tow DODGE SPRINTER 2007 2.G User Guide

113 Controls in detail
Driving and parking
3
Do not accelerate to prevent your vehicle
from rolling backwards on an uphill gradi-
ent. Instead, you should either use the
handbrake or depress the brake pedal.
This prevents excessive wear on the
clutch.
Select a lower gear (shift range 3, 2 or 1)
(\2page 123) in good time on long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if tow-
ing a trailer. This prevents the brakes from
overheating and wearing too rapidly.
It is best not to stop the vehicle immediate-
ly after the brakes have been subjected to
an extreme load; continue driving for a
short time instead. The brakes are cooled
down more quickly in the airflow.The first time the brakes are applied after
a long period of driving in heavy rain with-
out braking, it is possible that:
\4there will be a delayed braking
response
\4you will need to depress the brake
pedal more firmly
You should therefore maintain a greater
distance from the vehicle in front.
Apply the brakes so that you can feel their
response after a journey on wet roads,
especially if the road has been salted. The
brake discs will be warmed, dry more
quickly and be protected against corro-
sion.
If you make only moderate use of the ser-
vice brake, check from time to time that it
is fully functional. To do this, brake more
sharply at a higher vehicle speed. The
brake will grip better as a result.For safety reasons, the manufacturer rec-
ommends that you only have brake pads /
linings installed on your vehicle that have
been approved for the Sprinter.
Brake pads /linings that have not been ap-
proved for the Sprinter could affect your
vehicle’s operating safety.BrakingWarning
G
There is no power assistance for the service
brake when the engine is not running.
You will need to use significantly more force
to brake and could therefore lose control of
the vehicle and cause an accident.
Never switch off the engine while driving.
Warning
G
Make sure that other road users are not put
at risk by your braking.
iIn exceptional cases, the handbrake
can be used for emergency braking if
the service brake fails (\2page 115).

118 Controls in detailDriving and parking
3
Treadwear indicators (TWI) are required by
law. These indicators are located in six
places on the tread circumference and be-
come visible at a tread depth of approxi-
mately 1/16 in (1.6 mm), at which point
the tire is considered worn and should be
replaced.
The Treadwear Indicator appears as a solid
band across the tread.Specified tire inflation pressures must be
maintained. This applies particularly if the
tires are subject to extreme operating con-
ditions (e.g. high speeds, heavy loads, high
ambient temperatures).For detailed information on tires, see "Tires
and wheels" (\2page 199).
Hydroplaning
Depending on the depth of the water layer
on the road, hydroplaning may occur, even
at low speeds and with new tires. Reduce
vehicle speed, avoid track grooves in the
road and apply brakes cautiously in the
rain.Warning
G
If you feel a sudden significant vibration or
ride disturbance, or you suspect that possi-
ble damage to your vehicle has occurred,
you should turn on the hazard warning flash-
ers, carefully slow down, and drive with cau-
tion to an area which is a safe distance from
the road.
Inspect the tires and the vehicle undercar-
riage for possible damage. If the vehicle or
tires appear unsafe, have the vehicle towed
to the nearest authorized Sprinter Dealer or
tire dealer for repairs.
Warning
G
Although the applicable federal motor vehi-
cle safety laws consider a tire to be worn
when the Treadwear Indicators (TWI) be-
come visible at approximately 1/16 in
(1.6 mm), do not allow your tires to wear
down to that level. As tread depth approach-
es 1/8 in (3 mm) for summer tires or 1/6 in
(4 mm) for winter tires, the adhesion proper-
ties on a wet road are sharply reduced.
Depending upon the weather and/or road
surface (conditions), the tire traction varies
widely.
Warning
G
Do not drive with a flat tire. A flat tire affects
the ability to steer or brake the vehicle. You
may lose control of the vehicle. Continued
driving with a flat tire or driving at high
speed with a flat tire will cause excessive
heat buildup and possibly a fire.

121 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
3
\3 Automatic transmissionP Parking position (selector lever lock)
R Reverse gear
N Neutral
D Drive position
The automatic transmission adapts to your
individual driving style by continuously ad-
justing its shift points. These shift point ad-
justments take into account the current
operating and driving conditions.If the operating or driving conditions
change, the automatic transmission reacts
by adjusting the gearshift program.
The individual gears are selected automat-
ically. The gear selected depends on:
\4the selector lever position in shift rang-
es D, 4, 3, 2 and 1 (\2page 123)
\4the position of the accelerator pedal
(\2page 123)
\4the road speed
\4resistance (load, uphill gradient, trailer
towing)
The selector lever position engaged or the
current shift range is shown in the display.
Display on vehicles with steering wheel
buttons* (\2page 89) and on vehicles
without steering wheel buttons
(\2page 87).When the selector lever is in position D,
you can influence the gearshifts made by
the automatic transmission by:
\4restricting the shift range
\4changing gear yourselfGearshift patternGearshift procedure
Selector lever positionsì
Parking lock
Prevents the parked vehicle
from rolling away. Only move
the selector lever to P when
the vehicle is stationary.
You can only remove the key
when the selector lever is in
position P. The selector lever is
locked in position P when the
key is removed.
í
Reverse gear
Only move the selector lever to
R when the vehicle is station-
ary.

122 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission
3
When the selector lever is in position D,
you can perform gearshifts yourself, even
on vehicles with automatic transmission.
Downshifting
\1Press the selector lever to the left to-
wards D–.
The automatic transmission restricts
the shift range (\2page 123) by one
gear. The automatic transmission shifts
to the next gear down, depending on
the gear currently engaged.Upshifting
\1Press the selector lever to the right to-
wards D+.
The automatic transmission extends
the shift range by one gear. The auto-
matic transmission shifts to the next
gear up, depending on the current
gearshift program.
Derestricting the shift range
\1Press and hold the selector lever to-
wards D+ until
D is shown once more in
the display.
The automatic transmission shifts from
the current shift range directly to D.
ë
Neutral
No power is transmitted from
the engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brakes will allow
you to move the vehicle freely,
e.g. by pushing or towing.
Do not move the selector lever
to N while the vehicle is in mo-
tion. The automatic transmis-
sion could otherwise be
damaged.
If ASR is deactivated or ESP
®
has malfunctioned: only move
the selector lever to N if the ve-
hicle is in danger of skidding,
e.g. on icy roads.
ê
Drive
The automatic transmission
changes gear automatically. All
5 forward gears are available.
One-touch gearshifting Warning
G
Do not downshift for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery surface. The drive wheels
may lose their grip and the vehicle could
skid.
iThe automatic transmission does not
shift down if you press the selector le-
ver towards D– and the speed of the
vehicle is too high. The engine could
otherwise overrev.

123 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
3
Selecting the ideal shift range
\1Press and hold the selector lever
towardsD–.
The automatic transmission will shift to
a range which allows easy acceleration
and deceleration. To do this, the auto-
matic transmission will shift down one
or more gears.
When the selector lever is in position D you
can restrict or derestrict the shift range for
the automatic transmission.
\1Press the selector lever briefly towards
the right (D+) or left (D–).
The set shift range is shown in the dis-
play.Accelerator pedal position
Your style of driving influences how the au-
tomatic transmission shifts gears:
\4Little throttle:
early upshifts
\4More throttle:
later upshifts
Kickdown
Use kickdown for maximum acceleration.
\1Depress the accelerator pedal beyond
the pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to
the next gear down, depending on the
engine speed.
\1Release the accelerator pedal as
soon as the desired speed has been
reached.
The automatic transmission shifts up
again.Shift rangesiIf the maximum engine speed for the
shift range is reached and you depress
the accelerator, the automatic trans-
mission will not upshift if the shift
range is restricted.
ê
The transmission shifts
through all 5 gears.
é
The automatic transmission
shifts only as far as fourth gear.
è
The automatic transmission
shifts only as far as third gear.
This position allows you to use
the braking effect of the en-
gine.
ç
The automatic transmission
shifts only as far as second
gear.
For braking on steep downhill
gradients and for driving:
\4on steep mountain roads
\4in mountainous terrain
\4in arduous conditions
æ
The automatic transmission
only works in first gear.
For braking on extremely steep
downhill gradients and long
downhill gradients.
Driving tips

124 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission
3
Stopping
If you are only stopping briefly:
\1leave the selector lever in the drive po-
sition
\1secure the vehicle against rolling away
using the brake pedal
Maneuvering
Maneuvering in a tight space:
\1Control the speed by braking carefully.
\1Accelerate only slightly and avoid jolt-
ing.Trailer towing
\1Run the engine in the moderate engine
speed range on steep uphill gradients.
\1Depending on the uphill or downhill
gradient, shift down to shift range3 or
2 (\2page 123), even if cruise control*
is switched on.
Working on the vehicle
iFor rapid maneuvering (e.g. to rock the
vehicle out of snow or slush), you can
shift back and forth between drive
positionD and reverse gearR at low
speeds without applying the brakes.
Warning
G
Apply the handbrake before working on the
vehicle and shift the automatic transmission
into parking positionP.
The vehicle could otherwise roll away.

151 Controls in detail
Driving systems
3
Front sensors
Rear sensors
Minimum distance
If an obstacle is within this range, all seg-
ments of the warning displays light up and
you will hear an audible warning tone. The
distance may no longer be displayed if you
drive the vehicle closer to the obstacle
than the minimum distance.Warning displays
The warning displays indicate the distance
between the sensor and the obstacle.
The warning display for the front area is
located on the middle of the dashboard
above the center console.
Front area warning display1Left-hand side of vehicle
2Right-hand side of vehicle
3Indicator segments
Center
about 39 in (100 cm)
Corners
about 26 in (65 cm)
Center
about 71 in (180 cm)
Corners
about 39 in (100 cm)
Center
about 12 in (30 cm)
Corners, front
about 10 in (25 cm)
Corners, rear
about 12 in (30 cm)
!
CAUTION
Pay particular attention to obstacles
above or below the sensors when park-
ing, such as flower pots or trailer tow-
bars.
Parktronic does not detect such ob-
jects in the immediate vicinity. You
could damage the vehicle or objects.
Parktronic can malfunction as a conse-
quence of:
\4ultrasonic sources such as a truck’s
compressed-air brakes, an auto-
matic car wash or a pneumatic drill
\4attachments to the vehicle, e.g.
load-bearing implements or trailer
couplings
\4number plates (vehicle license
plates) that are not affixed flat
against the bumper
\4dirty or icy sensors
N54.65-2074-31

153 Controls in detail
Driving systems
3
Switching Parktronic on/off
You can switch Parktronic on and off man-
ually.
The switch is located on the center con-
sole.
1To switch Parktronic on/off
\1To switch off: press upper part 1 of
the switch.
The indicator lamp in the switch comes
on.
\1To switch on: press upper part 1 of
the switch again.
The indicator lamp in the switch goes
out.Trailer towing
If you attach a trailer, Parktronic is deacti-
vated for the rear area as soon as you
make the electrical connection between
your vehicle and the trailer.
On vehicles with a reverse warning feature,
a warning signal sounds when reverse gear
is engaged to alert other road users.
The volume of the warning signal can be
reduced for night-time operation.
Reducing the volume of the warning
signal
\1Select reverse gear twice in quick
succession.
The warning signal sounds more
quietly. N54.25-2922-31
Reverse warning feature*Warning
G
The reverse warning feature signal could be
ignored by other road users. For this reason,
the reverse warning feature cannot guaran-
tee that there are no people or objects be-
hind your vehicle.
The reverse warning feature is a system
which helps you ensure the safety of other
road users. However, it does not relieve you
in any way from the responsibility of person-
ally ensuring that there are no people or ob-
jects behind your vehicle when reversing.
For this reason, always observe the road and
traffic conditions with due caution. Make
sure that there are no people or objects be-
hind your vehicle when reversing, in order to
avoid injuring people or damaging property.
If necessary, ask someone to direct you
when maneuvering.iThe warning signal always sounds at
normal volume and must be turned
down again every time reverse gear
is engaged.

161 Controls in detail
Transporting
3
Mounting lashing points for load rails*
1Locking mechanism
\1To install: slide the lashing eye
through a recess in the load rail close
to the load until locking mechanism 1
in the recess engages.\1Check whether the lashing eye is firmly
in place.
\1To remove: pull locking mechanism 1
upward and pull the lashing eye
through a recess towards the locking
mechanism and out of the load rail.
iSecuring loads to the load compart-
ment floor is only recommended for
lightweight loads and should be rein-
forced by using anti-slip mats.Warning
G
Before releasing lashing straps, make sure
that the load is stable and would not tip over
even without being lashed down.
Otherwise, you or others could be injured by
a moving load.
iWhen you pull locking mechanism1
out of the recess, the lashing eye is
able to move within the lashing rail or
load rail. Make sure that locking
mechanism1 is always engaged in a
recess.
Warning
G
If the lashing eye is not firmly anchored in
the load rail, the lashing eye may slip or snap
out of the load rail in the event of sudden
braking or an accident.
The load would no longer be secured, which
could result in serious injuries caused by the
load slipping.
For this reason, always check that the lash-
ing eye is firmly in place whenever you in-
stall it.

163 Controls in detail
Transporting
3
Observe the instructions in the “Opera-
tion” section (\2page 175).
!
CAUTION
If you wish to retrofit securing rails,
have them installed at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop which has the neces-
sary specialist knowledge and tools to
carry out the work required. You could
otherwise damage the vehicle.
The manufacturer recommends that
you use an authorized Sprinter Dealer
for this purpose.
Trailer towing