2005 DODGE SPRINTER warning

46 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLERemoving Seat Belts
1. Press the release button in the belt buckle.
2. Guide the seat belt back to its rest position.
Seat Belt Warning System
When the key is turned to position 2 in the ignition
lock, a warning buzzer sounds for about 6 seconds if
the driver’s safety belt is not pressed into the belt
buckle. The buzzer stops as soon as the safety belt is
fastened. Press the safety belt into the belt buckle.
Belt Height AdjustmentBelt height adjustment button 4
Do not adjust the belt height while the vehicle is
moving.
To lower:
Press the button and move the belt sash guide down.
To raise:
Move the belt sash guide up.
The shoulder strap must pass between the neck and the
shoulder.
WARNING!
A frayed or torn belt could rip apart in a collision
and leave you with no protection. Inspect the belt
system periodically, checking for cuts, frays, or
loose parts. Damaged parts must be replaced im-
mediately. Do not disassemble or modify the sys-
tem. Seat belt assemblies must be replaced after a
collision if they have been damaged (bent retrac-
tor, torn webbing, etc.).

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 47
2
DRIVER’S AIRBAGThe driver’s airbag is located within the padded center
of the steering wheel.
WARNING!
To reduce the risk of injury when the front airbag
inflates, it is very important for the driver to al-
ways be in a properly seated position and to wear
the seat belt. Since the airbag inflates with consid-
erable speed and force, a proper seating position
with hands on the steering wheel will help to
keep you in a safe distance from the airbag. Keep
hands on the outside of the steering wheel rim.
Placing hands and arms inside the rim can in-
crease the risk and the potential severity of hand/
arm injury when the driver front airbag inflates.

48 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLEFRONT SEAT PASSENGER AIRBAG (NOT IN
CONJUNCTION WITH FOLDING SEAT IN
PARTITION WALL)
WARNING!
To reduce the risk of injury when the front airbag
inflates, it is very important for the driver to al-
ways be in a properly seated position and to wear
the seat belt. Since the airbag inflates with consid-
erable speed and force, a proper seating position
with hands on the steering wheel 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.

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 49
2
AIRBAG AND BELT TENSIONERSThe vehicle is equipped with an airbag for the driver
and the front seat passenger as well as belt tensioners
for the driver and the front passenger. The system is
known as a Supplemental Restraint System (SRS). It
has been designed to work together with the seat belt
and to supplement.SRS Malfunction Indicator LampWhen the key is in position 2 in the ignition lock, the
malfunction indicator lamp 1 will light up in the
instrument cluster for about 4 seconds as a function
check.
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!
Do not put anything on or around the front airbag
covers or attempt to manually open them. You
may damage the airbags and you could be injured
because the airbags are not there to protect you.
These protective covers for the airbag cushions are
designed to open only when the airbags are inflat-
ing.
WARNING!
If the malfunction indicator lamp 1 does not
light up when the key is in position 2 in the igni-
tion lock, if it flickers or lights up while the vehi-
cle is moving, there might be a problem in the
airbag system. There is then a danger that the air-
bag will not deploy in the event of an accident or
will deploy when it should not do so. Have the ve-
hicle inspected and repaired by an authorized
Sprinter Dealer without delay.

50 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLESafety Precautions for the Airbag
WARNING!
Airbags can seriously injure or kill you, especially
if you are close to the airbag when it deploys.
Always wear your seat belt. Airbags do not
replace seat belts but instead supplement the
protection offered by seat belts. Wearing a seat
belt also makes it less likely that you will be out
of position and will not be injured or killed as the
airbag deploys.
Never place an infant seat which faces to the rear
on the front passenger seat. Children 12 years old
and under, and any child who cannot wear a seat
belt properly, must never ride in the front of this
vehicle.
The airbag does offer an additional degree of
protection, especially to belted occupants, but the
following precautions should still be taken to
prevent injuries when the airbag is inflating.
Do not position the seat closer than necessary to
the airbag inflation point.
WARNING!
Do not lean forward when the vehicle is in mo-
tion.
Do not lean on the doors from inside the vehicle.
Do not put your feet on the dashboard.
Only hold the steering wheel by the outer rim so
that the airbag can inflate unhindered.
No objects should be positioned on the airbag or
between the airbag and the vehicle’s occupants.
If children are traveling, they should always use
an appropriate child restraint system.
Do not touch any hot parts after the airbag has
inflated. Airbags which have triggered in an
accident must be replaced.
The center of the padded steering wheel must not
be covered by any materials or have any labels or
stickers attached to it, or else the airbag may not
function reliably.

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 51
2
WARNING!
Do not attempt to manually open the front airbag
covers. You may damage the airbags and you
could be injured because the airbags may not
function as designed. These protective covers for
the airbag cushions are designed to open only
when the airbags are inflating.
Do not modify any components of the restraint
systems or their wiring.
Observe relevant safety precautions when
discarding off airbag units. Any authorized
Sprinter Dealer can provide information and
assistance.
Make sure to give any new owner of your vehicle
this Owner’s Manual so that the new owner will
be aware of all safety warnings.
WARNING!
If the instrument cluster indicates a malfunction
of the "SRS ", as explained above, we strongly rec-
ommend that you visit an authorized Sprinter
Dealer immediately to have the system checked;
otherwise the "SRS " may not be activated when
needed in an accident, which could result in seri-
ous or fatal injury, or it might deploy unexpected-
ly and unnecessarily, which could also result in
injury or death.
The activation of the "SRS " temporarily releases a
small amount of dust from the airbag. This dust,
however, is neither injurious to your health, nor
does it indicate a fire in the vehicle. The dust
might cause some temporary breathing difficulty
for people with asthma or other breathing trouble.
To avoid this, you may wish to get out of the
vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so. If you have
any breathing difficulty but cannot get out of the
vehicle after the airbag inflates, then get fresh air
by opening a window or door.
Given the considerable deployment speed and the
textile structure of the airbag, there is a risk of
abrasions and injuries due to airbag deployment.

52 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLEPEDALSThe freedom of movement of the pedals must not be
impaired in any way, such as by floormats.
ENGINE BREAK-IN SPECIFICATIONS
The first 1,000 miles (about 1,500 km)The more cautiously you treat your vehicle during the
break-in period, the more satisfied you will be with its
performance later on. Therefore, drive your vehicle
during the first 1,000 miles (1,500 km) at moderate
vehicle and engine speed.
Avoid depressing the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point (kickdown). Do not manually shift
down.
Avoid accelerating by kickdown. It is not
recommended to brake the vehicle by manually
shifting to a lower gear. We recommend that you select
positions "3", "2" or "1" only at moderate speeds (for
hill driving).
After 1,000 miles (about 1,500 km) you can gradually
increase road and engine speeds to normal driving and
requirements.
WARNING!
Do not lay any objects in the driver’s footwell. Be
careful that floor mats or carpets in the driver’s
footwell have sufficient clearance for the pedals.
During sudden driving or braking maneuvers the
objects could get caught between the pedals. You
could then no longer brake or accelerate. This
could cause an accident which could in turn lead
to injuries.

54 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLEINHALATION OF EXHAUST GAS TIE DOWN RINGS (OPTIONAL)
1. Tie Down Rings
The rings (1) are used to attach the load with the help
of tension belts. Place the te nsion belt around the load,
secure it on the rings (1) and tie it down.
WARNING!
When driving or parking the vehicle, make sure
that its exhause system do es not come into contact
with flamable material (such as dry leaves) as
these materials my otherwise catch fire.
Inhalation of exhaust gas is hazardous to your
health. All exhaust gas contains carbon monoxide
and inhaling it can cause unconsciousness and
lead to death.
Do not run the engine in confined areas (such as a
garage) which are not properly ventilated. If you
think that exhaust gas fumes are entering the
vehicle while driving, have the cause determined
and corrected immediately. If you must drive
under these conditions, drive only with at least
one window fully open.