Dodge 2500 Diesel (2005 year). Manual — part 14

A/C Pushbutton

With the fan control in the ON posi-
tion, pushing the A/C button turns on
the air conditioning compressor. An
indicator light on the button shows
that the Air Conditioning compressor
is on. Conditioned air is now directed
through the mode outlets selected.

Pushing the button a second time turns the compressor
OFF.

Recirculation Pushbutton

Pushing the Recirculation button al-
lows interior air to recirculate continu-
ously in any position except defrost
and defrost/floor mode for rapid cool
down of the interior. See “Fast
Cooldown” later in this section.

Mode Control

The mode control allows you to
choose from several patterns of air
distribution.

NOTE:

To improve your selection choices, the system

allows you to operate at intermediate positions between
the major modes. These intermediate positions are iden-
tified by the small dots and give an even blend of both
modes.

Panel

Outside air flows through the outlets located in the
instrument panel. These outlets can be adjusted to

direct the airflow.

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UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

Bi-Level

Air flows through the outlets located in the instru-
ment panel and those located on the floor.

NOTE:

There is a difference in temperature between the

upper and lower outlets for added comfort. The warmer
air goes to the floor outlets. This feature gives improved
comfort during sunny but cool conditions.

Heat

Outside air flows primarily through the floor out-
lets located under the instrument panel.

Mix

Outside air flows in equal proportions through the
floor and defroster outlets.

Defrost

Outside air is primarily directed to the windshield
through the defroster outlets located at the base of

the windshield and side window demist outlets.

NOTE:

The air conditioning compressor operates in

both Mix and Defrost or a blend of these modes, even if
the A/C button has not been pressed. This dehumidifies
the air to help dry the windshield.

Blower Control

The rotary knob on the left of
the control panel is the
blower control. Turn the knob
clockwise to one of the four
positions to obtain the blower
speed you desire. To turn the
blower off, turn the knob to
the far left position.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

213

4

Dual Zone Temperature Control

Use this control to regulate the temperature of the air
inside the passenger compartment. This is accomplished
by having separate temperature control slides for both
the driver and front passenger. The blue area of the scale
indicates cooler temperatures while the red area indicates
warmer temperatures.

Electric Rear Window Defroster and Heated
Sideview Mirrors — If Equipped

The Electric Rear Window Defroster and Heated
side view mirrors are activated by pressing the

heated grid button, located on the Climate Control panel,
with the ignition On. Turning Off the ignition will
deactivate the Electric Rear Window Defroster and
Heated side view mirrors feature. These features also
turn off after activation, when 15 minutes have elapsed.
To reactivate, simply press the button again.

Circulation
The cab is designed with features to promote outside air
circulation. There are grilles in the cab back panel. These
are air exhausters that provide the means for regular
exchange of cab air.

Side window demisters direct air flow specifically to the
window glass to help prevent interior fogging of the
glass. They are located in the extreme outside upper

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UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

edges of the instrument panel. The demisters also pro-
vide extra air ducts for circulation. They are in operation
whenever the Floor, Mix or Defrost modes are in use.

NOTE:

When you turn off the engine you may hear a

hissing sound from under the hood for a short period of
time. This is a normal condition that occurs if the air
conditioning system has been on. It is not an indication of
a problem with the air conditioning system.

Operating Tips

Fast Cooldown
For a fast cooldown, turn the blower fan rotary knob to
the extreme right position, turn the mode control to the
panel fresh position, press the snowflake button to turn
on the air conditioning, and drive with the windows
open for the first few minutes. Once the hot air has been
expelled, close the windows and press the Recirculation
pushbutton. When a comfortable condition has been

reached, choose a mode position and adjust the tempera-
ture control slide and blower speed as necessary to
maintain comfort. For high humidity conditions it may
be necessary to remain in the Recirculation mode to
maintain comfort.

Window Fogging
Windows will fog on the inside when the humidity inside
the vehicle is high. This often occurs in mild or cool
temperatures when it’s rainy or humid. In most cases
turning on the Air-conditioning (pressing the snowflake
button) will clear the fog. Adjust the temperature control,
air direction and blower speed to maintain comfort.

As the temperature gets colder it may be necessary to
direct air onto the windshield by using MIX Mode
position on the control. Adjust the temperature control
and blower speed to maintain comfort. Higher blower

UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

215

4

speeds will reduce fogging. Interior fogging on the
windshield can be quickly removed by selecting the
defrost mode.

Regular cleaning of the inside of the windows with a
non-filming cleaning solution (vinegar and water works
very well) will help prevent contaminates (cigarette
smoke, perfumes, etc.) from sticking to the windows.
Contaminates increase the rate of window fogging.

Summer Operation
Air conditioned vehicles must be protected with a high
quality antifreeze coolant during summer to provide
proper corrosion protection and to raise the boiling point
of the coolant for protection against overheating. A 50 %
concentration is recommended. Refer to Recommended
Fluids and Genuine Parts for the proper coolant type.

When using the air conditioner in extremely heavy traffic
in hot weather especially when towing a trailer, addi-
tional engine cooling may be required. If this situation is

encountered, operate the transmission in a lower gear to
increase engine RPM, coolant flow and fan speed. When
stopped in heavy traffic, it may be necessary to shift into
NEUTRAL and depress the accelerator slightly for fast
idle operation to increase coolant flow and fan speed.

NOTE:

On models equipped with Diesel engines, the

idle speed will automatically increase to 1000 rpm at
elevated coolant temperatures to improve engine cooling.

Your air conditioning system is also equipped with an
automatic recirculation system. When the system senses
a heavy load or high heat conditions, it may use partial
Recirculation A/C mode to provide additional comfort.

Winter Operation
When operating the system during the winter months,
make sure the air intake, located directly in front of the
windshield, is free of ice, slush, snow, or other obstruc-
tions.

216

UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

Operating Tips Chart

UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

217

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STARTING AND OPERATING

CONTENTS

䡵 Ignition/Starter Switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223

▫ Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
▫ Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
▫ On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
▫ Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
▫ ACC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
▫ Manual Transmission Key Release Button . . . . 224
▫ Key Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224

䡵 Starting Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224

▫ Normal Starting Procedure — Engine Manifold

Airtemperature Above 66°F (19°C) . . . . . . . . . 225

▫ Starting Procedure — Engine Manifold Air

Temperature Below 66°F (19°C) . . . . . . . . . . . 226

▫ Starting Fluids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229

䡵 Normal Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230

▫ Cold Weather Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
▫ Engine Idling — In Cold Weather . . . . . . . . . . 233
▫ Stopping The Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
▫ Engine Speed Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235

5

▫ Operating Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
▫ Cooling System Tips — Automatic

Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236

䡵 Transmission Shifting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237

▫ Automatic Transmission With Overdrive— If

Equipped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237

▫ Manual Transmission — 6-Speed — If

Equipped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241

䡵 Four-Wheel- Drive Operation — If Equipped . . . 243

▫ Manually Shifted Transfer Case Operating

Information/Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243

▫ Shifting Procedure - Manually Shifted Transfer

Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246

▫ Transfer Case Reminder Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
▫ Electronically Shifted Transfer Case Operating

Information/Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247

▫ Shifting Procedure - Electronically Shifted

Transfer Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251

䡵 Limited-Slip Differential — If Equipped . . . . . . . 254
䡵 Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
䡵 Brake System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256

▫ Brake Noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
▫ Four-Wheel Anti-Lock Brake System . . . . . . . . 257

䡵 Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
䡵 Tire Safety Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260

▫ Tire Markings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
▫ Tire Identification Number (TIN) . . . . . . . . . . 263
▫ Tire Loading And Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . 264

䡵 Tires—General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268

▫ Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268

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STARTING AND OPERATING

▫ Tire Inflation Pressures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
▫ Radial-Ply Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
▫ Compact Spare Tire — If Equipped . . . . . . . . . 272
▫ Limited Use Spare — If Equipped . . . . . . . . . 273
▫ Tire Spinning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
▫ Tread Wear Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
▫ Replacement Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
▫ Alignment And Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276

䡵 Supplemental Tire Pressure Information . . . . . . . 276
䡵 Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
䡵 Snow Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
䡵 Tire Rotation Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . 279

▫ Dual Rear Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280

䡵 Engine Runaway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281

䡵 Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281

▫ Adding Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
▫ Bulk Fuel Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
▫ Fuel Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284

䡵 Vehicle Loading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286

▫ Certification Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286

䡵 Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289

▫ Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
▫ Axle Lubricant And Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . 291
▫ Trailer Towing Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . 291
▫ Trailer Towing — Hitches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
▫ Connecting Trailer Lighting And Electric

Trailer Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293

▫ Trailer Weight And Trailer Tongue Weight . . . . 294

STARTING AND OPERATING

221

5

▫ Trailer Towing Information (Maximum Trailer

Weight Ratings) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295

▫ Trailer Towing Mirrors — If Equipped . . . . . . 296
▫ Cooling System Tips — Trailer Towing . . . . . . 297
▫ Automatic Transmission Oil Temperature

Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298

▫ Towing With An Automatic Transmission . . . . 298

䡵 Snowplow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298

▫ Before Plowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
▫ Snowplow Prep Package Model Availability . . 299
▫ Over The Road Operation With Snowplow

Attached . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300

▫ Methods For Removing Snow . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
▫ Operating Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
▫ General Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301

䡵 Recreational Towing — 4 Wheel Drive Vehicles

(Behind Motorhome, Etc.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302

▫ Recreational Towing – 2 Wheel Drive

Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302

▫ Recreational Towing Procedure — Manual

Shift Transfer Case — If Equipped . . . . . . . . . 303

▫ Returning To Normal Operation — Manual

Shift Transfer Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305

▫ Recreational Towing Procedure — Electronic

Shift Transfer Case — If Equipped . . . . . . . . . 306

▫ Returning To Normal Operation — Electronic

Shift Transfer Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308

䡵 Driving Off-Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
䡵 Traction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
䡵 Engine Data Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311

222

STARTING AND OPERATING

IGNITION/STARTER SWITCH

LOCK
Locks the automatic transmission shift control into the
PARK position. It also engages the steering wheel lock (if
equipped) when the steering wheel is turned.

NOTE:

This vehicle is equipped with a transmission

shift interlocking system. The brake pedal must be
depressed to shift out of Park (P).

OFF
Unlocks the steering wheel (if equipped with locking
wheel) and the automatic transmission shift control with
engine off.

ON
This is the normal running position.

START
Starts the engine. When the engine starts, release the key.
The ignition key will return to the ON position for
normal driving.

STARTING AND OPERATING

223

5

ACC
Allows the electrical accessories to be used when the
engine is not running.

Manual Transmission Key Release Button

To remove the key on vehicles equipped with manual
transmissions, turn the key to the Lock position and press
the button to remove the ignition key.

Key Reminder
An alarm will sound to remind you if the key is left in the
ignition and the driver’s door is opened.

STARTING PROCEDURES
The Cummins Diesel engine is equipped with several
features designed to assist cold weather starting and
operation:

• The engine block heater is a resistance heater installed

in the water jacket of the engine just above and behind
the oil filter. It requires a 110–115 volt AC electrical
outlet with a grounded, three-wire extension cord.

NOTE:

The engine block heater cord is a factory in-

stalled option. If your vehicle is not equipped, heater
cords are available from your authorized Mopar

威 dealer.

• A 12–volt heater built into the fuel filter housing aids

in preventing fuel gelling. It is controlled by a built-in
thermostat.

224

STARTING AND OPERATING

• A heated intake air system both improves engine

starting and reduces the amount of white smoke
generated by a warming engine.

Normal Starting Procedure — Engine Manifold
AirTemperature Above 66°F (19°C)
Observe the Instrument Panel Cluster lights when start-
ing the engine.

1. Always apply the parking brake.

2. Shift into PARK for an automatic transmission. Fully
depress and hold the clutch and shift into NEUTRAL for
a manual transmission. Models with manual transmis-
sion are equipped with a clutch interlocking cranking
system. The clutch must be fully depressed to start the
vehicle.

3. Turn the ignition key to the ON position and look at
the instrument panel cluster lamps.

The lamps in the instrument panel cluster will illuminate
when the ignition key is first turned to the ON position.
This is a bulb check programmed to last for approxi-
mately 3 seconds. After the bulb check is completed, the
Malfunction Indicator Light and Brake Warning light will
remain on. After the bulb check is complete and the
WAIT TO START indicator goes out proceed to step 4.

CAUTION!

If WATER IN FUEL indicator light remains on DO
NOT START engine before you drain water from the
fuel filter to avoid engine damage. See Section 7 —
Maintaining Your Vehicle, for water drain proce-
dures.

4. Turn the ignition key to START and crank the engine.
Do not press the accelerator during starting.

STARTING AND OPERATING

225

5

CAUTION!

Do not crank engine for more than 15 seconds at a
time as starter motor damage may result. Turn key to
OFF and wait at least two minutes before trying
again.

5. When the engine starts, release the key.

6. Check to see that there is oil pressure.

7. Release the parking brake.

Starting Procedure — Engine Manifold Air
Temperature Below 66°F (19°C)

NOTE:

The temperature displayed on the overhead

console (if equipped) does not necessarily reflect the
engine manifold air temperature. The wait-to-start lamp
will illuminate momentarily for a bulb check when the
ignition key is turned to the ON position, however when

certain engine temperatures fall below 66°F (19°C) the
lamp will remain on indicating the intake manifold
heater system is active.

Follow the steps in the Normal Starting Procedure ex-
cept:

CAUTION!

Do not crank engine for more than 15 seconds at a
time or starter motor damage may result. Turn key to
OFF and wait at least 2 minutes for starter to cool
before repeating start procedure.

• The WAIT TO START light will remain on for a period

of time (length of time depends on engine tempera-
ture) after completion of the bulb check.

226

STARTING AND OPERATING

• After the WAIT TO START light goes off, turn the

ignition key to START. Do not press the accelerator
during starting.

• Check to see that there is oil pressure.
• Allow the engine to idle at fast idle for about three

minutes until the manifold heaters have completed
the post-heat cycle.

• Release the parking brake and drive.

NOTE:

Engine idle speed will automatically increase to

1000 rpm at low coolant temperatures to improve engine
warm-up.

NOTE:

If the engine stalls or if the ignition switch is left

On for more than 2 minutes after the WAIT TO START
light goes out, reset the grid heaters by turning the
ignition switch to Off for at least 5 seconds and then back
On. Repeat steps 3 through 7 of the normal starting
procedure.

For Extremely Cold Weather Starting — Engine
Manifold Air Temperature Below 0°F (- 18°C)
In extremely cold weather below 0°F (- 18°C) it may be
beneficial to cycle the manifold heaters twice before
attempting to start the engine. This can be accomplished
by turning the ignition OFF for at least 5 seconds and
then back ON after the WAIT TO START light has gone
off, but before the engine is started. However, repeated
cycling of the manifold heaters will result in damage to
the heater elements or reduced battery voltage.

NOTE:

If multiple pre-heat cycles are used before

starting, additional engine run time may be required to
maintain battery state of charge at a satisfactory level.

• If the engine stalls after the initial start, the ignition

must be turned to the OFF position for at least 5
seconds and then to the ON position to recycle the
manifold heaters.

STARTING AND OPERATING

227

5