service DODGE SPRINTER 2008 2.G Owner's Manual

337 Operation
Battery
4
The batteries must always be sufficiently
charged so that they achieve their in-
tended service life.
Have the battery charge status checked
more frequently if you use the vehicle
mainly for short trips or if you leave it
parked up for a long period.
If you intend to leave your vehicle
parked up for a long period, seek advice
from an authorized Sprinter Dealer and
switch off the electrical system at the
battery isolating switch (
\2
page 338).You will find further information in the
“Practical hints” section (
\2
page 573).
!
CAUTION
Switch off the engine and wait for
approximately 20 seconds before you
loosen or disconnect the terminal
clamps. You could otherwise damage
electrical system components.Care of batteries!
CAUTION
Dirty terminal clamps and battery
surfaces cause leakage current, lead-
ing to battery discharge. Always keep
the terminal clamps and battery sur-
faces clean and dry. Lightly grease
the terminal clamps, particularly the
undersides, with acid-proof grease.
!
CAUTION
Cleaning agents containing fuel can
corrode the battery casing. Only
clean with commercially available
cleaning agents and clean the bat-
tery casing with the cell caps
screwed in.
nf_BA.book Page 337 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

341 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 rec-
ommends using tires equivalent to the
originals in size, quality and perfor-
mance when a replacement becomes
necessary.Refer to the tire and loading information
placard
1 or to the tire inflation pressure
placard on the driver’s door B-pillar
(
\2
page 362) for the size designation of
your tire.
The service description and load identifi-
cation will be found on the original
equipment 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.
1. For vehicles with a gross weight capacity less
than 10 000 lbs (4 536 kg) (USA only).
nf_BA.book Page 341 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

342 OperationTires and wheels
4
For more information on tire size desig-
nation, load and speed rating, see "Tire
labeling" (
\2
page 382).
See an authorized Sprinter Dealer for in-
formation on tested and recommended
rims and tires for summer and winter op-
eration. They can also offer advice con-
cerning tire service and purchase.
!
CAUTION
Only use tires which have been test-
ed and approved for your Sprinter ve-
hicle by the vehicle manufacturer.
Tires approved by the vehicle manu-
facturer are developed to provide the
best possible performance in con-
junction with the driving safety sys-
tems on your Sprinter vehicle such as
ABS, BAS, ASR or ESP
®.
Using tires other than those ap-
proved by the vehicle manufacturer
may result in damage that is not cov-
ered by the Sprinter vehicle warran-
ty.
!
CAUTION
Using tires other than those ap-
proved by the vehicle manufacturer
can have detrimental effects, such as
\4
poor handling characteristics
\4
increased noise
\4
increased fuel consumption
Tires and rims not approved by the
vehicle manufacturer may, under
load, exhibit dimensional variations
and different tire deformation char-
acteristics that could cause them to
come into contact with the vehicle
body or axle parts. Damage to the
tires or the vehicle may be the result.
nf_BA.book Page 342 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

349 Operation
Tires and wheels
4
Life of tireThe service life of a tire depends on vary-
ing factors including but not limited to:\4
Driving style
\4
Tire inflation pressure
\4
Distance driven
Tread depthDo not allow your tires to wear down too
far. Adhesion properties on wet roads
are sharply reduced at tread depths un-
der
1/8in (3 mm) for summer tires and
1/6in (4 mm) for winter tires.
Treadwear indicators (TWI) are required
by law. These indicators are located in
six places on the tread circumference
and become visible at a tread depth of
approximately
1/16
in (1.6 mm), at
which point the tire is considered worn
and should be replaced.Recommended minimum tire tread
depth:
\4
Summer tires
1/8in (3 mm)
\4
Winter tires
1/6in (4 mm)
Warning
G
Tires and spare tire should be replaced af-
ter 6 years, regardless of the remaining
tread.
nf_BA.book Page 349 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

404 OperationWinter driving
4
\3 Winter drivingHave your vehicle winterproofed at the
onset of winter at an authorized Sprinter
Dealer. This service includes the follow-
ing:\4
Oil change, if the current engine oil
used has not been approved for win-
ter use
\4
The antifreeze / anti-corrosion con-
centration in the coolant is checked
\4
The addition of a concentrated
cleaning agent to the water in the
windshield washer system
\4
Battery check
\4
A tire changeYou will find information about diesel
fuel for use at low outside temperatures
in the “Technical data” section
(
\2
page 614).
Please also observe the information
about winter driving (
\2
page 406).
Winter tires should also be operated as
printed on the tire and loading informa-
tion placard
1 or on the tire inflation pres-
sure placard located on the driver’s door
B-pillar, refer to “Tires and wheels” (
\2
page 362). Not all M+S rated radial-
ply tires provide special winter perfor-
mance. Make sure the tires you use
show M+S and the mountain/snowflake
marking
.
on the tire side wall.
These tires meet specific snow traction
performance requirements of the Rub-
ber Manufacturers Association (RMA)
and the Rubber Association of Canada
(RAC) and have been designed specifi-
cally for use in snow conditions. Use of
winter tires is the only way to achieve
the maximum effectiveness of the ABS,
BAS, ASR and ESP
® in winter operation.
Winter tires1. For vehicles with a gross weight capacity less
than 10 000 lbs (4 536 kg) (USA only).
nf_BA.book Page 404 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

410 OperationMaintenance and servicing
4
Mechanical elements and the lubricants
used for them must be carefully
matched.
For this reason, only brands tested and
approved by the manufacturer should be
used. Please contact your Sprinter Deal-
er to obtain the necessary information.
No lubricant additives should be used.
The use of such additives could affect
your warranty rights. Information is
available from any authorized Sprinter
Dealer.For specifications of engine oils, coolant
and brake fluid, see "Service products
and capacities" (
\2
page 604) and con-
tact your authorized Sprinter Dealer.
Observe the information on spare parts
in the “Technical data” section
(
\2
page 600).
Warning (Continued)
G
The manufacturer recommends that you
use an authorized Sprinter Dealer for this
purpose. In particular, work relevant to
safety or on safety-related systems must
be carried out at an authorized Sprinter
Dealer.
Service products
Warning
G
If handled incorrectly, service products
can constitute a health risk for people and
an environmental hazard.
Always observe relevant guidelines for
handling, storing and disposing of service
products.
nf_BA.book Page 410 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

411 Operation
Maintenance and servicing
4
ASSYST, the A
ctive S
ervice Syst
em, in-
forms you when the next service is due.
A service that is due is displayed about a
month or 1900 miles (3000 km) in ad-
vance. A message is then displayed
while the vehicle is in motion or the igni-
tion is switched on.
Active Service System (ASSYST)*
!
CAUTION
Periods when the battery is discon-
nected will not be recorded by AS-
SYST. To make sure that you have
the vehicle serviced at the correct
time, you should therefore subtract
periods when the battery is discon-
nected from the days shown.
The service indicator does not pro-
vide information about the engine oil
level. The service indicator should
not, therefore, be confused with
theP
engine oil level display.
iThe service due date is displayed in
days or miles (kilometers), depend-
ing on the total distance driven.
The time between the individual ser-
vice due dates depends on your style
of driving. You can increase this by:\4
driving with care and at a moder-
ate engine speed
\4
avoiding short journeys where
the engine does not reach the op-
erating temperature
nf_BA.book Page 411 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

412 OperationMaintenance and servicing
4
Service due date display
Vehicles with steering wheel buttonsThe following messages may be dis-
played:\49
Service A in .. days
\49
Service A in .. miles
(km)
\49
Service A due now
The letters
A or
B indicate the type of ser-
vice that is due.
Vehicles without steering wheel
buttonsThe following messages may be dis-
played:\49
for service A
\4´
for service B
The following are also shown:
Service A: Oil Service Plus
Service B: Maintenance Service
\4
the remaining distance in kilometers,
e.g.
1900 miles
(3000 km
)
\4
the remaining time in days, e.g.30 days
.
Missing the service due date An authorized Sprinter Dealer, can reset
the service indicator when the service
has been carried out.
!
CAUTION
If you fail to have the specified ser-
vice carried out, you could be in
breach of relevant regulations and
warranty and goodwill settlements
could be invalidated.
nf_BA.book Page 412 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

413 Operation
Maintenance and servicing
4
Vehicles with steering wheel buttons*If you have missed the service due date,
one of the following messages appears
in the display:\49
Service A overdue by .. days

\49
Service A overdue by ..
miles (km)
A signal also sounds.
Vehicles without steering wheel but-
tonsIf you have missed the service due date,
the following symbol flashes in the dis-
play for 10 seconds after the ignition is
switched on:\49
for service A
\4´
for service B
You will also see a minus sign before the
service due date.
Calling up the service due date
\1
Switch on the ignition (
\2
page 111).
The display is activated.
Vehicles with steering wheel buttons*
\1
Press the
è
or
ÿ
button on
the steering wheel repeatedly until
you see the standard display
(
\2
page 151) .
\1
Press the
j
or
k
button on
the steering wheel repeatedly until
you see the following in the display,
for example:
\49
Service A in .. days
\49
Service A in .. miles
(km)
The letters
A or
B indicate the type of
service that is due.
nf_BA.book Page 413 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

414 OperationMaintenance and servicing
4
Vehicles without steering wheel but-
tons
\1
Press the menu button on the in-
strument cluster repeatedly until you
see the following in the display:\49
for service A
\4´
for service B
The following are also shown:
\4
the remaining distance in miles
(kilometers)
\4
the remaining time in daysAn increased amount of sand or dust
may collect in the air cleaner when you
drive on dusty or sandy roads.
Air cleaner in the roof in the rear com-
partment
1Cover
2Recesses
For this reason, check the air cleaner
regularly for visible damage.
Air cleaner for the air-conditioning
system in the rear compartment*
!
CAUTION
You must clean visible dirt from the
air cleaner or replace it if necessary.
The dirt can otherwise damage the
air conditioning, which is not covered
by warranty.
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