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WARNING!You can be badly injured working on or around a
motor vehicle. Do only that service work for which
you have the knowledge and the proper equipment.
If you have any doubt about your ability to perform
a service job, take your vehicle to a competent
mechanic.
SERVICE INFORMATION
Mopar Fluids, Lubricants and Parts are available from
your dealer and will help you keep your vehicle operat-
ing at its best. Your dealer also has the qualified service
personnel, special tools and equipment to perform all
service operations in an expert manner. Service manuals
are available which include detailed service information
for your vehicle. Refer to these manuals before attempt-
ing any procedure yourself. See Service Publications
information at the back of this manual. CAUTION!To maintain your vehicle safely follow these guide-
lines:
• Watch your vehicle’s mileage and check your Mainte-
nance Schedules regularly 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.396 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE
Page 397 of 532

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, unintended engine acceleration may
occur.
• 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. • 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. MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 397
7
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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,
MUST be performed by your local Dodge Truck
Dealer. Your authorized Dodge Dealer has been
trained and has the necessary parts to maintain your
engine. MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES
The pages that follow contain the required maintenance
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 the398 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE
Page 407 of 532

drive the vehicle frequently under dusty or severe con-
ditions, the filter element should be inspected periodi-
cally and replaced if necessary at the intervals shown on
Schedule “B”.
WARNING!The air induction system (air cleaner, hoses, etc) can
provide a measure of protection in the case of engine
backfire. Do not remove the air induction system (air
cleaner, hoses, etc) unless such removal is necessary
for repair or maintenance. Make sure that no one is
near the engine compartment before starting the
vehicle with the air induction system (air cleaner,
hoses, etc) removed. Failure to do so can result in
serious personal injury. Engine Air Cleaner Filter (Diesel Engines)
CAUTION!All air entering the engine intake must be filtered.
The abrasive particles in unfiltered air will cause
rapid wear to engine components.
The air filter housing on your Diesel Ram is equipped
with a Filter Minder™. This is an air flow restriction
gauge that will indicate when the filter element needs to
be replaced.
Do not remove the top of the air filter housing to
inspect the filter element on your diesel engine under
normal operating conditions.
NOTE: The air filter housing contains a Mass Air Flow
sensor. This sensor is critical to proper engine operation
and component longevity. Any damage or modification MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 407
7
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the filter, counterclockwise and allow any accumulated
water to drain. Leave the drain valve open until all water
and contaminants have been removed. Close the drain
valve, by turning it clockwise, when clean fuel is visible.
NOTE: The Fuel / Water separator drain valve is
located on the bottom of the fuel filter housing.
If more than a couple ounces of fuel has been drained,
follow the directions below for “Priming if the engine has
run out of fuel.”
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. Priming if the engine has run out of fuel
1. Add a substantial quantity of fuel to the tank 5 to 10
gallons (19L to 38L).
2. Crank the engine for 1 to 2 seconds. If the engine does
not start, then release the key or starter button back to the
RUN position (do not turn the key back to the OFF
position). The electric fuel transfer pump will continue to
run and purge air from the system for about 25 seconds.
After 25 seconds, attempt to start the engine again.
3. Start the engine using the Normal Starting Procedure.
4. Repeat the procedure if the engine does not start. MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 411
7
Page 412 of 532
CAUTION!Do not engage the starter motor for more than 15
seconds at a time. Allow two minutes between the
cranking intervals.
NOTE: The engine may run rough until the air is forced
from all the fuel lines.
CAUTION!Diesel fuel will damage black top paving surfaces.
Drain the filter into an appropriate container. WARNING!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.
CAUTION!Due to lack of lubricants in alcohol or gasoline, the
use of these fuels can cause damage to the fuel
system.
NOTE: A maximum blend of 5% biodiesel, meeting
ASTM specification D-6751 may be used with your
Cummins Diesel equipped vehicle. Use of bio-diesel412 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE
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CAUTION!Damage to the catalytic converter can result if your
vehicle is not kept in proper operating condition. In
the event of engine malfunction, particularly involv-
ing engine misfire or other apparent loss of perfor-
mance, have your vehicle serviced promptly. Contin-
ued operation of your vehicle with a severe
malfunction could cause the converter to overheat,
resulting in possible damage to the converter and the
vehicle.
NOTE: Intentional tampering with emissions control
systems can result in civil penalties being assessed
against you. WARNING!A hot exhaust system can start a fire if you park over
materials that can burn. Such materials might be
grass or leaves coming into contact with your ex-
haust system. Do not park or operate your vehicle in
areas where your exhaust system can contact any-
thing that can burn.
In unusual situations involving grossly malfunctioning
engine operation, a scorching odor may indicate severe
and abnormal catalyst overheating. If this occurs, the
vehicle should be stopped, the engine shut off and the
vehicle allowed to cool. Thereafter, service, including a
tune-up to manufacturer’s specifications, should be ob-
tained immediately.
To minimize the possibility of catalyst damage:414 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE
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WARNING!A hot exhaust system can start a fire if you park over
materials that can burn. Such materials might be
grass or leaves coming into contact with your ex-
haust system. Do not park or operate your vehicle in
areas where your exhaust system can contact any-
thing that can burn.
Service CCV Filter
The 6.7L Cummins engine utilizes a Closed Crankcase
Ventilation (CCV) system. This system filters and recycles
gasses produced in the crankcase during the normal
combustion process. Service CCV Filter will be displayed
on the overhead console of your Dodge truck if the CCV
filter is due for required maintenance. This filter is
located on the top of the engine valve cover. For addi-
tional information, see your Dodge truck dealer. Catalyst Full See Owner Manual
Catalyst Full See Owner Manual will be displayed on the
overhead console of your Dodge truck if the exhaust
particulate filter reaches 80% of its maximum storage
capacity. Under conditions of exclusive short duration
and low speed driving cycles, your Cummins engine and
exhaust aftertreatment system may never reach the con-
ditions required to remove the trapped PM, if this occurs
Catalyst Full See Owner Manual will be displayed on the
overhead console in your Dodge truck. If this message is
displayed you will hear one chime to assist in alerting
you of this condition.
Catalyst Stat::::::::::80%
Catalyst Stat::::::::::80% will replace the message Catalyst
Full See Owner Manual after it is displayed for one
minute. The engine Powertrain Control Module (PCM)
will continue to monitor the amount of particulate matter416 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE