2007 DODGE SPRINTER tow

25 Safety
Occupant safety
2
The most important restraint systems in
the vehicle are the seat belts and child
restraint systems. They are the most effec-
tive means of preventing vehicle occu-
pants from moving towards the point of
impact and thus reducing the risk of occu-
pants hitting parts of the vehicle interior. In accidents in which an airbag is acti-
vated, the airbag will therefore only of-
fer an increase in the protection
provided by the seat belt, i.e. additional
protection, if the seat belt is worn cor-
rectly.
Warning
G
Modifications to or work incorrectly carried
out on a restraint system (seat belt and seat
belt anchorages, emergency tensioning re-
tractor, belt force limiter or airbag) or its wir-
ing, or tampering with other networked
electronic systems, could cause the re-
straint systems to stop working correctly.
The airbags or emergency tensioning retrac-
tors could, for example, be activated inad-
vertently or could fail in accidents in which
the deceleration force is sufficient to trigger
the airbag. For this reason, do not modify
the restraint systems. Do not tamper with
electronic components or their software.
AirbagsWarning
G
Airbags do offer additional protection but
they are not a substitute for the seat belts.
To reduce the risk of serious or fatal injuries,
make sure that all occupants – in particular,
expectant mothers – wear their seat belt
correctly at all times, have adopted a normal
sitting position and that the seat is posi-
tioned as upright as possible.Seat beltsiIn many countries there are regulations
concerning the use of seat belts and
child restraint systems.
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 be seriously or even
fatally injured. Make sure, that all occupants
– in particular, expectant mothers – wear
their seat belt correctly at all times.
You must make sure that the belt:
\4is routed as low as possible across your
pelvic area, for example across your hip
joints and not across your abdomen
\4fits closely
\4is not twisted
\4is routed across the middle of your
shoulder
\4is not routed across your neck or under
your arm
\4is pulled tight across the lap by pulling
upwards on the shoulder belt
\2\2

30 SafetyOccupant safety
2
Vehicle deceleration or acceleration and
the direction of the force are essentially
determined by:
\4the distribution of the force during the
impact
\4the collision angle
\4the deformation characteristics of the
vehicle
\4the composition of the object involved
in the collision, for example the other
vehicle
Factors that cannot be seen or measured
until after the collision are not used to de-
termine whether the airbag should be trig-
gered and are not decisive for this.
The vehicle may be substantially deformed
without an airbag being triggered, for exam-
ple if only relatively easily-deformable vehicle
parts such as the hood or fenders are affect-
ed by the collision and the required deceler-
ation threshold is not reached. On the other
hand, airbags may be triggered even though
the vehicle only displays minor deformation,
if, for example, rigid vehicle parts such as a
longitudinal member are affected by the im-
pact, thus causing vehicle deceleration to ex-
ceed the pre-determined threshold. Emergency tensioning retractors, belt
force limiters
If the vehicle is equipped with a driver’s air-
bag, the driver’s and the co-driver’s seat
belts are equipped with emergency ten-
sioning retractors.
A belt force limiter additionally installed in
the seat belt reduces the load exerted by
the seat belt on the occupant when it is
triggered.
Emergency tensioning retractors tension
the seat belts in an accident, pulling them
close against the body. When the ignition is on, the emergency
tensioning retractor is activated:
\4only if the restraint systems are opera-
tional (the 1-warning lamp comes
on for approximately 4 seconds after
the ignition is switched on.)
(\2page 28).
\4in the event of a head-on or rear-end
collision, if there is a high rate of vehi-
cle acceleration or deceleration in the
initial stages of a collision
\4in the event of a side impact, if the ve-
hicle suddenly decelerates or acceler-
ates in a lateral direction at the initial
stage of the impact and the vehicle is
equipped with thorax / sidebags and /
or windowbags.
If the emergency tensioning retractors are
triggered, you will hear a bang that is gen-
erally harmless to your hearing. A small
amount of powder may also be released.
The 1 warning lamp lights up.
iEmergency tensioning retractors do
not correct:
\4incorrect sitting positions
\4incorrectly worn seat belts
Emergency tensioning retractors do
not pull occupants back towards the
backrest.

48 SafetyAnti-theft systems
2
A visual and audible alarm is triggered if
the inclination of the vehicle changes while
tow-away protection is enabled.
Enabling tow-away protection
Tow-away protection is automatically en-
abled approximately 20 seconds after you
lock the vehicle.
Tow-away protection is automatically de-
activated when you unlock the vehicle.Deactivating the tow-away protection
for transportation
Deactivate tow-away protection if the vehi-
cle is transported or loaded onto another
vehicle. This will prevent false alarms.
The button is located in the overhead con-
trol panel.
1To deactivate tow-away protection
2Indicator lamp\1Turn the key to position0 or1
(\2page 67) in the ignition lock or re-
move the key.
\1Press button1.
Indicator lamp2 lights up for approxi-
mately 5 seconds after the button is re-
leased.
\1Lock the vehicle using the key.
Tow-away protection remains deactivated
until you lock the vehicle again.Tow-away protection*iThe tow-away protection alarm is trig-
gered shortly before the wheel leaves
the ground if the vehicle is being jacked
up on one side, for example.
iWhen the ignition is switched off
(\2page 67), you cannot deactivate
tow-away protection.

56 Controls in detailOpening and closing
3
1Outside door handle
2Button
3Inside door handle
4Locking knobOpening / closing the sliding door from
the outside
\1To open: pull door handle1 to open
the sliding door.
\1Hold door handle1 and slide the slid-
ing door towards the rear as far as the
stop.
\1To close: pull door handle1, to re-
lease the sliding door from its detent
and, holding door handle1, pull the
door firmly towards the front until it en-
gages.
Opening / closing the sliding door from
the inside
\1To unlock: pull locking knob4 up.
Only this sliding door unlocks. The oth-
er doors remain locked.
\1To open: press button 2 to open the
unlocked sliding door.
\1Hold door handle3 and slide the slid-
ing door towards the rear as far as the
stop.
Sliding doorWarning
G
If the vehicle is parked on an incline, the slid-
ing door may move of its own accord if it is
open but not engaged. You or others could
be trapped.
Make sure that the sliding door is engaged
in the active retainer.iThe sliding door is equipped with an ac-
tive retainer, which engages the door at
the end stop when opened.
Always make sure that the open sliding
door is correctly engaged in the detent.
To open the sliding door, it is necessary
to pull the outside door handle first, or
press the button on the inside handle,
to release the sliding door from its de-
tent.
iWhen you open / close the sliding door,
you can also detent it around half way
so that it is not always necessary to
open the door to the end stop to get in
and out of the vehicle. The intermedi-
ate detent does not fully engage the
sliding door.

57 Controls in detail
Opening and closing
3
\1To close: press button 2 to release
the sliding door from its detent and,
holding door handle 3, pull the door
firmly towards the front until it engag-
es.
\1To lock: press locking knob4 down.
Only this sliding door is locked.
Electric closing aid*
Your vehicle may be equipped with an elec-
tric closing aid.
The electric closing aid helps you to close
the sliding door. Closing the door does not
require as much effort.Depending on the vehicle’s equipment,
there are electric sliding doors on the left
and / or right-hand side.
You can operate the electric sliding door as
follows:
\4Switch on the center console
\4Switch in the doorway
\4Inside door handle
\4Outside door handle
\4Remote controlOpening / closing using the switch
Observe the notes on anti-trap protection
(\2page 60).
Sliding door switch on the center console1To close the sliding door / to program
the key (\2page 59)
2To open the sliding door
Electric sliding door*iFollowing a battery disconnection or
malfunction, it is necessary to fully
close the sliding door once by pressing
and holding the switch on the center
console or in the doorway (\2page 57)
and then to fully open and close the
door once by pressing one of the
switches briefly. This restores normal
operation of the sliding door.
N72.16-2135-31

65 Controls in detail
Opening and closing
3
Activating the automatic locking when
driving function for the entire vehicle
\1Close all the doors.
\1Turn the key to position1 or2 in the ig-
nition lock (\2page 67).
\1Press upper part 1 of the switch. Keep
it pressed for approximately
5seconds.
The indicator lamp in the switch flashes
four times.Deactivating the automatic locking
when driving function for the entire
vehicle
\1Close all the doors.
\1Turn the key to position1 or2 in the ig-
nition lock (\2page 67).
\1Press upper part 1 of the switch. Keep
it pressed for approximately
5seconds.
The indicator lamp in the switch flashes
twice.
Activating the automatic locking when
driving function for the sliding doors
and the rear door
\1Close all the doors.
\1Turn the key to position1 or2 in the ig-
nition lock (\2page 67).
\1Press lower part 2 of the switch. Keep
it pressed for approximately
5seconds.
The indicator lamp in the switch flashes
four times.
!
CAUTION
If your vehicle is centrally locked, this
could hinder rescue operations from
the outside in the event of an accident.
When the automatic locking when driv-
ing function is activated, there is a risk
of being locked out if the vehicle is
pushed or towed.
For this reason, always deactivate the
automatic locking when driving func-
tion:
\4before pushing the vehicle
\4before having the vehicle towed
\4if you are only leaving the vehicle
for a brief period
iThe vehicle is locked automatically if
the ignition is switched on and the ve-
hicle is moving (default setting). For in-
formation about different settings,
please ask your authorized Sprinter
Dealer.
iIf activated, automatic locking is deac-
tivated if the vehicle is unlocked or
locked using the central locking switch.
Automatic locking is reactivated after
the ignition is switched off or a door is
opened with the vehicle stationary.

69 Controls in detail
Seats
3
Standard, comfort* and suspension
seats*
1Seat fore-and-aft adjustment
2Lumbar support adjustment
3Backrest adjustment
4Seat height adjustment
5Seat angle adjustment
6Seat suspension adjustment
7Vertical lock leverSeat fore-and-aft adjustment
\1Pull lever 1 up.
\1Slide the seat forwards or backwards
until you can reach the pedals and de-
press them.
\1Release lever1.
\1Slide the seat forwards or backwards
slightly until it engages audibly.
Backrest adjustment
\1Turn thumbwheel3 forward.
The backrest moves to an upright posi-
tion.
\1Turn thumbwheel3 backward.
The backrest tilts towards the rear.
Seat height adjustment
\1Push or pull lever4 repeatedly until
you have reached the desired seat
height.Seat angle adjustment*
\1Turn thumbwheel5 forward.
The front of the seat cushion tilts down.
\1Turn thumbwheel5 backward.
The front of the seat cushion tilts up.
Lumbar support adjustment*
\1Turn thumbwheel2 upward.
This increases the support provided to
your lumbar region.
\1Turn thumbwheel2 downward.
This reduces the support provided to
your lumbar region.
iDifferent settings are possible, depend-
ing on the seat version.
iUsing the lumbar support, you can in-
crease the level of support that the
backrest provides to your spinal col-
umn.
When the lumbar support is correctly
adjusted, it reduces strain on your back
while you are driving.

70 Controls in detailSeats
3
Seat suspension adjustment*
The seat suspension must be adjusted to
your body weight.
\1Relieve the load on the seat.
\1Select your body weight 88 to 165 lbs
(40 to 120 kg) using thumbwheel6
for optimal seat suspension.
The seat suspension becomes harder
as the load on the seat increases.
Vertical lock*
If the seat bounces up and down frequent-
ly, you can engage the seat in its lowest po-
sition.
\1Turn lever7 downward.
The next time the seat bounces, it will
engage in its lowest position.
\1Turn lever7 upward to release the
seat from the vertical lock.
The seat can now move up and down
again.Swivelling front seats*
The driver’s and co-driver’s seat can be ro-
tated by 180° to be opposite of the direc-
tion of travel.The seats engage in the direction of travel
or opposite the direction of travel as well
as at 50° pointing towards the exit.
!
When rotating the seats, make sure the-
re is sufficient space. If necessary, move
the seat fore or aft to avoid colliding with
adjacent add-on parts.
Fold the handbrake lever down as far as it
will go. You could otherwise damage the
handbrake or the handbrake lever.
i
Move the co-driver’s seat forward as far
as it will go before rotating it (\2page 69).
\1Make sure the handbrake is applied
and the handbrake lever is folded down
as far as it will go (\2page 115).
\1Set the steering wheel so that there is
sufficient clearance for turning and ad-
justing the driver’s seat (\2page 76).
Warning
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
The driver’s and co-driver’s seat must be ad-
justed and properly engaged in the direction
of travel for driving. Otherwise you will not
be able to operate the vehicle safely.The restraint systems in your vehicle will
only function as intended when the driver’s
and co-driver’s seat are engaged in the di-
rection of travel.
Warning
G
Make sure nobody can become trapped
when unlocking and turning the seats. Never
hold your hands under the seat or near mo-
veable parts when turning the seats.