tires DODGE SPRINTER 2006 1.G Owners Manual

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 53
2
Engine Oil Consumption
When the engine has passed the break-in period, oil
consumption may reach 0.5 % of the fuel consumption
recorded in actual operating circumstances. In isolated
cases and in arduous operating conditions, oil
consumption may increase to 1 % of the fuel
consumption recorded in actual operating
circumstances.
Engine oil consumption depends on the driving style
adopted and the operating conditions. It can only be
judged after the engine has passed the break-in period.SAFETY TIPS
 Check the vehicle’s lights and the general condition
of the vehicle before each trip.
 Keep tires at the recommended tire inflation
pressure.
 All occupants should fasten their seat belts before
each trip.
 Driving in an environmentally responsible manner
will reduce noise, fuel consumption and exhaust
emissions.
 Allow the engine to warm up under low load use.
 Avoid unnecessarily hard acceleration, driving with
the throttle fully open, and carrying loads not
specifically needed on the journey.
 Stop the engine during lengthy waiting periods, for
example at traffic lights.
 Remove ancillary parts, such as wind deflectors and
roof racks, as soon as they are no longer needed.

142 STARTING AND OPERATING
…Deactivating the Acceleration Skid
Control (ASR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
…Brake Assist System (BAS)
(vehicle type 2500 only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
…Indicator Lamp Electronic Stability Program
(ESP®) (vehicle type 2500 only) . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
…Electronic Stability Program (ESP®)
(vehicle type 2500 only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Q Auxiliary Drive (Optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Q Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Q Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
…Radial-Ply Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
…Important Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179…Tire Care and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
…Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
…Life of Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181…Tread Depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
…Storing Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
…Cleaning Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182…Direction of Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
…Vehicles type 2500 C/HC/SHC . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
…Vehicles type 3500 C/HC/SHC . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
…Tire Grip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185…Hydroplaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
…Recommended Tire Inflation Pressure . . . . . . 186
…Important Notes on Tire Inflation Pressure . . 187
…Checking Tire Inflation Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . 188
…Potential Problems associated with
Underinflated and Overinflated Tires . . . . . . . 190
…Tire Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
…Tire Size Designation, Load and
Speed Rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
…Tire Sizes for Sprinter Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
…Design Standard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193…Tire Width . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
…Aspect Ratio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
…Tire Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193…Rim Diameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
…Tire Load Rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
…Tire Speed Rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195…DOT, Tire Identification Number (TIN) . . . . . 196
…DOT (Department Of Transportation) . . . . . . 197
…Manufacturer’s Identification Mark . . . . . . . . 197…Tire Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
…Tire Type Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
…Date of Manufacture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197…Maximum Tire Load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
…Maximum Tire Inflation Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 199
…Tire Ply Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
…Tire and Loading Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . 200…Rotating Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
…Alignment and Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206

STARTING AND OPERATING 143
5
…Winter tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Q Snow Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Q Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
…Fuel Filter with Water Separator . . . . . . . . . . . 210…Diesel Fuels for Use at Very
Low Temperatures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Q Refueling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
…Capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Q Programmed Top Speed (Optional) . . . . . . . . . . 213
Q Bleeding Diesel Fuel System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Q Draining Fuel Filter with Water Separator . . . . 214
…Bleeding the Diesel Fuel System . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Q Permissible Roof Load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Q Loading the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
…Tire and Loading Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Q Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
…Trailer Hitches (Optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
…Electrical Connections (Optional) . . . . . . . . . . 222
…Vehicle and Trailer Weights and Ratings . . . . 222
…Trailer Tongue Load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
…Loading a Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223…Checking Weights of Vehicle and Trailer . . . . 224
…Attaching a Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224…Towing a Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
…Parking a Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Q Emissions Control System
(Catalytic Converter) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Q Inhalation of Exhaust Gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Q Fording (Wading Capability) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Q Body Builder Guideline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
…A Special Note Concerning
Vehicle Alteration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230

156 STARTING AND OPERATING
For all sensors, the minimum distance between sensor
and obstacle is 12 in (30 cm).
In the event of a malfunction, a continuous warning
signal sounds for approximately three seconds when
the vehicle is reversing
NOTE: Distance display
 "in" in USA only
 "cm" in Canada onlyLOADING THE VEHICLE
WARNING!
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the specified
vehicle capacity weight (as indicated by the label on
the base of the driver’s seat). Overloading the tires
can overheat them, possibly causing a blowout,
which could cause an accident and personal injury.
In addition, braking and stopping distances can be
significantly longer if the vehicle is overloaded.
WARNING!
Always close the sliding and rear doors when
driving.
Otherwise exhaust fumes could enter the vehicle
interior and poison you.

STARTING AND OPERATING 163
5
Driving Safety Systems
The vehicle can be equipped with the following
Driving Safety Systems:
 Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
 Electronic brake force distribution (EBV)
 Acceleration skid control (ASR)
 Brake assist system (BAS)
1
 Electronic stability program (ESP®)*
NOTE: The maximum effectiveness of ABS, EBV, ASR
and ESP®* is only achieved if you drive with correct
tire pressures and adjust tire pressures to correspond
with the vehicle’s load. In winter operation, the
maximum effectiveness of the ABS and the ESP
®* is
only achieved with winter tires (M+S tires), or snow
chains as required.
*Vehicle type 2500 only
WARNING!
When leaving the vehicle always remove the key
from the ignition lock, and lock your vehicle.
Do not leave children unsupervised in the vehicle,
even if they are secured by a child restraint
system. The children could
 injure themselves on parts of the vehicle
 release the child-proof locks by pressing the
central locking button and could thereby open
the doors and
 cause injury to others as a result
 get out of the vehicle and could either injure
themselves when doing so or they could be
injured by the traffic approaching from the rear
 suffer serious or fatal effects in the event of long
periods of hot weather
 release the parking brake. The vehicle could
then start moving of its own accord.
Unsupervised use of vehicle equipment may cause
severe personal injuries, death and property damage.

166 STARTING AND OPERATING
WARNING!
Do not reduce the force applied to the brake pedal if
it is necessary to brake the vehicle further. This will
negate the main benefit of ABS – the ability to brake
without affecting the steerability of the vehicle.
In the event of an emergency stop, fully depress
the brake pedal. Do not pump the brake pedal,
rather use firm, steady brake pedal pressure.
Pumping the pedal defeats the purpose of ABS
and significantly reduces braking effectiveness.
WARNING!
Anti-lock brake system (ABS) cannot prevent the
natural laws of physics from acting on the vehicle,
nor can it increase braking or steering efficiency
beyond that afforded by the condition of the vehi-
cle brakes and tires or the traction afforded.
The ABS cannot prevent accidents, including
those resulting from excessive speed in turns,
following another vehicle too closely, or
hydroplaning. Only a safe, attentive, and skillful
driver can prevent accidents.
The capabilities of an ABS equipped vehicle must
never be exploited in a reckless or dangerous
manner which could jeopardize the user’s safety
or the safety of others.
Adapt your speed and driving style to the
prevailing road, traffic and weather conditions.
Driving too fast increases the risk of an accident.

STARTING AND OPERATING 167
5
Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD)
The electronic brake force distribution (EBD) prevents
the rear wheels from being overbraked when there is
little load on the rear axle or if there is not much friction
between the tires and road (e.g., if the road is wet).Acceleration Skid Control Indicator Lamp (ASR)
and Brake Assist System (BAS)1 if equipped
When the key is in position 2 in the ignition lock, the
indicator lampk will light up in the instrument
cluster as a function check. It goes out when the engine
is running.
1Vehicle type 2500 only
WARNING!
If the brake indicator lamp ;(-) does not
go out or lights up again while driving, the brake
fluid level may not necessarily have dropped be-
low the minimum filling capacity but a malfunc-
tion may have occurred in the EBD. In this case
continue driving, but with even greater care.
The wheels of the rear axle could lock if the
vehicle is braked hard. This could lead to a
skidding of the vehicle. Have the malfunction
traced and repaired without delay by an
authorized Sprinter Dealer.
Adapt your speed and driving style to the
prevailing road, traffic and weather conditions.
Driving too fast increases the risk of an accident.

170 STARTING AND OPERATING
Acceleration Skid Control (ASR)
ASR makes it possible to pull away and accelerate on a
slippery surface. A spinning wheel is braked and its
tractive power is transferred to the wheel with full
grip.
The acceleration skid control (ASR) improves driving
stability at all speeds only on vehicles of the chassis
and cargo/passenger vans type 3500 C/HC/SHC
(without ESP
®).
The engine’s torque is limited to improve driving
stability. When this is happening, the warning
lampv in the speedometer flashes.
If the road surface is not capable of providing traction,
bearing in mind the tires, load and grade, it may not be
possible to pull away even with ASR.
If wheels with tires of a different size than those offered
by an authorized Sprinter Dealer are used, the correct
operation of the ASR cannot be guaranteed.
WARNING!
ASR cannot prevent the natural laws of physics
from acting on the vehicle, nor can it increase the
traction afforded.
The ASR cannot prevent accidents, including
those resulting from excessive speed in turns,
following another vehicle too closely, or
hydroplaning. Only a safe, attentive, and skillful
driver can prevent accidents.
The capabilities of an ASR equipped vehicle must
never be exploited in a reckless or dangerous
manner which could jeopardize the user’s safety
or the safety of others.
If the ASR function is used for a prolonged period
of time, the rear axle brakes may fail due to
overheating.
If the vehicle is to be towed away with the front
wheels clear of the ground, or if the brakes are to
be tested on a brake dynamometer, do not pull the
key in position 2 in the ignition lock, because the
drive wheels could lock.

STARTING AND OPERATING 173
5
For the indicator lamp k refer to "Indicator Lamp
Acceleration Skid Control (ASR) and Brake Assist
System (BAS)
".
Indicator Lamp Electronic Stability Program
(ESP®) (vehicle type 2500 only)
When the key is in position 2 in the ignition lock, the
ESP
® indicator lamp will light up in the
instrument cluster as a function check. It goes out
when the engine is running.
If the indicator lamp remains on or lights up when
the engine is running, the electronic stability program
(ESP
®) is malfunctioning and switched off
automatically. The engine’s power output may be then
reduced.
WARNING!
The Brake Assist system (BAS) cannot prevent the
natural laws of physics from acting on the vehicle,
nor can it increase braking efficiency beyond that
afforded by the condition of the vehicle brakes
and tires or the traction afforded.
The BAS cannot prevent accidents, including
those resulting from excessive speed in turns,
following another vehicle too closely, or
hydroplaning. Only a safe, attentive, and skillful
driver can prevent accidents.
The capabilities of an BAS equipped vehicle must
never be exploited in a reckless or dangerous
manner which could jeopardize the user’s safety
or the safety of others
.
Adapt your speed and driving style to the
prevailing road, traffic and weather conditions.
Driving too fast increases the risk of an accident.

174 STARTING AND OPERATING
NOTE: If the ABS is malfunctioning or the voltage in
the vehicle’s electrical system drops below 10 volts, the
indicator lamp will also light up in the instrument
cluster and the ESP
® will be deactivated. The indicator
lamp will go out as soon as the voltage reaches this
level again or the ABS is operational again – the ESP
®
is then reactivated.Electronic Stability Program (ESP
®) (vehicle type
2500 only)
The Electronic Stability Program (ESP
®) monitors the
vehicle’s traction (force of adhesive friction between
the tires and the road surface) and handling.
The ESP
® recognizes when a wheel is spinning or if the
vehicle starts to skid. By applying brakes to the
appropriate wheel and by limiting engine output, the
ESP
® works to stabilize the vehicle. The ESP® is
especially useful while driving off and on wet or
slippery road surfaces.
The warning lamp v in the speedometer flashes
when the ESP
® is engaged, refer also to "Warning
Lamp Acceleration Skid Control (ASR) and Electronic
Stability Program (ESP
®)".
If wheels with tires of a different size than those offered
by an authorized Sprinter Dealer are used, the correct
operation of the ESP
® cannot be guaranteed.
WARNING!
If the ESP® indicator lamp remains on, the
electronic stability program (ESP®) is malfunc-
tioning. The vehicle stability will no longer be au-
tomatically regulated in good time.
The danger that your vehicle breaks into a skid, is
increased in certain driving situations. Drive with
extra caution.
Have the ESP
® repaired as soon as possible by an
authorized Spinter Dealer.