You’re driving along enjoying the view from your Sprinter and suddenly your TPS comes on – you have a flat. You pull over in a nice wide spot, call roadside service (somehow I have 3 of these) and brew some coffee.

The guy gets there. He’s seems nice enough. He puts the spare on, tips his hat and you pull back on the freeway. The TPS comes on but you calibrate it and you’re back to the view.

Later, when spraying off some dust and dirt underneath you see something hanging down.

Uh-oh, now you’ve got damage and its not covered under warranty.

Front Axle Lift Point.	Rear Axle Lift Point.
	(The 3500 has a different looking point but it is in the same location.)

Do you remember bumper jacks? Even those did damage unless all was perfect. The problem is the flat tire guy usually pulls out a floor jack (I have one myself) and without some planning, a wooden block or two, the floor jack can’t hit the lift points without denting the fender. So he jumps to the next thing he sees – the shock mount, the spring mount, the axle or somtimes the trailer hitch. The scissor jack that is under the passenger seat floor works fine as long as you use it correctly. If you have any doubts about using it, ask for help. Lifting the Sprinter can be very dangerous.

When your Sprinter is being raised watch closely to ensure the proper lift points are used. They are in front of the front tire and in front of the rear tire, inside towards the frame several inches.

Today I put the 318 CDI on the left rear door and now, AFAIK, my Sprinter is badged exactly like the Euro model.

I also put a device on that will help me avoid hitting the roof on an obstacle. A forward looking observer. For a closer view of this hard working guy, just click on the image.

With that addition, we are close to being ready for the Alaska trip. Just 24 days and a wake-up and we are on the way!