2008 DODGE SPRINTER Owners Manual

199 Controls in detail
Driving and parking
3
Tire speed ratingRegardless of the tire speed rating, local
speed limits should be obeyed. Use pru-
dent driving speeds appropriate to pre-
vailing conditions.The vehicles are factory equipped with "L"
(vehicle models type 2500 only) or "N"-rat-
ed tires, which have a speed rating of
74 mph (120 km / h) or 87 mph (140 km /
h) respectively.
For information on speed ratings or for
additional general information on tire
speed markings on the tire side wall, see
"Tire speed rating" (
\2
page 386).
Alignment and balancePoor suspension alignment may result
in:\4
Fast tire wear
\4
Uneven tire wear, such as feathering
and one-sided wear
\4
Vehicle pulling to the left or right
Tires may also cause the vehicle to pull
to the left or right. Alignment will not
correct this condition. See an authorized
Sprinter Dealer for proper diagnosis.
Warning
G
Even when permitted by law, never oper-
ate a vehicle at speeds greater than the
maximum speed rating of the tires.
Exceeding the maximum speed for which
tires are rated can lead to sudden tire fail-
ure, causing loss of vehicle control and
possibly resulting in an accident and / or
serious injury and possible death, for you
and for others.
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200 Controls in detailDriving and parking
3
Improper alignment will not cause vehi-
cle vibration. Vibration may be the result
of a tire and wheel imbalance. Proper
balancing will reduce vibration and avoid
tire cupping and spotty wear.
Coolant temperatureDuring severe operating conditions and
stop-and-go city traffic, the coolant tem-
perature may rise close to approximate-
ly 250 °F (120 °C).
The engine should not be operated with
the coolant temperature over 250 °F
(120 °C). Doing so may cause serious
engine damage which is not covered by
the Sprinter warranty.
Warning
G
\4Driving when your engine is overheat-
ed can cause some fluids, which may
have leaked into the engine compart-
ment, to catch fire. You could be seri-
ously burned.
\4Steam from an overheated engine can
cause serious burns which can occur
just by opening the hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see or hear
steam coming from it.
Turn off the engine, get out of the vehicle
and do not stand near the vehicle until the
engine has cooled down.
nf_BA.book Page 200 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

201 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
3
\3 Automatic transmissionP Parking position (selector lever lock)R Reverse gearN NeutralD Drive positionThe automatic transmission adapts to
your individual driving style by continu-
ously adjusting its shift points. These
shift point adjustments take into ac-
count the current operating and driving
conditions.
If the operating or driving conditions
change, the automatic transmission re-
acts by adjusting the gearshift program.The individual gears are selected auto-
matically. The gear selected depends
on:
\4
the selector lever position in shift
ranges
D, 4, 3, 2 and
1 (\2
page 204)
\4
the position of the accelerator pedal
(\2
page 205)
\4
the road speed
\4
resistance (load, uphill gradient,
trailer towing)
Gearshift pattern
Gearshift procedure
nf_BA.book Page 201 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

202 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission
3
The selector lever position engaged or
the current shift range is shown in the
display. Display on vehicles with steer-
ing wheel buttons* (
\2
page 151) and on
vehicles without steering wheel buttons
(
\2
page 147).
When the selector lever is in position
D,
you can influence the gearshifts made
by the automatic transmission by:
\4
restricting the shift range
\4
changing gear yourself
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 sta-
tionary.
ë

NeutralNo power is transmitted from
the engine to the drive
wheels. Releasing the brakes
will allow you to move the ve-
hicle freely, e.g. by pushing or
towing.Do not move the selector le-
ver to
N while the vehicle is in
motion. The automatic trans-
mission could otherwise be
damaged.
nf_BA.book Page 202 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

203 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
3
When the selector lever is in position
D,
you can perform gearshifts yourself,
even on vehicles with automatic trans-
mission.
Downshifting
\1
Press the selector lever to the left to-
wards
D–
.
The automatic transmission restricts
the shift range (
\2
page 204) by one
gear. The automatic transmission
shifts to the next gear down, depend-
ing on the gear currently engaged.
If ASR is deactivated or ESP
®
has malfunctioned: only
move the selector lever to N
if the vehicle is in danger of
skidding, e.g. on icy roads.
ê

Drive

The automatic transmission
changes gear automatically.
All 5 forward gears are avail-
able.
One-touch gearshifting
Warning
G
Do not downshift for additional engine
braking 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
lever towards
D–
and the speed of
the vehicle is too high. The engine
could otherwise overrev.
nf_BA.book Page 203 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

204 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission
3
Upshifting
\1
Press the selector lever to the right
towards
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
\1
Press 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.
Selecting the ideal shift range
\1
Press and hold the selector lever
towards
D–
.
The automatic transmission will shift
to a range which allows easy acceler-
ation and deceleration. To do this,
the automatic 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.
\1
Press the selector lever briefly to-
wards the right (
D+
) or left (
D–
).
The set shift range is shown in the
display.
Shift rangesiIf the maximum engine speed for the
shift range is reached and you de-
press the accelerator, the automatic
transmission will not upshift if the
shift range is restricted.
nf_BA.book Page 204 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

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