2007 DODGE SPRINTER automatic transmission

13 At a glance
Cockpit
1
Function
Page
1
Door control panel
22
2
Light switch
77
3
Combination switch\4Turn signals
\4High-beam headlamps
\4Windshield wipers
\4Rear window wiper*
79
77
126
127
4
Cruise control lever*
147
5
Horn
6
Steering wheel without/
with* buttons
17
Function
Page
7
Instrument cluster
14, 84
8
Storage compartment
9
Storage compartment with
interior lamp
80
Overhead control panel*
19
a
Rear-view mirror*
125
b
Warning display for Park-
tronic system*
150
c
Opens / closes the right-
hand side window
144
d
Jack and vehicle tool kit
300
e
Glove box
165
Function
Page
f
Center console
18
g
Selector lever (automatic
transmission)
111
h
Ignition lock
67
j
Additional switch unit
20
k
Handbrake
115
l
Steering wheel adjustment
76
m
Hood lock release
185
n
Additional switch unit
20

51 Controls in detail
3
Controls in detail
Opening and closing ............52
Key positions ............67
Seats ............68
Steering wheel adjustment ............76
Lighting ............77
Instrument cluster ............84
Operating system without steering wheel buttons ............87
Operating system with steering wheel buttons* ............89
Driving and parking ......... 110
Automatic transmission ......... 121
Good visibility ......... 125
Tempmatic ......... 129
Auxiliary heating/ventilation* ......... 139
Open air ......... 144
Driving systems ......... 147
Operating the vehicle ......... 154
Transporting ......... 156
Features ......... 164

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

112 Controls in detailDriving and parking
3
\1Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
The selector lever lock is released.
\1Release the handbrake (\2page 115).
The7 indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
\1Move the selector lever to position D or
R.\1Release the brake pedal.
\1Carefully depress the accelerator ped-
al.
You will find more information about selec-
tor lever positions, shift ranges and driving
tips in the “Automatic transmission” sec-
tion (\2page 121).
Pulling awayWarning
G
Do not downshift for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery surface. The drive wheels
may lose their grip and the vehicle could
skid.!
CAUTION
Only drive at high speeds once the en-
gine has warmed up. This protects the
engine.
When driving on slippery surfaces,
avoid spinning the drive wheels where
possible as this could damage the drive
train.
iOn vehicles with a reverse warning fea-
ture*, an audible warning sounds for
other road users when reverse gear is
engaged (\2page 153).
iDepending on the vehicle's settings,
the vehicle automatically locks itself
centrally after it has driven off, at the
latest (\2page 64). The locking knobs
on the front doors and the sliding door
drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside
at any time.
You can also switch off the automatic
door lock (\2page 64). !
CAUTION
Only select reverse gear when the vehi-
cle is stationary, otherwise you could
damage the automatic transmission.
iWait until the gear selection has com-
pleted before pulling away.iAutomatic transmission upshifts are
made at higher engine speeds after a
cold start. This helps the catalytic con-
verter to reach its operating tempera-
ture more quickly.

121 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
3
\3 Automatic transmissionP Parking position (selector lever lock)
R Reverse gear
N Neutral
D Drive position
The automatic transmission adapts to your
individual driving style by continuously ad-
justing its shift points. These shift point ad-
justments take into account the current
operating and driving conditions.If the operating or driving conditions
change, the automatic transmission reacts
by adjusting the gearshift program.
The individual gears are selected automat-
ically. The gear selected depends on:
\4the selector lever position in shift rang-
es D, 4, 3, 2 and 1 (\2page 123)
\4the position of the accelerator pedal
(\2page 123)
\4the road speed
\4resistance (load, uphill gradient, trailer
towing)
The selector lever position engaged or the
current shift range is shown in the display.
Display on vehicles with steering wheel
buttons* (\2page 89) and on vehicles
without steering wheel buttons
(\2page 87).When the selector lever is in position D,
you can influence the gearshifts made by
the automatic transmission by:
\4restricting the shift range
\4changing gear yourselfGearshift patternGearshift procedure
Selector lever positionsì
Parking lock
Prevents the parked vehicle
from rolling away. Only move
the selector lever to P when
the vehicle is stationary.
You can only remove the key
when the selector lever is in
position P. The selector lever is
locked in position P when the
key is removed.
í
Reverse gear
Only move the selector lever to
R when the vehicle is station-
ary.

122 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission
3
When the selector lever is in position D,
you can perform gearshifts yourself, even
on vehicles with automatic transmission.
Downshifting
\1Press the selector lever to the left to-
wards D–.
The automatic transmission restricts
the shift range (\2page 123) by one
gear. The automatic transmission shifts
to the next gear down, depending on
the gear currently engaged.Upshifting
\1Press the selector lever to the right to-
wards D+.
The automatic transmission extends
the shift range by one gear. The auto-
matic transmission shifts to the next
gear up, depending on the current
gearshift program.
Derestricting the shift range
\1Press and hold the selector lever to-
wards D+ until
D is shown once more in
the display.
The automatic transmission shifts from
the current shift range directly to D.
ë
Neutral
No power is transmitted from
the engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brakes will allow
you to move the vehicle freely,
e.g. by pushing or towing.
Do not move the selector lever
to N while the vehicle is in mo-
tion. The automatic transmis-
sion could otherwise be
damaged.
If ASR is deactivated or ESP
®
has malfunctioned: only move
the selector lever to N if the ve-
hicle is in danger of skidding,
e.g. on icy roads.
ê
Drive
The automatic transmission
changes gear automatically. All
5 forward gears are available.
One-touch gearshifting Warning
G
Do not downshift for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery surface. The drive wheels
may lose their grip and the vehicle could
skid.
iThe automatic transmission does not
shift down if you press the selector le-
ver towards D– and the speed of the
vehicle is too high. The engine could
otherwise overrev.

123 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
3
Selecting the ideal shift range
\1Press and hold the selector lever
towardsD–.
The automatic transmission will shift to
a range which allows easy acceleration
and deceleration. To do this, the auto-
matic transmission will shift down one
or more gears.
When the selector lever is in position D you
can restrict or derestrict the shift range for
the automatic transmission.
\1Press the selector lever briefly towards
the right (D+) or left (D–).
The set shift range is shown in the dis-
play.Accelerator pedal position
Your style of driving influences how the au-
tomatic transmission shifts gears:
\4Little throttle:
early upshifts
\4More throttle:
later upshifts
Kickdown
Use kickdown for maximum acceleration.
\1Depress the accelerator pedal beyond
the pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to
the next gear down, depending on the
engine speed.
\1Release the accelerator pedal as
soon as the desired speed has been
reached.
The automatic transmission shifts up
again.Shift rangesiIf the maximum engine speed for the
shift range is reached and you depress
the accelerator, the automatic trans-
mission will not upshift if the shift
range is restricted.
ê
The transmission shifts
through all 5 gears.
é
The automatic transmission
shifts only as far as fourth gear.
è
The automatic transmission
shifts only as far as third gear.
This position allows you to use
the braking effect of the en-
gine.
ç
The automatic transmission
shifts only as far as second
gear.
For braking on steep downhill
gradients and for driving:
\4on steep mountain roads
\4in mountainous terrain
\4in arduous conditions
æ
The automatic transmission
only works in first gear.
For braking on extremely steep
downhill gradients and long
downhill gradients.
Driving tips

124 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission
3
Stopping
If you are only stopping briefly:
\1leave the selector lever in the drive po-
sition
\1secure the vehicle against rolling away
using the brake pedal
Maneuvering
Maneuvering in a tight space:
\1Control the speed by braking carefully.
\1Accelerate only slightly and avoid jolt-
ing.Trailer towing
\1Run the engine in the moderate engine
speed range on steep uphill gradients.
\1Depending on the uphill or downhill
gradient, shift down to shift range3 or
2 (\2page 123), even if cruise control*
is switched on.
Working on the vehicle
iFor rapid maneuvering (e.g. to rock the
vehicle out of snow or slush), you can
shift back and forth between drive
positionD and reverse gearR at low
speeds without applying the brakes.
Warning
G
Apply the handbrake before working on the
vehicle and shift the automatic transmission
into parking positionP.
The vehicle could otherwise roll away.