tires Ram 1500 2016 Owner's Guide

high risk of vehicle damage during the recovery process?
Answering these questions will help you determine the
best method of recovery. If you can still move the vehicle
slightly and the only issue is slick ground, then rock
cycling your vehicle would be the first choice. If you have
ample room, an additional vehicle and there is low risk of
vehicle impingement on the surroundings, then using a
tow strap to the vehicle tow hooks would be fast and
easy. If the vehicle is severely hung up or in a situation
where great care needs to be taken during the recovery,
then nothing can do the job better than a winch. If you are
severely hung up on something you should jack the
vehicle up and stack something under the wheels to
allow the vehicle to roll off the object without causing
further damage. This should be tried before attempting
any recovery method.CAUTION!
Pulling the vehicle off an obstacle, without first
clearing the object, may result in additional under-
body damage.
•Rock Cycling Your Vehicle– Rock cycling your ve-
hicle is one of the easiest, fastest and most commonly
used methods. This simply involves shifting your
vehicle from DRIVE to REVERSE, while applying
throttle after each shift. During this process, for addi-
tional traction, try turning your steering wheel quickly
left and right no more than a ¼ turn. If you are stuck
in mud, sand, or snow try spinning your tires during
this process to clean the debris from the tread and
improve the traction. You want to create a rocking
motion with the vehicle. This helps build vehicle
momentum, which hopefully gets you out. Remember
to ease off and on the accelerator before and after the
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shift. If after a few rock cycles your vehicle is not free,
stop and try another method of recovery. Continuous
rock cycling will only cause unnecessary damage to
your vehicle and the environment.
CAUTION!
Damage can occur when spinning your tires at an
excessive high speed. Do not spin your tires faster
than an indicated 30 mph (48 km/h).
•Using The Tow Hooks With A Tow Strap– Tow straps
are a quick and easy way to recover your vehicle from
minor situations if you have a secondary vehicle which
is not stuck. The tow hooks on your vehicle are
designed to take the abusive force generated during
vehicle recovery. Do not use the bumper or any other
vehicle component as an attachment point. Using tow
straps requires coordination between the two drivers.
Good communication and line of sight are required fora safe recovery. First connect the tow strap to the
correct attachment points on both vehicles. There
should be a least 20 to 30 feet (6 to 9 meters) between
the vehicles to allow for a safe recovery. If necessary
join two tow straps together usinga1½inch hard
wood dowel. This will keep the straps from becoming
knotted and is safer than using a clevis pin if the strap
breaks. Next have the tow vehicle backup, leaving two
to three feet worth of slack in the strap. Then the tow
vehicle, using light throttle, should accelerate tighten-
ing the strap providing the pulling force needed to free
the vehicle. The vehicle being recovered should assist
in the recovery, at the time of the snap, by slowly
spinning the tires in the same direction as the pulling
vehicle. After the vehicle becomes free, the driver of
the previously stuck vehicle should signal they are free
and should hit their brakes stopping both vehicles. The
driver of the pulling vehicle should let off the throttle
without using the brakes, once signaled by the other
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driver. This sequence is important to avoid having the
recovered vehicle hit the pulling vehicle.
WARNING!
Never use tow straps with end hooks or link two
straps with a clevis pin. These heavy metal objects
could become projectiles if a strap breaks, which
could cause severe injury. Never leave more than 2 to
3 feet (.6 to 1 meter) of slack in the strap. More slack
than this greatly increases the risk of injury and
vehicle damage. Always keep everyone at least 30
feet (9 meters) away from a strapping or winching
situation.
•Winching (Refer To “Winch Operation” For Addi-
tional Information)– Winching is most commonly
used in the following situations: there is no support
vehicle available, a high controlled force is required torecover the vehicle, there is a high risk of environmen-
tal or vehicle damage, or where nothing else seems to
work. A winch can deliver a high pulling force with a
great deal of control. It allows you to walk the vehicle
out of the situation in a slow controlled manner. This
control works well for avoiding further vehicle dam-
age. Once you decide it is time to use the winch look
for a good anchor point. It needs to be strong enough
to hold more than the vehicle’s weight and provide a
direction of pull as straight as possible. Use block and
tackle if necessary to improve the angle of pull or
increase the winch’s pulling force. If the anchor point
is a tree use a strap around its base and hook the cable
to the strap. If it is another vehicle, then place that
vehicle in PARK and block the front tires. If you cannot
find an anchor point within reach try using your spare
tire by burying it. Once you have determined an
anchor point hook up the cable, ensuring there are a
least five wraps of cable left on the drum, and place a
floor mat or something else over the strung out cable.
Placing something over the strung out cable helps
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keep the cable on the ground if it breaks. Next, place
the vehicle in first gear and apply a very light throttle
as you power the winch in. Be careful not to allow
slack in the cable as you recover the vehicle. Do not try
to guide the cable into the drum. If it starts to bunch up
on one end, let it. You can re-spool the cable after-
wards. Never use a winch cable as a tow strap and
always stand back while winching.
WARNING!
Winch cables are under high tension when in use and
can become a projectile if they fail. Never stand over
or straddle the winch cable. Never jerk or overload
the winch cable. Never stand in front of the vehicle
while winching. Failure to follow these instructions
can result in serious or fatal injury.
After Driving Off-Road
Off-road operation puts more stress on your vehicle than
does most on-road driving. After going off-road, it is
always a good idea to check for damage. That way you
can get any problems taken care of right away and have
your vehicle ready when you need it.
•Completely inspect the underbody of your vehicle.
Check tires, body structure, steering, suspension, and
exhaust system for damage.
•Inspect the radiator for mud and debris and clean as
required.
•Check threaded fasteners for looseness, particularly on
the chassis, drivetrain components, steering, and sus-
pension. Retighten them, if required, and torque to the
values specified in the Service Manual.
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Traction
When driving on wet or slushy roads, it is possible for a
wedge of water to build up between the tire and road
surface. This is known as hydroplaning and may cause
partial or complete loss of vehicle control and stopping
ability. To reduce this possibility, the following precau-
tions should be observed:
•Slow down during rainstorms or when the roads are
slushy.
•Slow down if the road has standing water or puddles.
•Replace tires when tread wear indicators first become
visible.
•Keep tires properly inflated.
•Maintain sufficient distance between your vehicle and
the vehicle in front of you to avoid a collision in a
sudden stop.Your vehicle may be equipped with a Limited Slip
Differential (LSD) that reduces, but does not eliminate,
the amount of wheel slip across a given axle for im-
proved handling.
DRIVING THROUGH WATER
Driving through water more than a few inches/
centimeters deep will require extra caution to ensure
safety and prevent damage to your vehicle.
Flowing/Rising Water
WARNING!
Do not drive on or across a road or path where water
is flowing and/or rising (as in storm run-off). Flow-
ing water can wear away the road or path’s surface
and cause your vehicle to sink into deeper water.
Furthermore, flowing and/or rising water can carry
(Continued)
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always a good idea to check for damage. That way you
can get any problems taken care of right away and have
your vehicle ready when you need it.
•Completely inspect the underbody of your vehicle.
Check tires, body structure, steering, suspension, and
exhaust system for damage.
•Inspect the radiator for mud and debris and clean as
required.
•Check threaded fasteners for looseness, particularly on
the chassis, drivetrain components, steering, and sus-
pension. Retighten them, if required, and torque to the
values specified in the Service Manual.
•Check for accumulations of plants or brush. These
things could be a fire hazard. They might hide damage
to fuel lines, brake hoses, axle pinion seals, and
propeller shafts.•After extended operation in mud, sand, water, or
similar dirty conditions, have the radiator, fan, brake
rotors, wheels, brake linings, and axle yokes inspected
and cleaned as soon as possible.
WARNING!
Abrasive material in any part of the brakes may cause
excessive wear or unpredictable braking. You might
not have full braking power when you need it to
prevent a collision. If you have been operating your
vehicle in dirty conditions, get your brakes checked
and cleaned as necessary.
•If you experience unusual vibration after driving in
mud, slush or similar conditions, check the wheels for
impacted material. Impacted material can cause a
wheel imbalance and freeing the wheels of it will
correct the situation.
592 STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING!(Continued)
can cause possible loss of anti-lock braking capa-
bility. Installation of such equipment should be
performed by qualified professionals.
•Pumping of the Anti-Lock Brakes will diminish
their effectiveness and may lead to a collision.
Pumping makes the stopping distance longer. Just
press firmly on your brake pedal when you need to
slow down or stop.
•The ABS cannot prevent the natural laws of phys-
ics from acting on the vehicle, nor can it increase
braking or steering efficiency beyond that afforded
by the condition of the vehicle brakes and tires or
the traction afforded.
•The ABS cannot prevent collisions, including those
resulting from excessive speed in turns, following
another vehicle too closely, or hydroplaning.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•The capabilities of an ABS equipped vehicle must
never be exploited in a reckless or dangerous
manner that could jeopardize the user ’s safety or
the safety of others.
ABS is designed to function with the OEM tires. Modifi-
cation may result in degraded ABS performance.
Anti-Lock Brake Warning Light
The amber “Anti-Lock Brake Warning Light” will turn on
when the ignition switch is turned to the ON position
and may stay on for as long as four seconds.
If the “Anti-Lock Brake Warning Light” remains on or
comes on while driving, it indicates that the anti-lock
portion of the brake system is not functioning and that
service is required. However, the conventional brake
system will continue to operate normally if the “Brake
System Warning Light” is not on.
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WARNING!
•Electronic Stability Control (ESC) cannot prevent
the natural laws of physics from acting on the
vehicle, nor can it increase the traction afforded by
prevailing road conditions. ESC cannot prevent
accidents, including those resulting from excessive
speed in turns, driving on very slippery surfaces, or
hydroplaning. ESC also cannot prevent accidents
resulting from loss of vehicle control due to inap-
propriate driver input for the conditions. Only a
safe, attentive, and skillful driver can prevent acci-
dents. The capabilities of an ESC equipped vehicle
must never be exploited in a reckless or dangerous
manner which could jeopardize the user ’s safety or
the safety of others.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•Vehicle modifications, or failure to properly main-
tain your vehicle, may change the handling charac-
teristics of your vehicle, and may negatively affect
the performance of the ESC system. Changes to the
steering system, suspension, braking system, tire
type and size or wheel size may adversely affect
ESC performance. Improperly inflated and un-
evenly worn tires may also degrade ESC perfor-
mance. Any vehicle modification or poor vehicle
maintenance that reduces the effectiveness of the
ESC system can increase the risk of loss of vehicle
control, vehicle rollover, personal injury and death.
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ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light and
ESC OFF Indicator Light
The “ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator
Light” in the instrument cluster will come on
when the ignition switch is turned to the ON
position. It should go out with the engine
running. If the “ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator
Light” comes on continuously with the engine running, a
malfunction has been detected in the ESC system. If this
light remains on after several ignition cycles, and the
vehicle has been driven several miles (kilometers) at
speeds greater than 30 mph (48 km/h), see your autho-
rized dealer as soon as possible to have the problem
diagnosed and corrected.The “ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light” (lo-
cated in the instrument cluster) starts to flash as soon as
the tires lose traction and the ESC system becomes active.
The “ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light” also
flashes when TCS is active. If the “ESC Activation/
Malfunction Indicator Light” begins to flash during ac-
celeration, ease up on the accelerator and apply as little
throttle as possible. Be sure to adapt your speed and
driving to the prevailing road conditions.
NOTE:
•The “ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light”
and the “ESC OFF Indicator Light” come on momen-
tarily each time the ignition switch is turned ON.
•Each time the ignition is turned ON, the ESC system
will be ON even if it was turned off previously.
•The ESC system will make buzzing or clicking sounds
when it is active. This is normal; the sounds will stop
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TIRE SAFETY INFORMATION
Tire MarkingsNOTE:
•P (Passenger) — Metric tire sizing is based on U.S.
design standards. P-Metric tires have the letter “P”
molded into the sidewall preceding the size designa-
tion. Example: P215/65R15 95H.
•European — Metric tire sizing is based on European
design standards. Tires designed to this standard have
the tire size molded into the sidewall beginning with
the section width. The letterPis absent from this tire
size designation. Example: 215/65R15 96H.
•LT (Light Truck) — Metric tire sizing is based on U.S.
design standards. The size designation for LT-Metric
tires is the same as for P-Metric tires except for the
letters “LT” that are molded into the sidewall preced-
ing the size designation. Example: LT235/85R16.
1 — U.S. DOT Safety Standards
Code (TIN)4 — Maximum Load
2 — Size Designation 5 — Maximum Pressure
3 — Service Description 6 — Treadwear, Traction and
Temperature Grades 636 STARTING AND OPERATING