2006 DODGE SPRINTER wheel

68 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE
HEADLAMP RANGE CONTROL
See Section 4, Understanding Your Instrument Panel,
for switch locations.
The range of the headlamps can be
adjusted to the load in the vehicle.
Turn the thumbwheel down to
headlamp beam down.
Turn the thumbwheel up to
headlamp beam up.
When the vehicle is not loaded (driver only), the
thumbwheel must be in position 0.Where necessary, adjust the headlamp range with the
thumbwheel to 82 yards (75 m).
Always keep the headlamp range less than 110 yards
(100 m), so that oncoming traffic is not blinded.
FOG LAMP SWITCH (OPTIONAL)
See Section 4, Understanding Your Instrument Panel,
for switch locations.
Lamp switch position õ
To switch on:
Press the upper section of the switch.
To switch off:
Press the lower section.
WARNING!
Be sure the hood is properly closed before driving.
If the hood is not fully latched, it could fly up
when the vehicle is moving and block your for-
ward vision. Be sure all hood latches are latched
fully before driving.
When closing the hood, use extreme caution not to
catch hands or fingers.

80 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE
SUNROOF (OPTIONAL) Manual Sun Roof (Optional)
 To open, turn the handwheel counterclockwise.
Maximum opening = turn until the stop is reached.
 To close, turn the handwheel clockwise until the
stop is reached.
WARNING!
In an accident, there is a greater risk of being
thrown from a vehicle with an open sun roof. You
could also be seriously injured or killed. Always
fasten your seatbelt properly and make sure all
passengers are properly secured too.
Do not allow small children to operate the electric
sun roof.
Never allow fingers or other body parts, or any
object to project through the sun roof opening.
Injury may result.
Make certain that no one gets caught when the
electric sun roof is closed. The key should be
removed from the ignition lock even if the vehicle
will only be left for a short time to prevent
situations such as children or unauthorized
persons opening and closing the electric sun roof
and becoming caught.

92 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL
Legend For Instruments And Controls
1. Left-hand air vent.
2. Multifunction switch.
3. Speed control.
4. Hood release lever.
5. Instrument cluster, refer to "Instrument Cluster
and Indicator Lamps".
6. Hazard warning flasher switch.
7. Steering wheel with horn, front driver airbag.
8. Fuse box.
9. Windshield wiper switch, refer to "Windshield
Wiper Switch".
10. Ignition lock/starter switch.
11. Center air vents.
12. Upper air vents.
13. Radio, see individual manual.14. Temperature control switch.
15. Airflow control switch.
16. Air distribution switch.
17. Temperature sensor, automatic heating
control / air conditioning, regulated.
18. Air conditioning switch.
19. Heater booster switch.
20. Residual engine heat utilization switch.
21. Gear selector lever (automatic transmission)
22. Timer for auxiliary heater.
23. Electrical outlet.
24. Ashtray.
25. Cup holder.
26. Front passenger airbag.
27. Right-hand air vent.
28. Glove compartment.
NOTE: For layout of switches, see previous page.

96 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL
Multi-Function Indicator
WARNING!
Never operate buttons (1, 2, 3 and 4) in the multi-
function indicator while driving.
To operate these buttons the driver must reach
through the steering wheel, which could
significantly impede its movement.
Your attention will also be diverted from the road
and traffic conditions.
This could cause you to lose control of the vehicle
and could lead to an accident and result in severe
personal injuries or death.
For this reason, make sure that the traffic
conditions are safe before pressing the buttons, so
that nobody may be endangered.
When possible, reach around the steering wheel
to operate the multi-function indicator buttons.
Do not rest your head or chest on the steering
wheel or dashboard when operating the buttons.

122 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL
Side Air Vents and Center Air Vents
To open, turn the thumbwheel outwards.
To close, turn the thumbwheel inwards.
Intermediate settings are possible.Upper Air Vents
The upper air vents supply fresh air (not heated) to the
passenger/load compartment.
To open, turn the thumbwheel forwards.
To close, turn the thumbwheel rearwards.

142 STARTING AND OPERATING
…Deactivating the Acceleration Skid
Control (ASR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
…Brake Assist System (BAS)
(vehicle type 2500 only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
…Indicator Lamp Electronic Stability Program
(ESP®) (vehicle type 2500 only) . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
…Electronic Stability Program (ESP®)
(vehicle type 2500 only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Q Auxiliary Drive (Optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Q Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Q Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
…Radial-Ply Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
…Important Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179…Tire Care and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
…Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
…Life of Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181…Tread Depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
…Storing Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
…Cleaning Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182…Direction of Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
…Vehicles type 2500 C/HC/SHC . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
…Vehicles type 3500 C/HC/SHC . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
…Tire Grip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185…Hydroplaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
…Recommended Tire Inflation Pressure . . . . . . 186
…Important Notes on Tire Inflation Pressure . . 187
…Checking Tire Inflation Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . 188
…Potential Problems associated with
Underinflated and Overinflated Tires . . . . . . . 190
…Tire Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
…Tire Size Designation, Load and
Speed Rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
…Tire Sizes for Sprinter Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
…Design Standard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193…Tire Width . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
…Aspect Ratio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
…Tire Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193…Rim Diameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
…Tire Load Rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
…Tire Speed Rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195…DOT, Tire Identification Number (TIN) . . . . . 196
…DOT (Department Of Transportation) . . . . . . 197
…Manufacturer’s Identification Mark . . . . . . . . 197…Tire Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
…Tire Type Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
…Date of Manufacture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197…Maximum Tire Load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
…Maximum Tire Inflation Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 199
…Tire Ply Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
…Tire and Loading Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . 200…Rotating Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
…Alignment and Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206

STARTING AND OPERATING 149
5
NOTE: After selecting any driving position from "N"
or "P", wait a moment to allow the gear to fully engage
before accelerating, especially when the engine is cold.
Accelerator Position
Partial throttle, for early upshifting and normal
acceleration
Full throttle, for later upshifting and rapid acceleration
Kickdown, (depressing the accelerator beyond full
throttle) for downshifting to a lower gear and
maximum acceleration. Once the desired speed is
attained, ease up on the accelerator, the transmission
shifts up again.
Stopping
For brief stops, such as at traffic lights, leave the
transmission in gear and hold vehicle with the service
brake.
For longer stops with the engine idling, shift into "N"
or "P" and hold the vehicle with the service brake.
When stopping the vehicle on an uphill grade, do not
hold it with the accelerator, use the brake. This avoids
unnecessary transmission heat build up.Maneuvering
To maneuver in tight areas, such as when pulling into
a parking space, control the vehicle speed by gradually
releasing the brakes. Accelerate gently and never
abruptly step on the accelerator.
To rock a vehicle out of soft ground (mud or snow),
alternately shift from forward to reverse, while
applying slight partial throttle.
WARNING!
Getting out of your vehicle with the gear selector le-
ver not fully engaged in position "P" is dangerous.
Also, when parked on an incline, position "P" alone
may not prevent your vehicle from moving, possibly
hitting people or objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to position "P".
When parked on an incline, also turn front wheel
against curb.

STARTING AND OPERATING 151
5
NOTE: Coasting the vehicle, or driving with gear
selector lever in "N" can result in transmission damage
that is not covered by the Sprinter Warranty.
wThe transmission automatically upshifts through
5th gear. Position "D" provides optimum driving
characteristics under all normal operating
conditions.
Gear Selection for Special Circumstances
The transmission gear ranges for special circumstances can
be selected by pushing the gear selector lever to the right or
the left with the gear selector lever in position "D".
The gear range currently selected is indicated in the
instrument cluster display.
Briefly press gear selector lever in the ç direction:
The transmission downshifts, one gear range at a time,
in the order "4", "3", "2", "1".
Press and hold gear selector lever in the ç direction:
The transmission will shift to a gear range which
favorably accelerates or decelerates the vehicle. This
way downshiftings can be caused.Briefly press gear selector lever in the æ direction:
The transmission will shift from the current gear range
to the next higher gear range. If the transmission is
already in gear range "D", an additional upshift of one
gear is not possible.
Press and hold gear selector lever in the æ direction:
The transmission will shift from the current gear range
directly to gear range "D".
NOTE: With transmission in gear range "D", "4" or "3",
upshifting from 1st to 2nd to 3rd gear is delayed
depending on vehicle speed and engine temperature.
This allows the catalytic converter to heat up more
quickly to operating temperatures.
During the brief warm-up period this delayed upshift
and increased engine noise might be perceived as a
malfunction. However, neither the engine nor
WARNING!
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift in order
to slow the vehicle down. This could result in drive
wheel slip and reduced vehicle control. Your vehi-
cle’s ABS will not prevent this type of loss of control.