Winter Operation - Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Operating Instructions Manual

Check the tyres regularly for signs of damage
and replace any damaged tyres immediately.
Check the wheels and tyres of your vehicle for
damage regularly, i.e. at least every two weeks,
as well as after driving off-road or on rough
roads. Damaged wheels can cause a loss of tyre
pressure. Pay particular attention to damage
such as:
cuts in the tyres
R
punctures
R
tears in the tyres
R
bulges on tyres
R
deformation or severe corrosion on wheels
R
Regularly check the tyre tread depth and the
condition of the tread across the whole width of
Y
all the tyres ( page 273). If necessary, turn the
front wheels to full lock in order to inspect the
inner side of the tyre surface.
All wheels must have a valve cap to protect the
valve against the ingress of dirt and moisture.
Do not fit anything onto the valve other than the
standard valve cap or other valve caps approved
for your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz. Do not fit
any other valve caps or systems, e.g. tyre pres-
sure monitoring systems.
Regularly check the pressure of all the tyres,
particularly prior to long trips. Adjust the tyre
pressure if necessary (
The service life of tyres depends on various fac-
tors, including the following:
driving style
R
tyre pressure
R
mileage
R
Tyre tread
G
WARNING
Insufficient tyre tread will reduce tyre trac-
tion. The tyre is no longer able to dissipate
water. This means that on wet road surfaces,
the risk of aquaplaning increases, in particular
where speed is not adapted to suit the driving
conditions. There is a risk of accident.
If the tyre pressure is too high or too low, tyres
may exhibit different levels of wear at differ-
ent locations on the tyre tread. Thus, you
should regularly check the tread depth and
Y
page 275).

Winter operation

the condition of the tread across the entire
width of all tyres.
Minimum tyre tread depth for:
summer tyres: 3 mm
R
M+S tyres: 4 mm
R
For safety reasons, replace the tyres before
the legally prescribed limit for the minimum
tyre tread depth is reached.
Selecting, fitting and renewing tyres
Only fit tyres and wheels of the same type and
R
make.
Only fit tyres of the correct size onto the
R
wheels.
Run in new tyres at moderate speeds for the
R
first 100 km.
Do not drive with tyres which have too little
R
tread depth, as this significantly reduces the
traction on wet roads (aquaplaning).
Replace the tyres after 6 years at the latest,
R
regardless of wear. This also applies to the
spare wheel.
Winter operation
General notes
Have your vehicle winterproofed at a qualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
Prior to the onset of winter, ensure that snow
chains are available in the vehicle (
Also observe the notes in the "Changing a
Y
wheel" section ( page 284).
Regularly check the vehicle and remove snow or
ice when travelling in wintry conditions.
An accumulation of snow and ice, particularly
when frozen, caught in the area around the air
intake slots, moving parts, the axles and the
wheel arches may:
restrict air intake
R
damage vehicle parts
R
cause malfunctions by restricting the mobility
R
intended by the design (e.g. reduced possible
steering input)
If there is any damage, inform a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
273
Y
page 274).
Z