warning DODGE SPRINTER 2005 1.G Owner's Guide

52 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLEPEDALSThe 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.

54 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLEINHALATION OF EXHAUST GAS TIE DOWN RINGS (OPTIONAL)
1. Tie Down Rings
The rings (1) are used to attach the load with the help
of tension belts. Place the te nsion belt around the load,
secure it on the rings (1) and tie it down.
WARNING!
When driving or parking the vehicle, make sure
that its exhause system do es not come into contact
with flamable material (such as dry leaves) as
these materials my otherwise catch fire.
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.

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 55
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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.

60 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLESEAT ADJUSTMENT
Driver’s and Front Passenger’s Seat
WARNING!
Do not adjust the driver’s seat while driving. Ad-
just the seat only while the vehicle is parked.
Adjusting the seat while driving could cause the
driver to lose control of the vehicle. The seat belt
might not be properly adjusted and you could be
injured. Avoid seat positions in which you cannot
wear your seat belt correctly. They are a safety
hazard and must therefore be avoided; refer to
"Seat Belts".Never ride in a moving vehicle with the backrest
reclined. Sitting in an excessively reclined position
can be dangerous. You could slide under the seat
belt in a collision. If you slide under it, the belt
would apply force at the abdomen or neck as this
could result in severe personal injuries and death.The backrest and seat belt provide the best
restraint when the wearer is in an upright position
and the belt is properly positioned on the body.
Use the recliner only when the vehicle is parked.
WARNING!
Never place hands under seat or near any moving
parts while a seat is being adjusted. If the seat is
moved, to ensure engagement, the seat catches
must be heard.The arms should be slightly bent when you are
holding the steering wheel. The distance from the
pedals should be such that you can depress them fully.The rear area of the vehicle should not be used as
a play area by children when the vehicle is in
motion. They could be seriously injured in an
accident. Children should be seated and using the
proper restraint system.
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.

62 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.

UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 63
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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.

64 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLEREAR SEAT BENCH REMOVAL AND
INSTALLATION
Unlocked (1)
Locked (2)
To remove:
1. Turn all release levers on the legs of the appropriate rear bench seat up. The rear bench seat can then
move in the seat mounting cups.
2. Lift the rear bench seat up and out of the seat mounting cups.
WARNING!
The integrated seat belt can only offer the degree
of protection for which it is designed if you install
the specified rear bench seats correctly. Never op-
erate vehicle unless all rear bench seats are prop-
erly installed and all release levers are locked.
When retrofitting seat benches, make sure that the
exterior seat shells have four cross-ribs.
Keep the seat bench mounting cups in the vehicle
floor free from dirt and foreign objects. This is the
only way to guarantee that the locking
mechanisms will engage securely.

UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 65
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To install:
1. With the rear bench seat facing in the direction of travel, insert the legs of the rear bench seat in the
respective seat mounting cups on the floor.
2. Slide the rear bench seat forwards with some force as far as it will go, until the release levers are heard
to engage and all release levers are parallel to the
vehicle floor.
Retrofitting Seat Mounting Cups
WARNING!
Additional rear bench seats can be added if seat
mounting cups are properly installed.
For reasons of safety, only have seat mounting
cups retrofitted by an authorized Sprinter Dealer.
Never exceed the maximum permissible number
of rear bench seats for the specific vehicle.
For more information contact your authorized
Sprinter Dealer.

66 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLEHOOD
To open:
1. Pull the release lever (1). The hood then opens slightly and is restrained by
the safety catch.
WARNING!
When the hood is open, there is a risk of injury due
to very hot engine components.When the engine is running or the key is in
position 2 in the ignition lock, there is a risk of
injury due to moving engine components and the
electrical system.The engine is equipped with a transistorized
ignition system. Because of the high voltage it is
dangerous to touch any components (ignition coils,
spark plug sockets, diagnostic socket) of the
ignition system with the engine running, while
starting or if the ignition is on and the engine is
turned manually.To help prevent severe personal injuries and death,
stay clear of moving parts when the hood is open
and the engine is running. If you see flames or smoke coming from the engine
compartment, or if the coolant emperature gauge
indicates that the engine is overheated, do not open
the hood. Move away from vehicle and do not open
the hood until the engine has cooled. If necessary,
call the fire department.

68 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLEHEADLAMP RANGE CONTROLSee Section 4, Understanding Your Instrument Panel,
for switch locations. The range of the headlamps can be
adjusted to the load in the vehicle.
Turn the thumbwheel down to
headlamp beam down.
Turn the thumbwheel up to
headlamp beam up.
When the vehicle is not loaded (driver only), the
thumbwheel must be in position 0. Where necessary, adjust the headlamp range with the
thumbwheel to 82 yards (75 m).
Always keep the headlamp range less than 110 yards
(100 m), so that oncoming traffic is not blinded.
FOG LAMP SWITCH (OPTIONAL)See Section 4, Understanding Your Instrument Panel,
for switch locations.
Lamp switch position õ
To switch on:
Press the upper section of the switch.
To switch off:
Press the lower section.
WARNING!
Be sure the hood is properly closed before driving.
If the hood is not fully latched, it could fly up
when the vehicle is moving and block your for-
ward vision. Be sure all hood latches are latched
fully before driving.
When closing the hood, use extreme caution not to
catch hands or fingers.