heater Ram 5500 Chassis Cab 2014 Owner's Manual

WARNINGS AND CAUTIONS
This Owners Manual containsWARNINGSagainst op-
erating procedures that could result in a collision or
bodily injury. It also contains CAUTIONSagainst proce-
dures that could result in damage to your vehicle. If you
do not read this entire Owners Manual, you may miss
important information. Observe all Warnings and Cau-
tions.
VAN CONVERSIONS/CAMPERS
The New Vehicle Limited Warranty does not apply to
body modifications or special equipment installed by van
conversion/camper manufacturers/body builders. Refer
to the Warranty Information book, Section 2.1.C. Such
equipment includes video monitors, VCRs, heaters,
stoves, refrigerators, etc. For warranty coverage and
service on these items, contact the applicable manufac-
turer. Operating instructions for the special equipment in-
stalled by the conversion/camper manufacturer should
also be supplied with your vehicle. If these instructions
are missing, please contact your authorized dealer for
assistance in obtaining replacement documents from the
applicable manufacturer.
For information on the Body Builders Guide refer to:
www.rambodybuilder.com. This website contains di-
mensional and technical specifications for your vehicle. It
is intended for Second Stage Manufacturer’s technical
support. For service issues, contact your authorized
dealer.
VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is found on the
left front corner of the instrument panel, visible through
the windshield. This number also appears on the vehicle
6 INTRODUCTION

Power Lumbar — If Equipped
Vehicles equipped with power driver or passenger seats
may be also be equipped with power lumbar. The power
lumbar switch is located on the outboard side of the
power seat. Push the switch forward to increase the
lumbar support. Push the switch rearward to decrease
the lumbar support.
Heated Seats — If Equipped
On some models, the front and rear seats may be
equipped with heaters located in the seat cushions.
Lumbar Control Switch
136 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
•Persons who are unable to feel pain to the skin
because of advanced age, chronic illness, diabetes,
spinal cord injury, medication, alcohol use, exhaus-
tion or other physical condition must exercise care
when using the seat heater. It may cause burns
even at low temperatures, especially if used for
long periods of time.
• Do not place anything on the seat or seatback that
insulates against heat, such as a blanket or cushion.
This may cause the seat heater to overheat. Sitting
in a seat that has been overheated could cause
serious burns due to the increased surface tempera-
ture of the seat.
Front Heated Seats
The front heated seats control buttons are located on the
center instrument panel below the climate controls. If your vehicle is equipped with a touchscreen, the front
heated seats control buttons are located within the cli-
mate or controls screen of the touchscreen.
•
Press the heated seat button
once to turn the High
setting On.
• Press the heated seat buttona second time to turn
the Low setting On.
• Press the heated seat buttona third time to turn
the heating elements Off.
When the HI-level setting is selected, the heater will
provide a boosted heat level during the first four minutes
of operation. Then, the heat output will drop to the
normal HI-level. If the HI-level setting is selected, the
system will automatically switch to LO-level after a
maximum of 60 minutes of continuous operation. At that
3
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 137

NOTE:
•Once a heat setting is selected, heat will be felt within
two to five minutes.
• The engine must be running for the heated seats to
operate.
When the HIGH-level setting is selected, the heater will
provide a boosted heat level during the first four minutes
of operation. Then, the heat output will drop to the normal
HIGH-level. If the HIGH-level setting is selected, the
system will automatically switch to LOW-level after ap-
proximately 60 minutes of continuous operation. At that
time, the number of illuminated LEDs changes from two to
one, indicating the change. The LOW-level setting will turn
OFF automatically after approximately 45 minutes.
Ventilated Seats — If Equipped
Located in the seat cushion are small fans that draw the
air from the passenger compartment and pull air through fine perforations in the seat cover to help keep the driver
and front passenger cooler in higher ambient tempera-
tures. The fans operate at two speeds, HIGH and LOW.
The front ventilated seats control buttons are located on
the center instrument panel below the climate controls.
If your vehicle is equipped with a touchscreen, the front
ventilated seats control buttons are located within the
climate or controls screen of the touchscreen.
•
Press the ventilated seat button
once to choose
HIGH.
• Press the ventilated seat buttona second time to
choose LOW.
• Press the ventilated seat buttona third time to
turn the ventilated seat OFF.
NOTE: The engine must be running for the ventilated
seats to operate.
3
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 139

Vehicles Equipped With Remote Start
On models that are equipped with remote start, the
heated steering wheel can be programed to come on
during a remote start.
If your vehicle is equipped with a touchscreen, this
feature can be programmed through the Uconnect®
system. Refer to “Uconnect® Settings” in “Understand-
ing Your Instrument Panel” for further information.
If your vehicle is not equipped with a touchscreen, this
feature can be programmed through the Electronic Ve-
hicle Information Center (EVIC). Refer to “Electronic
Vehicle Information Center (EVIC)” in “Understanding
Your Instrument Panel” for further information.WARNING!
•Persons who are unable to feel pain to the skin
because of advanced age, chronic illness, diabetes,
spinal cord injury, medication, alcohol use, exhaus-
tion, or other physical conditions must exercise
care when using the steering wheel heater. It may
cause burns even at low temperatures, especially if
used for long periods.
• Do not place anything on the steering wheel that
insulates against heat, such as a blanket or steering
wheel covers of any type and material. This may
cause the steering wheel heater to overheat.
ELECTRONIC SPEED CONTROL
When engaged, the Electronic Speed Control takes over
accelerator operations at speeds greater than 25 mph
(40 km/h).
3
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 169

NOTE:•A continuous chime will sound if the vehicle is
driven more than 1 mile (1.6 km) with either turn
signal on.
• Check for an inoperative outside light bulb if either
indicator remains on and does not flash, or flashes at
a rapid rate.
5. Voltmeter
When the engine is running, the gauge indicates
the electrical system voltage. The pointer should
stay within the normal range if the battery is charged. If
the pointer moves to either extreme left or right and
remains there during normal driving, the electrical sys-
tem should be serviced. NOTE:
The voltmeter may show a gauge fluctuation at
various engine temperatures. This cycling operation is
caused by the post-heat cycle of the intake manifold
heater system. The number of cycles and the length of the
cycling operation is controlled by the engine control
module. Post-heat operation can run for several minutes,
and then the electrical system and voltmeter needle will
stabilize.
6. Brake Warning Light
This light monitors various brake functions,
including brake fluid level and parking brake
application. If the brake light turns on it may
indicate that the parking brake is applied, that
the brake fluid level is low, or that there is a problem with
the Anti-lock Brake System reservoir.
If the light remains on when the parking brake has been
disengaged, and the fluid level is at the full mark on the
master cylinder reservoir, it indicates a possible brake
202 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

To provide you with maximum comfort in the Automatic
mode, during cold start-ups the blower fan will remain
on low until the engine warms up. The blower will
increase in speed and transition into Auto mode.
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 soft and hard
keys when either button is selected. Push either soft or
hard key 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 feature
may be unavailable (soft-key button greyed out) if condi-
tions exist that could create fogging on the inside of the windshield. On systems with Manual Climate Controls, the
recirculation mode is not allowed in Defrost mode to
improve window clearing operation. Recirculation will be
disabled automatically if this mode is selected. Attempting
to use Recirculation while in this mode will cause the LED
in the control button to blink and then turn off.
Summer Operation
The engine cooling system must be protected with a
high-quality antifreeze coolant to provide proper corro-
sion protection and to protect against engine overheating.
OAT coolant (conforming to MS-12106) is recommended.
Refer to “Maintenance Procedures” in “Maintaining Your
Vehicle” 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
286 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

STARTING AND OPERATING
CONTENTS
STARTING PROCEDURES ................294
▫ Normal Starting ...................... .294
▫ Automatic Transmission ................295
▫ Extreme Cold Weather
(Below –20°F or 29°C) .................295
▫ If Engine Fails To Start .................295
▫ After Starting ....................... .296
 ENGINE BLOCK HEATER — IF EQUIPPED . . . .297
 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ............297
▫ Key Ignition Park Interlock ...............299 ▫
Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock System . . .300
▫ Six–Speed Automatic Transmission —
If Equipped ........................ .300
 FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE OPERATION — IF
EQUIPPED ...........................311
▫ Manually Shifted Transfer Case —
If Equipped ......................... .312
▫ Shifting Procedure — Manually Shifted Transfer
Case ............................. .314
▫ Transfer Case Position Indicator Light ......315
5

Automatic Transmission
Start the engine with the shift lever in the NEUTRAL or
PARK. Apply the brake before shifting into any driving
range.
NOTE: This vehicle is equipped with a transmission
shift interlocking system. The brake pedal must be
pressed to shift out of PARK.
Tip Start Feature
Do notpress the accelerator. Cycle the ignition switch
briefly to the START position and release it. The starter
motor will continue to run but will automatically disen-
gage when the engine is running.
Extreme Cold Weather (Below –20°F or 29°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.
If Engine Fails To Start
If the engine fails to start after you have followed the
“Normal Starting” procedure, it may be flooded. Push
the accelerator pedal all the way to the floor and hold it
there while cranking the engine. This should clear any
excess fuel in case the engine is flooded.
CAUTION!
To prevent damage to the starter, do not crank the
engine for more than 15 seconds at a time. Wait 10 to
15 seconds before trying again.5
STARTING AND OPERATING 295

ENGINE BLOCK HEATER — IF EQUIPPED
The engine block heater warms the engine, and permits
quicker starts in cold weather. Connect the cord to a
standard 110-115 Volt AC electrical outlet with a
grounded, three-wire extension cord.
Gasoline Engine Only
The engine block heater cord is routed through the grille
by the right front tow hook.
It includes a removable cap that is secured by a tethered
strap. It also has a c-clip that is used for storage when not
in use for the winter months. During winter months,
remove the heater cord wiring assembly from itself on
the c-clip.
The engine block heater must be plugged in at least one
hour to have an adequate warming effect on the engine.
WARNING!
Remember to disconnect the engine block heater
cord before driving. Damage to the 110-115 Volt
electrical cord could cause electrocution.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CAUTION!
Damage to the transmission may occur if the follow-
ing precautions are not observed:
•Shift into PARK only after the vehicle has come to
a complete stop.
• Shift into or out of REVERSE only after the vehicle
has come to a complete stop and the engine is at
idle speed.
(Continued)
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 297