2008 DODGE SPRINTER brakes

252 Controls in detailDriving systems
3
\1
Briefly press the cruise control lever
upward
1
to increase the speed or
downward3
to reduce the speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
decreased in 1 mph increments
(1 km/h increments).
or
\1
Press and hold the cruise control le-
ver up
1
or down
3
until the de-
sired speed has been reached.
\1
Release the cruise control lever.
The current speed is stored.
Deactivating cruise controlThere are various ways of deactivating
cruise control:\1
Briefly press cruise control lever
forward
4
.
or
\1
Apply the brakes.
The last speed set remains stored.
iCruise control is not deactivated if
you depress the accelerator pedal. If
you accelerate briefly to overtake, for
example, cruise control adjusts the
vehicle’s speed to the last speed
stored after you have finished over-
taking.
iThe last speed stored is cleared when
you switch off the engine.
nf_BA.book Page 252 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

255 Controls in detail
Driving systems
3
Front sensors
Rear sensors
Minimum distance
If an obstacle is within this range, all seg-
ments of the warning displays light up
and a warning tone sounds (the warning
for the front sounds different than the
warning for the rear). The distance may
no longer be displayed if you drive the
vehicle closer to the obstacle than the
minimum distance.
Center
about 39 in (100 cm)
Corners
about 26 in (65 cm)
Center
about 71 in (180 cm)
Corners
about 39 in (100 cm)
Center
about 12 in (30 cm)
Corners, front
about 10 in (25 cm)
Corners, rear
about 12 in (30 cm)
!
CAUTION
Pay particular attention to obstacles
above or below the sensors when
p a r k i n g , s u c h a s f l o w e r p o t s o r t r a i l e r
towbars.
Parktronic does not detect such ob-
jects in the immediate vicinity. You
could damage the vehicle or objects.
Parktronic can malfunction as a con-
sequence of:\4
ultrasonic sources such as a
truck’s compressed-air brakes,
an automatic car wash or a pneu-
matic drill
\4
attachments to the vehicle, e.g.
load-bearing implements or trail-
er couplings
\4
number plates (vehicle license
plates) that are not affixed flat
against the bumper
\4
dirty or icy sensors
nf_BA.book Page 255 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

280 Controls in detailTransporting
3
As the driver of the vehicle, you are re-
sponsible for ensuring that the load is
secured against slipping, tipping over,
rolling or falling down, whether driving in
normal traffic situations or on poor road
surfaces or as a result of having to
swerve to avoid an obstacle or applying
the brakes fully.
Failing to secure the load in accordance
with relevant requirements and sound
practice may be a punishable offense,
depending on national legislation and
the consequences that arise.
For this reason, observe the legal re-
quirements in all countries concerned.Before each journey and at regular inter-
vals during longer journeys, check
whether the load is secure and take ad-
ditional action to improve any incorrect
or inadequate safety measures.
\1
Fill up any empty spaces between
the load and the load compartment
walls or wheel arches in a form-fit-ting manner. For this purpose, use
solid transport aids, such as chocks,
wooden blocks or storage cushions.
\1
Secure tilt and tip-resistant loads in
all directions by using the lashing
points or lashing eyes and load rails
in the load compartment or on the
load surface, according to your vehi-
cle's equipment.
Only use lashing materials that have
been tested according to valid stan-
dards, such as lashing nets and
straps.
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.
nf_BA.book Page 280 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

308 OperationDriving tips
4
Attaching a trailerPlease observe the maximum permitted
trailer dimensions (width and length).
Most states and all Canadian provinces
require safety chains between your tow
vehicle and the trailer. The chains should
be crisscrossed under the trailer tongue.
They must be attached to the hitch re-
ceiver, and not to the vehicle’s bumper
or axle. Be sure to leave enough slack in
the chains to permit turning corners.
iMost states and all Canadian prov-
inces require a separate brake sys-
tem at various trailer weights.
Warning
G
Do not connect a trailer brake system (if
trailer is so equipped) directly to the vehi-
cle’s hydraulic brake system as your vehi-
cle is equipped with antilock brakes. If
you do, neither the vehicle’s brakes nor
the trailer’s brakes will function properly.
This could cause an accident resulting in
property damage, injury or death to you or
others.The provided vehicle electrical wiring har-
ness for trailer towing has a brake signal
wire for hook-up to a brake controller.
Continued
Warning (Continued)
G
Most states and all Canadian provinces
require a break-away switch on trailers
with a separate brake system. The switch
activates the trailer brakes in the possible
event that the trailer might separate from
the tow vehicle.You should consider using a trailer sway
control system. For further information,
see your authorized Sprinter Dealer.
nf_BA.book Page 308 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

309 Operation
Driving tips
4
Towing a trailerThere are many different laws, including
speed limit restrictions, having to do
with trailer towing. Make sure that your
vehicle-trailer combination will be legal,
not only for where you reside, but also
for where you will be driving. A good
source for this information can be the
police or local authorities.
Before you start driving with the trailer,
check the trailer hitch, break-away
switch, safety chains, electrical connec-
tions, lighting and tires. Also adjust the
mirrors to permit an unobstructed view
beyond the rear of the trailer.If the trailer has electric brakes, start
your vehicle and trailer moving slowly,
and then apply only the trailer brake
controller by hand to be sure that the
brakes are working properly.
When towing a trailer, check occasional-
ly to be sure that the load is secure, and
that lighting and trailer brakes (if so
equipped) are functioning properly.
Always secure items in the trailer to pre-
vent load shifts while driving.
Take into consideration that when tow-
ing a trailer, the handling characteristics
are different and less stable from those when operating the vehicle without a
trailer. It is important to avoid sudden
maneuvers.
The vehicle and trailer combination is
heavier, and therefore is limited in accel-
eration and climbing ability, and requires
longer stopping distances. It is more
prone to reacting to side wind gusts, and
requires more sensitive steering input.
In order to gain skill and an understand-
ing of the vehicle’s behavior, you should
practice turning, stopping and backing
up in an area which is free from traffic.
nf_BA.book Page 309 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

310 OperationDriving tips
4
If possible, do not brake abruptly, but
rather engage the brake slightly at first
to permit the trailer to activate its brake.
Then increase the braking force.Warning
G
Take into consideration that when towing
a trailer, the handling characteristics are
different and less stable from those when
operating the vehicle without a trailer.
It is important to avoid sudden maneu-
vers. Sudden maneuvers may lead to loss
of control over the vehicle-trailer combi-
nation. This could cause an accident re-
sulting in property damage or injury to
you or others.
!
CAUTION
If the transmission hunts between
gears on inclines, manually shift to a
lower gear (select
"4", "3", "2"
or
"1"). A lower gear and reduction
of speed reduces the chance of the
engine overloading and / or over-
heating.
When going down a long hill, shift
into a lower gear and use the en-
gine’s braking effect. Avoid riding the
brakes, thus overheating the vehicle
and trailer brakes.
If the engine coolant rises to an ex-
tremely high temperature (coolant tem-
perature needle approaching the red
zone) when the air conditioner is on,
turn off the air conditioner. Engine cool-
ant heat can be additionally vented by
opening the windows, switching the cli-
mate control fan speed to high and set-
ting the temperature control to the
maximum hot position.
Extreme care must be exercised since
your vehicle with a trailer will require ad-
ditional passing distance ahead than
when driving without a trailer. Because
your vehicle and trailer is longer than
your vehicle alone, you will also need to
go much farther ahead of the passed ve-
hicle before you can return to your lane.
nf_BA.book Page 310 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

333 Operation
Engine compartment
4
For specifications of brake fluid, see
"Service products and capacities"
(\2
page 616).The windshield washer reservoir is in the
engine compartment. It holds approx.
7.4 US qt (7.0 l).
On vehicles with a headlamp cleaning
system, this is also supplied from the
windshield washer reservoir.
1Coolant tank cap
2Brake fluid reservoir cap
3Windshield washer reservoir capAdd windshield washer fluid concentrate
to the water all year round.
Warning
G
If the boiling point of the brake fluid is too
low, vapor pockets may form in the brake
system when the brakes are applied hard
(e.g. when driving on long downhill
stretches). This has a detrimental effect
on braking efficiency, which could in-
crease the stopping distance. This in-
creases the risk of an accident.
Have the brake fluid replaced every
two years.
Windshield washer system/
headlamp cleaning system*
N20.30-2063-31
nf_BA.book Page 333 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

369 Operation
Tires and wheels
4
Warning (Continued)
G
Always ensure that you re-calibrate the
TPMS after you inflated the tires to the
recommended cold inflation pressure.Always adjust tire inflation pressure ac-
cording to the tire and loading information
placard on the driver’s door B-pillar.Underinflated tires wear excessively and/
or unevenly, adversely affect handling and
fuel economy, and are more likely to fail
from being overheated.
Continued
Warning (Continued)
G
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.The TPMS is not able to issue a warning
due to a sudden dramatic loss of pressure
(e.g. tire blowout caused by a foreign ob-
ject). In this case bring the vehicle to a
halt by carefully applying the brakes and
avoiding abrupt steering maneuvers.
Warning
G
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold
and inflated to the inflation pressure rec-
ommended by the vehicle manufacturer
on the tire and loading information plac-
ard. (If your vehicle has tires of a different
size than the size indicated on the vehicle
placard or the tire inflation pressure label,
you should determine the proper tire infla-
tion pressure for those tires).
Continued
nf_BA.book Page 369 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM