2006 DODGE RAM 2500 DIESEL Owners Manual

CAUTION!
To maintain your vehicle safely follow these guide-
lines:
•Watch your vehicle’s mileage and check yourMainte-
nance Schedulesregularly for required servicing. Ex-
cessive wear or damage to certain vehicle components
can result if required services are not performed.
•If you have your vehicle undercoated, inspect for
undercoating material on the propeller shafts. Such
material could cause the shafts to become unbalanced
and result in drivetrain vibrations. Remove any under-
coating with solvent.
•If you have your vehicle undercoated, make sure no
undercoating material is sprayed on the exhaust sys-
tem or components of the seat belt system.NOTE:It is not possible for the manufacturer and
Cummins, Inc. to anticipate every possible circumstance
that can involve a potential hazard.
WARNING!
To maintain your vehicle safely and avoid personal
injury, follow these guidelines:
•Never spray or pour diesel fuel, flammable liquid or
starting fluids (ether) into the air cleaner assembly, air
intake piping or turbocharger inlet in an attempt to
start the vehicle.
•Do not use alcohol or gasoline as a fuel blending agent.
They can be unstable under certain conditions and be
hazardous or explosive when mixed with diesel fuel.
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 377
7

•If an engine has been operating and the coolant is hot,
allow the engine to cool before you slowly loosen the
filler cap and relieve the pressure from the cooling
system.
•To avoid burns, remember that the engine components
will stay hot after the engine is shut off.
•Do not use gasoline or other flammable materials to
clean parts. Always use approved cleaning solvents.
•Relieve all pressure in the fuel, oil and cooling systems
before any lines, fittings or related items are removed
or disconnected. Be alert for possible pressure when
disconnecting any device from a system that utilizes
pressure. Do not check for pressure leaks with your
hand. High pressure oil or fuel can cause personal
injury.
WARNING!
Do not open the high pressure fuel system with the
engine running. Engine operation causes high fuel
pressure. High pressure fuel spray can cause serious
injury or death.
•Important:All maintenance other than that listed in
this manual, as well as some procedures listed here,
MUSTbe performed by your local Dodge Truck
Dealer. Your authorized Dodge Dealer has been
trained and has the necessary parts to maintain your
engine.
378 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE

MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES
The pages that follow contain therequiredmaintenance
services determined by the engineers who designed your
vehicle.
Besides the maintenance items for which there are fixed
maintenance intervals, there are other items that should
operate satisfactorily without periodic maintenance.
However, if a malfunction of these items does occur, it
could adversely affect the engine or vehicle performance.
These items should be inspected if a malfunction is
observed or suspected.
Engine Oil
Checking Oil Level
To assure proper lubrication of your vehicle’s engine, the
engine oil must be maintained at the correct level. Check
the oil level at regular intervals. The best time to check
the oil level is before starting the engine after it has been
parked overnight. When checking oil after operating the
engine, first ensure the engine is at full operating tem-
perature, then wait at least 15 minutes after engine
shutdown to check the oil.
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 379
7

Checking the vehicle while it’s on level ground will also
improve the accuracy of the oil level readings. Add oil
only when the level on the dipstick is below the “ADD”
mark. The total capacity from the low mark to the high
mark is 2 quarts (1.9 liters).
Never operate the engine with oil level below the “ADD”
mark or above the upper “SAFE” mark.Change Engine Oil
CAUTION!
Overfilling or underfilling the crankcase will cause
oil aeration or loss of oil pressure. This could dam-
age your engine.
Road conditions as well as your kind of driving affect the
interval at which your oil should be changed. Check the
following to determine if any apply to you:
•Frequent short trips where the engine does not achieve
full operating temperature (operating temperature de-
fined as 190° F (66° C ) coolant temperature).
•Extensive engine idling (over 10 minutes per hour of
operation) at ambient temperatures less than 32° F (0°
C).
380 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE

•Driving in dusty conditions.
•Frequent trailer towing.
•Taxi, police, or delivery service (commercial service).
•Off-road or desert operation.
•Extensive operation at high engine speeds (greater
than 2900 rpm) and loads (greater than 70% throttle).
IfANYof these apply to you, then change your engine oil
at every interval shown in scheduleBof theMainte-
nance Schedulessection of this manual.
If none of these apply to you, then change your engine oil
at every interval shown on scheduleAof theMainte-
nance Schedulessection of this manual.
NOTE:Most vehicles are operated under the conditions
listed for ScheduleB.
Engine Oil Selection
1. Engine Oil Quality
Use only oils conforming to API Ser-
vice CI-4. A sulfated ash limit is speci-
fied for lubrication oil used in Cum-
mins engines. Oils with a high ash
content may produce deposits on
valves that can progress to guttering
and valve burning. A maximum sul-
fated ash content of 1.85 mass % is recommended for all
oil used in the engine.
2. Engine Oil Viscosity (SAE Grade)
The proper SAE viscosity of engine oil for the expected
ambient temperature range should be selected, as indi-
cated in the following chart:
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 381
7

NOTE:The same oil change interval is to be followed
for synthetic oil as for petroleum based oil. Also, syn-
thetic oil must meet the same performance specifications
as petroleum oil.Engine Oil Filter
Refer to Fluids, Lubricants and Genuine Parts for the
correct part number. The engine oil filter should be
changed ateveryengine oil change.
Engine Oil And Filter — Change
WARNING!
Hot oil can cause personal injury.
Operate the engine until the coolant temperature reaches
140°F (60°C). Shut the engine off. Remove the oil drain
plug.
Use a container that can hold at least 12 quarts (11.3
Liters) to hold the used oil.
382 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE

Always check the condition of the used oil. This can give
you an indication of some engine problems that might
exist.
•Thin, black oil indicates fuel dilution.
•Milky discoloration indicates coolant dilution.
Clean the area around the oil filter base. Remove the filter
from the underside of the vehicle using a cap style oil
filter wrench.
Clean the gasket surface of the filter mount. The filter
gasket can stick on the filter mount. Make sure it is
removed.
Change the engine oil filter with every engine oil change.
Only a high quality MOPAR filter should be used to
assure most efficient service.
CAUTION!
The filtering medium of other aftermarket filters
may disintegrate. Debris from failed filters may plug
the piston oil cooling nozzles, resulting in scuffed
pistons and engine failure.
CAUTION!
Fill the oil filter element with clean oil before
installation. Use the same type oil that will be used
in the engine. When filling the oil filter, prevent
foreign material from falling into the filter. Severe
engine damage may occur.
Apply a light film of lubricating oil to the sealing surface
of the filter gasket before installing the filter.
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 383
7

CAUTION!
Overtightening may distort the threads or damage
the filter element seal.
Install the filter as specified by the filter manufacturer.
Turn the filter 3/4 to one full turn after making contact
with the gasket.
Check the condition of the threads and sealing surface on
the oil pan and drain plug.
Install the drain plug and sealing washer and tighten to
37 ft-lbs. (50 N·m).
Use only high-quality multi-grade lubricating oil in your
Cummins Diesel Engine. Choose the correct oil for your
operating conditions as outlined in the Selection of
Engine Oil.Cummins Turbo Diesel
Fill the engine with the correct grade of new oil. The
engine capacity is 11 quarts (10.4 liters) in the crankcase
and 1 quart (.95 liter) in the lubricating oil filter.
Start the engine and operate it at idle for several minutes.
Check for leaks at the lubricating oil filter and oil pan
drain plug.
Run the engine until it has reached operating tempera-
ture, stop the engine. Wait approximately 15 minutes to
let the oil in the upper parts of the engine drain back to
the pan. Check the oil level again.
Add oil as necessary to bring the level to the “SAFE”
mark on the dipstick.
Disposing Of Used Engine Oil And Filter
Care should be taken in disposing of the used engine
fluids from your vehicle. Used fluids, indiscriminately
discarded, can present a problem to the environment.
384 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE