2018 Ram 3500 overheating

Manual Operation Override
This system offers a full complement of
manual override features. The AUTO symbol
in the front ATC display will be turned off
when the system is being used in the manual
mode.
Operating Tips
Summer Operation
The engine cooling system must be protected
with a high-quality antifreeze coolant to pro-
vide proper corrosion protection and to pro-
tect against engine overheating. OAT coolant
(conforming to MS.90032) is recommended.
Winter Operation
To ensure the best possible heater and de-
froster performance, make sure the engine
cooling system is functioning properly and
the proper amount, type, and concentration
of coolant is used. Use of the Air Recircula-
tion mode during Winter months is not rec-
ommended, because it may cause window
fogging.
Vacation/Storage
Before 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 on high. This will ensure ad-
equate system lubrication to minimize the
possibility of compressor damage when the
system is started again.
Window Fogging
Vehicle windows tend to fog on the inside in
mild, rainy, and/or humid 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.
Outside Air Intake
Make sure the air intake, located directly in
front of the windshield, is free of obstruc-
tions, such as leaves. Leaves collected in the
air intake may reduce airflow, and if they
enter the plenum, they could plug the water
drains. In Winter months, make sure the air
intake is clear of ice, slush, and snow.
Cabin Air Filter
The climate control system filters out dust
and pollen from the air. Contact an autho-
rized dealer to service your cabin air filter,
and to have it replaced when needed.
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR VEHICLE
48

STARTING THE ENGINE — GASOLINE
ENGINE
Before starting your vehicle, adjust your seat,
adjust both inside and outside mirrors, and
fasten your seat belt.
The starter should not be operated for more
than 10-second intervals. Waiting a few sec-
onds between such intervals will protect the
starter from overheating.
WARNING!
• When leaving the vehicle, always makesure the keyless ignition node is in the
"OFF" mode, remove the key fob from the
vehicle and lock the vehicle.
• Never leave children alone in a vehicle,
or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Allowing children to be in a vehicle un-
attended is dangerous for a number of
reasons. A child or others could be seri-
ously or fatally injured. Children should
be warned not to touch the parking
brake, brake pedal or the gear selector.
WARNING!
• Do not leave the key fob in or near thevehicle, or in a location accessible to
children, and do not leave the ignition of
a vehicle equipped with Keyless Enter-
N-Go in the ACC or ON/RUN mode. A
child could operate power windows,
other controls, or move the vehicle.
• Do not leave children or animals inside
parked vehicles in hot weather. Interior
heat build-up may cause serious injury
or death.
Normal Starting Using ENGINE
START/STOP Button
To Turn On The Engine Using The ENGINE START/
STOP Button
1. The transmission must be in PARK.
2. Press and hold the brake pedal while pushing the ENGINE START/STOP button
once.
3. The system takes over and attempts to start the vehicle. If the vehicle fails to
start, the starter will disengage automati-
cally after 10 seconds. 4. If you wish to stop the cranking of the
engine prior to the engine starting, push
the button again.
NOTE:
Normal starting of either a cold or a warm
engine is obtained without pumping or press-
ing the accelerator pedal.
To Turn Off The Engine Using ENGINE START/
STOP Button
1. Place the gear selector in PARK, then push and release the ENGINE START/
STOP button.
2. The ignition will return to the OFF mode.
3. If the gear selector is not in PARK, the ENGINE START/STOP button must be
held for two seconds or three short pushes
in a row with the vehicle speed above
5 MPH (8 km/h) before the engine will
shut off. The ignition will remain in the
ACC mode until the gear selector is in
PARK and the button is pushed twice to
the OFF mode.
4. If the gear selector is not in PARK and the ENGINE START/STOP button is pushed
once with the vehicle speed above 5 MPH
139

STARTING THE ENGINE — 3.0L
DIESEL ENGINE
Before starting your vehicle, adjust your seat,
both inside and outside mirrors, and fasten
your seat belts.
The starter is allowed to crank for up to
30-second intervals. Waiting a few minutes
between such intervals will protect the starter
from overheating.
WARNING!
• Before exiting a vehicle, always come toa complete stop, then shift the auto-
matic transmission into PARK and apply
the parking brake. Always make sure the
keyless ignition node is in the OFF
mode, remove the key fob from the ve-
hicle and lock the vehicle.
• Never leave children alone in a vehicle,
or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Leaving children in a vehicle unattended
is dangerous for a number of reasons. A
child or others could be seriously or
fatally injured. Children should be
WARNING!
warned not to touch the parking brake,
brake pedal or the gear selector.
• Do not leave the key fob in or near the
vehicle, or in a location accessible to
children, and do not leave the ignition of
a vehicle equipped with Keyless Enter-
N-Go in the ACC or ON/RUN mode. A
child could operate power windows,
other controls, or move the vehicle.
• Do not leave children or animals inside
parked vehicles in hot weather. Interior
heat build-up may cause serious injury
or death.
NOTE:
Engine start up in very low ambient tempera-
ture could result in evident white smoke. This
condition will disappear as the engine warms
up.
CAUTION!
• The engine is allowed to crank as long as 30 seconds. If the engine fails to start
during this period, please wait at least
CAUTION!
two minutes for the starter to cool before
repeating start procedure.
• If the “Water in Fuel Indicator Light”
remains on, DO NOT START engine be-
fore you drain the water from the fuel
filters to avoid engine damage. Refer to
“Draining Fuel/Water Separator Filter”
in “Servicing And Maintenance” in your
Diesel Supplement on www.mopar.com/
en-us/care/owners-manual.html (U.S.
Residents) or www.owners.mopar.ca
(Canadian Residents) for further infor-
mation.
Normal Starting Using ENGINE
STOP/START Button
Observe the instrument panel cluster lights
when starting the engine.
NOTE:
Normal starting of either a cold or a warm
engine is obtained without pumping or press-
ing the accelerator pedal.
STARTING AND OPERATING
142

• A Diesel Pre-Heat system both improvesengine starting and reduces the amount of
white smoke generated by a warming
engine.
STARTING THE ENGINE — 6.7L
DIESEL ENGINE
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 min-
utes 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.
• When leaving the vehicle, always make
sure the keyless ignition node is in the
“OFF” mode, remove the key fob from
the vehicle and lock the vehicle.
WARNING!
• Never leave children alone in a vehicle,or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Allowing children to be in a vehicle un-
attended is dangerous for a number of
reasons. A child or others could be seri-
ously or fatally injured. Children should
be warned not to touch the parking
brake, brake pedal or the gear selector.
• Do not leave the key fob in or near the
vehicle, or in a location accessible to
children, and do not leave the ignition of
a vehicle equipped with Keyless Enter-
N-Go in the ACC or ON/RUN mode. A
child could operate power windows,
other controls, or move the vehicle.
Keyless Enter-N-Go — Ignition
This feature allows the driver to operate the
ignition switch with the push of a button, as
long as the Remote Start/Keyless Enter-N-Go
key fob is in the passenger compartment.
Normal Starting
Using The ENGINE START/STOP Button
1. The transmission must be in PARK or
NEUTRAL.
2. Press and hold the brake pedal while pushing the ENGINE START/STOP button
once.
3. The system takes over and attempts to start the vehicle. If the vehicle fails to
start, the starter will disengage automati-
cally after 25 seconds.
4. If you wish to stop the cranking of the engine prior to the engine starting, re-
move your foot from the brake pedal and
push the button again.
NOTE:
• Normal starting of either a cold or a warm engine is obtained without pumping or
pressing the accelerator pedal.
• Under cold weather conditions, the engine may not immediately crank if the "Wait To
Start" telltale is illuminated. This is normal
operation. For vehicles equipped with Key-
less Enter-N-Go, the vehicle will automati-
STARTING AND OPERATING
146

WARNING!
personal injury. Only use the specific
ground point, do not use any other exposed
metal parts.
5. Start the engine in the vehicle that has the booster battery, let the engine idle a
few minutes, and then start the engine in
the vehicle with the discharged battery.
CAUTION!
Do not connect jumper cable to any of the
fuses on the positive battery terminal. The
resulting electrical current will blow the
fuse.
6. Once the engine is started, remove the jumper cables in the reverse sequence:
Disconnecting The Jumper Cables
1. Disconnect the negative (-)end of the
jumper cable from the engine ground of
the vehicle with the discharged battery. 2. Disconnect the opposite end of the nega-
tive (-)jumper cable from the negative (-)
post of the booster battery.
3. Disconnect the positive (+)end of the
jumper cable from the positive (+)post of
the booster battery.
4. Disconnect the opposite end of the posi- tive (+)jumper cable from the positive (+)
post of the vehicle with the discharged
battery.
If frequent jump starting is required to start
your vehicle you should have the battery and
charging system inspected at an authorized
dealer.
CAUTION!
Accessories plugged into the vehicle
power outlets draw power from the vehi-
cle’s battery, even when not in use (i.e.,
cellular devices, etc.). Eventually, if
plugged in long enough without engine
operation, the vehicle’s battery will dis-
charge sufficiently to degrade battery life
and/or prevent the engine from starting.
IF YOUR ENGINE OVERHEATS
In any of the following situations, you can
reduce the potential for overheating by taking
the appropriate action.
• On the highways — slow down.
• In city traffic — while stopped, place the transmission in NEUTRAL, but do not in-
crease the engine idle speed while prevent-
ing vehicle motion with the brakes.
NOTE:
There are steps that you can take to slow
down an impending overheat condition:
• If your air conditioner (A/C) is on, turn it off. The A/C system adds heat to the engine
cooling system and turning the A/C off can
help remove this heat.
• You can also turn the temperature control to maximum heat, the mode control to floor
and the blower control to high. This allows
the heater core to act as a supplement to
the radiator and aids in removing heat from
the engine cooling system.
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
220

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

WARNING!
Overloading of your tires is dangerous.
Overloading can cause tire failure, affect
vehicle handling, and increase your stop-
ping distance. Use tires of the recom-
mended load capacity for your vehicle.
Never overload them.
Tires — General Information
Tire Pressure
Proper tire inflation pressure is essential to
the safe and satisfactory operation of your
vehicle. Four primary areas are affected by
improper tire pressure:
• Safety and Vehicle Stability
• Economy
• Tread Wear
• Ride ComfortSafety
WARNING!
• Improperly inflated tires are dangerous
and can cause collisions.
• Underinflation increases tire flexing and
can result in overheating and tire failure.
• Overinflation reduces a tire's ability to cushion shock. Objects on the road and
chuckholes can cause damage that re-
sult in tire failure.
• Overinflated or underinflated tires can
affect vehicle handling and can fail sud-
denly, resulting in loss of vehicle con-
trol.
• Unequal tire pressures can cause steer-
ing problems. You could lose control of
your vehicle.
• Unequal tire pressures from one side of
the vehicle to the other can cause the
vehicle to drift to the right or left.
• Always drive with each tire inflated to
the recommended cold tire inflation
pressure. Both under-inflation and over-inflation affect
the stability of the vehicle and can produce a
feeling of sluggish response or over respon-
siveness in the steering.
NOTE:
• Unequal tire pressures from side to side
may cause erratic and unpredictable steer-
ing response.
• Unequal tire pressure from side to side may cause the vehicle to drift left or right.
Fuel Economy
Underinflated tires will increase tire rolling
resistance resulting in higher fuel consump-
tion.
Tread Wear
Improper cold tire inflation pressures can
cause abnormal wear patterns and reduced
tread life, resulting in the need for earlier tire
replacement.
Ride Comfort And Vehicle Stability
Proper tire inflation contributes to a comfort-
able ride. Over-inflation produces a jarring
and uncomfortable ride.
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
264

Infants And Child Restraints.....117
Locating The LATCH Anchorages . .123
Lower Anchors And Tethers For
Children .................120
Older Children And Child Restraints .118
Seating Positions ............119
Cleaning Wheels ..................271
Climate Control ................36
Manual ...................36
Clock .....................299
Clock Setting .................299
Compact Spare Tire .............269
Contract, Service ..............353
Cooling System Coolant Capacity ........278, 279
Selection Of Coolant
(Antifreeze) .....278, 280, 283, 285
Cruise Light ................83, 84
Customer Assistance ............352
Customer Programmable Features . . . .324
Daytime Running Lights ...........32
Dealer Service ............249, 252
Defroster, Windshield ............135
Delay (Intermittent) Wipers .........35
Diagnostic System, Onboard ........84Diesel Fuel System, Re-Priming . .251, 256
Dimmer Switch, Headlight
.........32
Disturb ....................338
Door Ajar ....................78
Door Ajar Light ................78
Draining Fuel/Water Separator Filter . .249,
253
Driver's Seat Back Tilt ............22
Dual Rear Wheels ..............276
Electrical Power Outlets ...........55
Electronically Shifted Transfer Case ..........162, 164, 166, 168
Electronic Range Select (ERS) .............158, 159, 161
Electronic Speed Control (Cruise Control) ..................176
Electronic Throttle Control Warning Light .....................77
Emergency, In Case Of Freeing Vehicle When Stuck .....224
Hazard Warning Flasher ........202
Jump Starting ..............218
Towing ..................225
Engine . . .243, 244, 245, 246, 247, 248 Air
Cleaner ............249, 252
Block Heater ...........145, 148 Break-In Recommendations . .153, 154
Compartment . . . .243, 246, 247, 248
Compartment
Identification
........243, 244, 245
Coolant (Antifreeze) . . . .280, 283, 285
Exhaust Gas Caution ..........134
Fuel Requirements ...........278
Identification ........246, 247, 248
Idling ...................151
Jump Starting ..............218
Oil ..........278, 280, 283, 285
Oil Filler Cap ..............243
Oil Selection ..............278
Overheating ...............220
Starting ..............139, 142
Enhanced Accident Response Feature ...............114, 227
Exhaust Gas Caution ............134
Exhaust System ...............134
Exterior Lighting ...............32
Exterior Lights .............32, 136
Filters Air Cleaner ...............249
Air Conditioning .............48
Engine Fuel ...........249, 253
Engine Oil .........280, 283, 285
INDEX
358