warning DODGE SPRINTER 2004 1.G Owner's Manual

42 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEH ICLE
Front Seat Passenger A irbag
(not in conjunction with folding seat in partition
wall)The airbag is located behind the lining section of the
dashboard.
WARNING!
To reduce the risk of injury when the front airbag
inflates, it is very important for the driver to al-
ways be in a properly seated position and to wear
the seat belt. Since the airbag inflates with consid-
erable speed and force, a proper seating position
with hands on the steering wheel will help to
keep you in a safe distance from the airbag. Keep
hands on the outside of the steering wheel rim.
Placing hands and arms inside the rim can in-
crease the risk and the potential severity of hand /
arm injury when the driver front airbag inflates.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 43
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Belt TensionersThe belt tensioners are located on the three-point seat
belts of the driver’s and front passenger seats.
The belt tensioners will not operate unless the key has
been turned to position 1 or 2 in the ignition lock.
The airbag and / or belt tensioners are designed to only
trigger in certain frontal impacts as not all accidents
call for airbag and / or belt tensioner deployment.
WARNING!
To reduce the risk of injury when the front airbag
inflates, it is very important for the passenger to
always be in a properly seated position and to
wear the seat belt. Since the airbag inflates with
considerable speed and force, a proper seating po-
sition will help to keep you in a safe distance from
the airbag.
Do not place any pieces on the top of the
mounting lid above the airbag. If the airbag is
activated the pieces could be thrown into the
passenger compartment. This could result in
severe personal injuries and death.
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44 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEH ICLESafety Precautions for the A irbag
WARNING!
Airbags can seriously injure or kill you, especially
if you are close to the airbag when it deploys.
Always wear your seat belt. Airbags do not
replace seat belts but instead supplement the
protection offered by seat belts. Wearing a seat
belt also makes it less likely that you will be out
of position and will not be injured or killed as the
airbag deploys.
Never place an infant seat which faces to the rear
on the front passenger seat. Children 12 years old
and under, and any child who cannot wear a seat
belt properly, must never ride in the front of this
vehicle.
The airbag does offer an additional degree of
protection, especially to belted occupants, but the
following precautions should still be taken to
prevent injuries when the airbag is inflating.
Do not position the seat closer than necessary to
the airbag inflation point.
Do not lean forward when the vehicle is in
motion.
Only hold the steering wheel by the outer rim so
that the airbag can inflate unhindered.
No objects should be positioned on the airbag or
between the airbag and the vehicle’s occupants.
If children are traveling, they should always use
an appropriate child restraint system.
Do not touch any hot parts after the airbag has
inflated. Airbags which have triggered in an
accident must be replaced.
The center of the padded steering wheel must not
be covered by any materials or have any labels or
stickers attached to it, or else the airbag may not
function reliably.
Do not modify any components of the restraint
systems or their wiring.
Observe relevant safety precautions when
discarding off airbag units. Any authorized
Sprinter Dealer can provide information and
assistance.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 45
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Make sure to give any new owner of your vehicle
this Owner’s Manual so that the new owner will
be aware of all safety warnings.
If the instrument cluster indicates a malfunction
of the "SRS", as explained above, we strongly
recommend that you visit an authorized Sprinter
Dealer immediately to have the system checked;
otherwise the "SRS" may not be activated when
needed in an accident, which could result in
serious or fatal injury, or it might deploy
unexpectedly and unnecessarily, which could also
result in injury or death.
The activation of the "SRS" temporarily releases a
small amount of dust from the airbag. This dust,
however, is neither injurious to your health, nor
does it indicate a fire in the vehicle. The dust
might cause some temporary breathing difficulty
for people with asthma or other breathing trouble.
To avoid this, you may wish to get out of the
vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so. If you have
any breathing difficulty but cannot get out of the
vehicle after the airbag inflates, then get fresh air
by opening a window or door.
Given the considerable deployment speed and the
textile structure of the airbag, there is a risk of
abrasions and injuries due to airbag deployment.
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46 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEH ICLEPEDALSThe freedom of movement of the pedals must not be
impaired in any way, such as by floormats.
ENGINE BREAK-IN SPECIFICATIONS
The first 1,000 miles (about 1,500 km)The more cautiously you treat your vehicle during the
break-in period, the more satisfied you will be with its
performance later on. Therefore, drive your vehicle
during the first 1,000 miles (1,500 km) at moderate
vehicle and engine speed.
Avoid depressing the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point (kickdown). Do not manually shift
down.
Avoid accelerating by kickdown. It is not
recommended to brake the vehicle by manually
shifting to a lower gear. We recommend that you select
positions "3", "2" or "1" only at moderate speeds (for
hill driving).
After 1,000 miles (about 1,500 km) you can gradually
increase road and engine speeds to normal driving and
requirements.
WARNING!
Do not lay any objects in the driver’s footwell. Be
careful that floor mats or carpets in the driver’s
footwell have sufficient clearance for the pedals.
During sudden driving or braking maneuvers the
objects could get caught between the pedals. You
could then no longer brake or accelerate. This
could cause an accident which could in turn lead
to injuries.
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48 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEH ICLEINHA LA TION OF EXHA UST GA S TIE DOWN RINGS (OPTIONA L)
1. Tie Down Rings
The rings (1) are used to attach the load with the help
of tension belts. Place the tension belt around the load,
secure it on the rings (1) and tie it down.
WARNING!
Inhalation of exhaust gas is hazardous to your
health. All exhaust gas contains carbon monoxide
and inhaling it can cause unconsciousness and
lead to death.
Do not run the engine in confined areas (such as a
garage) which are not properly ventilated. If you
think that exhaust gas fumes are entering the
vehicle while driving, have the cause determined
and corrected immediately. If you must drive
under these conditions, drive only with at least
one window fully open.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 49
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NOTE: Use neither elastic fastening straps nor nets
when lashing down the load. These are only intended
as anti-slip protection for lighter loads.
The means used to tie down the load must not be run
over sharp edges or corners. Sharp edges or corners
should be given protective padding. Observe the
operating instructions for the material used to tie down
the material. Spread the load evenly between the
anchorages. If using a tensioning device, do not
overstress the lashing rings.
WARNING!
If you tension the tensioning belts between the
sidewalls, the maximum permissible load for the
lashing rings could be exceeded if the brakes are
applied suddenly or in the event of an accident.
The load would no longer be secured, which could
result in serious injuries caused by the load slip-
ping.
For this reason, do not tension a tensioning belt
between the side walls.
Observe the loading guidelines.
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54 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLESEAT ADJUSTMENT
Driver’s and Front Passenger’s Seat
WARNING!
Adjusting a seat while the vehicle is moving is
dangerous. The sudden movement of the seat
could cause you to lose control. The seat belt
might not be properly adjusted and you could be
injured. Adjust the seat only while the vehicle is
parked.
WARNING!
Do not ride with the seat back reclined so that the
shoulder belt is no longer resting against your
chest. In a collision, you could slide under the seat
belt and be seriously or even fatally injured. Use
the recliner only when the vehicle is parked.
WARNING!
The rear area of the vehicle should not be used as
a play area by children when the vehicle is in mo-
tion. They could be seriously injured in an acci-
dent. Children should be seated and using the
proper restraint system.
WARNING!
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people
riding in these area are more likely to be seriously
injured or killed.
Do not allow people to ride in any area of your
vehicle that is not equipped with seats and seat
belts.
Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and
using a seat belt properly.
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56 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLEArmrest (Optional)Tilt adjustment (1)
By adjusting the tilt adjustment (thumbwheel) (1) the
tilt of the armrest can be changed.
Head RestraintIf you need to remove the head restraint, press the
catch at the head restraint socket and pull the head
restraint up and out.
WARNING!
You should never drive the vehicle if the head re-
straint has been removed for an occupied seat. This
could result in severe personal injuries and death in
case of an accident. Adjust the head restraint so that
it touches the back of the head at about ear level.
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 57
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Folding Seat at Partition (Optional)Key (1)
Seat cushion (2)
Fold down the seat cushion of the folding seat.
SEAT HEATER (OPTIONAL)The seat heater switch is located on
the center section of the dashboard.
The seat heater only works when the
key is in position 2 in the ignition
lock .
Low heating output, press top of the seat heater switch.
The left indicator lamp in the switch illuminates.
High heating output, press bottom of seat heater
switch. The right indicator lamp in the switch
illuminates.WARNING!
When folding down the seat cushion, make sure
that nobody can become trapped.
The risk of injury to the front-passenger is
increased in the event of sharp steering
movements or an accident if a key is inserted in
the passenger/cargo area sliding door lock.
Remove the key from the load compartment
sliding door before using the folding seat.
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