2008 DODGE SPRINTER flat tire

377 Operation
Tires and wheels
4
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 vehicle placard or the tire inflation
pressure label. (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 inflation pressure for those
tires).
Continued
Warning (Continued)
G
As an added safety feature, your vehicle
has been equipped with a Tire Pressure
Monitoring System (TPMS) that illumi-
nates a low tire pressure telltale when one
or more of your tires is significantly under-
inflated. Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure telltale illuminates, you should
stop and check your tires as soon as pos-
sible, and inflate them to the proper pres-
sure. Driving on a significantly
underinflated tire causes the tire to over-
heat and can lead to tire failure.
Continued
Warning (Continued)
G
Underinflation also reduces fuel efficiency
and tire tread life, and may affect the ve-
hicle’s handling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substi-
tute for proper tire maintenance, and it is
the driver’s responsibility to maintain cor-
rect tire pressure, even if underinflation
has not reached the level to trigger illumi-
nation of the TPMS low tire pressure tell-
tale.
Continued
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379 Operation
Tires and wheels
4
Reactivating the Advanced 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.
\1
Make sure the tire inflation pressure
of all four tires is correct, using the
tire and loading information placard
1
or the tire inflation pressure placard
located on the driver’s door B-pillar
(
\2
page 362).
Warning!
G
It is the driver’s responsibility to calibrate
the TPMS on the recommended cold infla-
tion pressure. Underinflated tires affect
the ability to steer or brake the vehicle.
You might lose control over the vehicle.
1. For vehicles with a gross weight capacity less
than 10 000 lbs (4 536 kg) (USA only).
iReactivate the TPMS after adjusting
the tire inflation pressure to the infla-
tion pressure recommended for the
vehicle operating condition. Tire in-
flation pressure should only be adju-
sted on cold tires. Observe the
recommended tire inflation pressure
on the tire and loading information
placard
1 or on the tire inflation pres-
sure placard on the driver’s door B-
pillar (\2
page 362).
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380 OperationTires and wheels
4
\1
Press button
è
or
ÿ
on the
multifunction steering wheel repeat-
edly until the standard display menu
appears in the multifunction display
(
\2
page 157).
\1
Press the
j
or
k
button re-
peatedly until you see the current in-
flation pressures for each tire appear
in the display or the following mes-
sage appears in the display
Tire pres. displayed
after driving
for several minutes
\1
Press reset button0 on the instru-
ment cluster (
\2
page 20).The following message will appear in
the multifunction display:
Tire pres.
Adjust pres.
\1
Press
æ
button.
The following message will appear in
the multifunction display:
Tire pres. monitor
reactivatedAfter a few minutes' driving, the cur-
rent tire inflation pressure values are
accepted as reference values and
then monitored.If you wish to cancel the activation pro-
cess :
\1
Press
ç
button.
Potential problems associated with
underinflated and overinflated tiresProper tire inflation pressure is essential
to the safe and satisfactory operation of
your vehicle. The following three primary
areas are affected by improper tire infla-
tion pressure:
nf_BA.book Page 380 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

381 Operation
Tires and wheels
4
1. Safety 2. Economy
Improper inflation pressures can cause
uneven wear patterns to develop across
the tire tread. These abnormal wear pat-
terns will reduce tread life resulting in a
need for earlier tire replacement. Under-
inflation also increases tire rolling resis-
tance and results in higher fuel
consumption.
Warning
G
Follow recommended tire inflation pres-
sures.
Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated
tires wear excessively and/or unevenly, ad-
versely affect handling and fuel economy,
and are more likely to fail from being over-
heated.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflated tires
can adversely affect handling and ride com-
fort, wear unevenly, increase stopping dis-
tance, and result in sudden deflation
(blowout) because they are more likely to
become punctured or damaged by road de-
bris, potholes etc.
Warning
G
Improperly inflated tires are dangerous
and can cause accidents.
Unequal tire inflation pressures can
cause steering problems. You could lose
control of your vehicle.
Unequal tire inflation pressures from one
side of the vehicle to the other can cause
the vehicle to drift to the right or left. Al-
ways drive with each tire inflated to the
recommended cold tire inflation pres-
sure.
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382 OperationTires and wheels
4
3. Ride comfort and vehicle stabilityProper tire inflation contributes to a
comfortable ride. Overinflation produces
a jarring and uncomfortable ride.
Besides the tire name (sales designa-
tion) and manufacturer's name, a num-
ber of markings can be found on a tire.
Below are some explanations regarding
the markings on your vehicle’s tires:
1DOT, Tire Identification Number (TIN)
(\2page 397)
2Maximum tire load (\2page 390)
3Maximum tire inflation pressure
(\2page 396)
4Manufacturer
5Tire ply material (\2page 393)
6Tire size designation, load and speed rat-
ing (\2page 383)
7Tire name
Tire labelingiFor illustrative purposes only. The ac-
tual data on tires is specific to each
vehicle and may vary from the data
shown in the above illustration.
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391 Operation
Tires and wheels
4
For more information on tire load rating,
refer to "Tire size designation, load and
speed rating" (
\2
page 383).
For information on calculating total and
cargo load capacities, refer to "Tire and
loading information" (
\2
page 352).
1Maximum permissible tire inflation pres-
sure
Warning
G
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit as indicated on the
tire and loading information placard on
the driver’s door B-pillar. Overloading the
tires can overheat them, possibly causing
a blowout. Overloading the tires can also
result in handling or steering problems, or
brake failure.Never overload them.The vehicle maximum load on the tire
must not exceed the load carrying capac-
ity of the tire on your vehicle.
Continued
Warning (Continued)
G
You will not exceed the tire’s load carrying
capacity if you adhere to the loading con-
ditions, tire size and cold tire inflation
pressures specified on the tire and load-
ing information placard.
Maximum tire inflation pressure
nf_BA.book Page 391 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

392 OperationTires and wheels
4
This is the maximum permissible tire in-
flation pressure for the tire.
Always follow the recommended tire in-
flation pressure (
\2
page 361) for proper
tire inflation.
iFor illustrative purposes only. The ac-
tual data on tires is specific to each
vehicle and may vary from the data
shown in the above illustration.
Warning
G
Never exceed the maximum tire inflation
pressure. Follow recommended tire infla-
tion pressures.Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated
tires wear excessively and/or unevenly,
adversely affect handling and fuel econo-
my, and are more likely to fail from being
overheated.
Continued
Warning (Continued)
G
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflated tires
can adversely affect handling and ride
comfort, wear unevenly, increase stop-
ping distance, and result in sudden defla-
tion (blowout) because they are more
likely to become punctured or damaged
by road debris, potholes etc.
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394 OperationTires and wheels
4
Air pressureThe amount of air inside the tire pressing
outward on each square inch of the tire.
Air pressure is expressed in pounds per
square inch (psi), or kilopascal (kPa) or
bars.Aspect ratioDimensional relationship between the
tire section height and the section width
expressed in percentage.
BarAnother metric unit for air pressure.
There are 14.5038 pounds per square
inch (psi) to 1 bar; there are
100 kilopascals (kPa) to 1 bar.BeadThe tire bead contains steel wires
wrapped by steel cords that hold the tire
onto the rim.Cold tire inflation pressureTire inflation pressure when your vehicle
has been sitting for at least 3 hours or
driven no more than 1 mile (1.6 km).
Curb weightThe weight of a motor vehicle with stan-
dard equipment including the maximum
capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant, and, if
so equipped, air conditioning and addi-
tional optional equipment, but without
passengers and cargo.DOT (D
epartment O
f T
ransportation)
A tire branding symbol which denotes
that the tire meets the requirements of
the U.S. Department of Transportation.
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