2012 Ram 5500 Chassis Cab battery

19. Voltmeter — If Equipped
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. If the pointer
moves to either extreme left or right and remains there
during normal driving, the electrical system should be
serviced.
NOTE:The voltmeter may show a gauge fluctuation at
various engine temperatures. This cycling operation is
caused by the post-heat cycle of the intake manifold
heater system. The number of cycles and the length of the
cycling operation is controlled by the engine control
module. Post-heat operation can run for several minutes,
and then the electrical system and voltmeter needle will
stabilize.20. Cargo Light
The cargo light will illuminate when the cargo
light is activated by pressing the cargo light
button on the headlight switch.
21. Brake Warning Light
This light monitors various brake functions,
including brake fluid level and parking brake
application. If the brake light turns on it may
indicate that the parking brake is applied, that
the brake fluid level is low, or that there is a problem with
the Anti-lock Brake System reservoir.
If the light remains on when the parking brake has been
disengaged, and the fluid level is at the full mark on the
master cylinder reservoir, it indicates a possible brake
hydraulic system malfunction or that a problem with the
Brake Booster has been detected by the Anti-Lock Brake
System (ABS). In this case, the light will remain on until
the condition has been corrected. If the problem is related
198 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

•Trailer Brake Connected
•Trailer Brake Disconnected
•Lights On
•Keyfob Battery Low
•ECO (Fuel Saver Indicator) — If Equipped
•Wrong Key
•Damaged Key
•Key not programmed
•Key In Ignition
•Turn Signal On
•Oil Change Due > Dealer Info
•System Setup Unavailable
•Warning Object Detected
•System Setup Unavailable - Vehicle in Motion
•Service Four Wheel Drive System
•Adjustable pedals unavail.
•Cruise engaged
•Adjustable pedals unavail. Veh. in reverse
•Clean Park Assist sensors
•Front Park Assist Not available - Blinded
•Rear Park Assist Not available - Blinded
•Low Fuel
•Personal Settings Not Available — Vehicle Not in Park
•Service blind spot system
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Connecting The iPodOr External USB Device
Use the connection cable to connect an iPodor external
USB device to the vehicle’s USB connector port which is
located in the glove compartment.Once the audio device is connected and synchronized to
the vehicle’s iPod/USB/MP3 control system (iPodor
external USB device may take a few minutes to connect),
the audio device starts charging and is ready for use by
pressing radio switches, as described below.
NOTE:If the audio device battery is completely dis-
charged, it may not communicate with the iPod/USB/
MP3 control system until a minimum charge is attained.
Leaving the audio device connected to the iPod/USB/
MP3 control system may charge it to the required level.
Using This Feature
By using iPod cable or external USB device to connect to
USB port:
•The audio device can be played on the vehicle’s sound
system, providing metadata (artist, track title, album,
etc.) information on the radio display.
USB Connector Port
250 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

•The audio device can be controlled using the radio
buttons to Play, Browse, and List the iPodcontents.
•The audio device battery charges when plugged into
the USB/AUX connector (if supported by the specific
audio device)
Controlling The iPodOr External USB Device
Using Radio Buttons
To get into the iPod/USB/MP3 control mode and access
a connected audio device, either press the “AUX” button
on the radio faceplate or press the VR button and say
USBorSwitch to USB. Once in the iPod/USB/MP3
control mode, audio tracks (if available from audio
device) start playing over the vehicle’s audio system.
Play Mode
When switched to iPod/USB/MP3 control mode, the
iPodor external USB device automatically starts Playmode. In Play mode, the following buttons on the radio
faceplate may be used to control the iPodor external
USB device and display data:
•Use the TUNE control knob to select the next or
previous track.
•Turning it clockwise (forward) by one click, while
playing a track, skips to the next track or press the
VR button and sayNext Track.
•Turning it counterclockwise (backward) by one
click, will jump to the previous track in the list or
press the VR button and sayPrevious Track
•Jump backward in the current track by pressing and
holding the < button long enough will jump to the beginning of
the current track.
•Jump forward in the current track by pressing and
holding theFF>> button.
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WARNING! (Continued)
•If the vehicle has a discharged battery, booster
cables may be used to obtain a start from a booster
battery or the battery in another vehicle. This type
of start can be dangerous if done improperly. Refer
to “Jump Starting” in “What To Do In Emergen-
cies” for further information.
If the engine has been flooded, it may start to run, but not
have enough power to continue running when the key
fob is released. If this occurs, continue cranking with the
accelerator pedal pushed all the way to the floor. Release
the accelerator pedal and the key fob 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.
ENGINE BLOCK HEATER — IF EQUIPPED
The engine block heater warms the engine, and permits
quicker starts in cold weather. Connect the cord to a
standard 110-115 Volt AC electrical outlet with a
grounded, three-wire extension cord.
3500 Models — 5.7L Engine Only
The engine block heater cord is routed through the grille
by the right front tow hook.
It includes a removable cap that is secured by a tethered
strap. It also has a c-clip that is used for storage when not
in use for the winter months. During winter months,
remove the heater cord wiring assembly from itself on
the c-clip.
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If a Non-FFV vehicle is inadvertently fueled with E-85
fuel, the engine will have some or all of these symptoms:
•operate in a lean mode
•OBD II “Malfunction Indicator Light” on
•poor engine performance
•poor cold start and cold drivability
•increased risk for fuel system component corrosion
To fix a Non-FFV vehicle inadvertently fueled once with
E-85 perform the following:
•drain the fuel tank (see your authorized dealer)
•change the engine oil and oil filter
•disconnect and reconnect the battery to reset the
engine controller memoryMore extensive repairs will be required for prolonged
exposure to E-85 fuel.
MMT In Gasoline
MMT is a manganese containing metallic additive that is
blended into some gasoline to increase octane. Gasoline
blended with MMT provides no performance advantage
beyond gasoline of the same octane number without
MMT. Gasoline blended with MMT reduces spark plug
life and reduces emission system performance in some
vehicles. The manufacturer recommends that gasoline
without MMT be used in your vehicle. The MMT content
of gasoline may not be indicated on the gasoline pump,
therefore, you should ask your gasoline retailer whether
or not the gasoline contains MMT. It is even more
important to look for gasolines without MMT in Canada,
because MMT can be used at levels higher than those
allowed in the United States. MMT is prohibited in
Federal and California reformulated gasoline.
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The user interface consists of the following:
GAIN/ Brake Output Power Display
Shows the current GAIN setting.This display may also be used to display diagnostic
information, if needed.
•SC — Short Circuit to Ground
•Sb — Short to Battery
•CF — Controller Fault – If this message appears on the
display, see your authorized dealer.
When the vehicle brakes are applied, the display will no
longer show GAIN and will change to the output to the
trailer brakes.
Manual Brake Control Lever
Slide the manual brake control lever to the right to
activate power to the trailer’s electric brakes independent
of the tow vehicle’s brakes. If the manual brake control
lever is activated while the brake is also applied, the
greater of the two inputs determines the power sent to
the trailer brakes.
1 — GAIN/Brake Output Power Display
2 — Manual Brake Control Lever
3 — Trailer Brake Status Indicator Light
4 — GAIN Adjustment Buttons
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General Maintenance
Snowplows should be maintained in accordance with the
plow manufacturer’s instructions.
Keep all snowplow electrical connections and battery
terminals clean and free of corrosion.
When plowing snow, to avoid transmission and drive-
train damage, the following precautions should be ob-
served.
•Operate with transfer case in 4L when plowing small
or congested areas where speeds are not likely to
exceed 15 mph (24 km/h). At higher speeds operate in
4H.
•Vehicles with automatic transmissions should use 4L
range when plowing deep or heavy snow for extended
periods of time to avoid transmission overheating.
•Do not shift the transmission unless the engine has
returned to idle and wheels have stopped. Make a
practice of stepping on the brake pedal before shifting
the transmission.
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