tire size DODGE SPRINTER 2007 2.G Owners Manual

42 SafetyDriving safety systems
2
\3 Driving safety systemsIn this section, you will find information
about the following driving safety systems:
\4ABS (A
ntilock B
rake S
ystem)
\4BAS (B
rake As
sist)
\4ESP
® (E
lectronic S
tability P
rogram)
\4ASR (acceleration skid control)
\4EBV (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)ABS regulates the brake pressure in such a
way that the wheels do not lock when you
brake. This allows you to continue steering
when braking.
ABS works from a speed of about 3 mph
(5 km/h) upwards, regardless of road sur-
face conditions.
ABS works on slippery surfaces, even
when you only brake gently.
There is a malfunction if the - indicator
lamp is permanently lit while the engine is
running (\2page 271).
Despite this, the normal driving and brak-
ing functions remain available.
iThe maximum effect of ABS, BAS,
ESP
®, ASR and EBV can only be
achieved if you:
\4always drive with the correct tire
pressures adjusted according to
the load (\2page 210)
\4use winter tires (M+S tires) in win-
try conditions, with snow chains if
necessary
Warning
G
There is an increased risk of an accident if
you:
\4drive too fast, in particular when corner-
ing and on a wet or slippery road surface
\4drive too close to the vehicle in front
The driving safety systems described in this
section cannot reduce this risk and are un-
able to override the laws of physics.
Always adapt your driving style to the pre-
vailing road and weather conditions, and
maintain an adequately safe distance from
other road users as well as any obstacles on
the road.iOnly use wheels with the recommend-
ed tire sizes (\2page 367), otherwise
the driving safety systems will not work
correctly.
Antilock Brake System (ABS)Warning
G
Do not depress the brake pedal several
times in quick succession (pumping). De-
press the brake firmly and evenly. Pumping
the brake pedal may reduce the braking ef-
fect.

199 Operation
Tires and wheels
4
\3 Tires and wheelsThe tires on a new vehicle provide a bal-
ance of many characteristics. They should
be inspected regularly for wear and correct
cold tire inflation pressure. The vehicle
manufacturer strongly recommends using
tires equivalent to the originals in size,
quality and performance when a replace-
ment becomes necessary.
Refer to the tire and loading information
placard on the driver’s door B-pillar
(\2page 373) for the size designation of
your tire.
The service description and load identifica-
tion will be found on the original equip-
ment tire. Failure to use equivalent
replacement tires may adversely affect the
safety, handling, and ride of your Sprinter
vehicle.
Contact an authorized Sprinter Dealer or
an authorized tire dealer with any ques-
tions you may have on tire specifications
or capability.For more information on tire size designa-
tion, load and speed rating, see "Tire label-
ing" (\2page 222).
See an authorized Sprinter Dealer for infor-
mation on tested and recommended rims
and tires for summer and winter operation.
They can also offer advice concerning tire
service and purchase.
!
CAUTION
Only use tires which have been tested
and approved for your Sprinter vehicle
by the vehicle manufacturer. Tires ap-
proved by the vehicle manufacturer are
developed to provide the best possible
performance in conjunction with the
driving safety systems on your Sprinter
vehicle such as ABS, BAS, ASR or
ESP®.
Using tires other than those approved
by the vehicle manufacturer may result
in damage that is not covered by the
Sprinter warranty.
!
CAUTION
Using tires other than those approved
by the vehicle manufacturer can have
detrimental effects, such as
\4poor handling characteristics
\4increased noise
\4increased fuel consumption
Tires and rims not approved by the ve-
hicle manufacturer may, under load,
exhibit dimensional variations and dif-
ferent tire deformation characteristics
that could cause them to come into
contact with the vehicle body or axle
parts. Damage to the tires or the vehi-
cle may be the result.

200 OperationTires and wheels
4
Only use wheels and tires which have been
tested and approved by the vehicle manu-
facturer.
Warning
G
Do not use a tire, wheel size or rating other
than that specified for your Sprinter vehicle.
Some combinations of unapproved tires and
wheels may change suspension dimensions
and performance characteristics, resulting
in changes to steering, handling, and brak-
ing of your Sprinter vehicle. This can cause
unpredictable handling and stress to steer-
ing and suspension components. You could
lose control and have an accident resulting
in serious injury or death. Only use the tire
and wheel sizes with load ratings approved
for your Sprinter vehicle, refer to "Tire and
loading information".
Never use a tire with a smaller load index or
speed index or capacity other than what was
originally equipped on your Sprinter vehicle.
Using a tire with a smaller load index could
result in tire overloading and failure. You
could lose control and have an accident.
Failure to equip the vehicle with tires having
adequate speed capability can result in sud-
den tire failure and loss of vehicle control.
!
CAUTION
Replacing original tires with tires of a
different size may result in false speed-
ometer and odometer readings.
Warning
G
Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If the
tire tread is badly worn, or if the tires have
sustained damage, replace them.
When replacing rims, only use genuine
wheel bolts approved by the vehicle manu-
facturer and specified for the particular rim
type. Failure to do so can result in the bolts
loosening and possibly an accident.
Do not use retreaded/remolded tires. This
process does not always permit previous
damage to be detected. Therefore vehicle
safety cannot be guaranteed if retreaded/
remolded tires are fitted.
Warning
G
Fitting other wheel sizes to the vehicle will
change the vehicle’s handling characteris-
tics and may lead to an accident resulting in
death, severe personal injuries and property
damage.
Only certain tires meeting the tire size/
load/speed rating specifications are certi-
fied to conform to FMVSS 110 for the
Sprinter vehicle at this time. Please check
your side walls of your originally equipped
tires for specific makes/sizes, and speed
load ratings when you need to replace your
tires.
To prevent accidents resulting in possible
death, severe injury or property damage,
use only the tire and wheel sizes with load
ratings approved for your Sprinter vehicle
for your tire replacement.
Refer to "Tire and loading information"
(\2page 205).

201 Operation
Tires and wheels
4
Cuts and punctures in radial tires are re-
pairable only in the tread area because of
side wall flexing. Consult an authorized tire
dealer for radial tire repairs.\4Only use sets of tires and rims of the
same type and make.
\4Tires must be of the correct size for the
rim.
\4Break in new tires for approximately
65 miles (100 km) at moderate
speeds.
\4Regularly check the tires and rims for
damage. Dented or bent rims can
cause tire inflation pressure loss or
damage to the tire beads.
\4If the vehicle is heavily loaded, check
tire inflation pressure and correct as
required.
\4Do not allow your tires to wear down
too far. Adhesion properties on wet
roads are sharply reduced at tread
depths under
1/8in (3 mm) for sum-
mer tires and
1/6in (4 mm) for winter
tires.
Radial-ply tiresWarning
G
Combining radial ply tires with other types
of tires on your Sprinter vehicle will change
the vehicle’s handling characteristics and
may lead to an accident resulting in death,
severe personal injuries and property dam-
age. Always use radial ply tires in sets of 4
(or 6, in case of vehicles with dual rear
wheels).
Never combine them with other types of
tires.
Tire valves (snap-in valves)Warning
G
Sprinter tire valves are tested and approved
under rough operating conditions.
The installation of additional hub caps or
other wheel simulators could cause damage
to the tire valve and lead to a loss of tire
pressure at the valve stem.
Do not install any of these parts on your
Sprinter vehicle. To help ensure safe and re-
liable operation of your Sprinter vehicle,
only use parts and accessories tested and
approved by the vehicle manufacturer for
your Sprinter vehicle.!
CAUTION
For safety reasons, the following tire
valves from the Schrader company
must be used on the vehicles:
\4TR 600 for vehicle model type 2500
\4TR 418 for vehicle model type 3500
Other tire valves could be damaged by
the specified tire pressures.Important guidelines

205 Operation
Tires and wheels
4
The following labels on the vehicle show
how much weight it may properly carry.
\4Only vehicles with a gross weight ca-
pacity less than 10,000 lbs (4500 kg)
The tire and loading information plac-
ard can be found on the driver’s door B-
pillar. This placard tells you important
information about the number of peo-
ple that can be in the vehicle and the
total weight that can be carried in the
vehicle.
It also contains information on the
proper size and recommended tire in-
flation pressures for the original equip-
ment tires on your vehicle.
\4The certification label can be found be-
low the driver’s seat on an outward fac-
ing position of the mounting pillar
(\2page 373). This label tells you about
the gross weight capacity of your vehi-
cle, called the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (GVWR). The GVWR includes the
weight of the vehicle, all occupants,
fuel and cargo. The certification label also tells you about the front and rear
axle weight capacity, called the Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). The GAWR
is the total allowable weight that can be
carried by a single axle (front or rear).
Never exceed the GVWR or GAWR for
either the front axle or rear axle.
1Tire and loading information placard on
driver’s door B-pillar
The information below explains how to
work with the information contained on the
placard with regards to loading your vehi-
cle.Tire and loading informationLoading the vehicle
Warning
G
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit as indicated on the tire
and loading information placard on the driv-
er’s door B-pillar or on the certification label
below the driver’s seat on the mounting pil-
lar. Overloading the tires can overheat them,
possibly causing a blowout. Overloading the
tires can also result in handling or steering
problems, or brake failure.
Overloading of tires is dangerous. Overload-
ing can cause tire failure, affect vehicle han-
dling, and increase the stopping distance.
Use tires of the recommended load capacity
for the vehicle. Never overload them.
The vehicle maximum load on the tire must
not exceed the load carrying capacity of the
tire on your vehicle. You will not exceed the
tire’s load carrying capacity if you adhere to
the loading conditions, tire size and cold tire
inflation pressures specified on the tire and
loading information placard, tire pressure la-
bel and this section.

207 Operation
Tires and wheels
4
Step 1
\1Locate the statement “The combined
weight of occupants and cargo should
never exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs.” on
your vehicle’s placard.
Step 2
\1Determine the combined weight of the
driver and passengers that will be
riding in your vehicle.
Step 3
\1Subtract the combined weight of the
driver and passengers from
XXX kilograms or XXX lbs.Step 4
\1The resulting figure equals the avail-
able amount of cargo and luggage load
capacity. For example, if the “XXX”
amount equals 1400 lbs and there will
be five 150 lbs passengers in your vehi-
cle, the amount of available cargo and
luggage load capacity is 650 lbs (1400-
750 (5 x150) = 650 lbs).
Step 5
\1Determine the combined weight of lug-
gage and cargo being loaded on the ve-
hicle. That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo and luggage
load capacity calculated in step 4.Step 6 (if applicable)
\1If your vehicle will be towing a trailer,
load from your trailer will be trans-
ferred to your vehicle. Consult this
manual to determine how this reduces
the available cargo and luggage load
capacity of your vehicle.
The following table shows examples on
how to calculate total load, cargo load and
towing capacities with varying seating con-
figurations and number and size of occu-
pants. The following examples use a load
limit of 1500 lbs. This is for illustrative
purposes only. Make sure you are using
the actual load limit for your vehicle stated
on the vehicle’s tire and loading informa-
tion placard (\2page 206).
The higher the weight of all occupants, the
less cargo and luggage load capacity is
available.

215 Operation
Tires and wheels
4
pressure which was stored at the time of
calibration of the TPMS after you inflated the
tires.
Always ensure that you re-calibrate the
TPMS after you inflated the tires to the rec-
ommended cold inflation pressure.
Always adjust tire inflation pressure accord-
ing to the tire and loading information plac-
ard on the driver’s door B-pillar.
Underinflated tires wear excessively and/or
unevenly, adversely affect handling and fuel
economy, and are more likely to fail from be-
ing overheated.
Overinflated tires can adversely affect han-
dling and ride comfort, wear unevenly, in-
crease stopping distance, and result in
sudden deflation (blowout) because they are
more likely to become punctured or dam-
aged by road debris, potholes etc.
The TPMS is not able to issue a warning due
to a sudden dramatic loss of pressure (e.g.
tire blowout caused by a foreign object). In
this case bring the vehicle to a halt by care-
fully applying the brakes and avoiding
abrupt steering maneuvers.
Warning
G
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and
inflated to the inflation pressure recom-
mended by the vehicle manufacturer on the
tire and loading information placard. (If your
vehicle has tires of a different size than the
size indicated on the vehicle placard or the
tire inflation pressure label, you should de-
termine the proper tire inflation pressure for
those tires).
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has
been equipped with a Tire Pressure Monitor-
ing System (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire
pressure telltale when one or more of your
tires is significantly underinflated. Accord-
ingly, when the low tire pressure telltale illu-
minates, you should stop and check your
tires as soon as possible, and inflate them to
the proper pressure. Driving on a significant-
ly underinflated tire causes the tire to over-
heat and can lead to tire failure.
Underinflation also reduces fuel efficiency
and tire tread life, and may affect the vehi-
cle’s handling and stopping ability. Please
note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the driv-
er’s responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if underinflation has not
reached the level to trigger illumination of
the TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
USA only:
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate
when the system is not operating properly.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is com-
bined with the low tire pressure telltale.
When the system detects a malfunction, the
telltale will flash for approximately 1 minute
and then remain continuously illuminated.
This sequence will continue upon subse-
quent vehicle start-ups as long as the mal-
function exists. When the malfunction
indicator is illuminated, the system may not
be able to detect or signal low tire pressure
as intended.
\2\2

219 Operation
Tires and wheels
4
Always adjust the tire inflation pressure ac-
cording to the tire and loading information
placard on the driver’s door B-pillar.
Underinflated tires wear excessively and/or
unevenly, adversely affect handling and fuel
economy, and are more likely to fail from be-
ing overheated.
Overinflated tires can adversely affect han-
dling and ride comfort, wear unevenly, in-
crease stopping distance, and result in
sudden deflation (blowout) because they are
more likely to become punctured or dam-
aged by road debris, potholes etc.
The TPMS is not able to issue a warning due
to a sudden dramatic loss of pressure (e.g.
tire blowout caused by a foreign object). In
this case bring the vehicle to a halt by care-
fully applying the brakes and avoiding
abrupt steering maneuvers.
Warning
G
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and
inflated to the inflation pressure recom-
mended by the vehicle manufacturer on the
vehicle placard or the tire inflation pressure
label. (If your vehicle has tires of a different
size than the size indicated on the vehicle
placard or the tire inflation pressure label,
you should determine the proper tire infla-
tion pressure for those tires).
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has
been equipped with a Tire Pressure Monitor-
ing System (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire
pressure telltale when one or more of your
tires is significantly underinflated. Accord-
ingly, when the low tire pressure telltale illu-
minates, you should stop and check your
tires as soon as possible, and inflate them to
the proper pressure. Driving on a significant-
ly underinflated tire causes the tire to over-
heat and can lead to tire failure.
Underinflation also reduces fuel efficiency
and tire tread life, and may affect the vehi-
cle’s handling and stopping ability. Please
note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the driv-
er’s responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if underinflation has not
reached the level to trigger illumination of
the TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
USA only:
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate
when the system is not operating properly.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is com-
bined with the low tire pressure telltale.
When the system detects a malfunction, the
telltale will flash for approximately 1 minute
and then remain continuously illuminated.
This sequence will continue upon subse-
quent vehicle start-ups as long as the mal-
function exists. When the malfunction
indicator is illuminated, the system may not
be able to detect or signal low tire pressure
as intended.
\2\2

222 OperationTires and wheels
4
3. Ride comfort and vehicle stability
Proper tire inflation contributes to a com-
fortable ride. Overinflation produces a jar-
ring and uncomfortable ride.
Besides the tire name (sales designation)
and manufacturer's name, a number of
markings can be found on a tire.
Below are some explanations regarding
the markings on your vehicle’s tires:
1DOT, Tire Identification Number (TIN)
(\2page 230)
2Maximum tire load (\2page 226)
3Maximum tire inflation pressure
(\2page 229)
4Manufacturer
5Tire ply material (\2page 228)
6Tire size designation, load and speed
rating (\2page 222)
7Tire nameTire size designation, load and speed
rating
1Design standard
2Tire width
3Aspect ratio in %
4Radial tire code
5Rim diameter
6Tire load rating
7Tire speed ratingTire labelingiFor illustrative purposes only. The actu-
al data on tires is specific to each vehi-
cle and may vary from the data shown
in the above illustration.
iFor illustrative purposes only. The actu-
al data on tires is specific to each vehi-
cle and may vary from the data shown
in the above illustration.

223 Operation
Tires and wheels
4
Tire sizes for Sprinter vehicles
Design standard
Depending on the design standards used,
the tire size molded into the side wall may
have no letter or a letter1 preceding the
tire width or the tire load rating designa-
tion.
Letter “LT” preceding the size designation:
Light Truck tire based on U.S. design stan-
dards.
Letter “C” preceding the tire load designa-
tion:
Commercial vehicle tire based on Europe-
an design standards.
Tire width
The tire width2 indicates the nominal tire
width in mm.Aspect ratio
The aspect ratio3 is the dimensional re-
lationship between tire section height and
section width and is expressed in percent-
age. The aspect ratio is arrived at by divid-
ing section height by section width.
Tire code
The tire code4 indicates the tire con-
struction type. The “R” stands for radial
tire type. Letter “D” means diagonal or bias
ply construction; letter “B” means belted-
bias ply construction.
Rim diameter
The rim diameter5 is the diameter of the
bead seat, not the diameter of the rim
edge. Rim diameter is indicated in
inches (in).
Tire load rating
The tire load rating6 is a numerical code
associated with the maximum load a tire
can support.For example, a load rating of 120 corre-
sponds to a maximum load of 3042 lbs
(1380 kg) the tire is designed to support.
If two values are given (as illustrated), the
first value, preceding the slash "/", applies
to single tires (rear axle). The second val-
ue, succeeding the slash "/", applies to
twin tires (dual wheel rear axle).
The commercial vehicle tires based on Eu-
ropean standards may have an additional
value in the parentheses (as illustrated). In
such cases, the value preceding the paren-
theses is valid for European countries and
the parenthesized for the USA and Canada.
Refer also to "Maximum tire load"
(\2page 226) where the maximum load as-
sociated with the load index is indicated in
kilograms and lbs.
Sprinter type
2500
LT 245/75 R 16 120/116 LLT 245/75 R 16 120/116 N
3500
LT 215/85 R 16 115/112 NLT 215/85 R 16 115/112 Q