Dodge 2008 Sprinter User Manual

Page 312

310

Operation

Driving tips

If possible, do not brake abruptly, but
rather engage the brake slightly at first
to permit the trailer to activate its brake.
Then increase the braking force.

Warning

Take into consideration that when towing
a trailer, the handling characteristics are
different and less stable from those when
operating the vehicle without a trailer.
It is important to avoid sudden maneu-
vers. Sudden maneuvers may lead to loss
of control over the vehicle-trailer combi-
nation. This could cause an accident re-
sulting in property damage or injury to
you or others.

CAUTION

If the transmission hunts between

gears on inclines, manually shift to a

lower gear (select

). A lower gear and reduction

of speed reduces the chance of the

engine overloading and/or over-

heating.
When going down a long hill, shift

into a lower gear and use the en-

gine’s braking effect. Avoid riding the

brakes, thus overheating the vehicle

and trailer brakes.

If the engine coolant rises to an ex-

tremely high temperature (coolant tem-

perature needle approaching the red

zone) when the air conditioner is on,

turn off the air conditioner. Engine cool-

ant heat can be additionally vented by

opening the windows, switching the cli-

mate control fan speed to high and set-

ting the temperature control to the

maximum hot position.
Extreme care must be exercised since

your vehicle with a trailer will require ad-

ditional passing distance ahead than

when driving without a trailer. Because

your vehicle and trailer is longer than

your vehicle alone, you will also need to

go much farther ahead of the passed ve-

hicle before you can return to your lane.

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