2004 DODGE RAM 2500 DIESEL Owners Manual

²Highway Driving Ð
reduce your speed.
²Up Steep Hills Ð
select a lower transmission gear, but try and keep the
torque converter locked.
²Air Conditioning Ð
turn it off temporarily.
Do Not Operate The Engine With Low Oil
Pressure
When the engine is at normal operating temperature, the
minimum oil pressures required are:
Idle 700 to 800 RPM............... 10psi(69kPa)
Full speed and load.............. 30psi(207 kPa)
CAUTION!
If oil pressure falls to less than normal readings, shut
the engine off immediately. Failure to do so could
result in immediate and severe engine damage.
Do Not Operate The Engine With Failed Parts
Practically all failures give some warning before the parts
fail. Be on the alert for changes in performance, sounds,
and visual evidence that the engine requires service.
Some important clues are:
²engine misfiring or vibrating severely
²sudden loss of power
²unusual engine noises
²fuel, oil or coolant leaks
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²sudden change, outside the normal operating range, in
the engine operating temperature
²excessive smoke
²oil pressure drop
TRANSMISSION SHIFTING
Four-Speed Overdrive Automatic Transmission Ð
If Equipped
The gear shift selector display, located in the instrument
panel cluster, indicates the transmission gear range (the
selector is illuminated for night driving). The selector
lever is mounted on the right side of the steering column.
You must depress the brake pedal, to pull the selector
lever out of park (P) position (Brake Interlock System). To
drive, move the selector lever from Park or Neutral to the
desired drive position. Pull the selector lever toward you
when shifting into Reverse, Second, First or Park, or
when shifting out of Park.
Gear Ranges
DO NOT race the engine when shifting from Park or
Neutral position into another gear range.
ªPº Park
This gear position supplements the parking brake by
locking the transmission. The engine can be started in
this range. Never use Park while the vehicle is in motion.
Apply the parking brake when leaving the vehicle in this
range. Always apply parking brake first, then place the
selector in Park position. On 4-wheel drive vehicles be
sure that the transfer case is in a drive position!
WARNING!
Your vehicle could move and injure you and others if
it is not completely in P (Park). Check by trying to
move the gearshift lever back and forth without first
pulling it toward you after you have set it in P. Make
sure it is in Park before leaving the vehicle.
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WARNING!
It is dangerous to shift the selector lever out of ªPº or
ªNº if the engine speed is higher than idle speed. If
your foot is not firmly on the brake pedal, the
vehicle could accelerate quickly forward or in re-
verse. You could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear when
the engine is idling normally and when your right
foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
ªRº Reverse
Use this range only after the vehicle has come to a
complete stop.ªNº Neutral
Shift to Neutral when the vehicle is standing for pro-
longed periods with the engine running. The engine may
be started in this range. Set the parking brake if you must
leave the vehicle.
ªDº Drive
This position provides all forward gears, including 3rd
gear direct and 4th gear overdrive (see Overdrive Opera-
tion). Use this range for most city and highway driving.
ª2º Second
Use this position for driving slowly in heavy city traffic
or on mountain roads where more precise speed control
is desirable. Use it also when climbing long grades, and
for engine braking when descending moderately steep
grades. To prevent excessive engine speed do not exceed
45 mph (72 km/h) in this range.
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5

ª1º First
Use this position for driving up very steep hills and for
engine braking at low speeds 20 mph (32 km/h) or less
when going downhill. To prevent excessive engine speed,
do not exceed 25 mph (40 km/h) in this range.
NOTE:Use caution when operating a heavily loaded
vehicle in ª2º Second or ª1º First gear selections in high
ambients as torque converter slip can impose significant
additional heat load on the cooling system.
WARNING!
Never use Park position on an automatic transmis-
sion as a substitute for the parking brake. Always
apply parking brake fully when parked to guard
against vehicle movement and possible injury or
damage.
Overdrive Operation
The four-speed overdrive automatic transmission con-
tains an electronically controlled fourth speed (Over-
drive). The transmission will automatically shift from
Drive to Overdrive if the following conditions are
present:
²the transmission selector is in Drive;
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²the engine coolant has reached normal operating tem-
perature;
²vehicle speed is above approximately 30 mph (48
km/h);
²the ªTOW/HAULº switch has not been activated;
²transmission has reached normal operating tempera-
ture.
The transmission will downshift from Overdrive to Drive
if the accelerator pedal is fully depressed at vehicle
speeds above approximately 35 mph (56 km/h).
Overdrive can be locked out by pressing the ªTOW/
HAULº button located on the selector lever. The ªTOW/
HAULº light will illuminate in the instrument cluster to
indicate that the switch has been activated. Pressing the
switch a second time restores the Overdrive function. If
the ªTOW/HAULº feature is desired, theªTOW/HAULº
button must be pressed each time the engine is started.NOTE:If the vehicle is started in extremely cold tem-
peratures, the transmission may not shift into Overdrive
and will automatically select the most desirable gear for
operation at this temperature. Normal operation will
resume when the transmission fluid temperature has
risen to a suitable temperature. Refer also to the Note
under torque converter clutch, later in this section.
If the transmission temperature gets extremely hot, the
transmission will automatically select the most desirable
gear for operation at this temperature. If the transmission
temperature becomes hot enough the ªTOW/HAULº
and/or TRANS TEMP light(s) may illuminate and the
transmission may downshift out of Overdrive until the
transmission cools down. After cooldown, the transmis-
sion will resume normal operation.
When To Lock Out Overdrive
When driving in hilly areas, towing a trailer, carrying a
heavy load, etc., and frequent 4±3±4 transmission shifting
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5

occurs, press the ªTOW/HAULº button. This will im-
prove performance and reduce the potential for transmis-
sion overheating or failure due to excessive shifting.
Torque Converter Clutch
A feature, designed to improve fuel economy, has been
included in the automatic transmission on your vehicle.
A clutch within the torque converter engages automati-
cally at calibrated speeds. This may result in a slightly
different feeling or response during normal operation in
high gear. When the vehicle speed drops or during
acceleration when the transmission downshifts to second
gear, the clutch automatically disengages.
NOTE:The torque converter clutch will not engage
until the transmission fluid and engine coolant are warm
[usually after 1-3 miles (1.6 ± 4.8 km) of driving]. Because
the engine speed is higher when the torque converter
clutch is not engaged, it may seem as if the transmission
is not shifting into Overdrive when cold. This is normal.Pressing the ªTOW/HAULº button, when the transmis-
sion is sufficiently warm, will demonstrate that the
transmission is able to shift into and out of overdrive.
NOTE:If the vehicle has not been driven in several
days, the first few seconds of operation after shifting the
transmission into gear may seem sluggish. This is due to
the fluid partially draining from the torque converter into
the transmission. This condition is normal and will not
cause damage to the transmission. The torque converter
will refill within five seconds of shifting from Park into
any other gear position.
Manual Transmission ± 5±Speed (NV- 4500) Ð If
Equipped
NOTE:The parking brake should be engaged before
leaving the vehicle, especially on an incline.
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Truck models with manual transmission are equipped
with a clutch interlocking ignition system. The clutch
pedal must be fully depressed to start the vehicle.
Fully depress the clutch pedal before shifting gears. As
you release the clutch pedal, lightly depress the accelera-
tor pedal. When launching a stationary vehicle, keep the
engine speed low until the clutch is fully engaged.
Damage to the clutch can result from
starting in 2nd or 3rd gear. Use each
gear in numerical order ± do not skip a
gear.
For improved clutch life, all five forward gears should be
used for all load conditions. For steady highway driving
with light acceleration, 5th gear is recommended. To shift
into 5th gear, move the shift lever to the right beyond the
spring pressure point and push it forward. When shiftingfrom 5th to 4th, pull the lever down toward you in one
motion. Do not pull the lever sharply left as you may
shift accidentally into 2nd gear and damage the trans-
mission and engine.
To shift into Reverse, come to a complete stop. Depress
the clutch and pause briefly to allow the gear train to
stop. Move the shift lever from the Neutral position
straight across and back into Reverse.
Never drive with your foot resting on the clutch pedal, or
attempt to hold the vehicle on a hill with the clutch pedal
partially engaged, as this will cause abnormal wear on
the clutch.
Downshifting
Moving from a high gear down to a lower gear is
recommended to preserve brakes when driving down
steep hills. In addition, downshifting at the right time
provides better acceleration when you desire to resume
speed. Downshifting progressively. Do not skip gears to
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avoid overspeeding the engine and clutch. For accelera-
tion at speeds less than 15 mph (25 km/h), 2nd gear is
recommended.
CAUTION!
When descending a hill, be very careful to downshift
one gear at a time to prevent overspeeding the
engine which can cause valve damage.
Manual Transmission Ð 6-Speed (NV-5600) Ð If
Equipped
NOTE:The parking brake should be engaged before
leaving the vehicle, especially on an incline.
Truck models with manual transmission are equipped
with a clutch interlocking ignition system. The clutch
pedal must be fully depressed to start the vehicle.Fully depress the clutch pedal before shifting gears. As
you release the clutch pedal, lightly depress the accelera-
tor pedal. When launching a stationary vehicle, keep the
engine speed low until the clutch is fully engaged.
Damage to the clutch can re-
sult from starting in 2nd or
3rd gear with a loaded ve-
hicle. Use each gear in nu-
merical order ± do not skip a
gear.
This six-speed manual transmission has the same gear
ratios for 1st gear and the two highest gears as appear in
the five-speed transmission. The advantage is that the
middle gears (2nd, 3rd and 4th) have ratios that are closer
224 STARTING AND OPERATING