ECO mode DODGE RAM 2500 DIESEL 2007 3.G Service Manual
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: DODGE, Model Year: 2007, Model line: RAM 2500 DIESEL, Model: DODGE RAM 2500 DIESEL 2007 3.GPages: 496, PDF Size: 31.37 MB
Page 237 of 496

Air Conditioning and Heating — If Equipped
Air Conditioning Operation
To turn on the Air Conditioning, set the fan
control at any speed and press the snowflake
button located at the right of the control panel.
Conditioned air will be directed through the outlets selected by the mode control. A light in the
snowflake button shows that the air conditioning is on.
Press the button a second time to turn the air condition-
ing off.
Slight changes in engine speed or power may be noticed
when the air conditioning compressor is on. This is a
normal occurrence as the compressor will cycle on and
off to maintain comfort and increase fuel economy.
The mode control (at the right of the
control panel) can be set in any of the
following positions:
Air Conditioning And Heating
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 237
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Air Conditioning with Dual Zone Temperature
Control — If Equipped
With the Dual Zone Temperature Control System, each
front seat occupant can independently control the tem-
perature of air coming from the outlets on their side of
the vehicle.
Air Conditioning and Heating Operation
To turn on the Air Conditioning, set the fan control at any
speed and press the snowflake button located on the
control panel. Conditioned air will be directed through
the outlets selected by the mode control. A light in the
snowflake button shows that the air conditioning is on.
Press the button a second time to turn the air condition-
ing off.
A/C Pushbutton
With the fan control in the ON posi-
tion, pushing the A/C button turns on
the air conditioning compressor. An
indicator light on the button shows
that the Air Conditioning compressor
is on. Conditioned air is now directed
through the mode outlets selected.
Pushing the button a second time turns the compressor
OFF.
Dual Zone Control Head
240 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL
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Window Fogging
Windows will fog on the inside when the humidity inside
the vehicle is high. This often occurs in mild or cool
temperatures when it’s rainy or humid. In most cases
turning on the Air-conditioning (pressing the snowflake
button) will clear the fog. Adjust the temperature control,
air direction and blower speed to maintain comfort.
As the temperature gets colder it may be necessary to
direct air onto the windshield by using MIX Mode
position on the control. Adjust the temperature control
and blower speed to maintain comfort. Higher blower
speeds will reduce fogging. Interior fogging on the
windshield can be quickly removed by selecting the
defrost mode.
Regular cleaning of the inside of the windows with a
non-filming cleaning solution (vinegar and water works
very well) will help prevent contaminates (cigarette smoke, perfumes, etc.) from sticking to the windows.
Contaminates increase the rate of window fogging.
Summer Operation
Air conditioned vehicles must be protected with a high
quality antifreeze coolant during summer to provide
proper corrosion protection and to raise the boiling point
of the coolant for protection against overheating. A 50 %
concentration is recommended. Refer to Recommended
Fluids and Genuine Parts for the proper coolant type.
When using the air conditioner in extremely heavy traffic
in hot weather especially when towing a trailer, addi-
tional engine cooling may be required. If this situation is
encountered, operate the transmission in a lower gear to
increase engine RPM, coolant flow and fan speed. When
stopped in heavy traffic, it may be necessary to shift into
NEUTRAL and depress the accelerator slightly for fast
idle operation to increase coolant flow and fan speed.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 245
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WARNING!
It is dangerous to shift the selector lever out of “P” or
“N” if the engine speed is higher than idle speed. If
your foot is not firmly on the brake pedal, the
vehicle could accelerate quickly forward or in re-
verse. You could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear when
the engine is idling normally and when your right
foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
“R” Reverse
Use this range only after the vehicle has come to a
complete stop. “N” Neutral
Shift to Neutral when the vehicle is standing for pro-
longed periods with the engine running. The engine may
be started in this range. Set the parking brake if you must
leave the vehicle.
“D” Drive
This position provides all forward gears, including 3rd
gear direct and 4th or 5th (if equipped) gear overdrive
(see Overdrive Operation). Use this range for most city
and highway driving.
“2” Second
Use this position for driving slowly in heavy city traffic
or on mountain roads where more precise speed control
is desirable. Use it also when climbing long grades, and
for engine braking when descending moderately steep
grades. To prevent excessive engine speed do not exceed
45 mph (72 km/h) in this range.
STARTING AND OPERATING 269
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NOTE:If the vehicle is started in extremely cold tem-
peratures, the transmission may not shift into Overdrive
and will automatically select the most desirable gear for
operation at this temperature. Normal operation will
resume when the transmission fluid temperature has
risen to a suitable level. Refer also to the Note under
torque converter clutch, later in this section.
If the transmission temperature gets extremely hot, the
transmission will automatically select the most desirable
gear for operation at this temperature. If the transmission
temperature becomes hot enough the TRANS TEMP light
may illuminate and the transmission may downshift out
of Overdrive until the transmission cools down. After
cooldown, the transmission will resume normal opera-
tion.
The transmission will downshift from Overdrive to Drive
if the accelerator pedal is fully depressed at vehicle
speeds above approximately 35 mph (56 km/h).When To Use “TOW HAUL” and “O/D OFF”
Modes
When driving in hilly areas, towing a trailer, carrying a
heavy load, etc., and frequent transmission shifting oc-
curs, press the “TOW HAUL O/D OFF” button once to
select TOW HAUL. This will improve performance and
Tow Haul O/D Off Switch
STARTING AND OPERATING 271
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reduce the potential for transmission overheating or
failure due to excessive shifting. When operating in
“TOW HAUL” mode, 5th gear (if equipped) is disabled
and 2-3 and 3-4 shift patterns are modified. Shifts into
Overdrive (4th gear) are allowed during steady cruise
(for improved fuel economy) and automatic closed-
throttle downshifts to 3rd gear (for improved braking)
will occur during steady braking. Pressing the “TOW
HAUL O/D OFF” button a second time to select O/D
OFF will disable 4th and 5th gear completely, which
should eliminate any excessive transmission shifting.
The “TOW HAUL” or “O/D OFF” light will illuminate in
the instrument cluster to indicate when the switch has
been activated. Pressing the switch a third time restores
normal operation. If the “TOW HAUL” or “O/D OFF”
modes are desired, the button must be pressed each time
the engine is started.When To Lock Out Overdrive
When driving in hilly areas, towing a trailer, carrying a
heavy load, etc., and frequent 4–3–4 transmission shifting
occurs, press the “TOW/HAUL” button. This will im-
prove performance and reduce the potential for transmis-
sion overheating or failure due to excessive shifting.
Torque Converter Clutch
A feature, designed to improve fuel economy, has been
included in the automatic transmission on your vehicle.
A clutch within the torque converter engages automati-
cally at calibrated speeds. This may result in a slightly
different feeling or response during normal operation in
high gear. When the vehicle speed drops or during
acceleration when the transmission downshifts to second
gear, the clutch automatically disengages.
NOTE: The torque converter clutch will not engage
until the transmission fluid and engine coolant are warm
[usually after 1-3 miles (1.6 - 4.8 km) of driving]. Because
272 STARTING AND OPERATING
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The alarm will continue for 3 minutes if the driver’s door
is closed but none of the other conditions listed above are
met.
MANUAL TRANSMISSION
WARNING!
You or others could be injured if you leave the
vehicle unattended without having the parking
brake fully applied. The parking brake should al-
ways be applied when the driver is not in the
vehicle, especially on an incline.
Truck models with manual transmission are equipped
with a clutch interlocking ignition system. The clutch
pedal must be fully depressed to start the vehicle. Fully depress the clutch pedal before shifting gears. As
you release the clutch pedal, lightly depress the accelera-
tor pedal.
This transmission has a “creeper” 1st gear which should
be used to start from a standing position when carrying
a payload or towing a trailer. Damage to the clutch can
result from starting in 2nd or 3rd gear with a loaded
vehicle. An unloaded vehicle may be launched in 2nd
gear. Use each gear in numerical order – do not skip a
gear.
For most city driving you may find it easier to use only
1st through 5th gear ranges. For steady highway driving
with light accelerations, 6th gear is recommended. To
shift into 5th gear, move the shift lever to the right
beyond the spring pressure point and push it forward.
When shifting from 5th to 4th gear, pull the lever down
274 STARTING AND OPERATING
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To prevent clutch and transmission damage, your vehicle
should be downshifted at speeds no greater than those
listed in the Maximum Recommended Downshifting
Speed chart.
Maximum Recommended Downshifting Speeds
Gear
Selec-
tion 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
Maxi-
mum
Speed 10 mph
(16
km/h) 19 mph
(31
km/h) 32 mph
(51
km/h) 50 mph
(80
km/h) 68 mph
(109
km/h)
FOUR-WHEEL- DRIVE OPERATION — IF
EQUIPPED
Four-Wheel-Drive Dodge Ram Trucks are equipped with
either a Manually Shifted transfer case or an Electroni-
cally Shifted transfer case. See the operating instructions
for your transfer case, located within this section.
Manually Shifted Transfer Case Operating
Information/Precautions
The transfer case provides 4 mode position s-2(r ear)-
wheel-drive high range, 4-wheel-drive high range, neu-
tral, and 4-wheel-drive low range.
This transfer case is intended to be driven in the 2-wheel-
drive position (2H) for normal street and highway con-
ditions such as dry hard surfaced roads.
When additional traction is required the transfer case 4H
and 4L positions can be used to lock the front and rear
driveshafts together and force the front and rear wheels
to rotate at the same speed. This is accomplished by
simply moving the shift lever to the desired positions.
The 4H and 4L positions are intended for loose, slippery
road surfaces only. Driving in the 4H and 4L positions on
dry hard surfaced roads may cause increased tire wear
and damage to the driveline components.
276 STARTING AND OPERATING
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NOTE:Items 1 through 5 are requirements that must be
met prior to depressing the Neutral (N) selection button,
and must continue to be met until 1 second elapses and
the shift has been completed. If any of these requirements
(with the exception o f 3 - key ON) are not met prior to
depressing the Neutral (N) button or are no longer met
during the 1 second time, then all of the mode position
indicator lights will flash continuously until all require-
ments are met or until the Neutral (N) button is released.
NOTE: The ignition key must be ON for a shift to take
place and for the position indicator lights to be operable.
If the key is not ON, the shift will not take place and no
position indicator lights will be on or flashing.
NOTE: Flashing neutral (N) position indicator light
indicates that shift requirements have not been met.WARNING!
You or others could be injured if you leave the
vehicle unattended with the transfer case in the
Neutral (N) position without first fully engaging the
parking brake. The transfer case Neutral (N) position
disengages both the front and rear driveshafts from
the powertrain and will allow the vehicle to move
despite the transmission position. The parking
brake should always be applied when the driver is
not in the vehicle.
STARTING AND OPERATING 351
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Brake Hoses
Inspection should be performed whenever the brake
system is serviced or at intervals specified. Inspect hy-
draulic brake hoses for surface cracking, scuffing or worn
spots. If there is any evidence of cracking, scuffing, or
worn spots, the hose should be replaced immediately!
Eventual deterioration of the hose can take place with
possible burst failure.
Clutch Linkage
If the clutch pedal linkage begins to squeak or grunt, the
clutch pedal pivot bushings should be lubricated. Refer
to Fluids, Lubricants and Genuine Parts for the correct
lubricant type. Multipurpose Grease, NLGI Grade 2 E.P.
Clutch Hydraulic System
The clutch hydraulic system is a sealed maintenance-free
system. In the event of leakage or other malfunction, the
system must be replaced.
Rear Axle And 4x4 Front Driving Axle Fluid Level
For Model 9.25 Front Axles and 10.5”/11.5” Rear Axles
refer to Fluids, Lubricants and Genuine Parts for the
correct lubricant type. For normal service, periodic fluid
level checks are not required. When the vehicle is ser-
viced for other reasons, the exterior surfaces of the axle
assembly should be inspected.
When checking the fluid level, the vehicle should be in a
level position. The fluid level should be 1/4” ± 1/4” (6.4
mm ± 6.4 mm) below the fill hole on the 9.25” Front Axle.
The fluid level should be 3/4” ± 1/4” (19 mm ± 6.4 mm)
below the fill hole on all 10.5” and 1/4” ± 1/4” (6.4 mm
± 6.4 mm) on 11.5” Rear Axles.
Drain And Refill
Vehicles operated in normal service do not have regularly
scheduled oil changes. If fluid has become contaminated
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 411
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