelerate hard, e.g. kickdown on vehi-
cles with an automatic transmission.
R you brake hard.
R you steer actively, e.g. swerve to avoid an
obstacle or change lane quickly.
R you cut the corner on a sharp bend.
In order that you are warned only when nec-
essary and in good time if you cross the lane marking, the system recognizes certain con-
ditions and warns you accordingly.
Lane Keeping Assist warns you earlier if:
R you approach the outer lane marking on a
bend.
R the road has very wide lanes, e.g. a free-
way.
R the system recognizes solid lane markings. Warnings are given later if:
R the road has narrow lanes.
R you cut the corner on a bend. PARKTRONIC
General notes PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid. The
system is equipped with ultrasonic sensors inthe front and rear bumpers to monitor the
area around your vehicle. PARKTRONIC indi-
cates visually and audibly the distance
between your vehicle and an object.
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 dif-
ferent warning tones.
PARKTRONIC is activated automatically when you:
R turn the 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 reactiva-
ted at speeds below 10 mph (16 km/h).
Important safety notes PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It cannot replace
your own awareness of the immediate sur-
roundings. You are responsible for safe
maneuvering, parking and pulling away. Whenmaneuvering, parking and pulling away, make
sure that there are no persons, animals or
objects in the maneuvering area.
! 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
167Driving and parking Z

PARKTRONIC can suffer interference from:
R ultrasonic sources such as a truck's
compressed-air brakes, an automatic car
wash or a pneumatic drill
R attachments to the vehicle, e.g. rear
mounted racks
R number plates (vehicle license plates)
that are not affixed flat against the
bumper
R dirty or icy sensors
Remove a detachable trailer coupling if it is no longer required. PARKTRONIC measures the
minimum detection range to an obstacle from the bumper, not the ball coupling.
Range of the sensors 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 The sensors must be free of dirt, ice or slush.
Otherwise, they cannot function correctly.
Clean the sensors regularly, taking care not to
scratch or damage them (Y page 268). Front sensors
Center Approx. 39 in
(100 cm)
Corners Approx. 26 in
(65 cm)
Rear sensors
Center Approx. 71 in
(180 cm)
Corners Approx. 39 in
(100 cm)
Minimum distance
Center Approx. 12 in
(30 cm)
Front corner sen-
sors Approx. 10 in
(25 cm)
Rear corner sensors Approx. 12 in
(30 cm)
If an obstacle is within this range, all seg-
ments of the warning displays light up and you
hear a warning tone. If the distance between the vehicle and the obstacle falls below the
minimum range, it is possible that the dis-
tance may no longer be displayed. 168
Driving systemsDriving and parking

X
Press the 0069button.
If PARKTRONIC is deactivated, the indica-
tor lamp in the switch lights up.
Towing a trailer PARKTRONIC detects a coupled trailer if your
vehicle is equipped with the corresponding
electrical installations for trailer towing.
PARKTRONIC is deactivated for the rear area when you establish an electrical connection
between your vehicle and a trailer. 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 fromthe bumper, not the ball coupling. 170
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Problems with PARKTRONIC
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
0050
0050Solutions Only the red segments
in the PARKTRONIC
warning displays are lit.
A warning tone also
sounds for approx-
imately 2 seconds.
PARKTRONIC is deacti-
vated after approx-
imately 20 seconds.
The indicator lamp of
the 0069 button lights
up and the red seg-
ments 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 268).
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 interfer-
ence.
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 image from the rear view cam-
era as a guide. You may otherwise damageyour vehicle and/or the object.
The rear view camera is only an aid. It cannot
replace your own awareness of the immedi-
ate 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 maneuvering area.
The rear view camera is a visual parking aid.
Information on operation can be found in the
separate Audio 15 supplement. Driving systems
171Driving and parking Z

ADR is automatically deactivated if:
R you release the parking brake.
R the brake pedal is depressed.
R the vehicle moves.
R the control unit detects a malfunction.
Setting the working speed X
Activate ADR.
X To increase: press the0091button.
X To decrease: press the0092button. Towing a trailer
Notes on trailer towing
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Installing an unsuitable ball coupling may
result in overloading of the trailer tow hitch
and the rear axle. 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.
You should only ever install a ball coupling
that has the permissible dimensions and 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 dam-
age 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 instruc-
tions 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 manu-
facturer. 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 descri-
bed in the ball coupling manufacturer's instal- lation 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 vehi- cle/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.
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 Towing a trailer
173Driving and parking Z