2006 DODGE SPRINTER automatic transmission

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.

STARTING AND OPERATING
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CONTENTS
Q Power Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Q Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
…Maximum Engine Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145…Constant RPMs (Optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Q Stopping the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Q Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
…Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
…Accelerator Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
…Stopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149…Maneuvering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
…Gear Selector Lever Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
…Gear Selection for Special Circumstances . . . . 151
Q Transmission Selector Lever, Manually
Unlocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
…Reversing Aid (Optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Q Loading the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
…Loading Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Q Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
…Service Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
…Brake Pad Wear Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
…Brake Indicator and Electronic Brake
Force Distribution (EBD) Indicator Lamp . . . 160
…Parking Brake Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
…Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
…Driving Safety Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163…Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
…Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
…Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) . . . 167
…Acceleration Skid Control Indicator
Lamp (ASR) and Brake Assist System (BAS)1
if equipped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
…Acceleration Skid Control (ASR) Warning
Lamp and Electronic Stability Program
(ESP®)* – if equipped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
…Acceleration Skid Control (ASR) . . . . . . . . . . . 170

STARTING AND OPERATING 145
5
Preheater indicator lamp (3)
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Automatic transmission, shift selector lever to "P"
or "N" position, refer to "Automatic Transmission".
3. Do not depress the accelerator pedal.
4. Turn the key to position 2 in the ignition lock.
The preheater indicator lampq lights up.
5. Turn the key clockwise to the stop as soon as the
preheater indicator lamp
q goes out.
If the engine is at its normal operating temperature,
the preheater indicator lamp will only light up briefly.
Release the key as soon as the engine is running.
NOTE: The key must be returned to position 0 in the
ignition lock before repeating the starting procedure.
If the displayÁ lights up alternately withî in
the multi-function display, there is an immobilizer
malfunction or the key used has not been
programmed.
The: engine oil level warning lamp and the#
battery charge warning lamp must go out after the
engine is started.
If either lamp remains on, stop the engine at once and
have the cause traced and repaired by an authorized
Sprinter Dealer.
During the trip, check the displays and the warning/
indicator lamps in the instrument cluster at regular
intervals.
Maximum Engine Speed
The maximum engine speed for all vehicles is
4,200 rpm.

148 STARTING AND OPERATING
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
The automatic transmission selects individual gears
automatically, dependent upon:
 Gear Selector lever position
 Accelerator position
 Vehicle speed
The gear shifting process is continuously adapted,
dependent on the driving style, the driving situation
and the road characteristics.
NOTE: When parking the vehicle or before working on
the vehicle with the engine running, apply the parking
brake and shift the gear selector lever into "P".Driving
The gear selector lever is automatically locked while in
position "P". To move the gear selector lever out of
position "P", the service brake is applied and the key in
position 2 in the ignition lock or the engine running
before the shift lock will release.
Shift gear selector lever to the desired position only
when the engine is idling normally and the service
brake is applied. Do not release the brake until ready to
drive. The vehicle may otherwise start creeping when
the gear selector lever is in drive or reverse position.
WARNING!
It is dangerous to shift the gear selector lever out
of "P" or "N" if the engine speed is higher than idle
speed. If your foot is not firmly on the brake ped-
al, the vehicle could accelerate quickly forward or
in reverse. You could lose control of the vehicle
and hit someone or something. Only shift into
gear when the engine is idling normally and when
your right foot is firmly on the brake pedal.

150 STARTING AND OPERATING
Gear Selector Lever Position
The current gear selector lever position (1) is indicated
in the gear range indicator display. The automatic gear
shifting process can be adapted to specific operating
conditions using the gear selector lever.vPark Position
The park position is to be used when parking the
vehicle. Engage only with the vehicle stopped.
The park position is not intended to serve as a
brake when the vehicle is parked. Rather, the
driver should always use the parking brake in
addition to placing the gear selector lever in
park position to secure the vehicle.
NOTE: With a malfunction in the vehicle’s electrical
system the gear selector lever could remain locked in
position "P". To unlock the gear selector lever
manually, refer to "Transmission Gear Selector Lever,
Manually Unlocking".
t Reverse Gear
Shift to reverse gear only with the vehicle
stopped.
s Neutral
No power is transmitted from the engine to the
drive axle. When the brakes are released, the
vehicle can be moved freely (pushed or towed).
Do not engage "N" while driving as you may
otherwise lose control of the vehicle.

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.

152 STARTING AND OPERATING
transmission are negatively affected by this mode of
operation.
The delayed upshift is effective with vehicle speeds
below 31 mph (50 km / h) at partial throttle and engine
temperatures below 95 °F (+35 °C).
To avoid overrevving the engine when the gear
selector lever is moved to a lower gear, the
transmission will not shift to a lower gear if the
engine’s revolutions per minute limit would be
exceeded. In this case there will be no downshift, even
when the vehicle speed reaches the engine’s rpm limit
of that gear, for example by applying the service
brakes.
To prevent the engine from laboring at low rpm when
driving uphill grades or with your vehicle heavily
loaded, the automatic transmission will downshift
when necessary to maintain engine rpm within the best
torque range.Gear
qUpshift through 4th gear only. Suitable for
performance driving.
pUpshift through 3rd gear only. Suitable for
moderately steep hills. Since the transmission
does not shift higher than 3rd gear, this gear
selection will allow use of the engine’s braking
power downhill.
oUpshift through 2nd gear only. For driving in
mountainous regions or under extreme
operating conditions. This gear selection will
allow use of the engine’s braking power when
descending steep grades.
nUse this position, which makes maximum use of
the engine’s braking effect, while descending
very steep or lengthy downgrades and only at
speeds below 25 mph (38 km / h).

STARTING AND OPERATING 153
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TRANSMISSION SELECTOR LEVER, MANUALLY
UNLOCKING
In the case of power failure the transmission selector
lever can be manually unlocked (for vehicle towing).
To do so, insert a pin (1) (ball point pen), into the
covered opening below the position "D" of the shift
pattern. While pushing the pin down, move selector
lever from position "P".
After removal of the pin from the opening, the cover
will not close fully. Only after moving the selector lever
to positions "D+" and "D–" does the cover return to its
closed position.Reversing Aid (Optional)
Reversing aid sensors (1)
The reversing aid monitors the rear area of the vehicle
by means of four sensors in the rear bumper.
The reversing aid automatically provides you with a
visual and audible indication of the distance between
your vehicle and an obstacle, when the key is in
position 2 in the ignition lock and the reverse gear is
engaged.
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