2023 RAM CHASSIS CAB Owners Manual

SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE407
significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving habits, service
practices, and differences in road
characteristics and climate.
TRACTION GRADES
The Traction grades, from highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B, and C. These grades
represent the tire's ability to stop on wet
pavement, as measured under
controlled conditions on specified
government test surfaces of asphalt and
concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance.
TEMPERATURE GRADES
The Temperature grades are A (the
highest), B, and C, representing the tire's
resistance to the generation of heat and
its ability to dissipate heat, when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause
the material of the tire to degenerate
and reduce tire life, and excessive
temperature can lead to sudden tire
failure. The grade C corresponds to a
level of performance, which all
passenger vehicle tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard No. 109. Grades B and A
represent higher levels of performance
on the laboratory test wheel, than the
minimum required by law.
STORING THE VEHICLE
If you are storing your vehicle for more than three
weeks, we recommend that you take the following
steps to minimize the drain on your vehicle's
battery:
Disconnect the negative cable from battery.
Any time 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 the fresh air and high blower
setting. This will ensure adequate system lubri-
cation to minimize the possibility of compressor
damage when the system is started again.
BODYWORK
PROTECTION FROM ATMOSPHERIC
A
GENTS
Vehicle body care requirements vary according to
geographic locations and usage. Chemicals that
make roads passable in snow and ice and those
that are sprayed on trees and road surfaces during
other seasons are highly corrosive to the metal in
your vehicle. Outside parking, which exposes your
vehicle to airborne contaminants, road surfaces on
which the vehicle is operated, extreme hot or cold
weather and other extreme conditions will have an
adverse effect on paint, metal trim, and underbody
protection.
WARNING!
The traction grade assigned to this tire is based
on straight-ahead braking traction tests, and
does not include acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.
WARNING!
The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation,
or excessive loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat buildup and
possible tire failure.
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408SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
The following maintenance recommendations will
enable you to obtain maximum benefit from the
corrosion resistance built into your vehicle.
What Causes Corrosion?
Corrosion is the result of deterioration or removal
of paint and protective coatings from your vehicle.
The most common causes are:
Road salt, dirt and moisture accumulation.
Stone and gravel impact.
Insects, tree sap and tar.
Salt in the air near seacoast localities.
Atmospheric fallout/industrial pollutants.
BODY AND UNDERBODY MAINTENANCE
Cleaning Headlights
Your vehicle is equipped with plastic headlights
and fog lights that are lighter and less susceptible
to stone breakage than glass headlights.
Plastic is not as scratch resistant as glass and
therefore different lens cleaning procedures must
be followed.
To minimize the possibility of scratching the lenses
and reducing light output, avoid wiping with a dry
cloth. To remove road dirt, wash with a mild soap
solution followed by rinsing. Do not use abrasive cleaning components,
solvents, steel wool or other aggressive material to
clean the lenses.
PRESERVING THE BODYWORK
Washing
Wash your vehicle regularly. Always wash your
vehicle in the shade using Mopar® Car Wash, or
a mild car wash soap, and rinse the panels
completely with water.
If insects, tar, or other similar deposits have
accumulated on your vehicle, use Mopar®
Super Kleen Bug and Tar Remover to remove.
Use a high quality cleaner wax, such as Mopar®
Cleaner Wax to remove road film, stains and to
protect your paint finish. Use precautions to not
scratch the paint.
Avoid using abrasive compounds and power
buffing that may diminish the gloss or thin out
the paint finish.
Special Care
If you drive on salted or dusty roads or if you
drive near the ocean, hose off the undercarriage
at least once a month.
It is important that the drain holes in the lower
edges of the doors, rocker panels, and trunk be
kept clear and open.
If you detect any stone chips or scratches in the
paint, touch them up immediately.
If your vehicle is damaged due to a collision or
similar cause that destroys the paint and protec
-
tive coating, have your vehicle repaired as soon
as possible.
If you carry special cargo such as chemicals,
fertilizers, de-icer salt, etc., be sure that such
materials are well packaged and sealed.
If a lot of driving is done on gravel roads,
consider mud or stone shields behind each
wheel.
Use Mopar® Touch Up Paint on scratches as
soon as possible. An authorized dealer has
touch up paint to match the color of your
vehicle.
CAUTION!
Do not use abrasive or strong cleaning mate -
rials such as steel wool or scouring powder
that will scratch metal and painted surfaces.
Use of power washers exceeding 1,200 psi
(8,274 kPa) can result in damage or removal
of paint and decals.

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SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE409
INTERIORS
SEATS AND FABRIC PARTS
Use Mopar® Total Clean to clean fabric upholstery
and carpeting.
Stain Repel Fabric Cleaning Procedure —
If Equipped
Stain Repel seats may be cleaned in the following
manner:
Remove as much of the stain as possible by
blotting with a clean, dry towel.
Blot any remaining stain with a clean, damp
towel.
For tough stains, apply Mopar® Total Clean, or
a mild soap solution to a clean, damp cloth and
remove stain. Use a fresh, damp towel to
remove soap residue.
For grease stains, apply Mopar® Multi-Purpose
Cleaner to a clean, damp cloth and remove
stain. Use a fresh, damp towel to remove soap
residue.
Do not use any harsh solvents or any other form
of protectants on Stain Repel products.
Seat Belt Maintenance
Do not bleach, dye or clean the belts with chemical
solvents or abrasive cleaners. This will weaken the
fabric.
If the belts need cleaning, use a mild soap solution
or lukewarm water. Do not remove the belts from
the vehicle to wash them. Dry with a soft cloth.
Sun damage can also weaken the fabric. Replace
the belts if they appear frayed or worn or if the
buckles do not work properly.
NOTE:If the belts retract slowly, inspect the upper turning
loop for soiling. If soiling is present, clean with a
wet soft cloth until all residue is removed.
PLASTIC AND COATED PARTS
Use Mopar® Total Clean to clean vinyl upholstery.
WARNING!
Do not use volatile solvents for cleaning
purposes. Many are potentially flammable, and
if used in closed areas they may cause
respiratory harm.
WARNING!
A frayed or torn seat belt could rip apart in a
collision and leave you with no protection.
Inspect the seat belt system periodically,
checking for cuts, frays, or loose parts.
Damaged parts must be replaced immediately.
Do not disassemble or modify the seat belt
system. If your vehicle is involved in a collision,
or if you have questions regarding seat belt or
retractor conditions, take your vehicle to an
authorized FCA dealer or authorized FCA
Certified Collision Care Program facility for
inspection.
CAUTION!
Direct contact of air fresheners, insect repel -
lents, suntan lotions, or hand sanitizers to the
plastic, painted, or decorated surfaces of the
interior may cause permanent damage. Wipe
away immediately.
Damage caused by these type of products
may not be covered by your New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
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410SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
Cleaning Plastic Instrument Cluster
Lenses
The lenses in front of the instruments in this
vehicle are molded in clear plastic. When cleaning
the lenses, care must be taken to avoid scratching
the plastic.
Clean with a wet soft cloth. A mild soap solution
may be used, but do not use high alcohol content
or abrasive cleaners. If soap is used, wipe clean
with a clean damp cloth. Dry with a soft cloth.
LEATHER SURFACES
Mopar® Total Clean is specifically recommended
for leather upholstery.
Your leather upholstery can be best preserved by
regular cleaning with a damp soft cloth. Small
particles of dirt can act as an abrasive and damage
the leather upholstery and should be removed
promptly with a damp cloth. Stubborn soils can be
removed easily with a soft cloth and Mopar® Total
Clean. Care should be taken to avoid soaking your
leather upholstery with any liquid. Please do not
use polishes, oils, cleaning fluids, solvents,
detergents, or ammonia-based cleaners to clean
your leather upholstery.
NOTE:If equipped with light colored leather, it tends to
show any foreign material, dirt, and fabric dye
transfer more so than darker colors. The leather is
designed for easy cleaning, and the manufacturer
recommends Mopar® Total Care leather cleaner
applied on a cloth to clean the leather seats as
needed.GLASS SURFACES
All glass surfaces should be cleaned on a regular
basis with Mopar® Glass Cleaner, or any
commercial household-type glass cleaner. Never
use an abrasive type cleaner. Use caution when
cleaning the inside rear window equipped with
electric defrosters or windows equipped with radio
antennas. Do not use scrapers or other sharp
instruments that may scratch the elements.
When cleaning the rearview mirror, spray cleaner
on the towel or cloth that you are using. Do not
spray cleaner directly on the mirror.
CAUTION!
Do not use alcohol and alcohol-based and/or
ketone-based cleaning products to clean leather
upholstery, as damage to the upholstery may
result.

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411
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (VIN)
The VIN is found on the left front corner of the
instrument panel, visible through the windshield.
Vehicle Identification Number

NOTE:It is illegal to remove or alter the VIN.
BRAKE SYSTEM
If power assist is lost for any reason (for example,
repeated brake applications with the engine off),
the brakes will still function. However, you will
experience a substantial increase in braking effort
to stop the vehicle. If either the front or rear hydraulic system loses
normal braking capability, the remaining system
will still function with some loss of overall braking
effectiveness. This will be evident by increased
pedal travel during application, greater pedal force
required to slow or stop, and activation of the
Brake Warning Light and/or the Anti-Lock Brake
System (ABS) Warning Light during brake use.
HYDRAULIC BRAKE ASSIST —
I
F EQUIPPED
The brake system power assist is provided by a
hydro-boost unit which shares fluid with the power
steering system. You may experience some
clicking or hissing noises from the hydro-boost
system during hard braking conditions.
NOTE:Under cold temperatures, pedal effort will be
higher than normal until the power steering fluid
reaches operating temperature.
WHEEL AND TIRE TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS
Proper lug nut/bolt torque is very important to
ensure that the wheel is properly mounted to the
vehicle. Any time a wheel has been removed and
reinstalled on the vehicle, the lug nuts/bolts
should be torqued using a properly calibrated
torque wrench using a six-sided (hex) deep wall
socket.
TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS
**Use only authorized dealer recommended lug
nuts/bolts and clean or remove any dirt or oil
before tightening.
Lug Nut/
Bolt
Torque Lug Nut/
Bolt Type**Lug
Nut/Bolt
SizeLug Nut/
Bolt
Socket
Size
130 ft-lb
(176 N·m) Cone
M14 x
1.5022 mm
129 ft-lb
(175 N·m) Flanged
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412TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Inspect the wheel mounting surface prior to
mounting the tire and remove any corrosion or
loose particles.
NOTE:Dual wheels are flat mounted, center piloted. The
lug nuts are a two-piece assembly. When the tires
are being rotated or replaced, clean these lug nuts
at the interface between the lug nut/bolt and the
washer. Do not oil wheel studs.

Two-Piece Lug Nut

Inspect the wheel mounting surface prior to
mounting the tire and remove any corrosion or
loose particles.
Wheel Mounting Surface

Retighten the wheel nuts, in the same pattern, to
the torques listed in the Torque Specifications
table. Go through the sequence a second time to
verify that specific torque has been achieved.
Retighten to specifications after 25 miles (40 km)
and check the lug nut/bolt torque to be sure that
all the lug nuts/bolts are properly tightened.
8/10 Lug Nuts/Bolts Torque Patterns

It is recommended that wheel stud nuts be kept
torqued to specifications at all times. Torque wheel
stud nuts to specifications at each lubrication
interval.
1 — 10 Bolt Pattern
2 — 8 Bolt Pattern

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS413
All wheel nuts should be tightened occasionally to
eliminate the possibility of wheel studs being
sheared or the bolt holes in the wheels becoming
elongated. This is especially important during the
first few hundred miles/kilometers of operation to
allow the wheel nuts to become properly set. All
wheel nuts should first be firmly seated against the
wheel. The wheel nuts should then be tightened to
recommended torque. Tighten the wheel nuts to
final torque in increments. Progress around the
bolt circle, tightening the wheel nut opposite to the
wheel nut just previously tightened until final
torque is achieved.
FUEL REQUIREMENTS— GASOLINE ENGINE
While operating on gasoline with the required
octane number, hearing a light knocking sound
from the engine is not a cause for concern.
However, if the engine is heard making a heavy
knocking sound, see a dealer immediately. Use of
gasoline with a lower than recommended octane
number can cause engine failure and may void or not be covered by the New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.
Poor quality gasoline can cause problems such as
hard starting, stalling, and hesitations. If you
experience these symptoms, try another brand of
gasoline before considering service for the vehicle.
6.4L ENGINE
Do not use E-85 flex fuel or ethanol blends greater
than 15% in this engine.
This engine is designed to meet all
emissions regulations and provide
satisfactory fuel economy and
performance when using high quality
unleaded gasoline having a posted octane number
of 87 as specified by the (R+M)/2 method.
REFORMULATED GASOLINE
Many areas of the country require the use of
cleaner-burning gasoline referred to as
“reformulated gasoline”. Reformulated gasoline
contains oxygenates and are specifically blended
to reduce vehicle emissions and improve air
quality.
The use of reformulated gasoline is recommended.
Properly blended reformulated gasoline will
provide improved performance and durability of
engine and fuel system components.
MATERIALS ADDED TO FUEL
Besides using unleaded gasoline with the proper
octane rating, gasolines that contain detergents,
corrosion and stability additives are
recommended. Using gasolines that have these
additives will help improve fuel economy, reduce
emissions, and maintain vehicle performance.
Designated TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline
contains a higher level of detergents to
further aide in minimizing engine and
fuel system deposits. When available,
the usage of TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline is
recommended. Visit
www.toptiergas.com for a list
of TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline retailers.
Indiscriminate use of fuel system cleaning agents
should be avoided. Many of these materials
intended for gum and varnish removal may contain
active solvents or similar ingredients. These can
harm fuel system gasket and diaphragm materials.WARNING!
To avoid the risk of forcing the vehicle off the
jack, do not tighten the lug nuts/bolts fully until
the vehicle has been lowered. Failure to follow
this warning may result in personal injury.
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414TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
GASOLINE/OXYGENATE BLENDS
Some fuel suppliers blend unleaded gasoline with
oxygenates such as ethanol.
Problems that result from using gasoline
containing more than 15% ethanol (E-15) or
gasoline containing methanol are not the
responsibility of the manufacturer and may void or
not be covered under New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.
DO NOT USE E-85 IN NON-FLEX FUEL
V
EHICLES
Non-Flex Fuel Vehicles (FFV) are compatible with
gasoline containing up to 15% ethanol (E-15). Use
of gasoline with higher ethanol content may void
the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
If a Non-FFV vehicle is inadvertently fueled with
E-85 fuel, the engine will have some or all of these
symptoms:
Operate in a lean mode.
OBD II Malfunction Indicator Light on.
Poor engine performance.
Poor cold start and cold drivability.
Increased risk for fuel system component corro -
sion.
CNG AND LP FUEL SYSTEM
M
ODIFICATIONS
Modifications that allow the engine to run on
Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) or Liquid Propane
(LP) may result in damage to the engine,
emissions, and fuel system components. Problems
that result from running CNG or LP are not the
responsibility of the manufacturer and may void or
not be covered under the New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.
METHYLCYCLOPENTADIENYL
M
ANGANESE TRICARBONYL (MMT) IN
G
ASOLINE
MMT is a manganese-containing metallic additive
that is blended into some gasolines to increase
octane. Gasoline blended with MMT provides no
performance advantage beyond gasoline of the
same octane number without MMT. Gasoline
blended with MMT reduces spark plug life and
reduces emissions system performance in some
vehicles. The manufacturer recommends that
gasoline without MMT be used in your vehicle. The
MMT content of gasoline may not be indicated on
the gasoline pump; therefore, you should ask your
gasoline retailer whether the gasoline contains
MMT. MMT is prohibited in Federal and California
reformulated gasoline.
CAUTION!
DO NOT use E-85, gasoline containing methanol,
or gasoline containing more than 15% ethanol
(E-15). Use of these blends may result in starting
and drivability problems, damage critical fuel
system components, cause emissions to exceed
the applicable standard, and/or cause the
Malfunction Indicator Light to illuminate. Please
observe pump labels as they should clearly
communicate if a fuel contains greater than
15% ethanol (E-15).

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