2018 Ram 2500 brake

Follow these steps to activate the Manual
Park Release:
1. Firmly apply the parking brake.
2. Using a small screwdriver or similar tool,remove the Manual Park Release access
cover, which is just above the parking
brake release handle, below and to the left
of the steering column.
3. Press and maintain firm pressure on the brake pedal. 4. Using the screwdriver or similar tool, push
the Manual Park Release lever locking tab
(just below the middle of the lever) to the
right.
5. While holding the locking tab in the disengaged position, pull the tether strap
to rotate the lever rearward, until it locks
in place pointing towards the driver's seat.
Release the locking tab and verify that the
Manual Park Release lever is locked in the
released position. 6. The vehicle is now out of PARK and can be
towed. Release the parking brake only
when the vehicle is securely connected to
a tow vehicle.
To Reset The Manual Park Release:
1. Push the locking tab to the right, to unlock the lever.
Manual Park Release Access Cover
Manual Park Release Lever Locking Tab
Manual Park Release Tether
223

2. Rotate the Manual Park Release leverforward to its original position, until the
locking tab snaps into place to secure the
lever.
3. Pull gently on the tether strap to confirm that the lever is locked in its stowed
position.
4. Re-install the access cover.
FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE
If your vehicle becomes stuck in mud, sand,
or snow, it can often be moved using a rock-
ing motion. Turn the steering wheel right and
left to clear the area around the front wheels.
Then shift back and forth between DRIVE
and REVERSE (with automatic transmission)
or SECOND GEAR and REVERSE (with
manual transmission), while gently pressing
the accelerator. Use the least amount of ac-
celerator pedal pressure that will maintain
the rocking motion, without spinning the
wheels or racing the engine. NOTE:
For trucks equipped with 8-speed automatic
transmission: Shifts between DRIVE and RE-
VERSE can only be achieved at wheel speeds
of 5 mph (8 km/h) or less. Whenever the
transmission remains in NEUTRAL for more
than two seconds, you must press the brake
pedal to engage DRIVE or REVERSE.
NOTE:
Push the "ESC Off" switch, to place the Elec-
tronic Stability Control (ESC) system in "Par-
tial Off" mode, before rocking the vehicle.
Refer to “Electronic Brake Control” in
“Safety” in the Owner’s Manual for further
information. Once the vehicle has been
freed, push the "ESC Off" switch again to
restore "ESC On" mode.
WARNING!
Fast spinning tires can be dangerous.
Forces generated by excessive wheel
speeds may cause damage, or even failure,
of the axle and tires. A tire could explode
and injure someone. Do not spin your
vehicle's wheels faster than 30 mph
(48 km/h) or for longer than 30 seconds
continuously without stopping when you
WARNING!
are stuck and do not let anyone near a
spinning wheel, no matter what the speed.
CAUTION!
• Racing the engine or spinning the
wheels may lead to transmission over-
heating and failure. Allow the engine to
idle with the transmission in NEUTRAL
for at least one minute after every five
rocking-motion cycles. This will mini-
mize overheating and reduce the risk of
clutch or transmission failure during
prolonged efforts to free a stuck vehicle.
• When “rocking” a stuck vehicle by shift- ing between DRIVE/2nd gear and RE-
VERSE, do not spin the wheels faster
than 15 mph (24 km/h), or drivetrain
damage may result.
• Revving the engine or spinning the wheels too fast may lead to transmission
overheating and failure. It can also dam-
age the tires. Do not spin the wheels
above 30 mph (48 km/h) while in gear
(no transmission shifting occurring).
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
224

SCHEDULED SERVICING — GASOLINE
ENGINE
Your vehicle is equipped with an automatic
oil change indicator system. The oil change
indicator system will remind you that it is
time to take your vehicle in for scheduled
maintenance.
Based on engine operation conditions, the oil
change indicator message will illuminate.
This means that service is required for your
vehicle. Operating conditions such as fre-
quent short-trips, trailer tow, extremely hot or
cold ambient temperatures, and E85 fuel
usage will influence when the “Oil Change
Required” message is displayed. Severe Op-
erating Conditions can cause the change oil
message to illuminate as early as
3,500 miles (5,600 km) since last reset.
Have your vehicle serviced as soon as pos-
sible, within the next 500 miles (805 km).Your authorized dealer will reset the oil
change indicator message after completing
the scheduled oil change. If a scheduled oil
change is performed by someone other than
your authorized dealer, the message can be
reset by referring to the steps described un-
der “Instrument Cluster Display” in “Getting
To Know Your Instrument Panel”.
1500 Models Only
NOTE:
Under no circumstances should oil change
intervals exceed 10,000 miles (16,000 km),
twelve months or 350 hours of engine run
time, whichever comes first. The 350 hours
of engine run or idle time is generally only a
concern for fleet customers.
2500 – 3500 Models Only
NOTE:
Under no circumstances should oil change
intervals exceed 8,000 miles (13,000 km),
twelve months or 350 hours of engine run
time, whichever comes first. The 350 hours
of engine run or idle time is generally only a
concern for fleet customers. Severe Duty All Models
NOTE:
Change Engine Oil at 4,000 miles
(6,500 km) or 350 hours of engine run time
if the vehicle is operated in a dusty and off
road environment or is operated predomi-
nantly at idle, or only very low engine RPM’s.
This type of vehicle use is considered Severe
Duty.
Once A Month Or Before A Long Trip:
• Check engine oil level
• Check windshield washer fluid level
• Check tire pressure and look for unusual
wear or damage. Rotate tires at the first
sign of irregular wear, even if it occurs
before the oil indicator system turns on.
• Check the fluid levels of the coolant reser- voir, brake master cylinder, power steering
(2500/3500 Models Only) and automatic
transmission (six-speed only) and fill as
needed
• Check function of all interior and exterior lights
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
230

Maintenance Plan — Gasoline
Engine
Required Maintenance
Refer to the Maintenance Plan on the follow-
ing pages for required maintenance.
At Every Oil Change Interval As Indicated By OilChange Indicator System:
• Change oil and filter.
• Rotate the tires. Rotate at the first sign of
irregular wear, even if it occurs before the oil
indicator system turns on.
• Inspect battery and clean and tighten ter- minals as required.
• Inspect automatic transmission fluid if equipped with dipstick.
• Inspect brake pads, shoes, rotors, drums, hoses and park brake.
• Inspect engine cooling system protection and hoses.
• Inspect exhaust system.
• Inspect engine air cleaner if using in dusty or off-road conditions.
• Lube the front drive shaft fitting (2500/ 3500 (4x4) models only).
231

Mileage or time passed (whichever comesfirst)
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
100,000
110,000
120,000
130,000
140,000
150,000
Or Years: 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Or Kilometers:
32,000
48,000
64,000
80,000
96,000
112,000
128,000
144,000
160,000
176,000
192,000
208,000
224,000
240,000
Additional Inspections
Inspect the CV/Universal joints. X X X X X
Inspect front suspension, tie rod ends, and
replace if necessary. XXX X X X X
1500 Models:
Inspect the front and rear axle surfaces. If
gear oil leakage is suspected, check the
fluid level. If using your vehicle for police,
taxi, fleet, off-road or frequent trailer tow-
ing, change axle fluid. XX X X X
2500/3500 Models:
Inspect the front and rear axle surfaces. If
gear oil leakage is suspected, check the
fluid level. If using your vehicle for police,
taxi, fleet, off-road or frequent trailer tow-
ing, change axle fluid. XXX X X X X
Inspect the brake linings, replace as neces-
sary. XXX X X X X
Adjust parking brake as necessary. XXX X X XX
Inspect transfer case fluid. XX X
Additional Maintenance
Replace cabin air filter. XXX X X XX
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
232

WARNING!
• You can be badly injured working on oraround a motor vehicle. Do only service
work for which you have the knowledge
and the right equipment. If you have any
doubt about your ability to perform a
service job, take your vehicle to a com-
petent mechanic.
• Failure to properly inspect and maintain
your vehicle could result in a component
malfunction and effect vehicle handling
and performance. This could cause an
accident.
Heavy Duty Use Of The Vehicle
Change engine oil at 4,000 miles (6,500 km)
or 350 hours of engine run time if the vehicle
is operated in a dusty and off road environ-
ment or is operated predominately at idle or
only very low engine RPM’s. This type of
vehicle use is considered Severe Duty.
SCHEDULED SERVICING — 1500 3.0L
DIESEL ENGINE
Your vehicle is equipped with an automatic
oil change indicator system. The oil change
indicator system will remind you that it is
time to take your vehicle in for scheduled
maintenance.
Based on engine operation conditions, the oil
change indicator message will illuminate.
This means that service is required for your
vehicle. Operating conditions such as fre-
quent short-trips, trailer tow, extremely hot or
cold ambient temperatures will influence
when the “Oil Change Required” message is
displayed. Severe Operating Conditions will
cause the change oil message to illuminate
more frequently. Have your vehicle serviced
as soon as possible, within the next
500 miles (805 km). Your authorized dealer will reset the oil
change indicator message after completing
the scheduled oil change. If a scheduled oil
change is performed by someone other than
your authorized dealer, the message can be
reset by referring to the steps described un-
der “Instrument Cluster Display” in “Getting
To Know Your Instrument Panel” in your Own-
er’s Manual for further information.
NOTE:
Under no circumstances should oil change
intervals exceed 10,000 miles (16,000 km)
or twelve months, whichever comes first.
Once A Month Or Before A Long Trip:
• Check engine oil level
• Check windshield washer fluid level
• Check the tire inflation pressures and look
for unusual wear or damage
• Check the fluid levels of the coolant reser- voir, brake master cylinder, and power
steering, and fill as needed
• Check function of all interior and exterior lights
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
234

Maintenance Plan — Diesel Fuel
Up To B5 Biodiesel (1500 Diesel)
Required Maintenance
Refer to the Maintenance Schedules on the
following pages for required maintenance.
At Every Oil Change Interval As Indicated By OilChange Indicator System:
• Change oil and filter.
•
Completely fill the Diesel Exhaust Fluid tank.
• Drain water from fuel filter assembly.
• Rotate the tires. Rotate at the first sign of
irregular wear, even if it occurs before the oil
indicator system turns on.
• Inspect battery and clean and tighten ter- minals as required.
• Inspect brake pads, shoes, rotors, drums, hoses and park brake.
• Inspect engine cooling system protection and hoses.
• Inspect exhaust system.
• Inspect engine air cleaner if using in dusty or off-road conditions.
At Every Second Oil Change Interval As Indi-cated By Oil Change Indicator System:
• Change fuel filter.
235

Mileage or time passed (whichever comes first)10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
100,000
110,000
120,000
130,000
140,000
150,000
Or Years: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Or Kilometers:
16,000
32,000
48,000
64,000
80,000
96,000
112,000
128,000
144,000
160,000
176,000
192,000
208,000
224,000
240,000
Additional Inspections
Completely fill the Diesel Exhaust Fluid tank. X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
Inspect the CV/Universal joints. X X X X X
Inspect front suspension, tie rod ends, and replace if necessary. X X X X X X X
Inspect the front and rear axle fluid. If gear oil leakage is sus-
pected, check the fluid level. If using your vehicle for police, taxi,
fleet, off-road or frequent trailer towing change the axle fluid. XX X X X
Inspect the brake linings, parking brake function. X X X X X X X
Inspect the transfer case fluid. X X X
Additional Maintenance
Replace cabin air filter X X X X X X X
Drain water from fuel filter assembly. X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
Replace fuel filter and drain water from the fuel filter assembly. Fuel filter replacement intervals should be every second oil change and must not exceed
20,000 miles (32 000 km) if using diesel fuel up to B5.
Replace engine air filter. XX X X X
Flush and replace the engine coolant at 10 years or
150,000 miles (240,000 km) whichever comes first. XX
Replace accessory drive belt(s). X
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
236