2016 Ram 1500 cooling system

Exhaust Gas
WARNING!
Exhaust gases can injure or kill. They contain carbon
monoxide (CO), which is colorless and odorless.
Breathing it can make you unconscious and can
eventually poison you. To avoid breathing (CO),
follow these safety tips:
•Do not run the engine in a closed garage or in
confined areas any longer than needed to move
your vehicle in or out of the area.
•If you are required to drive with the trunk/liftgate/
rear doors open, make sure that all windows are
closed and the climate control BLOWER switch is
set at high speed. DO NOT use the recirculation
mode.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•If it is necessary to sit in a parked vehicle with the
engine running, adjust your heating or cooling
controls to force outside air into the vehicle. Set the
blower at high speed.
The best protection against carbon monoxide entry into
the vehicle body is a properly maintained engine exhaust
system.
Whenever a change is noticed in the sound of the exhaust
system, when exhaust fumes can be detected inside the
vehicle, or when the underside or rear of the vehicle is
damaged, have a competent mechanic inspect the com-
plete exhaust system and adjacent body areas for broken,
damaged, deteriorated, or mispositioned parts. Open
seams or loose connections could permit exhaust fumes
to seep into the passenger compartment. In addition,
inspect the exhaust system each time the vehicle is raised
for lubrication or oil change. Replace as required.
118 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

1. Tachometer
•Indicates the engine speed in revolutions per minute
(RPM x 1000).
2. Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) Display
•When the appropriate conditions exist, this display
shows the Electronic Vehicle Information Center
(EVIC) messages. Refer to “Electronic Vehicle Infor-
mation Center” in “Understanding Your Instrument
Panel” for further information.
3. Speedometer
•Indicates vehicle speed.4. Fuel Gauge
•The pointer shows the level of fuel in the fuel tank
when the ignition switch is in the ON/RUN position.
5. Temperature Gauge
•The temperature gauge shows engine coolant tem-
perature. Any reading within the normal range indi-
cates that the engine cooling system is operating
satisfactorily.
•The gauge pointer will likely indicate a higher tem-
perature when driving in hot weather, up mountain
grades, or when towing a trailer. It should not be
allowed to exceed the upper limits of the normal
operating range.
292 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

CAUTION!
Driving with a hot engine cooling system could
damage your vehicle. If the temperature gauge reads
“H” pull over and stop the vehicle. Idle the vehicle
with the air conditioner turned off until the pointer
drops back into the normal range. If the pointer
remains on the “H”, turn the engine off immediately
and call an authorized dealer for service.
WARNING!
A hot engine cooling system is dangerous. You or
others could be badly burned by steam or boiling
coolant. You may want to call an authorized dealer
for service if your vehicle overheats. If you decide to
look under the hood yourself, see “Maintaining Your
Vehicle”. Follow the warnings under the Cooling
System Pressure Cap paragraph.
4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 293

7. Temperature Gauge
•The temperature gauge shows engine coolant tem-
perature. Any reading within the normal range indi-
cates that the engine cooling system is operating
satisfactorily.
•The gauge pointer will likely indicate a higher tem-
perature when driving in hot weather, up mountain
grades, or when towing a trailer. It should not be
allowed to exceed the upper limits of the normal
operating range.
CAUTION!
Driving with a hot engine cooling system could
damage your vehicle. If the temperature gauge reads
“H” pull over and stop the vehicle. Idle the vehicle
with the air conditioner turned off until the pointer
drops back into the normal range. If the pointer
(Continued)
CAUTION!(Continued)
remains on the “H”, turn the engine off immediately
and call an authorized dealer for service.
WARNING!
A hot engine cooling system is dangerous. You or
others could be badly burned by steam or boiling
coolant. You may want to call an authorized dealer
for service if your vehicle overheats. If you decide to
look under the hood yourself, see “Maintaining Your
Vehicle”. Follow the warnings under the Cooling
System Pressure Cap paragraph.
296 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

•Trailer Brake Disconnected
•Service Transmission
•Service Shifter
•Engage Park Brake To Prevent Rolling
•Transmission Too Cold Idle With Engine On
•Washer Fluid Low
•Service Air Suspension System
•Heavy Duty Air Suspension System Disabled
•Selected Ride Height Not Permitted Due To Speed
•Selected Ride Height Not Permitted Due To Payload
•Selected Ride Height Not Permitted - Payload Too
Light
•Battery Low Start Engine To Change Ride Height•Normal Ride Height Achieved
•Aerodynamic Ride Height Achieved
•Off Road 1 Ride Height Achieved
•Off Road 2 Ride Height Achieved
•Entry/Exit Ride Height Achieved
•Selected Ride Height Not Permitted
•Service Air Suspension System Immediately
•Reduce Speed To Maintain Selected Ride Height
•Air Suspension System Cooling Down Please Wait
•Vehicle Cannot Be Lowered Door Open
•Off Road 2 Watch For Clearance
•Entry/Exit Watch For Clearance
4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 345

•Transmission Too cold Idle with Engine On
•Washer Fluid Low
•Service Air Suspension System
•Heavy Duty Air Suspension System Disabled
•Selected Ride Height Not Permitted Due To Speed
•Selected Ride Height Not Permitted Due To Payload
•Selected Ride Height Not Permitted - Payload Too
Light
•Battery Low Start Engine To Change Ride Height
•Normal Ride Height Achieved
•Aerodynamic Ride Height Achieved
•Off Road 1 Ride Height Achieved
•Off Road 2 Ride Height Achieved•Entry/Exit Ride Height Achieved
•Selected Ride Height Not Permitted
•Service Air Suspension System Immediately
•Reduce Speed To Maintain Selected Ride Height
•Air Suspension System Cooling Down Please Wait
•Vehicle Cannot Be Lowered Door Open
•Off Road 2 Watch For Clearance
•Entry/Exit Watch For Clearance
•Air Suspension Temporarily Disabled For Jacking And
Tire Change
•Battery Low Start Engine To Change Ride Height
•Stop/Start Ready – If Equipped
•Stop/Start Not Ready – If Equipped
4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 363

•The temperature can be displayed in U.S. or Metric
units by selecting the Uconnect customer-
programmable feature. Refer to the “Uconnect System
Settings” in this section of the manual.
To provide you with maximum comfort in the Automatic
mode, during cold start-ups the blower fan will remain
on low until the engine warms up. The blower will
increase in speed and transition into Auto mode.
Manual Operation Override
The system allows for manual selection of blower speed,
air distribution mode, A/C status and recirculation con-
trol.
The blower fan speed can be set to any fixed speed by
adjusting the blower control. The fan will now operate at
a fixed speed until additional speeds are selected. This
allows the front occupants to control the volume of air
circulated in the vehicle and cancel the Auto mode.The operator can also select the direction of the airflow
by selecting one of the available mode settings. A/C
operation and Recirculation control can also be manually
selected in Manual operation.
NOTE:
Each of these features operates independently from
each other. If any feature is controlled manually, temperature
control will continue to operate automatically.
Operating Tips
NOTE:Refer to the chart at the end of this section for
suggested control settings for various weather condi-
tions.
Summer Operation
The engine cooling system must be protected with a
high-quality antifreeze coolant to provide proper corro-
sion protection and to protect against engine overheating.
OAT coolant (conforming to MS.90032) is recommended.
Refer to “Maintenance Procedures” in “Maintaining Your
Vehicle” for proper coolant selection.
4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 441

Winter Operation
To ensure the best possible heater and defroster perfor-
mance, make sure the engine cooling system is function-
ing properly and the proper amount, type, and concen-
tration of coolant is used. Refer to “Maintenance
Procedures” in “Maintaining Your Vehicle” for proper
coolant selection. Use of the air Recirculation mode
during Winter months is not recommended because it
may cause window fogging.
Vacation/Storage
Any time you store your vehicle or keep it out of service
(i.e., vacation) for two weeks or more, run the air
conditioning system at idle for about five minutes in
fresh air with the blower setting in high. This will ensure
adequate system lubrication to minimize the possibility
of compressor damage when the system is started again.
Window Fogging and Frosting
Vehicle windows tend to fog on the inside of the glass in
mild, rainy and/or humid weather. Windows may frost
on the inside of the glass in very cold weather. To clear
the windows, select Defrost or Mix mode and increase
the front blower speed. Do not use the Recirculation
mode without A/C for long periods, as fogging may
occur.
NOTE:Automatic Temperature Controls (ATC) will au-
tomatically adjust the climate control settings to reduce
or eliminate window fogging on the front windshield.
When this occurs, recirculation will be unavailable.
442 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL