service Ram 1500 2015 Diesel Supplement

•Exhaust System — Regeneration Completed — This
message indicates that the Diesel Particulate Filter
(DPF) self-cleaning is completed. If this message is
displayed, you will hear one chime to assist in alerting
you of this condition.
• Exhaust Service Required — See Dealer Now — This
messages indicates regeneration has been disabled due
to a system malfunction. At this point the engine
Powertrain Control Module (PCM) will register a fault
code, the instrument panel will display a MIL light.
CAUTION!
See your authorized dealer, as damage to the exhaust
system could occur soon with continued operation.
• Exhaust Filter Full — Power Reduced See Dealer —
This message indicates the PCM has derated the
engine to limit the likelihood of permanent damage to the after-treatment system. If this condition is not
corrected and a dealer service is not performed, exten-
sive exhaust after-treatment damage can occur. To
correct this condition it will be necessary to have your
vehicle serviced by your local authorized dealer.
CAUTION!
See your authorized dealer, as damage to the exhaust
system could occur soon with continued operation.
Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) Warning Messages
Your vehicle will begin displaying warning messages
when the DEF level reaches a driving range of approxi-
mately 500 miles (800 km). If the following warning
message sequence is ignored, your vehicle may not
restart unless DEF is added with in the displayed mileage
shown in the Cluster message.
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UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 63

•5 MPH Max Speed on Restart, Long Idle or Refuel
Refill DEF — This message will continuously display
when the counter reaches zero, and will be accompa-
nied by a periodic chime.
• The vehicle will only be capable of a maximum speed
of 5 MPH upon the first of the following conditions to
occur:
• If the vehicle is shutoff and restarted.
• If the vehicle is idled for an extended period of time,
approximately one hour or greater
• If the system detects that the level of fuel in the tank
has increased.
• Add a minimum of 2 gallons (9.5 Liters) of DEF to the
tank in order to avoid vehicle operation at a maximum
speed of 5 MPH (8 km/H). NOTE:
A minimum of 2 gallons (9.5 Liters) may be
required to restore normal vehicle operation. Although
the vehicle will start normally and can be placed in gear
after this message has been initially displayed, extreme
caution should be utilized since the vehicle will only be
capable of maneuvering at a maximum speed of 5 MPH
(8 km/H).
Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) Fault Warning
Messages
There are four different messages which are displayed if
the vehicle detects that the DEF system has been filled
with a fluid other than DEF, has experienced component
failures, or when tampering has been detected. The
vehicle may be limited to a maximum speed of 5 MPH (8
km/H) if the DEF system is not serviced within less than
200 miles (322 km) of the fault being detected.
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UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 65

When the DEF system needs to be serviced the following
warnings will display:
•Service DEF System See Dealer — This message will
display when the fault is initially detected, each time
the vehicle is started, and periodically during driving.
The message will be accompanied by a single chime.
We recommend you drive to your nearest authorized
dealer and have your vehicle serviced as soon as
possible.
• 5 MPH Max Speed in 150 mi Service DEF System See
Dealer — This message will display if the DEF system
has not been serviced after the “Service DEF System –
See Dealer” message is displayed. This message will
continuously display until the mileage counter reaches
zero, and will be accompanied by a periodic chime.
The message will continue to countdown until it reaches zero unless the vehicle is serviced. We recom-
mend you drive to your nearest authorized dealer and
have your vehicle serviced immediately.
NOTE: Under some circumstances this mileage counter
may start with a value of less than 150 miles (241 km). For
example, if recurring faults are detected in a time interval
of less than 40 hours, the counter may restart at the value
where it stopped when a previous fault was temporarily
remedied, or at a minimum of 50 miles (80 km).
• 5 MPH Max Speed on Restart, Long Idle or Refuel
Service DEF See Dealer — This message will continu-
ously display when the mileage counter reaches zero,
and will be accompanied by a periodic chime.
• The vehicle will only be capable of a maximum speed
of 5 MPH upon the first of the following conditions to
occur:
• If the vehicle is shutoff and restarted.
66 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

•If the vehicle is idled for an extended period of time,
approximately one hour or greater.
• If the system detects that the level of fuel in the tank
has increased.
• 5 MPH Max Speed Service DEF System See Dealer —
This message will continuously display, and will be
accompanied by a periodic chime. Although the ve-
hicle can be started and placed in gear, the vehicle will
only operate at a maximum speed of 5 MPH. Your
vehicle will require towing, see your authorized dealer
for service.
• Engine Will Not Restart Service DEF System See
Dealer — This message will display if DEF system
issue detected is not serviced during the allowed
period. Your engine will not restart unless your vehicle
is serviced by your authorized dealer. This message
will be displayed when under 1 mile until engine will
not start and each time the vehicle is started, and will be continuously displayed. The message will be ac-
companied by a single chime. Your Malfunction Indi-
cator Light will be continuously illumined. We highly
recommend you drive to your nearest authorized
dealer if the message appears while engine is running.
NOTE: When this message is displayed, the engine can
still be started. However, the vehicle will only operate at
a maximum speed of 5 MPH.
DID Displays
When the appropriate conditions exist, the DID displays
the following messages:
• System Setup Unavailable – Vehicle Not in Park
• System Setup Unavailable – Vehicle in Motion
• Exhaust Filter Full Safely Drive at Highway Speeds To
Remedy
• Exhaust Filter XX% Full – Power Reduced See Dealer
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UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 67

•Exhaust Service Required – See Dealer Now
• Exhaust System – Filter XX% Full Service Required See
Dealer
• Exhaust System – Regeneration In Process Exhaust
Filter XX% Full
• Exhaust System – Regeneration Completed
• Engine Will Not Restart in XXXX mi DEF Low Refill
Soon
• Engine Will Not Restart in XXXX mi Refill DEF
• Engine Will Not Restart Refill DEF
• Service DEF System See Dealer
• Incorrect DEF Detected See Dealer
• Engine Will Not Restart in XXX mi Service DEF See
Dealer •
Engine Will Not Restart Service DEF System See
Dealer
Oil Life Reset
Your vehicle is equipped with an engine oil change
indicator system. The “Oil Change Required” message
will flash in the DID display for approximately 10
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.
NOTE: Use the steering wheel DID controls for the
following procedure(s)
Vehicles Equipped With Passive Entry
1. Without Pushing the brake pedal, push the ENGINE START/STOP button and cycle the ignition to the
ON/RUN position (do not start the engine.)
68 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

Do Not Operate The Engine With Failed Parts
All engine failures give some warning before the parts
fail. Be on the alert for changes in performance, sounds,
and visual evidence that the engine requires service.
Some important clues are:
•engine misfiring or vibrating severely
• sudden loss of power
• unusual engine noises
• fuel, oil or coolant leaks
• sudden change, outside the normal operating range, in
the engine operating temperature
• excessive smoke
• oil pressure drop
ENGINE BLOCK HEATER — IF EQUIPPED
The engine block heater warms engine coolant and
permits quicker starts in cold weather. Connect the heater
cord to a ground-fault interrupter protected 110–115 Volt
AC electrical outlet with a grounded, three-wire exten-
sion cord.
Its use is recommended for environments that routinely
fall below -10°F (-23°C). It should be used when the
vehicle has not been running for long periods of time and
should be plugged in two hours prior to start. Its use is
required for cold starts with temperatures under -20°F
(-28°C).
To ensure reliable starting at these temperatures, use of
an externally powered electric engine block heater (avail-
able from your authorized dealer) is recommended.
84 STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING!
Remember to disconnect the cord before driving.
Damage to the 110–115 Volt electrical cord could
cause electrocution.
NOTE: The block heater will require 110 Volts AC and
6.5 Amps to activate the heater element.
FUEL REQUIREMENTS
Use good quality diesel fuel from a reputable supplier in
your vehicle. Federal law requires that you must fuel this
vehicle with Ultra Low Sulfur Highway Diesel fuel (15
ppm Sulfur maximum) and prohibits the use of Low
Sulfur Highway Diesel fuel (500 ppm Sulfur maximum)
to avoid damage to the emissions control system.
For most year-round service, No. 2 diesel fuel meeting
ASTM (formerly known as the American Society for
Testing and Materials) specification D-975 Grade S15 will provide good performance. If the vehicle is exposed to
extreme cold (below 20°F or -7°C), or is required to
operate at colder-than-normal conditions for prolonged
periods, use climatized No. 2 diesel fuel or dilute the No.
2 diesel fuel with 50% No. 1 diesel fuel. This will provide
better protection from fuel gelling or wax-plugging of the
fuel filters.
WARNING!
Do not use alcohol or gasoline as a fuel blending
agent. They can be unstable under certain conditions
and hazardous or explosive when mixed with diesel
fuel.
Diesel fuel is seldom completely free of water. To prevent
fuel system trouble, drain the accumulated water from
the fuel/water separator using the fuel/water separator
drain provided on the fuel filter housing. If you buy good
quality fuel and follow the cold weather advice above,
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STARTING AND OPERATING 85

fuel conditioners should not be required in your vehicle.
If available in your area, a high cetane “premium” diesel
fuel may offer improved cold-starting and warm-up
performance.
CAUTION!
If the “Water in Fuel Indicator Light” remains on, DO
NOT START engine before you drain the water from
the fuel filter(s) to avoid engine damage. Refer to
“Maintenance Procedures/Draining Fuel/Water Sepa-
rator Filter” in “Maintaining Your Vehicle” for fur-
ther information.
Fuel Specifications
This diesel engine has been developed to take advantage
of the high energy content and generally lower cost No.
2 Ultra Low Sulfur diesel fuel or No. 2 Ultra Low Sulfur
climatized diesel fuels.NOTE:
•
If you accidentally fill the fuel tank with gasoline on
your diesel vehicle, do not start the engine. Damage to
the engine and fuel system could occur. Please call
your authorized dealer for service.
• A maximum blend of 5% biodiesel meeting ASTM
specification D-975 may be used with your diesel
engine without any adjustments to regular service
schedules.
• Commercially available fuel additives are not neces-
sary for the proper operation of your diesel engine.
• No. 1 Ultra Low Sulfur diesel fuel should only be used
where extended arctic conditions (-10°F or -23°C) exist.
86 STARTING AND OPERATING

NOTE:
•The DEF gauge may take up to five seconds to update
after adding a gallon or more of Diesel Exhaust Fluid
(DEF) to the DEF tank. If you have a fault related to the
DEF system, the gauge may not update to the new
level. See your authorized dealer for service.
• The DEF gauge may also not immediately update after
a refill if the temperature of the DEF fluid is below 12F
(-11C). The DEF line heater will possibly warm up the
DEF fluid and allow the gauge to update after a period
of run time. Under very cold conditions, it is possible
that the gauge may not reflect the new fill level for
several drives.CAUTION!
• To avoid DEF spillage, and possible damage to the
DEF tank from overfilling, do not “top off” the DEF
tank after filling.
• DO NOT OVERFILL. DEF will freeze below 12ºF
(-11ºC). The DEF system is designed to work in
temperatures below the DEF freezing point, how-
ever, if the tank is overfilled and freezes, the
system could be damaged.
• When DEF is spilled, clean the area immediately
with water and use an absorbent material to soak
up the spills on the ground.
• Do not attempt to start your engine if DEF is
accidentally added to the diesel fuel tank as it can
result in severe damage to your engine, including
but not limited to failure of the fuel pump and
injectors.
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STARTING AND OPERATING 97

MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES
The pages that follow contain therequiredmaintenance
services determined by the engineers who designed your
vehicle.
Besides those maintenance items specified in the fixed
maintenance schedule, there are other components which
may require servicing or replacement in the future.
CAUTION!
• Failure to properly maintain your vehicle or per-
form repairs and service when necessary could
result in more costly repairs, damage to other
components or negatively impact vehicle perfor-
mance. Immediately have potential malfunctions
examined by an authorized dealership or qualified
repair center.
(Continued)
CAUTION! (Continued)
•Your vehicle has been built with improved fluids
that protect the performance and durability of your
vehicle and also allow extended maintenance inter-
vals. Do not use chemical flushes in these compo-
nents as the chemicals can damage your engine,
transmission, power steering or air conditioning.
Such damage is not covered by the New Vehicle
Limited Warranty. If a flush is needed because of
component malfunction, use only the specified
fluid for the flushing procedure.
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MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 101