2018 Ram 3500 service

WARNING!
• Failure to replace the seat belt assemblycould increase the risk of injury in colli-
sions.
• Do not use the Automatic Locking Mode
to restrain occupants who are wearing
the seat belt or children who are using
booster seats. The locked mode is only
used to install rear-facing or forward-
facing child restraints that have a har-
ness for restraining the child.
Supplemental Restraint Systems
(SRS)
Some of the safety features described in this
section may be standard equipment on some
models, or may be optional equipment on
others. If you are not sure, ask your autho-
rized dealer.
The air bag system must be ready to protect
you in a collision. The Occupant Restraint
Controller (ORC) monitors the internal circuits
and interconnecting wiring associated with the electrical Air Bag System Components. Your
vehicle may be equipped with the following Air
Bag System Components:
Air Bag System Components
• Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
• Air Bag Warning Light
• Steering Wheel and Column
• Instrument Panel
• Knee Impact Bolsters
• Driver and Front Passenger Air Bags
• Seat Belt Buckle Switch
• Supplemental Side Air Bags
• Front and Side Impact Sensors — If
Equipped
• Seat Belt Pretensioners
Air Bag Warning Light
The ORC monitors the readiness of the
electronic parts of the air bag system whenever
the ignition switch is in the START or ON/RUN
position. If the ignition switch is in the OFF
position or in the ACC position, the air bag
system is not on and the air bags will not inflate.
The ORC contains a backup power supply
system that may deploy the air bag system
even if the battery loses power or it becomes
disconnected prior to deployment.
The ORC turns on the Air Bag Warning Light
in the instrument panel for approximately
four to eight seconds for a self-check when
the ignition switch is first in the ON/RUN
position. After the self-check, the Air Bag
Warning Light will turn off. If the ORC detects
a malfunction in any part of the system, it
turns on the Air Bag Warning Light, either
momentarily or continuously. A single chime
will sound to alert you if the light comes on
again after initial startup.
The ORC also includes diagnostics that will
illuminate the instrument panel Air Bag
Warning Light if a malfunction is detected
that could affect the air bag system. The
diagnostics also record the nature of the
malfunction. While the air bag system is
designed to be maintenance free, if any of
the following occurs, have an authorized
dealer service the air bag system immedi-
ately.
SAFETY
104

• The Air Bag Warning Light does not comeon during the four to eight seconds when
the ignition switch is first in the ON/RUN
position.
• The Air Bag Warning Light remains on after the four to eight-second interval.
• The Air Bag Warning Light comes on inter- mittently or remains on while driving.
NOTE:
If the speedometer, tachometer, or any en-
gine related gauges are not working, the Oc-
cupant Restraint Controller (ORC) may also
be disabled. In this condition the air bags
may not be ready to inflate for your protec-
tion. Have an authorized dealer service the air
bag system immediately.WARNING!
Ignoring the Air Bag Warning Light in your
instrument panel could mean you won’t
have the air bag system to protect you in a
collision. If the light does not come on as a
bulb check when the ignition is first turned
on, stays on after you start the vehicle, or if
it comes on as you drive, have an autho-
rized dealer service the air bag system
immediately.
Front Air Bags
This vehicle has front air bags and lap/
shoulder belts for both the driver and front
passenger. The front air bags are a supple-
ment to the seat belt restraint systems. The
driver front air bag is mounted in the center of
the steering wheel. The passenger front air
bag is mounted in the instrument panel,
above the glove compartment. The words
“SRS AIRBAG” or “AIRBAG” are embossed
on the air bag covers.
WARNING!
• Being too close to the steering wheel or instrument panel during front air bag
deployment could cause serious injury,
Front Air Bag/Knee Bolster Locations
1 — Driver And Passenger Front Air
Bags
2 — Driver And Passenger Knee Impact
Bolsters
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have skin or eye irritation, rinse the area
with cool water. For nose or throat irritation,
move to fresh air. If the irritation continues,
see your doctor. If these particles settle on
your clothing, follow the garment manufac-
turer’s instructions for cleaning.
Do not drive your vehicle after the air bags
have deployed. If you are involved in another
collision, the air bags will not be in place to
protect you.
WARNING!
Deployed air bags and seat belt preten-
sioners cannot protect you in another col-
lision. Have the air bags, seat belt preten-
sioners, and the seat belt retractor
assemblies replaced by an authorized
dealer immediately. Also, have the Occu-
pant Restraint Controller System serviced
as well.
NOTE:
• Air bag covers may not be obvious in the interior trim, but they will open during air
bag deployment. • After any collision, the vehicle should be
taken to an authorized dealer immediately.
Enhanced Accident Response System
In the event of an impact, if the communica-
tion network remains intact, and the power
remains intact, depending on the nature of
the event, the ORC will determine whether to
have the Enhanced Accident Response Sys-
tem perform the following functions:
• Cut off fuel to the engine.
• Flash hazard lights as long as the batteryhas power or until the hazard light button is
pressed. The hazard lights can be deacti-
vated by pressing the hazard light button.
• Turn on the interior lights, which remain on as long as the battery has power.
• Unlock the power door locks.
Enhanced Accident Response System Reset
Procedure
In order to reset the Enhanced Accident Re-
sponse System functions after an event, the
ignition switch must be changed from igni-
tion START or ON/RUN to ignition OFF. Care-
fully check the vehicle for fuel leaks in the engine compartment and on the ground near
the engine compartment and fuel tank before
resetting the system and starting the engine.
Maintaining Your Air Bag System
WARNING!
• Modifications to any part of the air bag
system could cause it to fail when you
need it. You could be injured if the air
bag 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.
• It is dangerous to try to repair any part of
the air bag system yourself. Be sure to
tell anyone who works on your vehicle
that it has an air bag system.
• Do not attempt to modify any part of your
air bag system. The air bag may inflate
accidentally or may not function prop-
SAFETY
114

WARNING!
erly if modifications are made. Take your
vehicle to an authorized dealer for any
air bag system service. If your seat, in-
cluding your trim cover and cushion,
needs to be serviced in any way (includ-
ing removal or loosening/tightening of
seat attachment bolts), take the vehicle
to your authorized dealer. Only manufac-
turer approved seat accessories may be
used. If it is necessary to modify the air
bag system for persons with disabilities,
contact your authorized dealer.
Event Data Recorder (EDR)
This vehicle is equipped with an event data
recorder (EDR). The main purpose of an EDR
is to record, in certain crash or near crash-like
situations, such as an air bag deployment or
hitting a road obstacle, data that will assist in
understanding how a vehicle’s systems per-
formed. The EDR is designed to record data
related to vehicle dynamics and safety sys-
tems for a short period of time, typically30 seconds or less. The EDR in this vehicle is
designed to record such data as:
• How various systems in your vehicle were
operating;
• Whether or not the driver and passenger safety belts were buckled/fastened;
• How far (if at all) the driver was depressing the accelerator and/or brake pedal; and,
• How fast the vehicle was traveling.
These data can help provide a better under-
standing of the circumstances in which
crashes and injuries occur.
NOTE:
EDR data are recorded by your vehicle only if
a non-trivial crash situation occurs; no data
are recorded by the EDR under normal driving
conditions and no personal data (e.g., name,
gender, age, and crash location) are re-
corded. However, other parties, such as law
enforcement, could combine the EDR data
with the type of personally identifying data
routinely acquired during a crash investiga-
tion.
To read data recorded by an EDR, special
equipment is required, and access to the vehicle or the EDR is needed. In addition to
the vehicle manufacturer, other parties, such
as law enforcement, that have the special
equipment, can read the information if they
have access to the vehicle or the EDR.
Child Restraints
Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled
up at all times, including babies and chil-
dren. Every state in the United States, and
every Canadian province, requires that small
children ride in proper restraint systems. This
is the law, and you can be prosecuted for
ignoring it.
Children 12 years or younger should ride
properly buckled up in a rear seat, if avail-
able. 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 can
become a projectile inside the vehicle. The
force required to hold even an infant on
your lap could become so great that you
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Front seat belt assemblies must be replaced
after a collision. Rear seat belt assemblies
must be replaced after a collision if they have
been damaged (i.e., bent retractor, torn web-
bing, etc.). If there is any question regarding
seat belt or retractor condition, replace the
seat belt.
Air Bag Warning Light
The Air Bag warning lightwill turn on for
four to eight seconds as a bulb check when
the ignition switch is first turned to ON/RUN.
If the light is either not on during starting,
stays on, or turns on while driving, have the
system inspected at your authorized dealer as
soon as possible. After the bulb check, this
light will illuminate with a single chime when
a fault with the Air Bag System has been
detected. It will stay on until the fault is
cleared. If the light comes on intermittently
or remains on while driving, have your autho-
rized dealer service the vehicle immediately.
Refer to “Occupant Restraint Systems” in
“Safety” for further information.
Defroster
Check operation by selecting the defrost
mode and place the blower control on high
speed. You should be able to feel the air
directed against the windshield. See your
authorized dealer for service if your defroster
is inoperable.
Floor Mat Safety Information
Always use floor mats designed to fit your
vehicle. Only use a floor mat that does not
interfere with the operation of the accelera-
tor, brake or clutch pedals. Only use a floor
mat that is securely attached using the floor
mat fasteners so it cannot slip out of position
and interfere with the accelerator, brake or
clutch pedals or impair safe operation of your
vehicle in other ways.
WARNING!
An improperly attached, damaged, folded,
or stacked floor mat, or damaged floor mat
fasteners may cause your floor mat to in-
terfere with the accelerator, brake, or
clutch pedals and cause a loss of vehicle
control. To prevent SERIOUS INJURY or
DEATH:
• ALWAYS securely attach
your floor
mat using the floor mat fasteners. DO
NOT install your floor mat upside down
or turn your floor mat over. Lightly pull to
confirm mat is secured using the floor
mat fasteners on a regular basis.
• ALWAYS REMOVE THE EXISTING
FLOOR MAT FROM THE VEHICLE
before installing any other floor mat.
NEVER install or stack an additional
floor mat on top of an existing floor mat.
• ONLY install floor mats designed to fit
your vehicle. NEVER install a floor mat
that cannot be properly attached and
secured to your vehicle. If a floor mat
needs to be replaced, only use a FCA
approved floor mat for the specific
make, model, and year of your vehicle.
135

ignition from OFF or ACC to RUN, and will
illuminate the "Wait To Start" telltale. The
engine will not immediately crank, this is
normal operation.
2. The “Wait To Start" telltale will remain on for a period of time that varies depending
on the engine temperature.
3. While the "Wait to Start" telltale is on, the instrument cluster will additionally dis-
play a gauge or bar whose initial length
represents the full "Wait to Start" time
period. Its length will decrease until it
disappears when the "Wait to Start" time
has elapsed.
CAUTION!
If the “Water in Fuel Indicator Light” re-
mains on, DO NOT START engine before
you drain the water from the fuel filters to
avoid engine damage. Refer to “Draining
Fuel/Water Separator Filter” in “Dealer
Service” under “Servicing And Mainte-
nance” for further information. 4. After the engine “Wait To Start” telltale
goes off, the engine will automatically
crank.
CAUTION!
Do not crank engine for more than 15 sec-
onds at a time or starter motor damage
may result. Turn the ignition switch to the
OFF position and wait at least two minutes
for the starter to cool before repeating start
procedure.
5. After engine start-up, check to see that there is oil pressure.
6. Allow the engine to idle about three min- utes until the manifold heaters have com-
pleted the post-heat cycle.
7. Release the parking brake and drive.
NOTE:
• Engine idle speed will automatically in- crease to 1,000 RPM and engage the Vari-
able Geometry Turbocharger at low coolant
temperatures to improve engine warm-up. • The engine may not automatically crank
after the engine "Wait To Start" telltale goes
off if a door or the hood is ajar.
• If the engine stalls, or if the ignition switch is left ON for more than two minutes after
the “Wait To Start Light” goes out, reset the
grid heaters by turning the ignition switch
to the OFF position for at least five seconds
and then back ON. Repeat steps 1 through
7 of “Keyless Enter-N-Go Starting Proce-
dure – Engine Manifold Air Temperature
Below 66° F (19° C).”
Extreme Cold Weather
The Cummins diesel engine is equipped with
several features designed to assist cold
weather starting and operation:
• The engine block heater is a resistance
heater installed in the water jacket of the
engine just above and behind the oil filter.
It requires a 110–115 Volt AC electrical
outlet with a grounded, three-wire exten-
sion cord.STARTING AND OPERATING
148

NOTE:
You must press and hold the brake pedal
while shifting out of PARK.
Key Ignition Park Interlock
This vehicle is equipped with a Key Ignition
Park Interlock which requires the transmis-
sion to be in PARK before the ignition can be
turned to the LOCK/OFF (key removal) posi-
tion. The key fob can only be removed from
the ignition when the ignition is in the LOCK/
OFF position, and the transmission is locked
in PARK whenever the ignition is in the
LOCK/OFF position.
NOTE:
If a malfunction occurs, the system will trap
the key fob in the ignition to warn you that
this safety feature is inoperable. The engine
can be started and stopped but the key fob
cannot be removed until you obtain service.
Brake/Transmission Shift
Interlock System
This vehicle is equipped with a Brake Trans-
mission Shift Interlock System (BTSI) that
holds the transmission gear selector in PARKunless the brakes are applied. To shift the
transmission out of PARK, the ignition must
be turned to the ON/RUN mode (engine run-
ning, for vehicles with eight-speed transmis-
sion) and the brake pedal must be pressed.
In 8-speed vehicles, the brake pedal must
also be pressed to shift from NEUTRAL into
DRIVE or REVERSE when the vehicle is
stopped or moving at low speeds.
Eight-Speed Automatic
Transmission — If Equipped
The transmission is controlled using a rotary
electronic gear selector located on the instru-
ment panel. The transmission gear range
(PRND) is displayed both above the gear
selector and in the instrument cluster. To
select a gear range, simply rotate the gear
selector. You must press the brake pedal to
shift the transmission out of PARK (or NEU-
TRAL, when the vehicle is stopped or moving
at low speeds). To shift past multiple gear
ranges at once (such as PARK to DRIVE),
simply rotate the gear selector to the appro-
priate detent. Select the DRIVE range for
normal driving. NOTE:
In the event of a mismatch between the gear
selector position and the actual transmission
gear (for example, driver selects PARK while
driving), the position indicator will blink con-
tinuously until the selector is returned to the
proper position, or the requested shift can be
completed.
The electronically-controlled transmission
adapts its shift schedule based on driver
inputs, along with environmental and road
conditions. The transmission electronics are
self-calibrating; therefore, the first few shifts
on a new vehicle may be somewhat abrupt.
This is a normal condition, and precision
shifts will develop within a few hundred miles
(kilometers).
Only shift from DRIVE to PARK or REVERSE
when the accelerator pedal is released and
the vehicle is stopped. Be sure to keep your
foot on the brake pedal when shifting be-
tween these gears.
The transmission gear selector has only
PARK, REVERSE, NEUTRAL, and DRIVE po-
sitions. Manual downshifts can be made us-
ing the Electronic Range Select (ERS) shiftSTARTING AND OPERATING
156

control. Pressing the GEAR-/GEAR+ switches
(on the steering wheel) while in the DRIVE
position will select the highest available
transmission gear, and will display that gear
limit in the instrument cluster as 1, 2, 3, etc.
Refer to “Electronic Range Select (ERS) Op-
eration” in this section for further informa-
tion. Some models will display both the se-
lected gear limit, and the actual current gear,
while in ERS mode.Transmission Limp Home Mode
Transmission function is monitored electroni-
cally for abnormal conditions. If a condition
is detected that could result in transmission
damage, Transmission Limp Home Mode is
activated. In this mode, the transmission may
operate only in certain gears, or may not shift
at all. Vehicle performance may be severely
degraded and the engine may stall. In some
situations, the transmission may not re-
engage if the engine is turned off and re-
started. The Malfunction Indicator Light
(MIL) may be illuminated. A message in the
instrument cluster will inform the driver of
the more serious conditions, and indicate
what actions may be necessary.
In the event of a momentary problem, the
transmission can be reset to regain all for-
ward gears by performing the following steps:
NOTE:
In cases where the instrument cluster mes-
sage indicates the transmission may not re-
engage after engine shutdown, perform this
procedure only in a desired location (prefer-
ably, at your authorized dealer).1. Stop the vehicle.
2. Shift the transmission into PARK, if pos-
sible. If not, shift the transmission to
NEUTRAL.
3. Turn the ignition to the OFF position. On vehicles with Keyless Enter-N-Go, push
and hold the ignition switch until the
engine turns OFF.
4. Wait approximately 30 seconds.
5. Restart the engine.
6. Shift into the desired gear range. If the problem is no longer detected, the trans-
mission will return to normal operation.
NOTE:
Even if the transmission can be reset, we
recommend that you visit your authorized
dealer at your earliest possible convenience.
Your authorized dealer has diagnostic equip-
ment to assess the condition of your trans-
mission.
If the transmission cannot be reset, autho-
rized dealer service is required.
Electronic Transmission Gear Selector
157