2006 DODGE SPRINTER flat tire

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 53
2
Engine Oil Consumption
When the engine has passed the break-in period, oil
consumption may reach 0.5 % of the fuel consumption
recorded in actual operating circumstances. In isolated
cases and in arduous operating conditions, oil
consumption may increase to 1 % of the fuel
consumption recorded in actual operating
circumstances.
Engine oil consumption depends on the driving style
adopted and the operating conditions. It can only be
judged after the engine has passed the break-in period.SAFETY TIPS
 Check the vehicle’s lights and the general condition
of the vehicle before each trip.
 Keep tires at the recommended tire inflation
pressure.
 All occupants should fasten their seat belts before
each trip.
 Driving in an environmentally responsible manner
will reduce noise, fuel consumption and exhaust
emissions.
 Allow the engine to warm up under low load use.
 Avoid unnecessarily hard acceleration, driving with
the throttle fully open, and carrying loads not
specifically needed on the journey.
 Stop the engine during lengthy waiting periods, for
example at traffic lights.
 Remove ancillary parts, such as wind deflectors and
roof racks, as soon as they are no longer needed.

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

176 STARTING AND OPERATING
STEERING
When the engine is not running, there is no power
assistance for the steering. Greater force will be
required to steer the vehicle.
WHEELS AND TIRES
The tires on a new vehicle provide a balance of many
characteristics. They should be inspected regularly for
wear and correct cold tire inflation pressure. The
vehicle manufacturer strongly recommends to use tires
equivalent to the originals in size, quality and
performance when replacement is needed. Refer to the
Tire and Loading Information placard on the driver’s
door B-pillar for the size designation of your tire.
The service description and load identification will be
found on the original equipment tire. Failure to use
equivalent replacement tires may adversely affect the
safety, handling, and ride of your Sprinter vehicle.Contact an authorized Sprinter Dealer or an
authorized tire dealer with any questions you may
have on tire specifications or capability.
CAUTION!
Power take off must not exceed 10 kW. Exceeding
the power take off may cause damage to the
auxiliary drive and/or ribbed V-belt.
WARNING!
Only use tires which have been tested and ap-
proved for your Sprinter vehicle by the vehicle
manufacturer. Tires approved by the vehicle man-
ufacturer are developed to provide best possible
performance in conjunction with the driving safe-
ty systems on your Sprinter vehicle such as ABS or
ESP
®.
Using tires other than those approved by the
vehicle manufacturer may result in damage that is
not covered by Warranty.

180 STARTING AND OPERATING
 Regularly check the tires and rims for damage.
Dented or bent rims can cause tire inflation pressure
loss and damage to the tire beads.
 If vehicle is heavily loaded, check tire inflation
pressure and correct as required.
 Do not allow your tires to wear down too far.
Adhesion properties on wet roads are sharply
reduced at tread depths under 1/8 in (3 mm) for
summer tires and 1/6 in (4 mm) for winter tires.
 When replacing individual tires, you should mount
new tires on the front wheels first.
Tire Care and MaintenanceThe tire inflation pressure should be checked
regularly, i.e. at least each time you refuel the vehicle.
The preferred interval for checking the tire inflation
pressure, however, is before each trip.
For more information on checking tire inflation
pressure, refer to "Recommended Tire Inflation
Pressure".
Tire Inspection
Every time when checking the tire inflation pressure,
the tires should also be inspected for the following:
 excessive treadwear, refer to "Tread Depth"
 cord or fabric showing through the tire’s rubber
 bumps, bulges, cuts, cracks or splits in the tread or
side of the tire
Replace the tire if any of the above conditions is found.
Also inspect the spare tire periodically for condition
and inflation. Spare tires will age and become worn
over time even if never used, and thus should be
inspected and replaced when necessary.
WARNING!
Regularly check the tires for damage. Damaged
tires can cause tire inflation pressure loss. As a re-
sult, you could lose control of your Sprinter vehi-
cle.
Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If the tire
tread is badly worn, or if the tires have sustained
damage, replace them.

STARTING AND OPERATING 181
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Life of Tire
The service life of a tire is dependent upon varying
factors including but not limited to:
driving style
 tire inflation pressure
 distance drivenTread Depth
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI) (1)
The treadwear indicator appears as a solid band across
the tread.
Do not allow tires to wear down too far. Adhesion
properties on wet roads are sharply reduced at tread
depths under 1/8 in (3 mm) for summer tires and 1/6
in (4 mm) for winter tires.
WARNING!
Tires and spare tire should be replaced after 6
years, regardless of the remaining tread.

184 STARTING AND OPERATING
Specified tire inflation pressuresmust bemaintained.
This applies particularly if the tires are subjected to
high loads (e.g. high speeds, heavy loads, high ambient
temperatures).
WARNING!
Although the applicable federal motor vehicle
safety laws consider a tire to be worn when the
treadwear indicators (TWI) become visible at ap-
proximately 1/16 in (1.6 mm), do not allow your
tires to wear down to that level. As tread depth ap-
proaches 1/8 in (3 mm) for summer tires or 1/6 in (4
mm) for winter tires, the adhesion properties on a
wet road are sharply reduced.
Depending upon the weather and/or road surface
(conditions), the tire traction varies widely.
WARNING!
Do not drive with a flat tire. A flat tire affects the
ability to steer or brake the vehicle. You may lose
control of the vehicle. Continued driving with a
flat tire or driving at high speed with a flat tire
will cause excessive heat build-up and possibly a
fire.
WARNING!
Even when permitted by law, never operate a ve-
hicle at speeds greater than themaximum speed
rating of the tires.
Exceeding the maximum speed for which tires are
rated can lead to sudden tire failure, causing loss
of vehicle control and possibly resulting in an
accident and/or serious injury and possible death,
for you and for others.

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.

STARTING AND OPERATING 187
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For more information, refer to "Important Notes on
Tire Inflation Pressure".
1 Recommended cold tire inflation pressures
NOTE: Data shown on placard are for illustration
purposes only. Tire data are specific to each vehicle
and may vary from data shown in the illustration.
Refer to placard on vehicle for actual data specific to
your vehicle.The Tire and Loading Information placard on the
driver’s door B-pillar lists the recommended cold tire
inflation pressures for all load conditions up to the
maximum permissible weight limits (GAWR). The tire
inflation pressures listed apply to the tires installed as
original equipment.
Important Notes on Tire Inflation Pressure
Tire temperature and tire inflation pressure are also
increased while driving, depending on the driving
speed and the tire load.
Tire inflation pressure changes by approximately 1.5
psi (10 kPa) per 18 °F (10 °C) of air temperature change.
WARNING!
If the tire inflation pressure drops repeatedly:
 Check the tires for punctures from foreign
objects.
 Check to see whether air is leaking from the
valves or from around the rim.