2008 DODGE SPRINTER transmission

205 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
3
Accelerator pedal positionYour style of driving influences how the
automatic transmission shifts gears:\4
Little throttle:
early upshifts
\4
More throttle:
later upshifts
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
engine.
ç
The automatic transmission
shifts only as far as second
gear.
For braking on steep downhill
gradients and for driving:\4
on steep mountain roads
\4
in mountainous terrain
\4
in arduous conditions
æ
The automatic transmission
only works in first gear.
For braking on extremely
steep downhill gradients and
long downhill gradients.
Driving tips
nf_BA.book Page 205 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

206 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission
3
Kickdown

Use kickdown for maximum acceleration.\1
Depress the accelerator pedal be-
yond the pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to
the next gear down, depending on
the engine speed.
\1
Release the accelerator pedal as
soon as the desired speed has been
reached.
The automatic transmission shifts up
again.
StoppingIf you are only stopping briefly:\1
leave the selector lever in the drive
position
\1
secure the vehicle against rolling
away using the brake pedal
ManeuveringManeuvering in a tight space:\1
Control the speed by braking carefully.
\1
Accelerate only slightly and avoid
jolting.iFor rapid maneuvering (e.g. to rock
the vehicle out of snow or slush), you
can shift back and forth between
drive position
D and reverse gear
R
at low speeds without applying the
brakes.
nf_BA.book Page 206 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

207 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
3
Trailer towing
\1
Run the engine in the moderate en-
gine speed range on steep uphill gra-
dients.
\1
Depending on the uphill or downhill
gradient, shift down to shift range
3
or
2 (\2
page 204), even if cruise
control* is switched on.
Working on the vehicleWarning
G
Apply the handbrake before working on
the vehicle and shift the automatic trans-
mission into parking positionP.
The vehicle could otherwise roll away.
nf_BA.book Page 207 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

257 Controls in detail
Driving systems
3
The selector lever position determines
whether the front and/or rear area is
monitored.One or more segments light up as the
vehicle approaches an obstacle, de-
pending on the vehicle’s distance from
the obstacle.
From the:
\4
sixth segment, an intermittent warn-
ing tone sounds for approximately
2seconds
\4
seventh segment, a continuous
warning tone sounds for approxi-
mately 2 seconds. You have reached
the minimum distance.
Roll-back warningParktronic automatically begins to mon-
itor the area behind the vehicle if the ve-
hicle begins to roll backwards without
reverse gear engaged, e.g. after stop-
ping on an uphill gradient.
If Parktronic detects an obstacle no
more than 31 in (80 cm) away,\4
all the segments of the warning dis-
plays light up
\4
a continuous warning tone sounds as
the vehicle approaches the obstacle
and for a further 2 seconds after the
vehicle has come to a halt
!
CAUTION
There is a malfunction if only the red
segments of the warning display light
up (\2
page 451).
Transmission
position
Monitoring
D
Front area
R or
N
Front and rear
area
P
No areas activated
nf_BA.book Page 257 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

305 Operation
Driving tips
4
For the permissible weights and ratings,
refer to the following table.
!
CAUTION
Cargo vans with a long wheelbase of
170.3 in (4325 mm) and an overall
vehicle length of 289.1 in (7344 mm)
have a reduced GTW and TWR.
iThe GVWR and the front/rear GAWR
of your vehicle are indicated on the
certification label.
!
CAUTION
For vehicle model type 3500, the al-
lowable GCWR is less than the com-
bined maximum weight of the GVWR
and the GTW. Exceeding the GCWR
can cause damage to the drive train,
the transmission, or the trailer
hitch*.
Thus, the permissible values for
GVWR and/or the GTW are reduced
when either the trailer or the vehicle
is fully laden. you may therefore only
partly load the vehicle and/or the
trailer.
nf_BA.book Page 305 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

371 Operation
Tires and wheels
4
Reactivating the TPMSThe TPMS must be reactivated when you
have adjusted the tire inflation pressure
to a new level (e.g. because of different
load or driving conditions). The TPMS is
then recalibrated to the current tire in-
flation pressures.
Warning (Continued)
G
TPMS malfunctions may occur for a vari-
ety of reasons, including the installation
of incompatible replacement or alternate
tires or wheels on the vehicle that prevent
the TPMS from functioning properly. Al-
ways check the TPMS malfunction telltale
after replacing one or more tires or
wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the
replacement or alternate tires and wheels
allow the TPMS to continue to function
properly.
iIf a condition causing the TPMS to
malfunction develops, it may take up
to 10 minutes for the system to sig-
nal a malfunction using the TPMS tell-
tale flashing and illumination
sequence.
The telltale extinguishes after driving
a few minutes if the malfunction has
been corrected.
iOperating radio transmission equip-
ment (e.g. wireless headsets, two-
way radios) in or near the vehicle
could cause the TPMS to malfunction
nf_BA.book Page 371 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

378 OperationTires and wheels
4
Warning (Continued)
G
USA only:Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate when
the system is not operating properly. The
TPMS malfunction indicator is combined
with the low tire pressure telltale. When the
system detects a malfunction, the telltale will
flash for approximately 1 minute and then re-
main continuously illuminated. This se-
quence will continue upon subsequent
vehicle start-ups as long as the malfunction
exists. When the malfunction indicator is illu-
minated, the system may not be able to de-
tect or signal low tire pressure as intended.
Continued
Warning (Continued)
G
TPMS malfunctions may occur for a vari-
ety of reasons, including the installation
of incompatible replacement or alternate
tires or wheels on the vehicle that prevent
the TPMS from functioning properly. Al-
ways check the TPMS malfunction telltale
after replacing one or more tires or
wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the
replacement or alternate tires and wheels
allow the TPMS to continue to function
properly.
iIf a condition causing the TPMS to
malfunction develops, it may take up
to 10 minutes for the system to sig-
nal a malfunction using the TPMS
telltale flashing and illumination se-
quence.
The telltale extinguishes after driving
a few minutes if the malfunction has
been corrected.iOperating radio transmission equip-
ment (e.g. wireless headsets, two-way
radios) in or near the vehicle could
cause the TPMS to malfunction
nf_BA.book Page 378 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM