2018 Ram 4500 Chassis Cab User Guide

• In city traffic — while stopped, place thetransmission 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.
WARNING!
You or others can be badly burned by hot
engine coolant (antifreeze) or steam from
your radiator. If you see or hear steam
coming from under the hood, do not open
the hood until the radiator has had time to
cool. Never try to open a cooling system
WARNING!
pressure cap when the radiator or coolant
bottle is hot.
CAUTION!
Driving with a hot cooling system could
damage your vehicle. If the temperature
gauge reads HOT (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 HOT (H), and you hear
continuous chimes, turn the engine off
immediately and call for service.
GEAR SELECTOR OVERRIDE
If a malfunction occurs and the gear selector
cannot be moved out of the PARK position,
you can use the following procedure to tem-
porarily move the gear selector: 1. Turn the engine OFF.
2. Firmly apply the parking brake.
3. Tilt the steering wheel to the full up
position.
4. Press and maintain firm pressure on the brake pedal.
5. Insert a screwdriver or similar tool into the access port (ringed circle) on the bottom
of the steering column, and push and hold
the override release lever up.
Gear Selector Override Access Port
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6. Move the gear selector to the NEUTRALposition.
7. The vehicle may then be started in NEUTRAL.
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.
Next, 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:
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 System”
in “Safety” in the Owner’s Manual at
www.mopar.com/en-us/care/owners-manual.html
(U.S. Residents) or www.owners.mopar.ca
(Canadian Residents) 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
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/SECOND GEAR and
REVERSE, 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
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TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE
This section describes procedures for towing
a disabled vehicle using a commercial towing
service. If the transmission and drivetrain areoperable, disabled vehicles may also be
towed as described under “Recreational Tow-
ing” in the “Starting And Operating” section.
Towing Condition
Wheels OFF The
Ground 2WD Models
4WD Models
Flat Tow NONE If transmission is operable:
• Transmission in
NEUTRAL
• 30 mph (48 km/h) max speed
• 15 miles (24 km) maxdistance See instructions in “Recreational Towing” under
“Starting And Operating”
• Auto Transmission in
PARK
• Manual Transmission in gear ( NOTNEUTRAL)
• Transfer Case in NEUTRAL
•Towinforward direction
Wheel Lift Or Dolly Tow Front
NOT ALLOWED
Rear OK NOT ALLOWED
Flatbed ALL
BEST METHOD BEST METHOD
Proper towing or lifting equipment is required
to prevent damage to your vehicle. Use only
tow bars and other equipment designed for
this purpose, following equipment manufac-
turer’s instructions. Use of safety chains is
mandatory. Attach a tow bar or other towing
device to main structural members of thevehicle, not to bumpers or associated brack-
ets. State and local laws regarding vehicles
under tow must be observed.
If you must use the accessories (wipers, de-
frosters, etc.) while being towed, the ignition
must be in the ON/RUN mode, not the ACC
mode.If the key fob is unavailable or the vehicle's
battery is discharged, refer to “Gear Selector
Override” in this section for instructions on
shifting the automatic transmission out of
PARK for towing.
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CAUTION!
• Do not use sling type equipment whentowing. Vehicle damage may occur.
• When securing the vehicle to a flat bed
truck, do not attach to front or rear
suspension components. Damage to
your vehicle may result from improper
towing.
Two-Wheel Drive Models
The manufacturer recommends towing your
vehicle with all four wheels OFFthe ground
using a flatbed.
If flatbed equipment is not available, and the
transmission is operable, the vehicle may be
towed (with the rear wheels on the ground)
under the following conditions:
• The transmission must be in NEUTRAL.
• The towing speed must not exceed 30 mph (48 km/h).
• The towing distance must not exceed 15 miles (24 km). If the transmission is not operable, or the
vehicle must be towed faster than 30 mph
(48 km/h) or farther than 15 miles (24 km),
tow with the rear wheels
OFFthe ground.
Acceptable methods are to tow the vehicle on
a flatbed, or with the front wheels raised and
the rear wheels on a towing dolly, or (when
using a suitable steering wheel stabilizer to
hold the front wheels in the straight position)
with rear wheels raised and the front wheels
on the ground.CAUTION!
Towing this vehicle in violation of the
above requirements can cause severe en-
gine and/or transmission damage. Damage
from improper towing is not covered under
the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Four-Wheel Drive Models
The manufacturer recommends towing with
all wheels OFFthe ground. Acceptable meth-
ods are to tow the vehicle on a flatbed or with
one end of vehicle raised and the opposite
end on a towing dolly. If flatbed equipment is not available, and the
transfer case is operable, the vehicle may be
towed (in the forward direction, with
ALL
wheels on the ground), IFthe transfer case is
in NEUTRAL and the transmission is in PARK
(for automatic transmissions) or in gear (NOT
in NEUTRAL, for manual transmissions). Re-
fer to “Recreational Towing” in “Starting And
Operating” for further information and de-
tailed instructions.
CAUTION!
• Front or rear wheel lifts must not be used (if the remaining wheels are on the
ground). Internal damage to the trans-
mission or transfer case will occur if a
front or rear wheel lift is used when
towing.
• Towing this vehicle in violation of the
above requirements can cause severe
transmission and/or transfer case dam-
age. Damage from improper towing is
not covered under the New Vehicle Lim-
ited Warranty.IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
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Emergency Tow Hooks —
If Equipped
Your vehicle may be equipped with emer-
gency tow hooks.
NOTE:
For off-road recovery, it is recommended to
use both of the front tow hooks to minimize
the risk of damage to the vehicle.
WARNING!
• Do not use a chain for freeing a stuckvehicle. Chains may break, causing seri-
ous injury or death.
• Stand clear of vehicles when pulling
with tow hooks. Tow straps may become
disengaged, causing serious injury.
CAUTION!
Tow hooks are for emergency use only, to
rescue a vehicle stranded off road. Do not
use tow hooks for tow truck hookup or
highway towing. You could damage your
vehicle.
ENHANCED ACCIDENT RESPONSE
SYSTEM (EARS)
This vehicle is equipped with an Enhanced
Accident Response System.
Please refer to “Occupant Restraint Sys-
tems” in “Safety” for further information on
the Enhanced Accident Response System
(EARS) function.
EVENT DATA RECORDER (EDR)
This vehicle is equipped with an Event Data
Recorder (EDR). The main purpose of an EDR
is to record data that will assist in under-
standing how a vehicle’s systems performed
under certain crash or near crash-like situa-
tions, such as an air bag deployment or hit-
ting a road obstacle.
Please refer to “Occupant Restraint Sys-
tems” in “Safety” for further information on
the Event Data Recorder (EDR).
171

172

SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
SCHEDULED SERVICING — GASOLINE
ENGINE................... .174
Maintenance Plan – Gasoline Engine . .175
Heavy Duty Use Of The Vehicle ......178
SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE —
6.7L CUMMINS DIESEL ENGINE.....178
Oil Change Indicator System — Cummins
Diesel.....................178
Perform Service Indicator — Cummins
Diesel .....................179
Maintenance Plan — Cummins Diesel
Engine .....................180
ENGINE COMPARTMENT .........184
6.4L Engine.................184
6.7L Diesel Engine — Six-Speed
AS69RC HD (3500/Chassis Cab
Models) ....................185
DEALER SERVICE —
6.7L DIESEL ENGINE ............186
Engine Air Cleaner Filter .........186
Draining Fuel/Water Separator Filter . .187
Engine Mounted Fuel Filter
Replacement .................188
Underbody Mounted Fuel Filter
Replacement .................189
Priming If The Engine Has Run Out
Of Fuel ....................190
HOISTING ................. .191
TIRES .................... .191
Tire Safety Information..........191
Tires — General Information .......199
Tire Types ...................203
Spare Tires — If Equipped .........204
Wheel And Wheel Trim Care .......206
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
UNIFORM TIRE QUALITY GRADES . . . .207
Treadwear...................207
Traction Grades ...............207
Temperature Grades .............208
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
173

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 bereset by referring to the steps described under
“Warning And Indicator Lights” or “Instru-
ment Cluster Display” in “Getting To Know
Your Instrument Panel” in your Owner’s
Manual at
www.mopar.com/en-us/care/
owner-manual.html (U.S. Residents) or
www.owners.mopar.ca (Canadian Residents)
for further information.
Gasoline Engines:
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:
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-
nately at idle or 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 the tire inflation pressures and look
for unusual wear or damage
• Check the fluid levels of the coolant reser- voir, brake master cylinder, power steering
and automatic transmission, and fill as
needed
• Check function of all interior and exterior lights
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
174