Page 251 of 666

249 Controls in detail
Driving systems
3
Cruise control leverThe cruise control lever is the upper-
most lever on the left of the steering col-
umn.
Warning
G
The cruise control function cannot take
account of road and traffic conditions.
Always pay attention to road and traffic
conditions, even when cruise control is
activated.Cruise control is only an aid designed to
assist driving. You are responsible for the
vehicle’s speed and for braking in good
time.
If there is a change of drivers, advise the
new driver of the cruising speed that is
stored.
Warning
G
Do not use cruise control:
\4if road and traffic conditions do not
permit a constant driving speed to be
maintained (e.g. heavy traffic or wind-
ing roads). You could otherwise cause
an accident.
\4on slippery roads. The drive wheels
may lose their grip when braking or
accelerating and the vehicle could
skid
\4when visibility is poor, e.g. in fog,
heavy rain or snow
iCruise control may be unable to
maintain the stored speed on uphill
or downhill gradients. The stored
speed is resumed if the gradient
evens out and the vehicle’s speed
has not fallen below 20 mph
(30 km/h).
nf_BA.book Page 249 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM
Page 345 of 666

343 Operation
Tires and wheels
4
Warning
G
Do not use a tire, wheel size or rating oth-
er than that specified for your Sprinter ve-
hicle. Some combinations of unapproved
tires and wheels may change suspension
dimensions and performance characteris-
tics, resulting in changes to steering, han-
dling, and braking of your Sprinter vehicle.
This can cause unpredictable handling
and stress to steering and suspension
components. You could lose control and
have an accident resulting in serious inju-
ry or death.
Continued
Warning (Continued)
G
Only use the tire and wheel sizes with load
ratings approved for your Sprinter vehicle,
refer to "Tire and loading information".Never use a tire with a smaller load index
or speed index or capacity other than
what was originally equipped on your
Sprinter vehicle. Using a tire with a small-
er load index could result in tire overload-
ing and failure. You could lose control and
have an accident.Failure to equip the vehicle with tires hav-
ing adequate speed capability can result
in sudden tire failure and loss of vehicle
control.
!
CAUTION
Replacing original tires with tires of a
different size may result in false
speedometer and odometer read-
ings.
nf_BA.book Page 343 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM
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344 OperationTires and wheels
4
Only use wheels and tires which have
been tested and approved by the vehicle
manufacturer.
Warning
G
Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If the
tire tread is badly worn, or if the tires have
sustained damage, replace them.
When replacing rims, only use genuine
wheel bolts approved by the vehicle man-
ufacturer and specified for the particular
rim type. Failure to do so can result in the
bolts loosening and possibly an accident.
Do not use retreaded/remolded tires.
This process does not always permit pre-
vious damage to be detected. Therefore
vehicle safety cannot be guaranteed if re-
treaded/remolded tires are fitted.
Warning
G
Fitting other wheel sizes to the vehicle will
change the vehicle’s handling characteris-
tics and may lead to an accident resulting
in death, severe personal injuries and
property damage.
Continued
Warning (Continued)
G
Only certain tires meeting the tire size/
load/speed rating specifications are cer-
tified to conform to FMVSS 110 for the
Sprinter vehicle at this time. Please check
your side walls of your originally equipped
tires for specific makes/sizes, and speed
load ratings when you need to replace
your tires.To prevent accidents resulting in possible
death, severe injury or property damage,
use only the tire and wheel sizes with load
ratings approved for your Sprinter vehicle
for your tire replacement. Refer to "Tire and loading information"
(\2page 352).
nf_BA.book Page 344 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM
Page 347 of 666

345 Operation
Tires and wheels
4
For information on tire and wheel sizes
with load ratings, refer to "Tire and load-
ing information" (
\2
page 303).Cuts and punctures in radial tires are re-
pairable only in the tread area because
of side wall flexing. Consult an autho-
rized tire dealer for radial tire repairs.
Radial-ply tiresWarning
G
Combining radial ply tires with other types
of tires on your Sprinter vehicle will
change the vehicle’s handling characteris-
tics and may lead to an accident resulting
in death, severe personal injuries and
property damage. Always use radial ply
tires in sets of 4 (or 6, in case of vehicles
with dual rear wheels).
Never combine them with other types of
tires.
Tire valves (snap-in valves)Warning
G
Sprinter vehicle tire valves are tested and ap-
proved under rough operating conditions.The installation of additional hub caps or
other wheel simulators could cause dam-
age to the tire valve and lead to a loss of
tire pressure at the valve stem.
Continued
Warning (Continued)
G
Do not install any of these parts on your
Sprinter vehicle. To help ensure safe and
reliable operation of your Sprinter vehicle,
only use parts and accessories tested and
approved by the vehicle manufacturer for
your Sprinter vehicle.
nf_BA.book Page 345 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM
Page 348 of 666

346 OperationTires and wheels
4
\4
Only use sets of tires and rims of the
same type and make.
\4
Tires must be of the correct size for
the rim.
\4
Break in new tires for approximately
65 miles (100 km) at moderate
speeds.
\4
Regularly check the tires and rims
for damage. Dented or bent rims can
cause tire inflation pressure loss or
damage to the tire beads.
\4
If the vehicle is heavily loaded, check
tire inflation pressure and correct as
required.
\4
Do not allow your tires to wear down
too far. Adhesion properties on wet
roads are sharply reduced at tread
depths under
1/8in (3 mm) for sum-
mer tires and
1/6in (4 mm) for win-
ter tires.
\4
When replacing individual tires, you
should mount new tires on the front
wheels first.
!
CAUTION
Vehicles not equipped with Tire Pres-
sure Monitoring System (TPMS)*:
For safety reasons, whenever you
change a tire, you must also change
the tire valve.
The following tire valves from the
company Schrader must be used on
the vehicles not equipped with
TPMS*:
\4
TR 600 for vehicle model type
2500
\4
TR 418 for vehicle model type
3500
Other tire valves could be damaged
by the specified tire pressures.
Important guidelines
nf_BA.book Page 346 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM
Page 366 of 666

364 OperationTires and wheels
4
Tire temperature and tire inflation pres-
sure are also increased while driving, de-
pending on the driving speed and the
tire load.
Tire inflation pressure changes by ap-
proximately 1.5 psi (0.1 bar) per 18 °F
(10 °C) of air temperature change. Keep
this in mind when checking tire inflation
pressure where the temperature is dif-
ferent from the outside temperature.For example:
If the inside temperature is 68 °F
(20 °C) and the outside temperature is
32 °F (0 °C) then the cold tire inflation
pressure should be increased by 3 psi
(0.2 bar), which equals 1.5 psi (0.1 bar)
for every 18 °F (10 °C) for this outside
temperature condition.
Check tire inflation pressures more of-
ten if subject to a wide range of outdoor
temperatures, as tire pressures vary
with temperature changes.
Warning
G
Tire pressure may increase during opera-
tion.
Never reduce this normal pressure build
up or your tire pressure will be too low.
Underinflated tires wear excessively and/
or unevenly, adversely affect handling and
fuel economy, and are more likely to fail
from being overheated.
nf_BA.book Page 364 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM
Page 402 of 666

400 OperationTires and wheels
4
Tires on the front and rear axles of vehi-
cles operate at different loads and per-
form different steering, driving and
braking functions. For these reasons,
they wear at unequal rates, and develop
irregular wear patterns. These effects
can be reduced by timely rotation of
tires.
The benefits of rotation are especially
worthwhile with aggressive tread de-
signs such as those on On/Off Road
type tires. Rotation will increase tread
life, help to maintain mud, snow, and wet
traction levels, and contribute to a
smooth ride. If applicable to your vehicle’s tire config-
uration, tires can be rotated according
to the tire manufacturer’s recommend-
ed intervals in the tire manufacturer’s
warranty pamphlet located in your vehi-
cle literature portfolio. If none is avail-
able, tires should be rotated every
10 000 miles (16 000 km), or sooner if
necessary, according to the degree of
tire wear.
The same rotation (spinning) direction
must be maintained when mounted, see
"Direction of rotation" (
\2
page 351).
Warning (Continued)
G
could result in changes to steering, han-
dling, and braking of your Sprinter vehicle.
This can cause unpredictable handling
and stress to steering and suspension
components. You could lose control and
have an accident resulting in serious inju-
ry or death.could result in tire overloading and failure,
if the tires' load index are not identical.
You could lose control and have an acci-
dent.
nf_BA.book Page 400 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM
Page 403 of 666

401 Operation
Tires and wheels
4
Rotate tires before the characteristic
tire wear pattern becomes visible (shoul-
der wear on front tires and tread center
wear on rear tires).
The reasons for any rapid or unusual
wear should be corrected prior to rota-
tion being performed.
Thoroughly clean the mounting face of
wheels and brake disks, i.e. the inner
side of the wheels/tires, during each ro-
tation. Check for and ensure proper tire infla-
tion pressure, refer to "Recommended
tire inflation pressure" (
\2
page 361).
!
CAUTION
If your vehicle is equipped with the
tire pressure monitor*, each wheel
has an electronic component.
Tire mounting tools should not be ap-
plied in the area of the valve, as this
could damage the electronic compo-
nents.
Have the tires changed only at an
authorized Sprinter Dealer.
Warning
G
In order to avoid loosing a wheel and in or-
der to reduce the risk of fatal or serious
injuries or vehicle damage, please follow
these safety instructions:Always replace wheel bolts that are dam-
aged or rusted.Never apply oil or grease to wheel bolts.
Continued
nf_BA.book Page 401 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM