Page 389 of 532
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLECONTENTS Engine Compartment — 6.7L Diesel Engine ....392
Engine Compartment— 5.7L Gas Engine ......393
Onboard Diagnostic System (OBD II) .........394
▫ Loose Fuel Filler Cap Message ............394
Replacement Parts ......................395
Engine Data Plate ......................395
Dealer Service .........................395
Service Information .....................396
Maintenance Procedures ..................398 ▫ Engine Oil ..........................398
▫ Drive Belts (Gas Engines) ...............406
▫ Drive Belt (Diesel Engines) ..............406
▫ Engine Air Cleaner Filter (Gas Engines) .....406
▫ Engine Air Cleaner Filter (Diesel Engines) ....407
▫ Draining Fuel/Water Separator Filter (Diesel
Engines) ............................410
▫ Engine Fuel Filter (Gas Engines) ...........413
▫ Spark Plugs (Gas Engines) ...............413
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ONBOARD DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM (OBD II)
Vehicles equipped with California emissions controls
have a sophisticated onboard diagnostic system called
OBDII. This system monitors the performance of the
emissions, engine, and automatic transmission control
systems. When these systems are operating properly,
your vehicle will provide excellent performance and fuel
economy, as well as engine emissions well within current
government regulations.
If any of these systems require service, the OBD II system
will turn on the “Malfunction Indicator Light.” It will
also store diagnostic codes and other information to
assist your service technician in making repairs. Al-
though your vehicle will usually be driveable and not
need towing, see your dealer for service as soon as
possible. CAUTION!Prolonged driving with the “Malfunction Indicator
Light” on could cause further damage to the emis-
sion control system. It could also affect fuel economy
and driveability. The vehicle must be serviced before
any emissions tests can be performed.
If the “Malfunction Indicator Light” is flashing,
severe catalytic converter damage and power loss
will soon occur. Immediate service is required.
Loose Fuel Filler Cap Message
If the vehicles diagnostic system determines that the fuel
filler cap in loose, improperly installed, or damaged, a
GASCAP message will be displayed in the instrument
cluster. Tighten the gas cap until a “clicking” sound is
heard. This is an indication that the gas cap is properly
tightened. Press the odometer reset button to turn the394 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE
Page 395 of 532
message off. If the problem persists, the message will
appear the next time the vehicle is started. This might
indicate a damaged cap. If the problem is detected twice
in a row, the system will turn on the Malfunction
Indicator Light (MIL). Resolving the problem will turn
the MIL light off.
REPLACEMENT PARTS
Use of genuine Mopar parts for normal/scheduled
maintenance and repairs is highly recommended to in-
sure the designed performance. Damage or failures
caused by the use of non-Mopar parts for maintenance
and repairs will not be covered by the manufacturer’s
warranty. ENGINE DATA PLATE
Use the information from the engine data plate when
discussing service or sourcing parts for your engine. The
engine data plate is located on the intake side of the
breather cover.
DEALER SERVICE
Your dealer 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 attempting any procedure
yourself.
NOTE: Intentional tampering with emissions control
systems can result in civil penalties being assessed
against you. MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 395
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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 398 of 532
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 400 of 532
Change Engine Oil (Gas Engines)
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).
• 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). If ANY of these apply to you, then change your engine oil
at every interval shown in schedule B of the Mainte-
nance Schedules section of this manual.
If none of these apply to you, then change your engine oil
at every interval shown on schedule A of the Mainte-
nance Schedules section of this manual.
NOTE: Most vehicles are operated under the conditions
listed for Schedule B.
Dusty Conditions
Driving through dust-laden air increases the problems of
keeping abrasive materials out of the engine. Under these
conditions, special attention should be given to the
engine air cleaner, the crankcase inlet air cleaner and the
crankcase ventilation system. Make sure that these units
are clean at all times. This will tend to reduce to a
minimum the amount of abrasive material that may enter
the engine.400 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE
Page 404 of 532
Use a container that can hold at least 12 quarts (11.3
Liters) to hold the used oil.
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.404 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE
Page 405 of 532
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
engine. Choose the correct oil for your operating condi-
tions as outlined in the Selection of Engine Oil.
Fill the engine with the correct grade of new oil. 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.
Contact your local dealer, service station, or governmen-
tal agency for advice on recycling programs and where
used fluids and filters can be safely discarded in your
area. MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 405
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