WARNING LIGHTS AND MESSAGES
Red Warning Lights
— Air Bag Warning Light
This light will turn on for four to eight sec-
onds as a bulb check when the ignition is
placed in the ON/RUN or MAR/ON/RUN po-
sition. If the light is either not on during
startup, stays on, or turns on while driving,
have the system inspected at an authorized
dealer as soon as possible. This light will
illuminate with a single chime when a fault
with the Air Bag Warning Light has been
detected, it will stay on until the fault is
cleared. If the light comes on intermittently
or remains on while driving, have an autho-
rized dealer service the vehicle immediately.
— Brake Warning Light
This light monitors various brake functions,
including brake fluid level and parking brake
application. If the brake light turns on it may
indicate that the parking brake is applied,
that the brake fluid level is low, or that there
is a problem with the anti-lock brake system
reservoir.If the light remains on when the parking
brake has been disengaged, and the fluid
level is at the full mark on the master cylinder
reservoir, it indicates a possible brake hy-
draulic system malfunction or that a problem
with the Brake Booster has been detected by
the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) / Elec-
tronic Stability Control (ESC) system. In this
case, the light will remain on until the condi-
tion has been corrected. If the problem is
related to the brake booster, the ABS pump
will run when applying the brake, and a brake
pedal pulsation may be felt during each stop.
The dual brake system provides a reserve
braking capacity in the event of a failure to a
portion of the hydraulic system. A leak in
either half of the dual brake system is indi-
cated by the Brake Warning Light, which will
turn on when the brake fluid level in the
master cylinder has dropped below a speci-
fied level.
The light will remain on until the cause is
corrected.
NOTE:
The light may flash momentarily during sharp
cornering maneuvers, which change fluid
level conditions. The vehicle should have
service performed, and the brake fluid level
checked.
If brake failure is indicated, immediate repair
is necessary.
WARNING!
Driving a vehicle with the red brake light
on is dangerous. Part of the brake system
may have failed. It will take longer to stop
the vehicle. You could have a collision.
Have the vehicle checked immediately.
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL
34
Periodic Safety Checks You
Should Make Outside The Vehicle
Tires
Examine tires for excessive tread wear and
uneven wear patterns. Check for stones,
nails, glass, or other objects lodged in the
tread or sidewall. Inspect the tread for cuts
and cracks. Inspect sidewalls for cuts,
cracks, and bulges. Check the wheel bolts for
tightness. Check the tires (including spare)
for proper cold inflation pressure.
Lights
Have someone observe the operation of brake
lights and exterior lights while you work the
controls. Check turn signal and high beam
indicator lights on the instrument panel.
Door Latches
Check for proper closing, latching, and lock-
ing.
Fluid Leaks
Check area under the vehicle after overnight
parking for fuel, coolant, oil, or other fluid
leaks. Also, if gasoline fumes are detected or
if fuel, or brake fluid leaks are suspected. The
cause should be located and corrected imme-
diately.
SAFETY
72
STARTING AND OPERATING
STARTING THE ENGINE —
GAS ENGINE..................74
Normal Starting ................74
STARTING THE ENGINE —
DIESEL ENGINE................74
Normal Starting Procedure .........75
Extreme Cold Weather ............76
NORMAL OPERATION.............76
Stopping The Diesel Engine ........76
ENGINE BREAK-IN RECOMMENDATIONS —
GASOLINE ENGINE..............77
ENGINE BREAK-IN RECOMMENDATIONS –
DIESEL ENGINE ................77
ELECTRIC PARK BRAKE (EPB) —
DIESEL ONLY (IF EQUIPPED) ........78
Loss Of Electric Power............80
AUTOMATED MANUAL TRANSMISSION —
DIESEL ONLY..................81
Gear Ranges ..................82
Parking The Vehicle ..............84 Instrument Cluster Messages
........86
Towing The Vehicle ..............88
SPEED CONTROL...............89
To Activate...................89
To Set A Desired Speed ...........89
To Vary The Speed Setting ..........89
To Accelerate For Passing ..........90
To Resume Speed ...............91
To Deactivate ..................91
PARKSENSE REAR PARK ASSIST .....91
PARKVIEW REAR BACK-UP CAMERA . . .91
REFUELING THE VEHICLE —
GAS ENGINE ..................91
Materials Added To Fuel ..........92
REFUELING THE VEHICLE —
DIESEL ENGINE................92
Diesel Exhaust Fluid .............93
Adding Diesel Exhaust Fluid ........94
TRAILER TOWING..............95
Trailer Towing Weights (Maximum Trailer
Weight Ratings)................95
RECREATIONAL TOWING (BEHIND
MOTORHOME, ETC.) .............96
Towing This Vehicle Behind
Another Vehicle................96
Recreational Towing — Gasoline Engine
All Models ...................97
STARTING AND OPERATING
73
• Vary accelerator pedal position at highwayspeeds when carrying or towing significant
weight.
NOTE:
Light duty operation such as light trailer
towing or no load operation will extend the
time before the engine is at full efficiency.
Reduced fuel economy and power may be
seen at this time.
The engine oil installed in the engine at the
factory is a high-quality energy conserving
type lubricant. Oil changes should be consis-
tent with anticipated climate conditions un-
der which vehicle operations will occur. The
recommended viscosity and quality grades
are shown under “Fluids And Lubricants” in
the “Technical Specifications” chapter in
this manual. NON-DETERGENT OR
STRAIGHT MINERAL OILS MUST NEVER
BE USED.ELECTRIC PARK BRAKE (EPB) —
DIESEL ONLY (IF EQUIPPED)
Your vehicle is equipped with an Electric
Park Brake System (EPB) that offers simple
operation, and some additional features that
make the park brake more convenient and
useful.
The park brake is primarily intended to pre-
vent the vehicle from rolling while parked.
Before leaving the vehicle, make sure that
the park brake is applied.
You can engage the park brake in two ways;
• Manually, by applying the park brake switch.
• Automatically, by the Auto Park Brake fea- ture whenever the vehicle speed is below
1.25 mph (2 km/h) and the ignition switch
is in the STOP/OFF position.
The park brake switch is located on the in-
strument panel to the right of the instrument
cluster. To apply the parking brake manually, pull and
tilt the top of the switch away from the
instrument panel momentarily. You may hear
a mechanical sound while the parking brake
operates; this is normal operating noise.
Once the parking brake is fully engaged, the
BRAKE warning lamp in the instrument clus-
ter and an indicator on the switch will illumi-
nate. The park brake can be applied even
Electric Park Brake SwitchSTARTING AND OPERATING
78
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 in
the instrument cluster. This means that ser-
vice is required for your vehicle. Operating
conditions such as frequent short-trips,
trailer tow, and extremely hot or cold ambient
temperatures will influence when the “Oil
Change Required” message is displayed. Se-
vere Operating 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 sched-
uled oil change. If a scheduled oil change is
performed by someone other than your autho-
rized dealer, the message can be reset byreferring to the steps described under “Instru-
ment Cluster Display” in “Getting To Know
Your Instrument Panel” in your Owner’s
Manual on
www.ramtrucks.com/en/owners/
manuals for further information.
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.
Severe Duty All Models
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 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 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
124
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 joints. X X X X X
Inspect front suspension, tie rod ends, boot
seals, and replace if necessary. XXX X X X X
Inspect the brake pads, replace as neces-
sary. XXX X X X X
Additional Maintenance
Replace engine air filter. X X X X X
Replace cabin/air conditioning filter. X X X X X X X
Replace Brake Fluid every two years. * X X X X X X X
Replace spark plugs. ** X
Flush and replace the engine coolant at
10 years or 150,000 miles (240,000 km)
whichever comes first. XX
Change automatic transmission fluid and
filter. XX
Inspect and replace PCV valve if necessary. X
* The brake fluid change interval is time
based only, mileage intervals do not apply.** The spark plug change interval is mile-
age based only, yearly intervals do not
apply.
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
126
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 MAINTENANCE — 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 in
the instrument cluster. This means that ser-
vice is required for your vehicle. Operating
conditions such as frequent short-trips,
trailer tow, and extremely hot or cold ambient
temperatures will influence when the “Oil
Change Required” message is displayed. Se-
vere Operating Conditions can cause the
change oil message to illuminate as early as3,500 miles (5,600 km) since last reset.
Have your vehicle serviced as soon as pos-
sible, within the next 500 miles (805 km).
NOTE:
Under no circumstances should oil change
intervals exceed 18,500 miles (29,773 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
Maintenance Plan — Diesel Fuel
Up To B5 Biodiesel
Required Maintenance Intervals.
Refer to the maintenance schedules on the
following page for the required maintenance
intervals.
At Every Oil Change Interval As Indicated By The Oil Change Indicator System:
• Change oil and filter.
• Rotate the tires. Rotate at the first sign of
irregular wear, even if it occurs before your
next scheduled service.
• Inspect battery and clean and tighten ter- minals as required.
• Inspect brake pads, rotors, 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.
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
128
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. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Inspect the CV joints. X X X X X
Inspect front suspension, tie rod ends,
boot seals, and replace if necessary. XXX X X X X
Inspect the brake pads, replace as neces-
sary. XXX X X X X
Check Transmission Actuation System Oil
and Hydraulic Clutch Operating Oil XX X X X
Additional Maintenance
Replace fuel filter and drain water from
fuel. XX X X X
Replace engine air filter. X X X X X
Replace cabin/air conditioning filter. X X X X X X X
Replace Brake Fluid every two years. * X X X X X X X
Replace Hydraulic Clutch Oil every two
years or 60,000 miles (96,000 km) which
ever comes first. XXX X X X X
Flush and replace the engine coolant at
10 years or 150,000 miles (240,000 km)
whichever comes first. XX
129