2007 RAM CHASSIS CAB heating

STARTING PROCEDURES – GAS ENGINES
The starter should not be operated for more than 15-
second intervals. Waiting a few seconds between such
intervals will protect the starter from overheating.
WARNING!Be sure to turn off the engine if you want to rest or
sleep in your car. Accidents can be caused by inad-
vertently moving the gear selection lever or by
pressing the accelerator pedal. This may cause exces-
sive heat in the exhaust system, resulting in over-
heating and vehicle fire which may cause serious or
fatal injuries. WARNING!Do not leave children or animals inside parked
vehicles in hot weather. Interior heat build up may
cause serious injury or death.
Manual Transmission – If Equipped
Apply the parking brake, place the gearshift control lever
in NEUTRAL and depress the clutch pedal to the floor
before starting the vehicle. This vehicle is equipped with
a clutch interlocking ignition system. It will not start
unless the clutch is fully depressed.
Automatic Transmission – If Equipped
Start the engine with the selector lever in NEUTRAL or
PARK position. Apply the brake before shifting to any
driving range.248 STARTING AND OPERATING

released. If this occurs, continue cranking with the accel-
erator pedal pushed all the way to the floor. Release the
accelerator pedal and the key once the engine is running
smoothly.
If the engine shows no sign of starting after two 15
second periods of cranking with the accelerator pedal
held to the floor, the normal starting procedure should be
repeated.
After Starting
The idle speed is automatically controlled and will de-
crease as the engine warms up.
STARTING PROCEDURES – DIESEL ENGINES
The starter should not be operated for more than 15-
second intervals. Waiting a few seconds between such
intervals will protect the starter from overheating. WARNING!Be sure to turn off the engine if you want to rest or
sleep in your car. Accidents can be caused by inad-
vertently moving the gear selection lever or by
pressing the accelerator pedal. This may cause exces-
sive heat in the exhaust system, resulting in over-
heating and vehicle fire which may cause serious or
fatal injuries.
WARNING!Do not leave children or animals inside parked
vehicles in hot weather. Interior heat build up may
cause serious injury or death. STARTING AND OPERATING 251
5

Starting Fluids
WARNING!STARTING FLUIDS or flammable liquids are
NEVER TO BE USED in the Cummins Diesel (see
Warning label). Never pour diesel fuel, flammable
liquid, starting fluids (ether) into the air cleaner
canister, air intake piping, or turbocharger inlet in an
attempt to start the vehicle. This could result in a
flash fire and explosion causing serious personal
injury and engine damage.
The engine is equipped with an automatic electric air
preheating system. If the instructions in this manual are
followed, the engine should start in all conditions. WARNING!Do not leave children or animals inside parked
vehicles in hot weather. Interior heat build up may
cause serious injury or death.
NORMAL OPERATION – DIESEL ENGINE
Observe the following when the engine is operating.
• All message center lights are off.
• Check Engine Lamp is off.
• Engine Oil Pressure is above 10 psi (69 kPa) at idle.
• Low Oil Pressure light is off.
• Voltmeter Operation:
• The voltmeter may show a gauge fluctuation if
certain engine temperatures are below 66°F (19°C).
This cycling operation is caused by the post-heat STARTING AND OPERATING 257
5

Engine Speed Control
CAUTION!Prevent overspeeding the engine going down hill.
When descending steep grades, use a combination of
gears and service brakes to control vehicle/engine
speed. Overspeed can cause severe engine damage.
Operating Precautions
Avoid Overheating The Engine
The temperature of the coolant (a mixture of 50%
ethylene-glycol and 50% water) must not exceed the
normal range of the temperature gauge (240°F/116°C)
with a 16 psi (110 kPa) radiator cap.
Usually the coolant temperature indicated during opera-
tion will be to the left of center in the normal range of the
gauge. Avoid Low Coolant Temperature Operation
Continual operation at low coolant temperature below
the normal range on the gauge (140°F/60°C) can be
harmful to the engine. Low coolant temperature can
cause incomplete combustion which allows carbon and
varnish to form on piston rings and injector nozzles.
Also, the unburned fuel can enter the crankcase, diluting
the lubricating oil and causing rapid wear to the engine.
Cooling System Tips — Automatic Transmission
To reduce potential for engine and transmission over-
heating in high ambient temperature conditions, take the
following actions:
• City Driving —
when stopped, put transmission in neutral and increase
engine idle speed.
• Highway Driving —
reduce your speed. STARTING AND OPERATING 263
5

When To Use “TOW HAUL” and “O/D OFF”
Modes
When driving in hilly areas, towing a trailer, carrying a
heavy load, etc., and frequent transmission shifting oc-
curs, press the “TOW HAUL O/D OFF” button once to
select TOW HAUL. This will improve performance and reduce the potential for transmission overheating or
failure due to excessive shifting. When operating in
“TOW HAUL” mode, 5th gear is disabled and 2-3 and 3-4
shift patterns are modified. Shifts into Overdrive (4th
gear) are allowed during steady cruise (for improved fuel
economy) and automatic closed-throttle downshifts to
3rd gear (for improved braking) will occur during steady
braking. Pressing the “TOW HAUL O/D OFF” button a
second time to select O/D OFF will disable 4th and 5th
gear completely, which should eliminate any excessive
transmission shifting.
The “TOW HAUL” or “O/D OFF” light will illuminate in
the instrument cluster to indicate when the switch has
been activated. Pressing the switch a third time restores
normal operation. If the “TOW HAUL” or “O/D OFF”
modes are desired, the button must be pressed each time
the engine is started.Tow Haul O/D Off Switch STARTING AND OPERATING 271
5

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
occurs, press the “TOW/HAUL” button twice to disable
the overdrive. This will improve performance and reduce
the potential for transmission 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 “TOW/HAUL” 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.272 STARTING AND OPERATING

When To Use “TOW HAUL” and “O/D OFF”
Modes
When driving in hilly areas, towing a trailer, carrying a
heavy load, etc., and frequent transmission shifting oc-
curs, press the “TOW HAUL O/D OFF” button once to
select TOW HAUL. This will improve performance and reduce the potential for transmission overheating or
failure due to excessive shifting. When operating in
“TOW HAUL” mode, 6th gear (if equipped) is disabled
and 2-3 and 3-4 and 4–5 shift patterns are modified. Shifts
into Overdrive (5th gear) are allowed during steady
cruise (for improved fuel economy). Pressing the “TOW
HAUL O/D OFF” button a second time to select O/D
OFF will disable 5th and 6th gear completely, which
should eliminate any excessive transmission shifting.
The “TOW HAUL” or “O/D OFF” light will illuminate in
the instrument cluster to indicate when the switch has
been activated. Pressing the switch a third time restores
normal operation. If the “TOW HAUL” or “O/D OFF”
modes are desired, the button must be pressed each time
the engine is started.Tow Haul O/D Off Switch STARTING AND OPERATING 277
5

WARNING!Do not use the Tow/Haul feature when driving in icy
or slippery conditions as the increased engine brak-
ing can cause the rear wheels to slide and the vehicle
to swing around with the possible loss of vehicle
control, which may cause an accident possibly result-
ing in personal injury or death.
When To Lock Out Overdrive
When driving in hilly areas, towing a trailer, carrying a
heavy load, etc., and frequent 6–5–6 or 5–4–5 transmis-
sion shifting occurs, press the “TOW/HAUL” button.
This will improve performance and reduce the potential
for transmission 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 1st
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 “TOW/HAUL” button, when the transmis-
sion is sufficiently warm, will demonstrate that the
transmission is able to shift into and out of overdrive.278 STARTING AND OPERATING