2008 DODGE RAM 3500 GAS service

Maintaining Your Airbag System
WARNING!
²Modifications to any part of the airbag system
could cause it to fail when you need it. You could
be injured if the airbag system is not there to
protect you. Do not modify the components or
wiring, including adding any kind of badges or
stickers to the steering wheel hub trim cover or the
upper right side of the instrument panel. Do not
modify the front bumper, vehicle body structure,
or add aftermarket side steps or running boards.
²You need proper knee impact protection in a
collision. Do not mount or locate any aftermarket
equipment on or behind the knee bolsters.
²It is dangerous to try to repair any part of the
airbag system yourself. Be sure to tell anyone who
works on your vehicle that it has an airbag system.NOTE:
Perchlorate Material ± special handling may ap-
ply, see www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate
Enhanced Accident Response System
If the airbags deploy after an impact and the electrical
system remains functional, vehicles equipped with
power door locks will unlock automatically. In addition,
approximately five seconds after the vehicle has stopped
moving, the interior lights will light until the ignition
switch is turned off.
Airbag Light
You will want to have the airbags ready to
inflate for your protection in an impact. While
the airbag system is designed to be mainte-
nance free, if any of the following occurs, have
an authorized dealer service the system promptly:
²The airbag light does not come on or flickers during
the six to eight seconds when the ignition switch is
first turned ON.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 59
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²Brake status (service and parking brakes)
²Accelerator status (including vehicle speed)
²Engine control status (including engine speed)
²Transmission gear selection
²Cruise control status
²Traction/stability control status
²Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) status (if
equipped)
Child Restraint
Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled up all the
time Ð babies and children, too. Every state in the United
States and all Canadian provinces require that small
children ride in proper restraint systems. This is the law,
and you can be prosecuted for ignoring it.Children 12 years and younger should ride properly
buckled up in a rear seat, if available. According to crash
statistics, children are safer when properly restrained in
the rear seats rather than in the front.
WARNING!
In a collision, an unrestrained child, even a tiny baby,
can become a missile inside the vehicle. The force
required to hold even an infant on your lap can
become so great that you could not hold the child, no
matter how strong you are. The child and others
could be badly injured. Any child riding in your
vehicle should be in a proper restraint for the child's
size.
62 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

The UConnecttphonebook enables you to store up to 32
names, with four numbers per name. Each language has
a separate 32-name phonebook accessible only in that
language. This system is driven through your Bluetootht
ªHands-Free profileº cellular phone. UConnecttfeatures
Bluetoothttechnology - the global standard that enables
different electronic devices to connect to each other
without wires or a docking station, so UConnecttworks
no matter where you stow your cellular phone (be it your
purse, pocket, or briefcase), as long as your phone is
turned on and has been paired to the vehicle's
UConnecttsystem. The UConnecttsystem allows up to
seven cellular phones to be linked to the system. Only
one linked (or paired) cellular phone can be used with the
system at a time. The system is available in English,
Spanish, or French languages.Phone Button
The rearview mirror contains the microphone
for the system (depending on the type of
mirror and radio equipped), and either the
radio or the mirror has the two control buttons
(PHONE Button and VOICE RECOGNITION button)
that will enable you to access the system.
Voice Recognition Button
Actual button location may vary with radio.
The individual buttons are described in the
ªOperationº section.
The UConnecttsystem can be used with any Hands-Free
Profile certified Bluetoothtcellular phone. See the
UConnecttwebsite for supported phones. If your cellu-
lar phone supports a different profile (e.g., Headset
Profile) you may not be able to use any UConnectt
features. Refer to your cellular service provider or the
phone manufacturer for details.
92 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

²The UConnecttsystem will then prompt you as to the
number designation you wish to call.
²The selected number will be dialed.
Phone Call Features
The following features can be accessed through the
UConnecttsystem if the feature(s) are available on your
cellular service plan. For example, if your cellular service
plan provides three-way calling, this feature can be ac-
cessed through the UConnecttsystem. Check with your
cellular service provider for the features that you have.
Answer or Reject an Incoming Call - No Call
Currently in Progress
When you receive a call on your cellular phone, the
UConnecttsystem will interrupt the vehicle audio system,
if on, and will ask if you would like to answer the call.
Press the PHONE button to accept the call. To reject the
call, press and hold the PHONE button until you hear a
single beep, indicating that the incoming call was rejected.
Answer or Reject an Incoming Call - Call
Currently in Progress
If a call is currently in progress and you have another
incoming call, you will hear the same network tones for
call waiting that you normally hear when using your cell
phone. Press the PHONE button to place the current call
on hold and answer the incoming call.
NOTE:The UConnecttsystem compatible phones in
the market today do not support rejecting an incoming
call when another call is in progress. Therefore, the user
can only answer an incoming call or ignore it.
Making a Second Call While Current Call in
Progress
To make a second call while you are currently on a call,
press the ªVoice Recognitionº button and say9Dial9or
9Call9followed by the phone number or phonebook entry
you wish to call. The first call will be on hold while the
second call is in progress. To go back to the first call, refer
100 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

²After the9Ready9prompt and the following beep, say
the name of the language you wish to switch to
English, Espanol, or Francais.
²Continue to follow the system prompts to complete
language selection.
After selecting one of the languages, all prompts and
voice commands will be in that language.
NOTE:After every UConnecttlanguage change opera-
tion, only the language-specific 32-name phonebook is
usable. The paired phone name is not language-specific
and usable across all languages.
Emergency Assistance
If you are in an emergency and the mobile phone is
reachable:
²Pick up the phone and manually dial the emergency
number for your area.If the phone is not reachable and the UConnecttsystem
is operational, you may reach the emergency number as
follows:
²Press the PHONE button to begin.
²After the9Ready9prompt and the following beep, say
9Emergency9and the UConnecttsystem will instruct
the paired cellular phone to call the emergency num-
ber. This feature is supported in the U.S., Canada, and
Mexico.
NOTE:The emergency number dialed is based on the
country where the vehicle is purchased (911 for the U.S.
and Canada and 060 for Mexico). The number dialed may
not be applicable with the available cellular service and
area.
The UConnecttsystem does slightly lower your chances
of successfully making a phone call as to that for the cell
phone directly.
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 103
3

Your phone must be turned on and paired to the
UConnecttsystem to allow use of this vehicle feature in
emergency situations, when the cell phone has network
coverage and stays paired to the UConnecttsystem.
Towing Assistance
If you need towing assistance:
²Press the PHONE button to begin.
²After the9Ready9prompt and the following beep, say
9Towing Assistance.9
NOTE:The Towing Assistance number dialed is based
on the country where the vehicle is purchased (1-800-528-
2069 for the U.S., 1-877-213-4525 for Canada, 55-14-3454
for Mexico City and 1-800-712-3040 for outside Mexico
City in Mexico).
Please refer to the 24-Hour ªTowing Assistanceº cover-
age details in the Warranty Information Booklet and on
the 24±Hour Towing Assistance Card.
Paging
To learn how to page, refer to9Working with Automated
Systems.9Paging works properly except for pagers of
certain companies, which time out a little too soon to
work properly with the UConnecttsystem.
Voice Mail Calling
To learn how to access your voice mail, refer to9Working
with Automated Systems.9
Working with Automated Systems
This method is used in instances where one generally has
to press numbers on the cellular phone keypad while
navigating through an automated telephone system.
You can use your UConnecttsystem to access a voice
mail system or an automated service, such as a paging
service or automated customer service line. Some ser-
vices require immediate response selection. In some
instances, that may be too quick for use of the UConnectt
system.
104 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

When calling a number with your UConnecttsystem
that normally requires you to enter in a touch-tone
sequence on your cellular phone keypad, you can press
the ªVoice Recognitionº button and say the sequence you
wish to enter, followed by the word9Send.9For example,
if required to enter your PIN followed with a pound, (3 7
4 6 #), you can press the ªVoice Recognitionº button and
say,93746#Send.9Saying a number, or sequence of
numbers, followed by9Send,9is also to be used for
navigating through an automated customer service cen-
ter menu structure, and to leave a number on a pager.
You can also send stored UConnecttphonebook entries
as tones for fast and easy access to voice mail and pager
entries. To use this feature, dial the number you wish to
call and then press the ªVoice Recognitionº button and
say, ªSend.º The system will prompt you to enter the
name or number and say the name of the phonebook
entry you wish to send. The UConnecttsystem will thensend the corresponding phone number associated with
the phonebook entry, as tones over the phone.
NOTE:
²You may not hear all of the tones due to cellular phone
network configurations; this is normal.
²Some paging and voice mail systems have system time
out settings that are too short and may not allow the
use of this feature.
Barge In - Overriding Prompts
The ªVoice Recognitionº button can be used when you
wish to skip part of a prompt and issue your voice
recognition command immediately. For example, if a
prompt is asking9Would you like to pair a phone, clear
a{,9you could press the ªVoice Recognitionº button and
say,9Pair a Phone9to select that option without having to
listen to the rest of the voice prompt.
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 105
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INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DESCRIPTION
1. Check Gauges ± Premium Cluster Only
This light illuminates when the Voltmeter, Engine
Oil Pressure or Engine Coolant Temperature
gauges indicate a reading either too high or too low.
Examine the gauges carefully, and follow the instructions
contained below for each indicated problem.
NOTE:When the ignition switch is turned to OFF, the
Fuel Gauge, Voltmeter, Oil Pressure and Engine Coolant
Temperature gauges may not show accurate readings.
When the engine is not running, turn the ignition switch
to ON to obtain accurate readings.
2. Voltmeter
When the engine is running, the gauge indicates
the electrical system voltage. The pointer should
stay within the normal range if the battery is charged. Ifthe pointer moves to either extreme left or right and
remains there during normal driving, the electrical sys-
tem should be serviced.
NOTE:If the gauge pointer moves to either extreme of
the gauge, the ªCheck Gaugesº indicator will illuminate
and a single chime will sound. The ªCheck Gaugesº
indicator may also illuminate prior to the voltage gauge
moving out of normal range. In either case, see you local
authorized Dealer for system service.
3. Turn Signal Indicators
Lights in instrument cluster flash when outside turn
signals are operating.
4. Tachometer
The Tachometer indicates engine speed in revolutions per
minute.
196 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL