spare wheel DODGE SPRINTER 2008 2.G Owners Manual

348 OperationTires and wheels
4
\4
bumps, bulges, cuts, cracks or splits
in the tread or side of the tire
\4
foreign objects between the tires
(on vehicles with twin tires)
Replace the tire if any of the above con-
ditions is found.
Also inspect the spare tire periodically
for condition and inflation. Spare tires
will age and become worn over time
even if never used, and thus should be
inspected and replaced when neces-
sary.
Tire damageTire damage can be caused
by:
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the vehicle’s operating conditions
\4
tire aging
\4
curbs
\4
foreign objects
\4
insufficient or excessive tire inflation
pressures
\4
weather and environmental influenc-
es
\4
contact with oil, grease, fuel, etc.
Warning
G
Driving over curbs or sharp-edged objects
can cause damage to the tire substruc-
ture which is not visible from the outside.
Damage to the tire substructure cannot
be detected until later and can cause the
tire to burst.
You could lose control of the
vehicle as a result, cause an accident and
injure yourself or others.
Avoid driving up against curbs or parking
the vehicle with part of the tire tread sur-
face on the curb.
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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
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Tire inflation pressure
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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.
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351 Operation
Tires and wheels
4
An arrow on the side wall indicates the
intended direction of rotation (spinning)
of the tire which means the wheel must
be mounted in the direction of rotation.
If a tire does not have an arrow on the
side wall indicating the direction of rota-
tion, the wheel can be mounted either
way.The following labels on the vehicle show
how much weight it may properly carry.
\4
USA only - vehicles with a gross
weight capacity less than 10,000 lbs
(4536 kg)
Direction of rotationiThe Tire Identification Number (TIN)
must always be visible on the out-
board side of the tire.
!
CAUTION
Spare wheels may be mounted
against the direction of rotation
(spinning) even with a unidirectional
tire for temporary use only until the
regular drive wheel has been re-
paired or replaced. Always observe
and follow applicable temporary use
restrictions and speed limitations in-
dicated on the spare wheel.
Have a spare wheel that was mount-
ed against the direction of rotation
replaced with a regular road wheel as
soon as possible.
Loading the vehicle
nf_BA.book Page 351 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

361 Operation
Tires and wheels
4
Your vehicle is equipped with either the
tire and loading information placard
1 or
with the tire inflation pressure placard
located on the driver’s door B-pillar.The tire inflation pressure (including the
spare wheel) should be checked regular-
ly and adjusted as well as inspected for
signs of tire wear or visible damage. Use
a good quality pocket-type gauge to
check tire inflation pressure.
Do not m a ke a vis ua l ju dgm ent when de -
termining proper inflation. Radial tires
may look properly inflated even when
they are underinflated.
The tire inflation pressure should be
checked regularly, i.e. at least each time
you refuel the vehicle, and should only
be adjusted on cold tires. The preferred
interval for checking the tire inflation
pressure, however, is before each trip.
Recommended tire inflation pressureWarning
G
Follow recommended tire inflation pres-
sures.
Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated
tires wear excessively and/or unevenly,
adversely affect handling and fuel econo-
my, and are more likely to fail from being
overheated.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflated tires
can adversely affect handling and ride
comfort, wear unevenly, increase stop-
ping distance, and result in sudden defla-
tion (blowout) because they are more
likely to become punctured or damaged
by road debris, potholes etc.
1. For vehicles with a gross weight capacity less
than 10 000 lbs (4 536 kg) (USA only).1
Tire and loading information placard or
tire inflation pressure placard on driver’s
door B-pillar
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369 Operation
Tires and wheels
4
Warning (Continued)
G
Always ensure that you re-calibrate the
TPMS after you inflated the tires to the
recommended cold inflation pressure.Always adjust 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 being overheated.
Continued
Warning (Continued)
G
Overinflated tires can adversely affect
handling and ride comfort, wear unevenly,
increase stopping distance, and result in
sudden deflation (blowout) because they
are more likely to become punctured or
damaged 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 ob-
ject). In this case bring the vehicle to a
halt by carefully 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 rec-
ommended by the vehicle manufacturer
on the tire and loading information plac-
ard. (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).
Continued
nf_BA.book Page 369 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

375 Operation
Tires and wheels
4 i
When the message
Tire pres. dis-
played after driving for several
minutes
appears in the multifunction
display, the individual inflation pres-
sure values are matched with the
tires. The individual values are dis-
played after a few minutes' driving.54.32-2278-31
Warning
G
It is the driver’s responsibility to calibrate
the TPMS on the recommended cold infla-
tion pressure. Underinflated tires affect
the ability to steer or brake the vehicle.
You might lose control over the vehicle.
iIf a spare wheel without wheel sen-
sors is mounted, the system may still
indicate the tire inflation pressure of
the removed wheel for some min-
utes. If this happens, keep in mind
that the indicated value where the
spare wheel is mounted does not re-
flect the actual spare tire inflation
pressure.
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377 Operation
Tires and wheels
4
Warning
G
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold
and inflated to the inflation pressure rec-
ommended 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 inflation pressure for those
tires).
Continued
Warning (Continued)
G
As an added safety feature, your vehicle
has been equipped with a Tire Pressure
Monitoring System (TPMS) that illumi-
nates a low tire pressure telltale when one
or more of your tires is significantly under-
inflated. Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure telltale illuminates, you should
stop and check your tires as soon as pos-
sible, and inflate them to the proper pres-
sure. Driving on a significantly
underinflated tire causes the tire to over-
heat and can lead to tire failure.
Continued
Warning (Continued)
G
Underinflation also reduces fuel efficiency
and tire tread life, and may affect the ve-
hicle’s handling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substi-
tute for proper tire maintenance, and it is
the driver’s responsibility to maintain cor-
rect tire pressure, even if underinflation
has not reached the level to trigger illumi-
nation of the TPMS low tire pressure tell-
tale.
Continued
nf_BA.book Page 377 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

390 OperationTires and wheels
4
1Maximum tire load rating
The maximum tire load is the maximum
weight the tires are designed to support.
Warning
G
Tires and spare tire should be re-
placed after 6 years, regardless of
the remaining tread.
Maximum tire load
iFor illustrative purposes only. The ac-
tual data on tires is specific to each
vehicle and may vary from the data
shown in the above illustration.
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395 Operation
Tires and wheels
4
GAWR (G
ross A
xle W
eight R
ating)
The GAWR is the maximum permissible
axle weight. The gross vehicle weight on
each axle must never exceed the GAWR
for the front and rear axle indicated on
the certification label located below the
driver’s seat on the mounting pillar.
GCWR (G
ross C
ombination W
eight
R
ating) The GCWR is the total permissible
weight of vehicle and trailer when
weighed in combination including a
150 lbs (68 kg) allowance for the pres-
ence of a driver. It is indicated on the
certification label located below the driv-
er’s seat on the mounting pillar.GTW (G
ross T
railer W
eight)
The GTW is the weight of the trailer plus
the weight of all cargo, equipment, lug-
gage etc. loaded on the trailer.
GVW (G
ross V
ehicle W
eight)
The GVW comprises the weight of the
vehicle including fuel, tools, spare
wheel, installed accessories, passen-
gers and cargo and, if applicable, trailer
tongue load. The GVW must never ex-
ceed the GVWR indicated on the certifi-
cation label located below the driver’s
seat on the mounting pillar.
nf_BA.book Page 395 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

403 Operation
Tires and wheels
4
\1
Make sure that on one axle just one
type of tire (same size, type con-
struction, load and speed rating) is
used.
Dual rear wheels:
\1
Rotate front tires by axle and the out-
er rear tire side to side if there is no
approved direction of rotation.
The tires used on dual wheel assem-
blies should be matched for wear to
prevent overloading one tire in a set.
\1
To check if tires are even, lay a
straight edge across all four tires.
For information on wheel change, see
the “Practical hints” section
(
\2
page 548).
!
CAUTION
3500 dual rear tires have only one
approved direction of rotation. This is
to accommodate the asymmetrical
design (tread pattern) of the ON/OFF
road tire and the use of Outline White
Letter (OWL) tires.
When replacing a flat tire, the spare
tire may have to be remounted on the
rim or installed at a different location
to maintain the correct placement of
the tire on the wheel relative to the
tire/wheel position on the vehicle.
For example, if the spare is used to
replace an outer rear tire it will have
to remounted on the rim so that the
wheel is dished inward.
That way the tread design of asym-
metrical tires and the white writing of
the OWL tires will maintain proper
position.
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