service DODGE RAM 2500 DIESEL 2007 3.G Service Manual

CAUTION!
To maintain your vehicle safely follow these guide-
lines:
•Watch your vehicle’s mileage and check your Mainte-
nance Schedules regularly for required servicing. Ex-
cessive wear or damage to certain vehicle components
can result if required services are not performed.
•If you have your vehicle undercoated, inspect for
undercoating material on the propeller shafts. Such
material could cause the shafts to become unbalanced
and result in drivetrain vibrations. Remove any under-
coating with solvent.
•If you have your vehicle undercoated, make sure no
undercoating material is sprayed on the exhaust sys-
tem or components of the seat belt system. NOTE:
It is not possible for the manufacturer and
Cummins, Inc. to anticipate every possible circumstance
that can involve a potential hazard.
WARNING!
To maintain your vehicle safely and avoid personal
injury, follow these guidelines:
•Never spray or pour diesel fuel, flammable liquid or
starting fluids (ether) into the air cleaner assembly, air
intake piping or turbocharger inlet in an attempt to
start the vehicle, unintended engine acceleration may
occur.
•Do not use alcohol or gasoline as a fuel blending agent.
They can be unstable under certain conditions and be
hazardous or explosive when mixed with diesel fuel.
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 381
7

MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES
The pages that follow contain therequiredmaintenance
services determined by the engineers who designed your
vehicle.
Besides the maintenance items for which there are fixed
maintenance intervals, there are other items that should
operate satisfactorily without periodic maintenance.
However, if a malfunction of these items does occur, it
could adversely affect the engine or vehicle performance.
These items should be inspected if a malfunction is
observed or suspected.
Engine Oil
Checking Oil Level
To assure proper lubrication of your vehicle’s engine, the
engine oil must be maintained at the correct level. Check
the oil level at regular intervals. The best time to check
the oil level is before starting the engine after it has been
parked overnight. When checking oil after operating the engine, first ensure the engine is at full operating tem-
perature, then wait at least 15 minutes after engine
shutdown to check the oil.
Checking the vehicle while it’s on level ground will also
improve the accuracy of the oil level readings. Add oil
only when the level on the dipstick is below the “ADD”
mark. The total capacity from the low mark to the high
mark is 2 quarts (1.9 liters).
CAUTION!
Overfilling or underfilling the crankcase will cause
oil aeration or loss of oil pressure. This could dam-
age your engine.
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 383
7

Never operate the engine with oil level below the “ADD”
mark or above the upper “SAFE” mark.
Change Engine Oil
Road conditions as well as your kind of driving affect the
interval at which your oil should be changed. Check the
following to determine if any apply to you:
•Frequent short trips where the engine does not achieve
full operating temperature (operating temperature de-
fined as 190° F (66 ° C ) coolant temperature).
•Extensive engine idling (over 10 minutes per hour of
operation) at ambient temperatures less than 32° F (0°
C).
•Driving in dusty conditions.
•Frequent trailer towing.
•Taxi, police, or delivery service (commercial service).
•Off-road or desert operation.
•Extensive operation at high engine speeds (greater
than 2900 rpm) and loads (greater than 70% throttle).
384 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE

Always check the condition of the used oil. This can give
you an indication of some engine problems that might
exist.
•Thin, black oil indicates fuel dilution.
•Milky discoloration indicates coolant dilution.
Clean the area around the oil filter base. Remove the filter
from the underside of the vehicle using a cap style oil
filter wrench.
Clean the gasket surface of the filter mount. The filter
gasket can stick on the filter mount. Make sure it is
removed.
Change the engine oil filter with every engine oil change.
Only a high quality MOPAR filter should be used to
assure most efficient service.
CAUTION!
The filtering medium of other aftermarket filters
may disintegrate. Debris from failed filters may plug
the piston oil cooling nozzles, resulting in scuffed
pistons and engine failure.
CAUTION!
Fill the oil filter element with clean oil before
installation. Use the same type oil that will be used
in the engine. When filling the oil filter, prevent
foreign material from falling into the filter. Severe
engine damage may occur.
Apply a light film of lubricating oil to the sealing surface
of the filter gasket before installing the filter.
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 387
7

Disposing Of Used Engine Oil And Filter
Care should be taken in disposing of the used engine
fluids from your vehicle. Used fluids, indiscriminately
discarded, can present a problem to the environment.
Contact your local dealer, service station, or governmen-
tal agency for advice on recycling programs and where
used fluids and filters can be safely discarded in your
area.
Drive Belt
Inspection
Check the belt for intersecting cracks.
•Transverse (across the belt width) cracks are accept-
able.
•Longitudinal (direction of belt length) cracks that
intersect with transverse cracks are NOT acceptable.
Replace the belt if it has unacceptable cracks, is frayed or
has pieces of material missing. The engine speed sensor, located near the damper, should
be inspected for damage if a belt is frayed.
Engine Air Cleaner Filter
CAUTION!
All air entering the engine intake must be filtered.
The abrasive particles in unfiltered air will cause
rapid wear to engine components.
The air filter housing on your Diesel Ram is equipped
with a Filter Minder™. This is an air flow restriction
gauge that will indicate when the filter element needs to
be replaced.
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 389
7

CAUTION!
Do not drain the fuel/water separator filter when the
engine is running.
NOTE: Care should be taken in disposing of used fluids
from your vehicle. Used fluids, indiscriminately dis-
carded, can present a problem to the environment. Con-
tact your local authorized dealer, service station, or
government agency for advice on recycling programs
and for where used fluids and filters can be properly
disposed of in your area.
Drain a small amount from the fuel/water separator
filter periodically or when the WATER IN FUEL indicator
lamp is on. Pull outward on the drain valve lever, located
on the side of the filter, and allow any accumulated water
to drain. Hold the drain valve open until all water and contaminants have been removed. Close the drain release
valve, by returning it to the inward position, when clean
fuel is visible.
NOTE:
The Fuel / Water separator drain valve is
identified by its yellow handle and is located on the
inboard side of the fuel filter housing.
If more than a couple ounces of fuel has been drained,
follow the directions below for “Priming if the engine has
run out of fuel.”
WARNING!
Do not open the high pressure fuel system with the
engine running. Engine operation causes high fuel
pressure. High pressure fuel spray can cause serious
injury or death.
392 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE

Battery Blanket Usage
A battery loses 60% of its cranking power as the battery
temperature decreases to 0°F (-18°). For the same de-
crease in temperature, the engine requires twice as much
power to crank at the same RPM. The use of 120 VAC
powered battery blankets will greatly increase starting
capability at low temperatures. Suitable battery blankets
are available from your authorized Mopar dealer.
Air Conditioner Maintenance
For best possible performance, your air conditioner
should be checked and serviced by an Authorized Dealer
at the start of each warm season. This service should
include cleaning of the condenser fins and a performance
test. Drive belt tension should also be checked at this
time.
WARNING!
•Use only refrigerants and compressor lubricants
approved by the manufacturer for your air condi-
tioning system. Some unapproved refrigerants are
flammable and can explode, injuring you. Other
unapproved refrigerants or lubricants can cause
the system to fail, requiring costly repairs. Refer
to Section 3 of the Warranty Information book for
further warranty information.
•The air conditioning system contains refrigerant
under high pressure. To avoid risk of personal
injury or damage to the system, adding refrigerant
or any repair requiring lines to be disconnected
should be done by an experienced repairman.
396 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE

Refrigerant Recovery and Recycling
R-134a Air Conditioning Refrigerant is a hydrofluorocar-
bon (HFC) that is endorsed by the Environmental Pro-
tection Agency and is an ozone-saving product. How-
ever, the manufacturer recommends that air conditioning
service be performed by dealers or other service facilities
using recovery and recycling equipment.
Power Steering — Fluid Check
Checking the power steering fluid level at a defined
service interval is not required. The fluid should only be
checked if a leak is suspected, abnormal noises are
apparent, and/or the system is not functioning as antici-
pated. Coordinate inspection efforts through a certified
DaimlerChrysler Dealership. 
WARNING!
Fluid level should be checked on a level surface and
with the engine off to prevent injury from moving
parts and to insure accurate fluid level reading. Do
not overfill. Use only manufacturers recommended
power steering fluid.
If necessary, add fluid to restore to the proper indicated
level. With a clean cloth, wipe any spilled fluid from all
surfaces. Refer to Fluids, Lubricants, and Genuine Parts
for correct fluid type.
Front Suspension Ball Joints
The ball joints originally supplied with the vehicle are
permanently lubricated at the factory and do not require
service. The ball joints and seals should be inspected
whenever the vehicle is serviced for other reasons.
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 397
7

Body Lubrication
Locks and all body pivot points, including such items as
seat tracks, doors, liftgate and hood hinges, should be
lubricated periodically to assure quiet, easy operation
and to protect against rust and wear. Prior to the appli-
cation of any lubricant, the parts concerned should be
wiped clean to remove dust and grit; after lubricating
excess oil and grease should be removed. Particular
attention should also be given to hood latching compo-
nents to insure proper function. When performing other
underhood services, the hood latch, release mechanism
and safety catch should be cleaned and lubricated.
The external lock cylinders should be lubricated twice a
year, preferably in the fall and spring. Apply a small
amount of a high quality lubricant such as Mopar Lock
Cylinder Lubricant directly into the lock cylinder.
Windshield Wiper Blades
The rubber edges of the wiper blades and the windshield
should be cleaned periodically with a sponge or soft cloth
and a mild nonabrasive cleaner. This will remove accu-
mulations of salt or road film.
Operation of the wipers on dry glass for long periods
may cause deterioration of the wiper blades. Always use
washer fluid when using the wipers to remove salt or dirt
from a dry windshield.
Avoid using the wiper blades to remove frost or ice from
the windshield. Keep the blade rubber out of contact with
petroleum products such as engine oil, gasoline, etc.
Windshield Washers
The fluid reservoir is located under the hood and should
be checked for fluid level at regular intervals. Fill the
reservoir with windshield washer solvent only (not ra-
diator antifreeze).
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 399
7

Disposal Of Used Engine Coolant
Used ethylene glycol based engine coolant is a regulated
substance requiring proper disposal. Check with your
local authorities to determine the disposal rules for your
community. Do not store ethylene glycol-based engine
coolant in open containers or allow it to remain in
puddles on the ground. Prevent ingestion by animals and
children. If ingested by a child, contact a physician
immediately. Clean up any ground spills immediately.
Coolant Level
The coolant bottle provides a quick visual method for
determining that the coolant level is adequate. With the
engine cold, the level of the coolant in the coolant
recovery bottle should be between the ranges indicated
on the bottle.
The radiator normally remains completely full, so there is
no need to remove the radiator cap unless checking for
coolant freeze point or replacing coolant. Advise your service attendant of this. As long as the engine operating
temperature is satisfactory, the coolant bottle need only
be checked once a month.
When additional coolant is needed to maintain the
proper level, it should be added to the coolant bottle. Do
not overfill.
Points To Remember
NOTE:
When the vehicle is stopped after a few miles (a
few kilometers) of operation, you may observe vapor
coming from the front of the engine compartment. This is
normally a result of moisture from rain, snow, or high
humidity accumulating on the radiator and being vapor-
ized when the thermostat opens, allowing hot coolant to
enter the radiator.
If an examination of your engine compartment shows no
evidence of radiator or hose leaks, the vehicle may be
safely driven. The vapor will soon dissipate.
406 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE