2007 DODGE SPRINTER belt

41 Safety
Occupant safety
2
TopTether
The TopTether anchorages are on the feet
of the rear bench seat.1Head restraints
2TopTether anchorages
2 TopTether anchorage
3TopTether hook
4TopTether belt of
LATCH type
child re-
straint system\1Slide head restraint1 upward.
\1Guide TopTether belt4 under head
restraint1 from the front and be-
tween the two head restraint bars.
\1Hook TopTether hook3 into
TopTether anchorage2 on the feet of
the bench seat.
\1If necessary, slide head restraint1
back down a little (\2page 72). Make
sure that TopTether belt4 can move
freely.
\1Install the
LATCH type
child restraint
system with TopTether. The manufac-
turer’s installation instructions must be
observed.
Warning
G
Do not expose child restraint systems to di-
rect sunlight. Metallic parts of the child re-
straint system could heat up, for example,
and the child could burn him / herself on the
hot parts.
If the children open a door, they could:
\4cause injury to others as a result
\4get out of the vehicle and could either
injure themselves when doing so or they
could be injured by passing vehicles
\4sustain serious injuries if they were to
fall out of the vehicle, due in particular
to the height of the passenger compart-
ment from the ground

68 Controls in detailSeats
3
Driver’s and co-driver’s seatsWarning
G
Only adjust the seats when the vehicle is
stationary and the handbrake is applied. You
could otherwise lose control of the vehicle
as a result of the seat moving and cause an
accident.Warning
G
Make sure that nobody can become trapped
as the seat is adjusted. Never place your
hands under the seat or near to moving
parts.
Your seat must be adjusted in such a way
that you can wear the seat belt correctly
(\2page 27).
Observe the following points:
\4Position the backrest as vertically as
possible and sit upright.
\4Avoid seat positions that do not allow
the seat belt to be routed correctly. The
shoulder section of the seat belt must
be routed across the middle of your
shoulder and must fit closely across
your chest. The lap section of the belt
must be routed as low as possible
across your pelvic area, i.e. across your
hip joints. Never drive with the backrest
tilted too far back.
\4Your arms should be slightly bent when
you are holding the steering wheel.
\4The distance from the pedals should be
such that you can depress them fully.
\4Adjust the head restraint in such a way
that the upper edge of the head restraint
is level with your head.
\4Make sure that you hear the seat en-
gage. Otherwise, the seat is not correct-
ly locked in place.
Injuries may be caused if these notes are
not observed.Warning
G
Avoid seat positions in which you cannot
wear your seat belt correctly. They are a
safety hazard and must therefore be
avoided.

74 Controls in detailSeats
3
The folding seat is on the co-driver’s side. Folding seat next to the partition sliding
door1Key for partition sliding door
2Seat cushion\1Remove key1 from partition sliding
door.
\1Fold seat cushion2 down or up.
The seat cushion is held in the relevant
position.Folding seat*
Warning
G
When folding down the seat cushion, make
sure that nobody can become trapped.
The risk of injury to the co-driver is in-
creased in the event of sudden steering
movements or an accident if there is a key
inserted in the partition sliding door lock.
Remove the key from the partition sliding
door before using the folding seat.
Rear bench seatWarning
G
All release levers on the legs of the rear
bench seat must be parallel to the vehicle
floor. A rear bench seat with 2 seats may
only be installed left-sided.
You can obtain information from any autho-
rized Sprinter dealer.
The integrated seat belt can only offer the
degree of protection for which it is designed
if you install the specified rear bench seats
correctly.
Keep the seat bench mounting cups in the
vehicle floor free from dirt and foreign
objects. This is the only way to guarantee
that the locking mechanisms will engage se-
curely.
For reasons of safety, only have seat mount-
ing cups retrofitted at an authorized Sprinter
dealer.

110 Controls in detailDriving and parking
3
\3 Driving and parking
\1Before each journey, check the vehicle
lighting and the general condition of
the vehicle.
\1Observe the general driving tips at the
end of this section (\2page 116).
You will find information on:
\4regular checks (\2page 181)
\4driving in winter (\2page 235)
\4driving when towing a trailer
(\2page 175)
\4and other driving tips
in the “Operation” section (\2page 173).
Warning
G
T h e m o v e m e n t o f t h e p e d a l s m u s t n o t b e o b -
structed. The vehicle’s operating and road
safety are otherwise jeopardized.
Objects could fall and get caught between
the pedals if you accelerate or brake sud-
denly. You will no longer be able to brake or
accelerate. You could cause an accident,
which could result in injury to yourself and
others.
\4If floor mats and carpets are used, make
sure that these are secured correctly
and cannot slip and that there is suffi-
cient pedal clearance.
\4Do not place any objects in the driver’s
footwell.
\4Store and secure all loose objects so
they cannot get into the driver’s footwell
while the vehicle is in motion.
Warning
G
The doors could open of their own accord
while the vehicle is in motion if they are not
fully closed. For this reason, please make
sure that all the doors are properly closed
and locked before driving off (\2page 52).
Starting the engineWarning
G
Never run the engine in an enclosed space.
The exhaust fumes contain poisonous car-
bon monoxide. Breathing in exhaust fumes
constitutes a health hazard and can lead to
loss of consciousness and death.Warning
G
A seat belt that is worn incorrectly or not at
all, or that is not correctly engaged in the
seat belt buckle, cannot perform its intend-
ed protective function. In certain circum-
stances, you could then be seriously or even
fatally injured. Make sure, therefore, that all
occupants – in particular, expectant moth-
ers – wear their seat belt correctly at all
times.

111 Controls in detail
Driving and parking
3
\1Before starting the engine, make sure
that all vehicle occupants are wearing
their seat belt correctly (\2page 27)
and the handbrake (\2page 115) is ap-
plied.Automatic transmission
Gearshift patternP Parking position (selector lever lock)
R Reverse gear
N Neutral
D Drive position
\1Make sure that the automatic transmis-
sion is in parking position P before
starting the engine.Starting the engine
Gasoline engine
\1Turn the key to position3 in the igni-
tion lock (\2page 67) and release it im-
mediately ("touch-start" function).
The engine starts automatically.
Diesel engine
\1Switch on the ignition (\2page 67).
Theq preglow indicator lamp in the
instrument cluster comes on.
\1As soon as the q preglow indicator
lamp goes out, turn the key to position
3 in the ignition lock and release it as
soon as the engine is running.
\1Warm the engine up quickly.
\1Do not run the engine at full speed until
it has reached operating temperature.
!
CAUTION
Do not depress the accelerator pedal
when starting the engine.
iIf you depress the brake pedal when
starting the engine, pedal travel may be
short and the pedal resistance may be
high.
Pedal travel and resistance return to
normal when you depress the brake
pedal again while the engine is running.
iIt is also possible to start the engine in
neutral N.
iYou can start the engine without pre-
glow when the engine is warm.After a cold start

145 Controls in detail
Open air
3
Sliding sunroof switch1To open
2To close
3To raise
4To lower\1Switch on the ignition (\2page 67).
\1Press the sliding sunroof switch in the
desired direction as far as the first
pressure point.
\1Release the sliding sunroof switch
when the desired position has been
reached.
Sliding sunroof*Warning
G
M a k e s u r e t h a t n o b o d y c a n b e c o m e t r a p p e d
as you close the sliding sunroof.
The glass may shatter in the event of an ac-
cident.
If you or other occupants are not wearing
your seat belt, there is a risk of being thrown
out of the opening in the event of the vehicle
overturning. Therefore, always wear a seat
belt to reduce the risk of injuries.
In accidents in which the vehicle overturns,
there is an increased risk of injury even for
occupants who have fastened their seat
belts correctly, as their head or limbs could
be thrust through the opening.
Remove the key from the ignition lock even
if you are only leaving the vehicle for a short
time.
!
CAUTION
Do not raise the sliding sunroof if you
have mounted a roof rack. It would oth-
erwise strike the roof rack.
You could thereby damage the sliding
sunroof and the roof rack.
iThe sliding sunroof opens automatical-
ly when you press the sliding sunroof
switch for opening beyond the pressure
point and then release it.
To stop the sliding sunroof, press the
sliding sunroof switch again in any di-
rection.!
CAUTION
Do not transport objects protruding
through the sliding sunroof. You could
otherwise damage the sliding sunroof.

158 Controls in detailTransporting
3
The load's overall center of gravity should
be as low and central as possible, between
the axles near the rear axle.
For crewbus models:
\1Always transport loads in the load com-
partment.
\1Always place loads flush against the
seat backrests of the rear bench seat.
\1Slide larger and heavier loads as far for-
ward as possible when looking in the
direction of travel. Stack items against
each other behind the rear bench seat.\1Always secure loads with suitable
transport aids or lashing materials.
As the driver of the vehicle, you are respon-
sible for ensuring that the load is secured
against slipping, tipping over, rolling or fall-
ing down, whether driving in normal traffic
situations or on poor road surfaces or as a
result of having to swerve to avoid an ob-
stacle or applying the brakes fully.Failing to secure the load in accordance
with relevant requirements and sound
practice may be a punishable offense, de-
pending on national legislation and the
consequences that arise.
For this reason, observe the legal require-
ments in all countries concerned.
Before each journey and at regular inter-
vals during longer journeys, check whether
the load is secure and take additional ac-
tion to improve any incorrect or inade-
quate safety measures.
\1Fill up any empty spaces between the
load and the load compartment walls
or wheel arches in a form-fitting man-
ner. For this purpose, use solid trans-
port aids, such as chocks, wooden
blocks or storage cushions.Load distribution!
CAUTION
Excessive loads on individual points of
the load compartment floor or load sur-
face have a negative effect on handling
characteristics and could damage the
floor covering.
iObserve the following notes:
\4Do not stack loads higher than the
upper edge of the backrests.
\4Transport loads behind seats that
are not occupied.
\4If the rear bench seat is not occu-
pied, insert the seat belts in a cross-
wise pattern into the opposite belt
buckles.Securing a load
iInformation about how to secure a
load correctly can be obtained from the
manufacturers of transport aids or
lashing materials for securing loads.

206 OperationTires and wheels
4
Placard
For vehicles with a gross weight capacity
less than 10,000 lbs (4500 kg) only.
The tire and loading information placard is
located on the driver’s door B-pillar.Tire and loading information placard1Seating capacity
2Load limit informationSeating capacity
The seating capacity1 gives you impor-
tant information on the number of occu-
pants that can be in the vehicle. Observe
front and rear seating capacity.
Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are designated seating posi-
tions and seat belts available. Make sure
that everyone riding in the vehicle is cor-
rectly restrained with a separate seat belt.Load limit information
Locate the statement “The combined
weight of occupants and cargo should nev-
er exceed XXX kilograms or XXX lbs.” 2
on the tire and loading information plac-
ard. The combined weight of all occupants,
cargo/luggage and trailer tongue load (if
applicable) should never exceed the
weight referenced in that statement.
Steps for determining correct load limit
For vehicles with a gross weight capacity
less than 10,000 lbs (4500 kg) only.
The following steps have been developed
as required of all manufacturers under Title
49, Code of U.S. Federal Regulations, Part
575 pursuant to the “National Traffic and
Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966”.
iThe data shown on this placard is for il-
lustrative purposes only. The load limit
data and seating data are specific to
each vehicle and may vary from the
data shown in the illustration below.
Refer to the placard on your vehicle for
actual data specific to your vehicle.