Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 907 2018 Operating Instructions Manual page 121

Rules for fording off-road (all-wheel drive
vehicles)
Observe the safety notes and general notes
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on driving off-road.
Check the depth and characteristics of the
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body of water before fording. The water must
not be deeper than 60 cm.
The climate control system is switched off
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( page 99).
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The auxiliary heating is switched off
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( page 104).
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Switch on all-wheel drive (
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engage it on vehicles with the LOW RANGE
transmission ratio (
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Restrict the shift range to 1 or 2.
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Avoid high engine speeds.
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Drive slowly and smoothly at no more than a
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walking pace.
Ensure that no bow wave forms while driving.
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After fording, dry the brakes.
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After driving through a body of water in which the
water was deeper than 50 cm, make sure to
check all vehicle fluids for any signs of penetra‐
tion by water.
Checklist after driving off-road
If you find damage to the vehicle after off-road
driving, have the vehicle checked at a qualified
specialist workshop immediately.
Driving over rough terrain places greater
demands on your vehicle than normal road opera‐
tion. Check your vehicle after driving on rough
terrain. This allows you to detect damage
promptly and reduce the risk of an accident to
yourself and other road users. Clean your vehicle
thoroughly before driving on public roads.
Observe the following points after driving off-
road, on construction sites and before driving on
public roads:
Vehicles with DSR: deactivate DSR
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( page 129).
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All-wheel drive vehicles: deactivate all-
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wheel drive ( page 128).
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Activate ASR ( page 128).
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Clean the exterior lighting, particularly the
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headlamps and tail lamps, and check them
for damage.
Clean the front and rear licence plates.
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page 127) and
→
page 128).
Clean the windscreen, windows and outside
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mirrors.
Clean the steps, entrances and grab handles.
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This increases the safety of your footing.
Clean the wheels and tyres, wheel wells and
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the underbody of the vehicle with a water jet.
This increases road adhesion, especially on
wet roadways.
Check the wheels and tyres and wheel wells
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for trapped foreign objects and remove them.
Trapped foreign objects can damage the
wheels and tyres or may be flung out from the
vehicle when continuing the journey.
Check the underbody for trapped branches or
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other parts of plants and remove them.
Clean the brake discs, brakepads and axle
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joints, particularly after operation in sand,
mud, grit and gravel, water or similarly dirty
conditions.
Check the entire floor assembly, the tyres,
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wheels, bodywork structure, brakes, steering,
suspension and exhaust system for any dam‐
age.
Check the service brake for operating safety,
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e.g. carry out a brake test.
If you notice strong vibrations after driving
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off-road, check the wheels and drivetrain for
foreign objects again. Remove any foreign
objects which can lead to imbalances and
thus cause vibrations. In the event of damage
to the wheels and the drive train, visit a quali‐
fied specialist workshop immediately.
Driving in mountainous areas
Vehicles with diesel engines: the operating safety
of the diesel engine is guaranteed up to an alti‐
tude of 2,500 m above sea level. You may exceed
this height for a short time, e.g. in mountainous
terrain. Do not drive at altitudes above 2,500 m
as you may damage the diesel engine.
When driving in mountainous areas, note that the
engine power, and therefore its gradient-climbing
capability, decrease with increasing altitude. The
ECO Start function is not available when driving
at altitudes of 2,500 m above sea level. Notes on
braking on downhill gradients can be found in
Notes on braking( page 115).
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119
Driving and parking