maintenance DODGE RAM 4500 CHASSIS CAB 2009 4.G Owners Manual

TABLE OF CONTENTSSECTIONPAGE
1INTRODUCTION.............................................................3
2THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE...............................9
3UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE...............................77
4UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL................................... 157
5STARTING AND OPERATING................................................. 217
6WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES...............................................313
7MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE............................................... 333
8MAINTENANCE SCHEDULES.................................................. 381
9IF YOU NEED CONSUMER ASSISTANCE..........................................399
10INDEX....................................................................409
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INTRODUCTION
This Owner’s Manual has been prepared with the assis-
tance of service and engineering specialists to acquaint
you with the operation and maintenance of your vehicle.
It is supplemented by a Warranty Information Booklet
and various customer-oriented documents. You are
urged to read these publications carefully. Following the
instructions and recommendations in this manual will
help assure safe and enjoyable operation of your vehicle.
NOTE: After you read the manual, it should be stored
in the vehicle for convenient referencing and remain
with the vehicle when sold, so that the new owner will
be aware of all safety warnings.
When it comes to service, remember that your authorized
dealer knows your vehicle best, has the factory-trained
technicians and genuine Moparparts, and is interested
in your satisfaction.HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL
Consult the Table of Contents to determine which section
contains the information you desire.
The detailed index at the back of this Owner’s Manual
contains a complete listing of all subjects.
Consult the following table for a description of the
symbols that may be used on your vehicle or throughout
this Owner’s Manual:
4 INTRODUCTION

occur. For recommended viscosity and quality grades,
refer to “Engine Oil” under “Maintenance Procedures” in
Section 7.
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 is a nor-
mal part of the break-in and is not an indication of
difficulty.
CAUTION!
•During the first 500 mi (805 km) your new vehicle
is driven, do not tow a trailer. Doing so may
damage your axles, driveline and vehicle.
•Limit your speed to 50 or 55 mph (80 or 90 km/h)
during the first 500 mi (805 km) of towing.
SAFETY TIPS
Exhaust System
WARNING!
Exhaust gases contain carbon monoxide, an ex-
tremely toxic gas that by itself is colorless and
odorless. To avoid inhaling these gases, the following
precautions should be observed:
•Do not run the engine in a closed garage or in confined
areas any longer than needed to move your vehicle in
or out of the area.
•It may be necessary to sit in a parked vehicle with the
engine running for more than a short period. If so,
adjust your climate control system to force outside air
into the vehicle. Set the blower at high speed and the
controls in any position except Off or Recirculation.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 73
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Video Entertainment System™ (Sales Code
XRV) — If Equipped .................... 201
 Remote Sound System Controls —
If Equipped .......................... 201
▫ Radio Operation ..................... 202
▫ Tape Player ........................ 202
▫ CD Player ......................... 202
 CD/DVD Maintenance ................. 203
 Radio Operation And Cellular Phones ....... 203
Climate Controls ...................... 204
▫ Heater Only — If Equipped ............. 204
▫ Air Conditioning And Heating —
If Equipped ........................ 207
▫ Air Conditioning With Dual Zone
Temperature Control — If Equipped ....... 210
▫ Operating Tips ...................... 214
▫ Operating Tips Chart ................. 216
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 159
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button down for a period of six seconds. The odometer
will change to trip value first, then it will display the
engine hour value. The engine hours will be displayed
for a period of 30 seconds until the ignition is turned off
or the engine is started.
Change Oil Message
Your vehicle is equipped with an engine oil change
indicator system. The “Change Oil” message 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 instrumentcluster. To reset the oil change indicator system (after
performing the scheduled maintenance) refer to the fol-
lowing procedure.
1. Turn the ignition switch to the ON 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. Front Fog Light Indicator — If Equipped This light shows when the front fog lights are ON.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 167
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If you press the switch up or down twice it plays the
second track, three times, it will play the third, etc.
The button in the center of the left-hand switch has no
function in this mode.
CD/DVD MAINTENANCE
To keep a CD/DVD in good condition, take the following
precautions:
1. Handle the disc by its edge; avoid touching the
surface.
2. If the disc is stained, clean the surface with a soft cloth,
wiping from center to edge.
3. Do not apply paper or tape to the disc; avoid scratch-
ing the disc.
4. Do not use solvents such as benzene, thinner, cleaners,
or antistatic sprays.5. Store the disc in its case after playing.
6. Do not expose the disc to direct sunlight.
7. Do not store the disc where temperatures may become
too high.
NOTE:
If you experience difficulty in playing a particu-
lar disc, it may be damaged (i.e. scratched, reflective
coating removed, a hair, moisture or dew on the disc)
oversized, or have theft protection encoding. Try a
known good disc before considering disc player service.
RADIO OPERATION AND CELLULAR PHONES
Under certain conditions, the operation of a cellular
phone in your vehicle can cause erratic or noisy perfor-
mance from your radio. This condition may be lessened
or eliminated by relocating the cellular phone antenna.
This condition is not harmful to the radio. If your radio
performance does not satisfactorily “clear” by the repo-
sitioning of the antenna, it is recommended that the radio
volume be turned down or off during cellular phone
operation.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 203
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Supplemental Tire Pressure Information —
If Equipped .......................... 276
 Tire Chains .......................... 276
 Snow Tires .......................... 278
 Tire Rotation Recommendations ........... 279
▫ Dual Rear Wheels .................... 280
 Fuel Requirements ..................... 281
▫ 5.7L Gas Engine ..................... 281
 Adding Fuel ......................... 285
▫ Loose Fuel Filler Cap (Gas Cap) Message . . . 286
 Vehicle Loading ...................... 287
▫ Certification Label ................... 287
 Trailer Towing ........................ 289 ▫
Common Towing Definitions ............ 289
▫ Trailer Hitch Classification .............. 292
▫ Trailer Towing Weights (Maximum Trailer
Weight Ratings) ..................... 293
▫ Trailer And Tongue Weight ............. 294
▫ Towing Requirements ................. 295
▫ Towing Tips ........................ 299
 Snowplow .......................... 300
▫ Before Plowing ...................... 301
▫ Snowplow Prep Package Model Availability . 302
▫ Over The Road Operation With Snowplow
Attached .......................... 303
▫ Operating Tips ...................... 303
▫ General Maintenance .................. 303
STARTING AND OPERATING 219
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TIRE ROTATION RECOMMENDATIONS
Tires on the front and rear axles of vehicles operate at
different loads and perform different steering, driving,
and braking functions. For these reasons, they wear at
unequal rates, and develop irregular wear patterns.
These effects can be reduced by timely rotation of tires.
The benefits of rotation are especially worthwhile with
aggressive tread designs such as those on On/Off Road
type tires. Rotation will increase tread life, help to main-
tain mud, snow, and wet traction levels, and contribute to
a smooth, quiet ride.
Refer to the “Maintenance Schedule” in Section 8 of this
manual for the proper maintenance intervals. More fre-
quent rotation is permissible if desired. The reasons for
any rapid or unusual wear should be corrected prior to
rotation being performed.NOTE:
On Canadian vehicles only, if your vehicle is
equipped with All-Season type tires on the front and
On/Off Road type tires mounted on the rear, do not use
a front to back rotation pattern. Instead, rotate your tires
side to side at the recommended intervals.
STARTING AND OPERATING 279
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WARNING! (Continued)
•Guard against carbon monoxide with proper
maintenance. Have the exhaust system inspected
every time the vehicle is raised. Have any abnor-
mal conditions repaired promptly. Until repaired,
drive with all side windows fully open.
ADDING FUEL
The fuel tank filler tube has a restricting door about 2 in
(50 mm) inside the opening. If using a portable fuel
container, it should have a flexible nozzle long enough to
force open the restricting door.
CAUTION!
•Damage to the fuel system or emissions control
system could result from using an improper fuel
tank filler tube cap (gas cap). A poorly fitting cap
could let impurities into the fuel system. Also, a
poorly-fitted aftermarket cap can cause the MIL
(Malfunction Indicator Light) to illuminate due to
fuel vapors escaping from the system.
•A poorly fitting gas cap may cause the MIL to turn
on.
•To avoid fuel spillage and overfilling, do not “top
off” the fuel tank after filling.
NOTE: When the fuel nozzle “clicks” or shuts off the
fuel tank is full.
STARTING AND OPERATING 285
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NOTE:Remember that everything put into or on the
trailer adds to the load on your vehicle. Also, additional
factory-installed options, or authorized dealer-installed
options must be considered as part of the total load on
your vehicle. Refer to “Tire and Loading Information
placard” under “Tire Safety Information” in Section 5.
Towing Requirements
To promote proper break-in of your new vehicle drive-
train components, the following guidelines are recom-
mended:
CAUTION!
•Avoid towing a trailer for the first 500 miles
(805 km) of vehicle operation. Doing so may dam-
age your vehicle.
•During the first 500 miles (805 km) of trailer
towing, limit your speed to 50 mph (80 km/h). Perform the maintenance listed in Section 8 of this
manual. When towing a trailer, never exceed the GAWR,
or GCWR, ratings.
WARNING!
Improper towing can lead to an injury accident.
Follow these guidelines to make your trailer towing
as safe as possible:
Make certain that the load is secured in the trailer
and will not shift during travel. When trailering
cargo that is not fully secured, dynamic load shifts
can occur that may be difficult for the driver to
control. You could lose control of your vehicle and
have an accident.
STARTING AND OPERATING 295
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