2006 DODGE SPRINTER tire type

174 STARTING AND OPERATING
NOTE: If the ABS is malfunctioning or the voltage in
the vehicle’s electrical system drops below 10 volts, the
indicator lamp will also light up in the instrument
cluster and the ESP
® will be deactivated. The indicator
lamp will go out as soon as the voltage reaches this
level again or the ABS is operational again – the ESP
®
is then reactivated.Electronic Stability Program (ESP
®) (vehicle type
2500 only)
The Electronic Stability Program (ESP
®) monitors the
vehicle’s traction (force of adhesive friction between
the tires and the road surface) and handling.
The ESP
® recognizes when a wheel is spinning or if the
vehicle starts to skid. By applying brakes to the
appropriate wheel and by limiting engine output, the
ESP
® works to stabilize the vehicle. The ESP® is
especially useful while driving off and on wet or
slippery road surfaces.
The warning lamp v in the speedometer flashes
when the ESP
® is engaged, refer also to "Warning
Lamp Acceleration Skid Control (ASR) and Electronic
Stability Program (ESP
®)".
If wheels with tires of a different size than those offered
by an authorized Sprinter Dealer are used, the correct
operation of the ESP
® cannot be guaranteed.
WARNING!
If the ESP® indicator lamp remains on, the
electronic stability program (ESP®) is malfunc-
tioning. The vehicle stability will no longer be au-
tomatically regulated in good time.
The danger that your vehicle breaks into a skid, is
increased in certain driving situations. Drive with
extra caution.
Have the ESP
® repaired as soon as possible by an
authorized Spinter Dealer.

178 STARTING AND OPERATING
Use only wheels and tires which have been tested and
approved by the vehicle manufacturer.
WARNING!
Replace rims or tires with the same designation, man-
ufacturer and type as shown on the original part. See
an authorized Sprinter Dealer for further informa-
tion. If incorrectly sized rims and tires are mounted:
 The wheel brakes or suspension components
can be damaged.
 The operating clearance of the wheels and the
tires may no longer be correct.
WARNING!
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 reliable
operation of your Sprinter vehicle, only use parts
and accessories tested and approved by the
vehicle manufacturer for your Sprinter vehicle.
WARNING!
Replacing original tires with tires of a different
size may result in false speedometer and odome-
ter readings.
WARNING!
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 from the vehicle manufacturer 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.

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5
Radial-Ply Tires
Cuts and punctures in radial tires are repairable only in
the tread area because of sidewall flexing. Consult an
authorized tire dealer for radial tire repairs.
Important Guidelines
Only use sets of tires and rims of the same type and
make.
 Tires must be of the correct size for the rim.
 Break in new tires for approximately 65 miles (100
km) at moderate speeds.
WARNING!
Fitting other wheel sizes to the vehicle will change
the vehicle’s handling characteristics andmay 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 certified 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
andwheel sizeswith load ratings approved for
your Sprinter vehicle for your tire replacement.
Refer to "Tire and Loading Information"WARNING!
Combining radial ply tires with other types of
tires on your Sprinter vehicle will cause your ve-
hicle to handle poorly. The instability could cause
an accident.
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.

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5
Vehicles type 2500 C/HC/SHC
The vehicles are factory equipped with "L" or "N"-rated
tires, which have a speed rating of 74 mph (120 km/h)
or 87 mph (140 km/h) respectively.
Vehicles type 3500 C/HC/SHC
The vehicles are factory equipped with "L", "N" or "R"-
rated tires, which have a speed rating of 74 mph (120
km/h), 87 mph (140 km/h) or 106 mph (170 km/h)
respectively.
Tire Grip
Tire grip is greatly reduced on a wet, snow covered or
icy road. Speed and driving style must therefore be
adapted to suit road conditions. The safe speed on a
wet, snow covered or icy road is always lower than on
a dry road.
Below a tread depth of 1/8 in (3 mm), tire grip begins
to decrease rapidly on wet roads.
Pay particular attention to the condition of the road
whenever the outside temperatures are close to the
freezing point.Hydroplaning
Depending on the depth of the water layer on the road,
hydroplaning may occur, even at low speeds and with
new tires. Reduce vehicle speed, avoid track grooves in
the road, and apply brakes cautiously in the rain.
In winter, install M+S radial tires with a minimum
tread depth of approximately 1/6 in (4 mm) on all
wheels to ensure normal balanced handling
characteristics. On packed snow, they can reduce your
stopping distance compared to summer tires.
Stopping distance, however, is still considerably
greater than when the road is not covered with snow or
ice. Exercise appropriate caution.
For information on winter tires, refer to "Winter
Operation".
WARNING!
If ice has formed on the road, tire traction will be
substantially reduced. Under such weather condi-
tions, drive, steer and brake with extreme caution.

186 STARTING AND OPERATING
Recommended Tire Inflation Pressure
The tire inflation pressure (including the spare wheel)
should be checked regularly and adjusted as well asinspecting for signs of tire wear or visible damage. Use
a good quality pocket-type gauge to check tire inflation
pressure.
Do not make a visual judgement when determining
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.
The tires can be considered cold if the vehicle has been
parked for at least 3 hours or driven less than 1 mile
(1.6 km) at an ambient temperature of approximately
68 °F (20 °C).
Follow recommended cold tire inflation pressures
listed on Tire and Loading Information placard on the
driver’s door B-pillar.
Keeping the tires properly inflated provides the best
handling, tread life and riding comfort.
The pressure difference between the tires on a single
axle should not exceed 1.5 psi (10 kPa).
WARNING!
Avoid spinning of one drive wheel. This may
cause serious damage to the drivetrain which is
not covered by the Warranty.
WARNING!
Follow recommended tire inflation pressures.
Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated tires
wear excessively and/or unevenly, adversely
affect handling and fuel economy, 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 stopping distance, and result
in sudden deflation (blowout) because they are
more likely to become punctured or damaged by
road debris, potholes etc.

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5
Tire Sizes for Sprinter Vehicles
1. Vehicles with programmed top speed limit of 68
mph (109 km/h) only.
Design Standard
Depending on the design standards used, the tire size
molded into the sidewall may have no letter or a letter
(1) preceding the tire width or the tire load rating
designation.
Letter "LT" preceding the tire width designation:
Light Truck tire based on U.S. design standards.
Letter "C" preceding the tire load rating designation:
Commercial vehicle tire based on European design
standards.Tire Width
The tire width (2) indicates the nominal tire width in
mm.
Aspect Ratio
The aspect ratio (3) is the dimensional relationship
between tire section height and section width and is
expressed in percentage. The aspect ratio is arrived at
by dividing section height by section width.
Tire Code
The tire code (4) indicates the tire construction 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 diameter (5) 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 rating (6) is a numerical code associated
with the maximum load a tire can support. Sprinter type
2500 C/HC/SHC 3500 C/HC/SHC
225/70 R 15 C 112/110 R
(115 N)195/70 R 15 C 104/102 R
LT 225/75 R 16 115/112 N LT 225/75 R 16 115/112 N
LT 225/75 R 16 115/112 L
1LT 225/75 R 16 115/112 L1

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For example, a load rating of 115 corresponds to a
maximum load of 2680 lbs (1215 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 value, succeeding the slash "/", applies to
twin tires (dual wheel rear axle).
The commercial vehicle tires based on European
standards may have an additional value in the
parentheses (as illustrated). In such case, the value
preceding the parentheses is valid for European
countries and the parenthesized for the USA and
Canada.
Refer also to "Maximum Tire Load" where the
maximum load associated with the load index is
indicated in kilograms and lbs.
NOTE: Tire load rating (6) and tire speed rating (7) are
also referred to as "service description".
WARNING!
The tire load rating must always be at least half of
the GAWR of your vehicle. Otherwise, tire failure
may be the result which may cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury to you or others.
For information on GAWR, refer to "Tire and
Loading Terminology".
Always replace rims and tires with the same
designation, manufacturer and type as shown on
the original part.
WARNING!
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the specified
load limit as indicated on the Tire and Loading Infor-
mation placard on the driver’s door B-pillar.
Overloading the tires can overheat them, possibly
causing a blowout.
Overloading the tires can also result in handling
or steering problems, or brake failure.

196 STARTING AND OPERATING
DOT, Tire Identification Number (TIN)
(1) DOT
(2) Manufacturer’s identification mark
(3) Tiresize
(4) Tire type code (at the option of the tire
manufacturer)
(5) Date of manufacture NOTE: Data shown on tire are for illustration purposes
only. Actual data on tires are specific to each vehicle
and may vary from data shown in the illustration.
U.S. tire regulations require each new
tiremanufacturer or tire retreader to mold a TIN into or
onto a sidewall of each tire produced.
The TIN is a unique identifier which facilitates efforts by
tire manufactures to notify purchasers in recall situations
or other safety matters concerning tires and gives
purchasers the means to easily identify such tires.
The TIN is comprised of "Manufacturer’s identification
mark", "Tire size", "Tire type code" and "Date of
manufacture".
The TIN may be found on one or both sides of the tire
however the date code may only be on one side. Tires
with white sidewalls will have the full TIN including
date code located on the white sidewall side of the tire.
Look for the TIN on the outboard side of black sidewall
tires as mounted on the vehicle.
If the TIN is not found on the outboard side then you
will find it on the inboard side of the tire. In this case,
the tire must be remounted. Make sure the TIN is