A Smarter Starter
Mercedes-Benz’s ECO-Start Sprinter 313CDI takes to the streets of Glasgow and Edinburgh for a Transport News urban appraisal. John Henderson our own self starter and regular wheelman reports on this environmentally enhanced van. FUEL PRICES continue to dominate everybody’s agenda in road transport and any initiative that could shave a percentage off your monthly diesel invoice has to be taken seriously. Cue Mercedes-Benz’s ECO-Start Sprinter van which focuses on the urban driving element of these delivery motors and this manufacturer has correctly identified that a significant part of fuel consumption in built up areas is caused by engines idling whilst stationary in traffic. The ECO-Start system is available as a factory fitted option on all Sprinter models with four cylinder diesel engines together with manual transmission and it provides an intelligent and low cost solution to reduce engine idling. In addition you get a useful angle on improving vehicle running costs and of course less environmental impact. ECO-Start is activated by the driver using a control switch on the instrument panel, located just left of the steering wheel. When the system is active it will stop the engine whenever the vehicle is stationary for more than two seconds, if the gearbox is in neutral and the clutch has been released. The engine then restarts automatically when the driver depresses the clutch. It sounds simple and as I found out, in operation it really is. I was amazed at just how quickly I came to trust and rely on ECO-Start and the speed of starter motor engagement, when my left foot touched the clutch pedal, was truly impressive. Naturally using the system saves fuel and cuts vehicle emissions, noise and engine wear. In a built up area the savings can be substantial, depending of course on driving style or traffic density. Fuel consumption can be cut by as much as 10%* allowing the ECO-Start option to pay for itself and offer further savings throughout the vehicle’s lifespan. *This figure logically represents a possible reduction and depends on operation, driving style, vehicle specification and weight. Aha, I hear you say, there’s potential danger in having a vehicle that starts automatically like this, but fear not! Being a Mercedes-Benz, safety has not been compromised on any front. Should the vehicle begin to move unexpectedly, the engine is started to ensure that servo assistance for the steering and brakes is maintained. In all other cases the engine does not restart until the clutch pedal is fully depressed. If for some reason the battery voltage is low or if an attempt by the system to start the engine has failed, the ECO-Start function is deactivated. In addition, the built in safety logic checks whether the bonnet is closed to make sure that no one can be injured if the engine suddenly starts. To avoid cold starts and also overheating, the ECO-Start only operates at coolant temperatures of between 40°C and 100°C. The comfort of the vehicle’s occupants is also thankfully taken into account, as when the outside temperature is below freezing point, the engine is not switched off and that’s something that proved invaluable for drivers in the long hard winter of 2009/2010. Simon Wood, senior press and public relations officer at Mercedes-Benz was kind enough to loan me the ECO-Start Sprinter 313CDI for an entire week and during that time I was able to give the van a good test over many road types. To trial the start/stop system and best gauge the economical benefits of the motor, I used the silver machine on several work trips that took me through the city centres of Edinburgh and Glasgow. The ongoing tram road works and associated diversions in the capital, provided traffic jams ideally suited to testing this Sprinter to the maximum and two days working further west, across the southern suburbs of the dear green place, also gave me a further experience of the solid capabilities of ECO-Start. To be honest, the first few times I experienced the engine cut out, a long established alarm bell instantly rung in my head thinking; ‘Oh no the engine’s died on me.’ However just a split second later I realised what was happening and had a wry smile to myself. In heavy traffic it does not take long to get used to the stopping and starting and more importantly I soon began to gauge the speed of engine engagement as I pressed the clutch pedal whilst preparing to pull away and became comfortable with the whole environmentally friendly experience. Obviously after a while my thoughts turned to the potential for extra wear and tear this add-on could possibly cause, but the engineers at Mercedes have shrewdly fitted an upgraded starter motor, a bigger battery and a heavy duty alternator which, if you have specified air conditioning, will additionally suffice and cater for ECO-Start too. OPEN ROAD It’s not just in urban areas that the ECO-Start Sprinter 313CDI excels and running back and forth along the M8 motorway certainly let it stretch its legs. There’s an old joke amongst LGV drivers that the fastest standard production vehicle in the world is a base white Mercedes Sprinter van and even with three quarters of a tonne of bagged sand in the back, I found this 313CDI not wanting in terms of acceleration and cruising speed. My steed for testing came with the Euro 5 OM 646 DELA engine, which is a four cylinder in-line unit producing 129bhp/95kW at 3,800rpm. Electronically controlled direct fuel injection with a common rail system ensures a crisp combustion process while a turbocharger and intercooler help deliver a maximum torque figure of 305Nm between 1,200 and 2,400rpm. This power plant is coupled to a six speed manual transmission and the ratios of this ‘box are well spaced for town or country driving. Turning all this energy into rotational motion, a rear axle with a standard fit ratio of 4.18:1 seemed a good choice for any situation. Mercedes offer a choice of four body sizes on the Sprinter van with short, medium, long and extra long variants. These offer a cargo capacity range from 7.5 to 17 cubic metres. Our medium van for trialling contained 10.5 cubic metres of load space and its maximum payload was 1,273kg, with a GVW of 3,500kg. Maximum permissible loads for the front and rear axles come in at 1,650 and 2,250kg respectively. Within the wood lined interior, there was a good level of interior lighting and well located floor eyes for load securing if required. The twin rear doors open through 90 and 180° and can be pushed right back to 270° if required. The nearside sliding aperture offers a useful gap of 1,300mm and the cut in step is a thoughtful touch. In addition to the vehicle length choices, there’s also a trio of roof height options on offer, with standard, high and super high types. My motor for the week came with the middle choice and I suspect this example will be the most popular in the range. The Sprinter van handles competently with whatever road surface or type that’s thrown at it and the front axle’s independent wheel suspension set up, assisted by shock absorbers within struts, stabiliser bar and transverse parabolic leaf spring, was magnificent. Back at the business end, a rigid rear axle also benefits from shock absorbers, parabolic springs and a stabiliser bar. This ensemble delivered confidence inspiring rear wheel drive handling in wet or dry roads, whether loaded or empty. Power assisted steering is a standard fitment on the Sprinter range and the operation of the SRS airbag fitted wheel is akin to a luxury car. The high driving position of Mercedes’ best selling van, gives the driver a commanding view of the road and the location of all main controls are logically placed and easy to live with. I particularly liked the position of the manual gear change, as the location at the bottom of the dash fascia, permits easy cross cab movement, an essential safety factor for delivery personnel who want to exit on ‘the safe side’ in a narrow, busy street. The interior is finished in a mixture of black and grey hues and the quality of this trim is first class. Distribution drivers will find plenty of cubby holes for paperwork and the backrest of the middle seat folds down through 90° to form a writing table with a pair of bottle holders. Visibility from the driver’s seat with its range of adjustments is good for a panel van and manoeuvring in small spaces is easy with Mercedes’ Parktronic system. This useful feature operates on the echo sounder principle and automatically warns the driver if it detects that the vehicle is close to an obstacle, in front or behind. This warning is provided initially in the form of a visual display in the middle of the dash panel, when moving forward and in the good sized, exterior mirrors when reversing. If the gap continues to decrease an audible warning is emitted, so there’s no excuse for hitting anything! But seriously I found the Parktronic system a real boon and basically no van should be sold without this safety aid nowadays. On the subject of stopping in time, the Sprinter’s braking ability also comes in for top marks and the dual circuit hydraulic system, with its disc brakes all round, delivered one of the best middle pedals I’d ever used. To cope with the extra forward forces of braking momentum, the front discs are ventilated and the implementation of Adaptive ESP, ABS, EDB and BAS (hydraulic brake assist, was welcomed on one memorable occasion during my run. I’m sure many readers will have seen the small verge-side herd of deer between junctions one and two on the M77, where they make regular appearances after dark. However I was forced to take swift action with the Sprinter when one monarch of this particular glen decided the grass looked greener on the other side that particular evening. Needless to say all the technical acronyms did their job and allowed me to steer and keep control during a heavy brake application. Mercedes offer a Sprinter van load of optional equipment with its light commercial ranges and the list of extra interior, exterior and comfort or convenience gear is complemented by a similar range of choices in the technical and safety departments. With such a vast range of chassis, body and engines on offer, I doubt if there’s anyone in Europe that could not specify a van range like this to their exact requirements. Pricewise, the Sprinter range may not ultimately be the cheapest in the current marketplace, but I doubt if this type of Mercedes-Benz will be beaten on quality, reliability, driver acceptance and residual value.