2008 DODGE SPRINTER traction control

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)
nf_BA.book Page 73 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

74 SafetyDriving safety systems
2
If the road surface is not capable of pro-
viding sufficient traction, bearing in
mind the tires, load and gradient, it is
not be possible to pull away smoothly
even with ASR.
Vehicles without steering wheel but-
tons:
There is a malfunction if the
k
indi-
cator lamp is permanently lit while the
engine is running (
\2
page 73).
If ASR malfunctions, engine power out-
put may be reduced.
Activating/deactivating ASRASR is automatically activated as soon
as the engine is switched on.
It may be best to deactivate ASR in the
following situations:\4
if snow chains are being used
\4
in deep snow
\4
on sand or gravelIf you deactivate ASR:
\4
the engine’s torque is then no longer
limited and the drive wheels could
spin; the spinning wheels produce a
cutting effect for better traction
\4
traction control still intervenes by
braking if one drive wheel reaches its
grip limit, for example if the surface
under one side of the vehicle is slip-
pery. The wheel is then braked to in-
crease traction in this situation.
\4
ESP
® still intervenes to stabilize the
vehicle
nf_BA.book Page 74 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

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.
nf_BA.book Page 197 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

198 Controls in detailDriving and parking
3
Tire tractionTire grip is greatly reduced on a wet,
snow covered or icy road. Speed and
driving style must therefore be adapted
to suit road conditions. The safe speed
on a wet, snow covered or icy road is al-
ways lower than on a dry road.
Below a tread depth of 1/8 in (3 mm),
tire grip begins to decrease rapidly on
wet roads.
Pay particular attention to the condition
of the road whenever the outside tem-
peratures is close to the freezing point.In winter, install M+S radial tires with a
minimum tread depth of approximately
1/6 in (4 mm) on all wheels to ensure
normal balanced handling characteris-
tics. On packed snow, they can reduce
y ou r st opp ing di st ance com pa re d to s um -
mer tires.Stopping distance, however, is still con-
siderably greater than when the road is
not covered with snow or ice. Exercise
appropriate caution.
For information on winter tires, see
"Winter tires" (
\2
page 404).
Warning
G
If ice has formed on the road, tire traction
will be substantially reduced. Under such
weather conditions, drive, steer and
brake with extreme caution.
!
CAUTION
Avoid spinning a drive wheel. This
may cause serious damage to the
drive train which is not covered by
the Sprinter warranty.
nf_BA.book Page 198 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

236 Controls in detailAuxiliary heating/ventilation*
3
\3 Auxiliary heating/ventilation*The auxiliary heating heats or ventilates
the interior to a temperature that you
have set. The auxiliary heating can be
operated with the engine switched on or
off.
The auxiliary heating is equipped with a
water heater.
Warning
G
Exhaust fumes are produced while the aux-
iliary heating is in operation. For this rea-
son, switch off the auxiliary heating in
enclosed spaces without an extraction sys-
tem, e.g. a garage.
Operation of the auxiliary heating system is
prohibited at gas stations or when refueling
your vehicle. The auxiliary heating must
therefore be switched off at refueling sta-
tions.
Warning
G
Observe the relevant safety regulations in
the case of vehicles used for the transport
of hazardous goods.
Aerosols, gas cartridges and other pressur-
ized containers transported in the vehicle
may be highly flammable and could explode
when heated.
Make sure that the containers described
are kept away from the flow of hot air from
the auxiliary heating.
Otherwise, you could endanger yourself
and others.
nf_BA.book Page 236 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

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

660 IndexTowing
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 585
in the event of a malfunction
in the electrical system . . . . . . . 588
in the event of particular
malfunctions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 587
vehicle that is stuck . . . . . . . . . . 587
Towing eyeinstalling/removing . . . . . . . . . . 585Tow-starting
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 584
Traction
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
Trailersafety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
,303
towing with Parktronic . . . . . . . . 258
Tread
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
Tread depth
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Tread depth (tires)
. . . . . . . . . . . 405
Treadwear Indicator (TWI)
. . . . . 196
Treadwear Indicators
. . . . . . . . . 398
Trip computermenu
(vehicles with steering wheel
buttons) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176Trip meter
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
,148
Turn signals
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 526
changing bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . 528
malfunctions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442
rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 530
,531
changing bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . 531
side-mounted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 526
Twin co-driver’s seat
. . . . . . . . . 119
Two-way radio
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
retrofitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 602
TWR (Tongue Weight Rating)
. . . 398
U
Uniform tire quality grading
standards
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
Uphill gradientscruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
,193
V
Vehicleassemblies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
automatic locking when driving . 106
cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418
closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
correct use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
data cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 632
identification number . . . . . . . . 632U
V
nf_BA.book Page 660 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM