2008 DODGE SPRINTER brakes

71 Safety
Driving safety systems
2
BrakingIf ABS intervenes during braking, you will
feel the steering wheel vibrate gently
and the brake pedal pulsate.
If ABS intervenes: \1
Continue to depress the brake pedal
firmly until the braking situation is
over.
For full brake application:
\1
Depress the brake pedal with maxi-
mum force.Brake Assist operates in emergency
braking situations. If you depress the
brake pedal quickly, BAS automatically
increases the brake pressure, thereby
reducing the stopping distance.
\1
Keep the brake pedal firmly de-
pressed until the emergency braking
situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from lock-
ing.
When you release the brake pedal, the
brakes will work as normal again. BAS is
deactivated.
Warning
G
Always adapt your driving style to the pre-
vailing road and weather conditions, and
maintain an adequately safe distance
from other road users as well as any ob-
stacles on the road.
If ABS malfunctions, the wheels could
lock when you brake. This means that the
steerability of the vehicle is restricted
during braking and the stopping distance
may increase. If ABS is deactivated due to
a malfunction, BAS is also deactivated.
Brake Assist (BAS)
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73 Safety
Driving safety systems
2
There is a malfunction if the
#
indica-
tor lamp is permanently lit while the en-
gine is running (
\2
page 468).
If ESP
® malfunctions, engine power out-
put may be reduced.ASR improves traction for a sustained
period, i.e. the transfer of power from
the tires to the road surface, and thus
also improves the driving stability of the
vehicle. ASR assists you when pulling
away and accelerating, especially on
smooth and slippery surfaces.
ASR brakes individual drive wheels and
limits the engine torque to prevent the
drive wheels from spinning. When ASR
intervenes, the
v
indicator lamp in
the speedometer flashes.
!
CAUTION
Only operate the vehicle briefly (max-
imum of 10 seconds) on a brake dy-
namometer. The key must be turned
to position
1 in the ignition lock dur-
ing this time. You could damage the
drive train or the brake system.
!
CAUTION
Do not operate the vehicle on a roller
dynamometer (for example for per-
formance testing). If you wish to op-
erate the vehicle on a roller
dynamometer, please consult an au-
thorized Sprinter Dealer beforehand.
You could otherwise damage the
drive train or the brake system.
Acceleration skid control (ASR)
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76 SafetyDriving safety systems
2
EBV monitors and regulates the brake
pressure at the rear wheels to improve
driving stability during braking.There is a malfunction if the
#
, k
,
-
and
6
indicator lamps are per-
manently lit while the engine is running
(
\2
page 462).
Electronic brake force distribution
(EBV)
Warning
G
If EBV malfunctions, the brake system is
still available with the full brake boosting
effect. However, the rear wheels may
lock, for example if the brakes are applied
with maximum force. You could then lose
control of the vehicle and cause an acci-
dent. Always adapt your driving style to
the change in handling characteristics.
Have the system checked at an autho-
rized Sprinter Dealer as soon as possible.
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188 Controls in detailDriving and parking
3
Do not accelerate to prevent your vehi-
cle from rolling backwards on an uphill
gradient. Instead, you should either use
the handbrake or depress the brake ped-
al. This prevents excessive wear on the
clutch.
Select a lower gear (shift range
3, 2 or
1)
(
\2
page 204) in good time on long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if
towing a trailer. This prevents the brakes
from overheating and wearing too rapidly.
It is best not to stop the vehicle immedi-
ately after the brakes have been subject-
ed to an extreme load; continue driving
for a short time instead. The brakes are
cooled down more quickly in the airflow.The first time the brakes are applied af-
ter a long period of driving in heavy rain
without braking, it is possible that:
\4
there will be a delayed braking
response
\4
you will need to depress the brake
pedal more firmly
You should therefore maintain a greater
distance from the vehicle in front.
BrakingWarning
G
There is no power assistance for the ser-
vice brake when the engine is not running.
You will need to use significantly more
force to brake and could therefore lose
control of the vehicle and cause an acci-
dent.
Never switch off the engine while driving.
Warning
G
Make sure that other road users are not
put at risk by your braking.
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189 Controls in detail
Driving and parking
3
Apply the brakes so that you can feel
their response after a journey on wet
roads, especially if the road has been
salted. The brake discs will be warmed,
dry more quickly and be protected
against corrosion.
If you make only moderate use of the
service brake, check from time to time
that it is fully functional. To do this,
brake more sharply at a higher vehicle
speed. The brake will grip better as a re-
sult.For safety reasons, the manufacturer
recommends that you only have brake
pads / linings installed on your vehicle
that have been approved for the Sprinter
Vehicle.
Brake pads /linings that have not been
approved for the Sprinter Vehicle could
affect your vehicle’s operating safety.
iIn exceptional cases, the handbrake
can be used for emergency braking if
the service brake fails (
\2
page 192).
ParkingWarning
G
Only remove the key from the ignition
lock when the vehicle is stationary, since
it is not possible to steer the vehicle with
the key removed.
Always apply the handbrake after parking
the vehicle.
Never leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle. They could release the hand-
brake. This could lead to a serious or fatal
accident.
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197 Controls in detail
Driving and parking
3
Specified tire inflation pressures must
be maintained. This applies particularly
if the tires are subject to extreme oper-
ating conditions (e.g. high speeds, heavy
loads, high ambient temperatures).For detailed information on tires, see
"Tires and wheels" (
\2
page 341).
HydroplaningDepending on the depth of the water lay-
er on the road, hydroplaning may occur,
even at low speeds and with new tires.
Reduce vehicle speed, avoid track
grooves in the road and apply brakes
cautiously in the rain.
Warning
G
Although the applicable federal motor ve-
hicle safety laws consider a tire to be
worn when the Treadwear Indicators
(TWI) become visible at approximately 1/
16 in (1.6 mm), do not allow your tires to
wear down to that level. As tread depth
approaches 1/8 in (3 mm) for summer
tires or 1/6 in (4 mm) for winter tires, the
adhesion properties on a wet road are
sharply reduced.
Depending upon the weather and/or road
surface (conditions), the tire traction var-
ies widely.
Warning
G
Do not drive with a flat tire. A flat tire af-
fects the ability to steer or brake the vehi-
cle. You may lose control of the vehicle.
Continued driving with a flat tire or driving
at high speed with a flat tire will cause ex-
cessive heat buildup and possibly a fire.
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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

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.
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