maintenance Ram 1500 2009 Owner's Manual

TABLE OF CONTENTSSECTIONPAGE
1INTRODUCTION............................................................3
2THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE..............................9
3UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE............................. 87
4UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL.................................. 219
5STARTING AND OPERATING................................................305
6WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES............................................. 419
7MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE..............................................439
8MAINTENANCE SCHEDULES.................................................491
9IF YOU NEED CONSUMER ASSISTANCE........................................ 511
10INDEX...................................................................521
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INTRODUCTION
Congratulations on selecting your new Chrysler LLC
vehicle. Be assured that it represents precision workman-
ship, distinctive styling, and high quality - all essentials
that are traditional to our vehicles.
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. Please take
the time 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 factory-trained tech-
nicians and genuine Mopar parts, and cares about your
satisfaction.
HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL
Consult the Table of Contents to determine which section
contains the information you desire.
Since the specification of your vehicle depends on the
items of equipment ordered, certain description and
illustrations may differ from your vehicles equipment
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

▫Venting Sunroof — Express ............. 182
▫ Sunshade Operation .................. 182
▫ Wind Buffeting ...................... 183
▫ Sunroof Maintenance ................. 183
▫ Sunroof Fully Closed .................. 183
 Electrical Power Outlets ................. 183
 Cigar Lighter And Ash Receiver —
If Equipped .......................... 187
 Power Inverter — If Equipped ............ 188
 Cupholders .......................... 189
▫ Front Instrument Panel Cupholders —
(40–20–40 Seats) ..................... 189
▫ Front Instrument Panel Cupholders — Floor
Mounted Shifter ..................... 190 ▫
Rear Cupholder — Quad Cab .......... 190
▫ Rear Cupholder — Crew Cab ........... 191
 Storage ............................. 191
▫ Glove Box Storage ................... 191
▫ Door Storage ....................... 193
▫ Center Storage Compartment —
If Equipped ........................ 194
▫ Second Row In-Floor Storage Bin —
If Equipped ........................ 196
▫ Seatback Storage ..................... 197
▫ Storage (Regular Cab) ................. 197
▫ Storage And Seats (Crew Cab) ........... 198
▫ Plastic Grocery Bag Retainers
(Regular Cab Models) ................. 198
3
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 91

Wind Buffeting
Wind buffeting can be described as the perception of
pressure on the ears or a helicopter-type sound in the
ears. Your vehicle may exhibit wind buffeting with the
windows down, or the sunroof (if equipped) in certain
open or partially open positions. This is a normal occur-
rence and can be minimized. If the buffeting occurs with
the rear windows open, open the front and rear windows
together to minimize the buffeting. If the buffeting occurs
with the sunroof open, adjust the sunroof opening to
minimize the buffeting or open any window.
Sunroof Maintenance
Use only a non-abrasive cleaner and a soft cloth to clean
the glass panel.
Sunroof Fully Closed
Press the switch forward and release to ensure that the
sunroof is fully closed.
ELECTRICAL POWER OUTLETS
The auxiliary 12-Volt power outlets can provide power
for in-cab accessories designed for use with the standard
“cigar lighter” plug. The 12-Volt power outlets have a cap
attached to the outlet indicating “12V DC”, together with
either a key symbol or a battery symbol.
A key symbol indicates that the key must be in the
ON/RUN or ACC positions for the outlet to provide
power. The battery symbol indicates that the outlet is
connected to the battery, and can provide power at all
times.
NOTE:
•To ensure proper operation a MOPARknob and
element must be used.
•Do not exceed the maximum power of 160 Watts (13
Amps) at 12-Volts.
3
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 183

▫Selecting uconnect studios (Satellite)
Mode ............................. 286
▫ Satellite Antenna ..................... 286
▫ Reception Quality .................... 287
▫ Operating Instructions - uconnect studios
(Satellite) Mode ..................... 287
▫ Operating Instructions - uconnect phone
(If Equipped) ....................... 289
 Video Entertainment System (VES)™ —
If Equipped .......................... 290
 Remote Sound System Controls —
If Equipped .......................... 291
▫ Radio Operation ..................... 291
▫ CD Player ......................... 292 
CD/DVD Maintenance ................. 292
 Radio Operation And Cellular Phones ....... 293
 Climate Controls ...................... 293
▫ Manual Heating And Air Conditioning
System ............................ 293
▫ Automatic Temperature Control (ATC) —
If Equipped ........................ 297
▫ Summer Operation ................... 302
▫ Winter Operation .................... 302
▫ Vacation/Storage .................... 303
▫ Window Fogging And Frosting .......... 303
▫ Outside Air Intake ................... 303
▫ Operating Tips ...................... 304
4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 221

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 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 proce-
dure:
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. 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
single chime will sound after reaching a set threshold.
Further overheating will cause the temperature gauge to
pass H,the indicator will continuously flash and a
continuous chime will occur until the engine is allowed
to cool.
4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 233

As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been
equipped with a Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pressure telltale when
one or more of your tires is significantly under-inflated.
Accordingly, when the low tire pressure telltale illumi-
nates, you should stop and check your tires as soon as
possible, and inflate them to the proper pressure. Driving
on a significantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to
overheat and can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation also
reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life, and may affect
the vehicle’s handling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for proper
tire maintenance, and it is the driver ’s responsibility to
maintain correct tire pressure, even if under-inflation has
not reached the level to trigger illumination of the TPMS
low tire pressure telltale.Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS
malfunction indicator to indicate when the system is not
operating properly. The TPMS malfunction indicator is
combined with the low tire pressure telltale. When the
system detects a malfunction, the telltale will flash for
approximately one minute and then remain continuously
illuminated. This sequence will continue upon subse-
quent vehicle start-ups as long as the malfunction exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated, the sys-
tem may not be able to detect or signal low tire pressure
as intended. TPMS malfunctions may occur for a variety
of reasons, including the installation of replacement or
alternate tires or wheels on the vehicle that prevent the
TPMS from functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing one or more
tires or wheels on your vehicle, to ensure that the
replacement or alternate tires and wheels allow the TPMS
to continue to function properly.
238 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

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 position. To
turn off the message temporarily, press and release the
RETURN button. To reset the oil change indicator system
(after performing the scheduled maintenance) perform
the following steps.
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 position.
NOTE:If the indicator message illuminates when you
start the engine, the oil change indicator system did not
reset. If necessary, repeat these steps.Distance To Empty (DTE)
Shows the estimated distance that can be traveled with
the fuel remaining in the tank. This estimated distance is
determined by a weighted average of the instantaneous
and average fuel economy, according to the current fuel
tank level. DTE cannot be reset through the RETURN
button.
NOTE: Significant changes in driving style or vehicle
loading will greatly affect the actual drivable distance of
the vehicle, regardless of the DTE displayed value.
When the DTE value is less than 30 miles (48 km)
estimated driving distance, the DTE display will change
to a text display of LOW FUEL.This display will
continue until the vehicle runs out of fuel. Adding a
significant amount of fuel to the vehicle will turn off the
LOW FUEL text and a new DTE value will display.
250 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

CD Player
Pressing the top of the switch once will go to the next
track on the CD. Pressing the bottom of the switch once
will go to the beginning of the current track or to the
beginning of the previous track if it is within one second
after the current track begins to play.
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 changes
CDs on the 6–Disc in-dash CD changer radio. This button
does not function for all other radios.
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 anti-static 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 protection encoding. Try a known
good disc before considering disc player service.
292 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

Recirculation Control
When outside air contains smoke, odors, or
high humidity, or if rapid cooling is desired,
you may wish to recirculate interior air by
pressing the RECIRCULATION control button.
Recirculation mode should only be used temporarily. The
recirculation LED will illuminate on the blower control
knob when this button is selected. Push the button a
second time to turn off the Recirculation mode LED and
allow outside air into the vehicle.
NOTE: In cold weather, use of Recirculation mode may
lead to excessive window fogging. The Recirculation
mode is not allowed in the Floor, Mix and Defrost modes
to improve window clearing operation. Recirculation will
be disabled automatically if these modes are selected.
Summer Operation
The engine cooling system in air conditioned vehicles
must be protected with a high-quality antifreeze coolant
to provide proper corrosion protection and to protect
against engine overheating. A solution of 50% ethylene
glycol antifreeze coolant and 50% water is recommended.
Refer to “Maintenance Procedures” in Section 7 of this
manual for proper coolant selection.
Winter Operation
To ensure the best possible heater and defroster perfor-
mance, make sure the engine cooling system is function-
ing properly and the proper amount, type, and concen-
tration of coolant is used. Refer to “Maintenance
Procedures” in section 7 of this manual for proper coolant
selection. Use of the air Recirculation mode during
Winter months is not recommended because it may cause
window fogging.
302 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL