2004 DODGE SPRINTER seats

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 35
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OCCUPA NT RESTRA INTSSeat belts, belt tensioners, airbag and child restraint
systems are independent restraint systems whose
functions complement each other.
All states and provinces require use of child restraints
that comply with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 213 and Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 213.
All child restraint systems are designed to be secured
in vehicle seats by lap belts or the lap belt portion of a
lap-shoulder belt.
For your safety and that of your passengers, you must
use the seat belts and child restraint systems and use
them properly. We strongly recommend their use.
WARNING!
In a collision, you and your passengers can suffer
injuries, including fatalities, if you are not proper-
ly buckled up. You can strike the interior of your
vehicle or other passengers, or you can be thrown
out of the vehicle. Always be sure you and others
in your vehicle are buckled up properly.
WARNING!
An airbag system component integrated in the
steering wheel gets hot after the airbag has inflat-
ed. Do not touch.
No modifications of any kind may be made to any
components or wiring of the restraint system.
Keep area between airbag and occupants free of
objects (e.g. packages, purses, umbrellas, etc.).
In addition, through improper work there is the
risk of rendering the restraint system inoperative.
Work on the restraint system must therefore only
be performed by an authorized Sprinter Dealer.
When discarding of the airbag unit or emergency
tensioning retractor, you must follow our safety
instructions. These instructions are available at
your Sprinter Dealer.
Given the considerable deployment speed and the
textile structure of the airbag, there is the
possibility of injuries and even death resulting
from being positioned too close to the airbag
when it deploys.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 43
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Belt TensionersThe belt tensioners are located on the three-point seat
belts of the driver’s and front passenger seats.
The belt tensioners will not operate unless the key has
been turned to position 1 or 2 in the ignition lock.
The airbag and / or belt tensioners are designed to only
trigger in certain frontal impacts as not all accidents
call for airbag and / or belt tensioner deployment.
WARNING!
To reduce the risk of injury when the front airbag
inflates, it is very important for the passenger to
always be in a properly seated position and to
wear the seat belt. Since the airbag inflates with
considerable speed and force, a proper seating po-
sition will help to keep you in a safe distance from
the airbag.
Do not place any pieces on the top of the
mounting lid above the airbag. If the airbag is
activated the pieces could be thrown into the
passenger compartment. This could result in
severe personal injuries and death.
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54 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLESEAT ADJUSTMENT
Driver’s and Front Passenger’s Seat
WARNING!
Adjusting a seat while the vehicle is moving is
dangerous. The sudden movement of the seat
could cause you to lose control. The seat belt
might not be properly adjusted and you could be
injured. Adjust the seat only while the vehicle is
parked.
WARNING!
Do not ride with the seat back reclined so that the
shoulder belt is no longer resting against your
chest. In a collision, you could slide under the seat
belt and be seriously or even fatally injured. Use
the recliner only when the vehicle is parked.
WARNING!
The rear area of the vehicle should not be used as
a play area by children when the vehicle is in mo-
tion. They could be seriously injured in an acci-
dent. Children should be seated and using the
proper restraint system.
WARNING!
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people
riding in these area are more likely to be seriously
injured or killed.
Do not allow people to ride in any area of your
vehicle that is not equipped with seats and seat
belts.
Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and
using a seat belt properly.
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58 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLEREA R SEA T BENCH REMOVA L A ND
INSTALLATION
Unlocked (1)
Locked (2)
To remove:
1. Turn all release levers on the legs of the appropriate
rear bench seat up. The rear bench seat can then
move in the seat mounting cups.
2. Lift the rear bench seat up and out of the seat
mounting cups.
WARNING!
The integrated seat belt can only offer the degree
of protection for which it is designed if you install
the specified rear bench seats correctly. Never op-
erate vehicle unless all rear bench seats are prop-
erly installed and all release levers are locked.
When retrofitting seat benches, make sure that the
exterior seat shells have four cross-ribs.
Keep the seat bench mounting cups in the vehicle
floor free from dirt and foreign objects. This is the
only way to guarantee that the locking
mechanisms will engage securely.
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 59
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To install:
1. With the rear bench seat facing in the direction of
travel, insert the legs of the rear bench seat in the
respective seat mounting cups on the floor.
2. Slide the rear bench seat forwards with some force
as far as it will go, until the release levers are heard
to engage and all release levers are parallel to the
vehicle floor.
Retrofitting Seat Mounting Cups
WARNING!
Additional rear bench seats can be added if seat
mounting cups are properly installed.
Seat mounting cups may only be installed by an
authorized Sprinter Dealer.
Never exceed the maximum permissible number
of rear bench seats for the specific vehicle.
For more information contact your authorized
Sprinter Dealer.
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78 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLECUP HOLDERThe cup holder in the driver’s compartment is located
below the instrument panel between the driver’s and
front passenger’s seats.The cup holders in the passenger compartment are
located in the center below the seat benches.
Pull out cup holder in the direction of arrow.Freightliner-all.book Pag e 78 Monday , December 1, 2003 2:54 PM

STARTING AND OPERATING 145
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The handling characteristics of a vehicle when laden
are dependent on the type of load and the distribution
of the load within the vehicle.
Carrying heavy or bulky loads may alter the vehicle’s
handling characteristic.Loading GuidelinesPlease note and comply with the following information
when loading and transporting goods.
 Do not allow the load, including passengers, to
exceed the permitted gross vehicle weight or the
permitted axle loads for the vehicle. Bear in mind
that the unladen weight could be increased by
installing items of optional equipment and
accessories.
 Distribute the load uniformly. Excessive loads on
individual points of the load surface could cause
damage to the floor covering.
 Transport heavy loads between the axles near the
rear axle as low as possible in the vehicle.
 Secure any kind of load with sufficient wear and
tear-resistant load restraints. Lashing rings.
WARNING!
Unsecure or poorly secured loads, and seats that
have been removed, could move around the vehi-
cle interior uncontrollably in the event of sudden
braking, a rapid change in direction or an acci-
dent. This increases the risk of injury to occu-
pants in these situations.
Secure and position a load as described in the
following loading guidelines.
Piling up heavy objects or placing them on upper
shelves or loading them otherwise high up in the
vehicle will significantly raise the center of
gravity of the vehicle. Placing excessive loads on
individual points of the load surface or behind
the rear axle will also adversely affect the
handling characteristics of your vehicle and may
lead to loss of control over the vehicle.
Road safety and tire durability are adversely
affected if the permissible axle loads or gross
vehicle weight are exceeded due to the vehicle’s
load. Braking and stopping distances can be
significantly longer.
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146 STARTING AND OPERATING Protect sharp edges with padding.
 Check the tire pressures after loading the vehicle.
For passenger vans:
 Do not stack loads higher than the upper edge of the
backrests.
 Always place the load against the backrests of the
seat benches.
 Whenever possible, transport loads behind seats
that are not occupied.
 Distribute the load in such a way that the
permissible axle loads are not exceeded when the
vehicle is equipped with the maximum number of
seats. Loading the luggage compartment up to the
maximum payload would cause the permissible
rear axle load to be exceeded.
BRA KES
Service Brake
WARNING!
When the engine is not running, the brake and
steering systems are without power assistance.
Under these circumstances, a much greater effort
is necessary to stop or steer the vehicle.
After driving in heavy rain for some time without
applying the brakes or through water deep
enough to wet brake components, the first
braking action may be somewhat reduced and
increased pedal pressure may be necessary. Be
sure to maintain a safe distance from vehicles in
front.
Resting your foot on the brake pedal will cause
excessive and premature wear of the brake pads.
It can also result in the brakes overheating,
thereby significantly reducing their effectiveness.
It may not be possible to stop the vehicle in
sufficient time to avoid an accident.
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