2012 Ram 5500 Chassis Cab warning

EVIC Warning Lights
•
Water In Fuel Indicator LightThe “Water In Fuel Indicator Light” will illu-
minate when there is water detected in the fuel
filter. If this light remains on, DO NOT start the
vehicle before you drain the water from the
fuel filter to prevent engine damage. Refer to “Mainte-
nance Procedures/ Draining Fuel/Water Separator Fil-
ter” in “Maintaining Your Vehicle” for further informa-
tion.
•Wait To Start Light The “Wait To Start Light” will illuminate when the
ignition is turned to the RUN position and the
intake manifold temperature is below 66°F (19°C). Wait
until the “Wait To Start Light” turns OFF, then start the
vehicle. Refer to “Starting Procedures” in “Starting and
Operating” for further information. NOTE:
The “Wait To Start Light” may not illuminate if
the intake manifold temperature is warm enough.
Turbocharger Derate Mode Messages
The vehicle will display messages when a derate is
activated to protect the turbocharger during engine start
up in cold ambient temperatures.
•Engine Power Reduced During Warmup - This mes-
sage will display during start up when the ambient
temperature is between 10° F (-12° C) and -10° F
(-23° C).
•Engine Power Reduced Up To 30 Sec (Seconds)
During Warmup - This message will display during
start up when the ambient temperature is between
-10° F (-23° C) and -25 F (-32° C).
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UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 27

•Engine Power Reduced Up To 2 Min (Minutes)
During Warmup- This message will display during
start up when the ambient temperature is -25° F
(-32° C) and below.
Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) Warning Messages –
Chassis Cab Only
Your vehicle will begin displaying warning messages
when the DEF level reaches a driving range of approxi-
mately 1,000 miles (1 609 km). If the following warning
message sequence is ignored, your vehicle will not start
unless DEF is added.
•Low DEF Refill Soon – This message will display
when the low level is reached, during vehicle start up,
and with increased frequency during vehicle opera-
tion. It will be accompanied by a single chime. Ap-
proximately 6 gallons (23 Liters) of DEF is required to
refill the tank when this message is initially displayed.
•Refill DEF Engine Will Not Restart In XXX Miles –
This message will continuously display if the “Low
DEF Refill Soon” message is ignored, and the fre-
quency of occurance of the chime will increase unless
up to 2 gallons (7.5 Liters) of DEF is added to the tank.
The engine will not restart if the mileage counter
reaches zero.
•Refill DEF Engine Will Not Start – This message will
continuously display when the counter reaches zero,
and will be accompanied by a periodic chime. The
engine will not start after it has been turned off unless
up to 2.5 gallons (9.5 Liters) of DEF is added to the
tank.
NOTE: A minimum of up to 2.5 gallons (9.5 Liters) may
be required to restart the engine. Although the vehicle
will continue to operate while this warning message is
initially displayed, the engine will not restart the next
time the vehicle is shut off.
28 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) Fault Warning
Messages – Chassis Cab Only
There are three different messages which are displayed if
the vehicle detects that the DEF system has been filled
with a fluid other than DEF, has experienced component
failures, or when tampering has been detected. The
vehicle will not start if the DEF system is not serviced
within less than 250 miles (402 km) of the fault being
detected.
When the DEF system needs to be serviced the following
warnings will display:
•Service DEF System – See Dealer— This message
will display when the fault is initially detected, each
time the vehicle is started, and periodically during
driving. The message will be accompanied by a single
chime. We recommend you drive to your nearest
authorized dealer and have your vehicle serviced as
soon as possible.
•Service DEF System Engine Will Not Start In
200 Miles – See Dealer — This message will display if
the DEF system has not been serviced after the “Ser-
vice DEF System – See Dealer” message is displayed.
This message will continuously display until the mile-
age counter reaches zero, and will be accompanied by
a periodic chime. The message will continue to count-
down until it reaches zero unless the vehicle is ser-
viced. We recommend you drive to your nearest
authorized dealer and have your vehicle serviced
immediately.
NOTE: Under some circumstances this mileage counter
may start with a value of less than 200 miles (322 km). For
example, if recurring faults are detected in a time interval
of less than 40 hours, the counter may restart at the value
where it stopped when a previous fault was temporarily
remedied, or at a minimum of 50 miles (80 km).
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UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 29

STARTING PROCEDURES
Before starting your vehicle, adjust your seat, adjust both
inside and outside mirrors, and fasten your seat belts.
The starter should not be operated for more than 15-
second intervals. Waiting a few minutes between such
intervals will protect the starter from overheating.
WARNING!
•Do not leave children or animals inside parked
vehicles in hot weather. Interior heat build up may
cause serious injury or death.
•Leaving children in a vehicle unattended is dan-
gerous for a number of reasons. A child or others
could be seriously or fatally injured. Children
should be warned not to touch the parking brake,
brake pedal or the shift lever. Do not leave the key
in the ignition. A child could operate power win-
dows, other controls, or move the vehicle.
Manual Transmission – If Equipped
Apply the parking brake, place the shift lever in NEU-
TRAL and press 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 pressed.
Automatic Transmission – If Equipped
Start the engine with the shift lever in NEUTRAL or
PARK position. Apply the brake before shifting to any
driving range.
Tip Start Feature
Do notpress the accelerator. Turn the ignition switch
briefly to the START position and release it. The starter
motor will continue to run but will automatically disen-
gage when the engine is running.
34 STARTING AND OPERATING

•When a diesel engine is allowed to run out of fuel or
the fuel gels at low temperatures, air is pulled into the
fuel system. If your engine has run out of fuel, refer to
“Maintenance Procedures/Priming If The Engine Has
Run Out Of Fuel” in “Maintaining Your Vehicle” for
further information.
Starting Fluids
WARNING!
Starting fluids or flammable liquids are never to be
used in the Cumminsdiesel engine (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.
•Leaving children in a vehicle unattended is dan-
gerous for a number of reasons. A child or others
could be seriously or fatally injured. Children
should be warned not to touch the parking brake,
brake pedal or the shift lever. Do not leave the key
in the ignition. A child could operate power win-
dows, other controls, or move the vehicle.
40 STARTING AND OPERATING

Do Not Operate The Engine With Failed Parts
Practically all failures give some warning before the parts
fail. Be on the alert for changes in performance, sounds,
and visual evidence that the engine requires service.
Some important clues are:
•engine misfiring or vibrating severely
•sudden loss of power
•unusual engine noises
•fuel, oil or coolant leaks
•sudden change, outside the normal operating range, in
the engine operating temperature
•excessive smoke
•oil pressure drop
ENGINE BLOCK HEATER — IF EQUIPPED
The engine block heater warms engine coolant and
permits quicker starts in cold weather. Connect the heater
cord to a ground-fault interrupter protected 110–115 Volt
AC electrical outlet with a grounded, three-wire exten-
sion cord.
The engine block heater cord is routed under the hood to
the right side and can be located just behind the grille
near the headlamp.
NOTE:The engine block heater cord is a factory in-
stalled option. If your vehicle is not equipped, heater
cords are available from your authorized MOPAR
dealer.
The block heater must be plugged in at least one hour to
have an adequate warming effect on the coolant.
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STARTING AND OPERATING 49

WARNING!
Remember to disconnect the cord before driving.
Damage to the 110–115 Volt electrical cord could
cause electrocution.
NOTE: The block heater will require 110 Volts AC and
6.5 Amps to activate the heater element.
Block Heater Usage
For ambient temperatures below 0°F (-18°C), engine
block heater usage is recommended.
For ambient temperatures below –20°F (-29°C), engine
block heater usage is required.
DIESEL EXHAUST BRAKE (ENGINE BRAKING) —
IF EQUIPPED
The exhaust brake feature will only function when the
driver turns the exhaust brake switch to the ON position. Once the switch is in the ON position and the vehicle is
moving faster than 5 mph (8 km/h); the exhaust brake
will automatically operate when the driver removes
pressure from the accelerator pedal. Exhaust braking is
most effective when the engine RPM is higher. The
automatic transmission has been programmed in TOW/
Exhaust Brake Switch
50 STARTING AND OPERATING

HAUL mode only to downshift more aggressively when
the exhaust brake is enabled to increase brake perfor-
mance.
CAUTION!
Use of aftermarket exhaust brakes is not recom-
mended and could lead to engine damage
WARNING!
Do not use the exhaust brake feature when driving in
icy or slippery conditions as the increased engine
braking 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 possi-
bly resulting in personal injury or death.
NOTE: For optimum braking power it is recommended
to use the exhaust brake while in TOW/HAUL mode. The purpose of the exhaust brake (engine braking) fea-
ture is to supply negative (braking) torque to the engine.
Typically, the engine braking is used for, but not limited
to, vehicle towing applications where vehicle braking can
be achieved by the internal engine power, thereby spar-
ing the mechanical brakes of the vehicle.
Benefits of the exhaust brake are:
•vehicle driving control
•reduced brake fade
•longer brake life
•faster cab warm-up.
The exhaust brake feature can also be used to reduce the
engine warm up time. To use the exhaust brake as a
warm-up device, the vehicle must be stopped or moving
less than 5 mph (8 km/h), the exhaust brake switch must
4
STARTING AND OPERATING 51