engine oil Ram 1500 2011 Owner's Manual

Transporting Pets
Airbags deploying in the front seat could harm your pet.
An unrestrained pet will be thrown about and possibly
injured, or injure a passenger during panic braking or in
an accident. Pets should be restrained in the rear seat in
pet harnesses or pet carriers that are secured by seat belts.
ENGINE BREAK-IN RECOMMENDATIONS
A long break-in period is not required for the engine and
drivetrain (transmission and axle) in your vehicle.
Drive moderately during the first 300 miles (500 km).
After the initial 60 miles (100 km), speeds up to 50 or
55 mph (80 or 90 km/h) are desirable.
While cruising, brief full-throttle acceleration within the
limits of local traffic laws contributes to a good break-in.
Wide-open throttle acceleration in low gear can be detri-
mental and should be avoided.The engine oil installed in the engine at the factory is a
high-quality energy conserving type lubricant. Oil
changes should be consistent with anticipated climate
conditions under which vehicle operations will occur. For
the recommended viscosity and quality grades, refer to
“Maintenance Procedures” in “Maintaining Your Ve-
hicle”. NON-DETERGENT OR STRAIGHT MINERAL
OILS MUST NEVER BE USED.
A new engine may consume some oil during its first few
thousand miles (kilometers) of operation. This should be
considered a normal part of the break-in and not inter-
preted as an indication of difficulty.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 81

If it is necessary to sit in a parked vehicle with the engine
running, adjust your heating or cooling controls to force
outside air into the vehicle. Set the blower at high speed.
If you are required to drive with the trunk/liftgate open,
make sure that all windows are closed and the climate
control BLOWER switch is set at high speed. DO NOT
use the recirculation mode.
The best protection against carbon monoxide entry into
the vehicle body is a properly maintained engine exhaust
system.
Whenever a change is noticed in the sound of the exhaust
system, when exhaust fumes can be detected inside the
vehicle, or when the underside or rear of the vehicle is
damaged, have a competent mechanic inspect the com-
plete exhaust system and adjacent body areas for broken,
damaged, deteriorated, or mispositioned parts. Open
seams or loose connections could permit exhaust fumes
to seep into the passenger compartment. In addition,inspect the exhaust system each time the vehicle is raised
for lubrication or oil change. Replace as required.
Safety Checks You Should Make Inside The
Vehicle
Seat Belts
Inspect the belt system periodically, checking for cuts,
frays, and loose parts. Damaged parts must be replaced
immediately. Do not disassemble or modify the system.
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 webbing, etc.). If there is any question regarding belt
or retractor condition, replace the belt.
Airbag Warning Light
The light should come on and remain on for four to eight
seconds as a bulb check when the ignition switch is first
turned ON. If the light is not lit during starting, see your
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 83

Fluid Leaks
Check area under vehicle after overnight parking for fuel,
engine coolant, oil, or other fluid leaks. Also, if gasoline
fumes are detected or if fuel, power steering fluid, or
brake fluid leaks are suspected, the cause should be
located and corrected immediately.
86 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

CAUTION!
Driving with a hot engine cooling system could
damage your vehicle. If the temperature gauge reads
“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 the “H” and you hear continuous chimes,
turn the engine off immediately and call an autho-
rized dealership for service.
WARNING!
A hot engine cooling system is dangerous. You or
others could be badly burned by steam or boiling
coolant. You may want to call an authorized dealer-
ship for service if your vehicle overheats. If you
decide to look under the hood yourself, see “Main-
taining Your Vehicle”. Follow the warnings under the
Cooling System Pressure Cap paragraph.
5. Speedometer
The speedometer shows the vehicle speed in miles per
hour and/or kilometers per hour (mph/km/h).
6. 4 LOW This light alerts the driver that the vehicle is in
the four-wheel drive LOW mode. The front and
rear driveshafts are mechanically locked to-
gether forcing the front and rear wheels to
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NOTE:
•The “ESC Off Indicator Light” and the “ESC
Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light” come on mo-
mentarily each time the ignition switch is turned to
ON/RUN.
•Each time the ignition is turned to ON/RUN, the ESC
system will be ON, even if it was turned off previously.
•The ESC system will make buzzing or clicking sounds
when it is active. This is normal; the sounds will stop
when ESC becomes inactive following the maneuver
that caused the ESC activation.
13. Vehicle Security Light — If Equipped This light will flash at a fast rate for approxi-
mately 15 seconds, when the vehicle security
alarm is arming, and then will flash slowly
until the vehicle is disarmed. 14. Oil Pressure Gauge
The pointer should always indicate some oil pressure
when the engine is running. A continuous high or low
reading under normal driving conditions may indicate a
lubrication system malfunction. Immediate service
should be obtained from an authorized dealer.
15. Odometer/Trip Odometer Button/ECO (Fuel Saver
Indicator) Button — If Equipped
Press this button to toggle between the odometer display,
trip odometer display or the “ECO” display. Holding the
button in resets the trip odometer reading when in trip
mode.
If equipped with Electronic Vehicle Information Center
(EVIC) the “ECO” message will be displayed in the EVIC
display in the instrument cluster. Refer to ”Electronic
Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) — If Equipped” for
further information.
214 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

16. Odometer Display / Electronic Vehicle Information
Center (EVIC) Display Area — If Equipped
Odometer Display
The odometer display shows the total distance the ve-
hicle has been driven. U.S. Federal regulations require
that upon transfer of vehicle ownership, the seller certify
to the purchaser the correct mileage that the vehicle has
been driven. If your odometer needs to be repaired or
serviced, the repair technician should leave the odometer
reading the same as it was before the repair or service. If
s/he cannot do so, then the odometer must be set at zero,
and a sticker must be placed in the door jamb stating
what the mileage was before the repair or service. It is a
good idea for you to make a record of the odometer
reading before the repair/service, so that you can be sure
that it is properly reset, or that the door jamb sticker is
accurate if the odometer must be reset at zero.The two trip odometers show individual trip mileage. To
switch from odometer to trip odometers, press and
release the TRIP ODOMETER button.
To reset a trip odometer, display the desired trip odom-
eter to be reset then push and hold the button for
approximately two seconds until the display resets.
Vehicle Odometer Messages
When the appropriate conditions exist, the following
messages will display in the odometer:
ECO
................... Fuel Saver Indicator Off
ECO-ON ................ Fuel Saver Indicator On
Lo tirE ...................... LowTirePr essure
noFUSE .......................... Fuse Fault
CHAngE OIL ............... Oil Change Required
LoWASH .................... LowW asher Fluid
NOTE: There is also an engine hour function. This
indicates the total number of hours the engine has been
running. To display the engine hours on the base cluster,
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UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 215

noFUSE
If the vehicle diagnostic system determines that the
Ignition Off Draw (IOD) fuse is improperly installed, or
damaged, a “noFUSE” message will display in the odom-
eter display area. For further information on fuses and
fuse locations refer to “Fuses” in “Maintaining Your
Vehicle”.
CHAngE OIL
Your vehicle is equipped with an engine oil change
indicator system. TheCHAngE OILmessage will flash in
the instrument cluster odometer for approximately
12 seconds after a single chime has sounded to indicate
the next scheduled oil change interval. The engine oil
change indicator system is duty cycle-based, which
means the engine oil change interval may fluctuate
dependent upon your personal driving style.
Unless reset, this message will continue to display each
time you turn the ignition switch to the ON/RUN position. To turn off the message temporarily, press and
release the Trip Odometer button on the instrument
cluster. To reset the oil change indicator system (after
performing the scheduled maintenance), refer to the
following procedure:
1. Turn the ignition switch to the ON/RUN position
(do not start the engine).
2. Fully depress the accelerator pedal slowly three
times within 10 seconds.
3. Turn the ignition switch to the OFF/LOCK position.
NOTE: If the indicator message illuminates when you
start the vehicle, the oil change indicator system did not
reset. If necessary, repeat this procedure.
17. Engine Temperature Warning Light This light warns of an overheated engine condi-
tion. As temperatures rise and the gauge ap-
proaches H,this indicator will illuminate and a
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UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 217

Operation of the Brake Warning Light can be checked by
turning the ignition switch from the OFF position to the
ON/RUN position. The light should illuminate for ap-
proximately two seconds. The light should then turn off
unless the parking brake is applied or a brake fault is
detected. If the light does not illuminate, have the light
inspected by an authorized dealer.
The light also will turn on when the parking brake is
applied with the ignition switch in the ON/RUN posi-
tion.
NOTE:This light shows only that the parking brake is
applied. It does not show the degree of brake application.
24. Oil Pressure Warning Light
This light indicates low engine oil pressure. The
light should turn on momentarily when the engine
is started. If the light turns on while driving, stop the
vehicle and shut off the engine as soon as possible. A chime
will sound for four minutes when this light turns on.
Do not operate the vehicle until the cause is corrected.
This light does not indicate how much oil is in the engine.
The engine oil level must be checked under the hood.
For vehicles equipped with a premium cluster this indi-
cator will display in the Electronic Vehicle Information
Center (EVIC). Refer to ”Electronic Vehicle Information
Center (EVIC) — If Equipped” for further information.
25. Tire Pressure Monitoring Telltale Light Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and
inflated to the inflation pressure recommended
by the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle
placard or tire inflation pressure label. (If your vehicle
has tires of a different size than the size indicated on the
vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure label, you should
determine the proper tire inflation pressure for those
tires.)
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UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 221

WARNING!
If the Transmission Temperature Warning Light is
illuminated and you continue operating the vehicle,
in some circumstances you could cause the fluid to
boil over, come in contact with hot engine or exhaust
components and cause a fire.
For vehicles equipped with a premium cluster this warn-
ing light will display in the Electronic Vehicle Informa-
tion Center (EVIC). Refer to ”Electronic Vehicle Informa-
tion Center (EVIC) — If Equipped” for further
information.
31. Seat Belt Reminder Light When the ignition switch is first turned to ON/
RUN, this light will turn on for four to eight
seconds as a bulb check. During the bulb check, if
the driver’s seat belt is unbuckled, a chime will sound.
After the bulb check or when driving, if the driver’s seat belt remains unbuckled, the seat belt reminder light will
flash or remain on continuously. Refer to “Occupant
Restraints” in “Things To Know Before Starting Your
Vehicle” for further information.
32. Charging System Light
This light shows the status of the electrical charg-
ing system. The light should come on when the
ignition switch is first turned to ON/RUN and remain on
briefly as a bulb check. If the light stays on or comes on
while driving, turn off some of the vehicle’s non-essential
electrical devices or increase engine speed (if at idle). If
the charging system light remains on, it means that the
vehicle is experiencing a problem with the charging
system. Obtain SERVICE IMMEDIATELY. See an autho-
rized dealer.
If jump starting is required, refer to “Jump Starting
Procedures” in “What To Do In Emergencies”.
226 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

•Remote start aborted — Fuel low
•Remote start disabled — System fault
•Remote start disabled — Turn key
•Remote start active — Key to Run
•Remote Start Disabled — Start Vehicle to Reset
•Remote Start Active — Insert Key and Turn to RUN
•Memory 1 Profile Set
•Memory 2 Profile Set
•Memory System Unavailable — Not in Park
•Memory System Unavailable — Seatbelt Buckled
•Memory 1 Profile Recall
•Memory 2 Profile Recall
•Adjustable Pedals Unavailable — Vehicle in Reverse
•Adjustable Pedals Unavailable — Cruise Engaged
•To Tow Vehicle Safely, Read Neutral Shift Procedure in
Owners Manual
EVIC Warning Lights
•
Door AjarThis light will turn on to indicate that one or
more doors may be ajar.
•Oil Pressure Warning LightThis light indicates low engine oil pressure. The
light should turn on momentarily when the engine
is started. If the light turns on while driving, stop the
vehicle and shut off the engine as soon as possible. A
chime will sound for four minutes when this light turns
on.
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