ignition Ram 2500 2013 Owner's Manual

NOTE:Vehicles equipped with air suspension must be
lowered to the “Entry/Exit” (lowest) level, and have
automatic leveling disabled, before tying them down
(from the body) on a trailer or flatbed truck. Refer to “Air
Suspension – If Equipped” for more information. If the
vehicle cannot be lowered to the “Entry/Exit” level (for
example, engine will not run), tie-downs must be fas-
tened to the axles (not to the body). Failure to follow
these instructions may cause fault codes to be set and/or
cause loss of proper tie-down tension.
Recreational Towing – Two-Wheel Drive Models
DO NOT flat tow this vehicle. Damage to the drivetrain
will result.
Recreational towing (for two-wheel drive models) is
allowed ONLYif the rear wheels are OFFthe ground.
This may be accomplished using a tow dolly or vehicle
trailer. If using a tow dolly, follow this procedure: 1. Properly secure the dolly to the tow vehicle, following
the dolly manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Drive the rear wheels onto the tow dolly.
3. Firmly apply the parking brake. Place automatic trans- mission in PARK, manual transmission in gear (not in
NEUTRAL).
4. Properly secure the rear wheels to the dolly, following the dolly manufacturer’s instructions.
5. Turn the ignition switch to the OFF position and remove the key fob.
6. Install a suitable clamping device, designed for tow- ing, to secure the front wheels in the straight position.
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STARTING AND OPERATING 567

7. Shift the transmission into REVERSE.
8. Release the brake pedal (and clutch pedal on manualtransmissions) for five seconds and ensure that there is
no vehicle movement.
9. Repeat steps 7 and 8 with automatic transmission in DRIVE or manual transmission in first gear.
10. Shift the transmission to NEUTRAL. Firmly apply the parking brake. Turn OFF the engine. For vehicles
with Keyless Enter-N-Go, press and hold the EN-
GINE START/STOP button until the engine shuts off.
11. Shift the transmission into PARK or place manual transmission in gear (NOT in Neutral). On 8-speed
transmissions the shifter will automatically select
PARK when the engine is turned off. 12. Turn the ignition switch to the OFF position, then
cycle the key or the Keyless Enter-N-Go button to the
RUN position and back to the OFF position. Remove
the key fob from the ignition switch.
13. Attach the vehicle to the tow vehicle using a suitable tow bar.
14. Release the parking brake.
NOTE: With electronic shift transfer case:
• Steps 2 through 4 are requirements that must be met
prior to pressing the NEUTRAL (N) button, and must
continue to be met until the shift has been completed.
If any of these requirements are not met prior to
pressing the NEUTRAL (N) button or are no longer
met during the shift, the NEUTRAL (N) indicator light
will flash continuously until all requirements are met
or until the NEUTRAL (N) button is released.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 571

•The ignition switch must be in the ON/RUN position
for a shift to take place and for the position indicator
lights to be operable. If the ignition switch is not in the
ON/RUN position, the shift will not take place and no
position indicator lights will be on or flashing.
• A flashing NEUTRAL (N) position indicator light
indicates that shift requirements have not been met.
Shifting Out Of NEUTRAL (N)
Use the following procedure to prepare your vehicle for
normal usage.
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop, leaving it con- nected to the tow vehicle.
2. Firmly apply the parking brake.
3. Press and hold the brake pedal. 4. Start the engine. Shift the transmission into NEU-
TRAL. Depress the clutch pedal on a manual trans-
mission.
• With manual shift transfer case, shift the transfer
case lever to the desired position.
• With electronic shift transfer case with rotary selector
switch, press and hold the transfer case NEUTRAL
(N) button until the NEUTRAL (N) indicator light
turns off. After the NEUTRAL (N) indicator light
turns off, release the NEUTRAL (N) button. After the
NEUTRAL (N) button has been released, the transfer
case will shift to the position indicated by the selec-
tor switch.
• With electronic shift transfer case with pushbutton
selector switch, press and hold the switch for the
desired transfer case position, until the NEUTRAL
(N) indicator light turns off and the desired position
indicator light turns on.
572 STARTING AND OPERATING

NOTE:When shifting out of transfer case NEUTRAL
(N), turning the engine OFF is not required, but may be
helpful to avoid gear clash. With the 8-speed automatic
transmission, the engine must remain running, since
turning the engine OFF will shift the transmission to
PARK (and the transmission must be in NEUTRAL for
the transfer case to shift out of NEUTRAL).
5. Turn the engine OFF. Shift automatic transmission into PARK. On 8-speed transmissions the shifter will auto-
matically select PARK when the engine is turned off.
6. Release the brake pedal (and clutch pedal on a manual transmission).
7. Disconnect vehicle from the tow vehicle.
8. Start the engine.
9. Press and hold the brake pedal.
10. Release the parking brake. 11. Shift the transmission into gear, release the brake
pedal (and clutch pedal on manual transmissions),
and check that the vehicle operates normally.
NOTE: With electronic shift transfer case:
•
Steps 3 and 4 are requirements that must be met prior to
pressing the button to shift out of NEUTRAL (N), and
must continue to be met until the shift has been com-
pleted. If any of these requirements are not met before
pressing the button or are no longer met during the shift,
the NEUTRAL (N) indicator light will flash continuously
until all requirements are met or until the button is
released.
•The ignition switch must be in the ON/RUN position for
a shift to take place and for the position indicator lights to
be operable. If the ignition switch is not in the ON/RUN
position, the shift will not take place and no position
indicator lights will be on or flashing.
• A flashing NEUTRAL (N) position indicator light
indicates that shift requirements have not been met.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 573

HAZARD WARNING FLASHERS
The Hazard Warning flasher switch is located on the
upper switch bank just below the radio.Press the switch to turn on the Hazard Warning
flasher. When the switch is activated, all direc-
tional turn signals will flash on and off to warn oncoming
traffic of an emergency. Press the switch a second time to
turn off the Hazard Warning flashers.
This is an emergency warning system and it should not
be used when the vehicle is in motion. Use it when your
vehicle is disabled and it is creating a safety hazard for
other motorists.
When you must leave the vehicle to seek assistance, the
Hazard Warning flashers will continue to operate even
though the ignition is placed in the OFF position.
NOTE: With extended use the Hazard Warning flashers
may wear down your battery.
IF YOUR ENGINE OVERHEATS
In any of the following situations, you can reduce the
potential for overheating by taking the appropriate action.
• On the highways — slow down.
• In city traffic — while stopped, place the transmission
in NEUTRAL, but do not increase the engine idle
speed.
NOTE: There are steps that you can take to slow down
an impending overheat condition:
• If your air conditioner (A/C) is on, turn it off. The A/C
system adds heat to the engine cooling system and
turning the A/C off can help remove this heat.
• You can also turn the temperature control to maximum
heat, the mode control to floor and the blower control
to high. This allows the heater core to act as a
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 577

5. Turn the ignition OFF.Block both the front and rear of the
wheel diagonally opposite the jacking
position. For example, if the right front
wheel is being changed, block the left
rear wheel.
NOTE: Passengers should not remain in the vehicle
when the vehicle is being jacked.Jack Instructions (1500 Series)
WARNING!
Carefully follow these tire changing warnings to
help prevent personal injury or damage to your
vehicle:
• Always park on a firm, level surface as far from the
edge of the roadway as possible before raising the
vehicle.
• Turn on the Hazard Warning flasher.
• Block the wheel diagonally opposite the wheel to
be raised.
• Set the parking brake firmly and set an automatic
transmission in PARK; a manual transmission in
REVERSE.
• Never start or run the engine with the vehicle on a
jack.
(Continued)
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 585

5. Turn the ignition OFF.Block both the front and rear of the
wheel diagonally opposite the jacking
position. For example, if the right front
wheel is being changed, block the left
rear wheel.
NOTE: Passengers should not remain in the vehicle
when the vehicle is being jacked.Jack Instructions (2500, 3500 Series)
WARNING!
Carefully follow these tire changing warnings to
help prevent personal injury or damage to your
vehicle:
• Always park on a firm, level surface as far from the
edge of the roadway as possible before raising the
vehicle.
• Turn on the Hazard Warning flasher.
• Block the wheel diagonally opposite the wheel to
be raised.
• Set the parking brake firmly and set an automatic
transmission in PARK; a manual transmission in
REVERSE.
• Never start or run the engine with the vehicle on a
jack.
(Continued)
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 603

WARNING!
•Take care to avoid the radiator cooling fan when-
ever the hood is raised. It can start anytime the
ignition switch is ON. You can be injured by
moving fan blades.
• Remove any metal jewelry such as rings, watch
bands and bracelets that could make an inadvertent
electrical contact. You could be seriously injured.
• Batteries contain sulfuric acid that can burn your
skin or eyes and generate hydrogen gas which is
flammable and explosive. Keep open flames or
sparks away from the battery.
1. Set the parking brake, shift the automatic transmission into PARK and turn the ignition to LOCK.
2. Turn off the heater, radio, and all unnecessary electri- cal accessories. 3. If using another vehicle to jump-start the battery, park
the vehicle within the jumper cables reach, set the
parking brake and make sure the ignition is OFF.
WARNING!
Do not allow vehicles to touch each other as this
could establish a ground connection and personal
injury could result.
Jump-Starting Procedure
WARNING!
Failure to follow this procedure could result in per-
sonal injury or property damage due to battery ex-
plosion.
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 619

If you must use the accessories (wipers, defrosters, etc.)
while being towed, the ignition must be in the ON/RUN
position, not the ACC position.
If the key fob is unavailable or the vehicle’s battery is
discharged, see ”Manual Park Release” or “Shift Lever
Override” in “What To Do In Emergencies” for instruc-
tions on shifting the automatic transmission out of PARK
for towing.
CAUTION!
Do not use sling type equipment when towing.
When securing the vehicle to a flat bed truck, do not
attach to front or rear suspension components. Dam-
age to your vehicle may result from improper towing.
Two-Wheel Drive Models
The manufacturer recommends towing your vehicle with
all four wheelsOFFthe ground using a flatbed. If flatbed equipment is not available, and the transmis-
sion is operable, the vehicle may be towed (with rear
wheels on the ground) under the following conditions:
•
The transmission must be in NEUTRAL.
• The towing speed must not exceed 30 mph (48 km/h).
• The towing distance must not exceed 15 miles (24 km)
for 6-speed transmission, or 30 miles (48 km) for
8-speed transmission.
If the transmission is not operable, or the vehicle must be
towed faster than 30 mph (48 km/h) or farther than 15
miles (24 km), for 6-speed transmission, or 30 miles
(48 km) for 8-speed transmission, tow with the rear
wheels OFFthe ground. Acceptable methods are to tow
the vehicle on a flatbed, or with the front wheels raised
and the rear wheels on a towing dolly, or (when using a
suitable steering wheel stabilizer to hold the front wheels
630 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

“Understanding Your Instrument Panel” for further in-
formation. Tighten the fuel filler cap properly and press
the SELECT button to turn off the message. If the
problem continues, the message will appear the next time
the vehicle is started.
A loose, improperly installed, or damaged fuel filler cap
may also turn on the Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL).
EMISSIONS INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE
PROGRAMS
In some localities, it may be a legal requirement to pass
an inspection of your vehicle’s emissions control system.
Failure to pass could prevent vehicle registration.For states that require an Inspection and Mainte-
nance (I/M), this check verifies the “Malfunction
Indicator Light (MIL)” is functioning and is not
on when the engine is running, and that the OBD II
system is ready for testing. Normally, the OBD II system will be ready. The OBD II
system may
notbe ready if your vehicle was recently
serviced, recently had a dead battery or a battery replace-
ment. If the OBD II system should be determined not
ready for the I/M test, your vehicle may fail the test.
Your vehicle has a simple ignition key-actuated test,
which you can use prior to going to the test station. To
check if your vehicle’s OBD II system is ready, you must
do the following:
1. Cycle the ignition switch to the ON position, but do not crank or start the engine.
2. If you crank or start the engine, you will have to start this test over.
3. As soon as you cycle the ignition switch to the ON position, you will see the MIL symbol come on as part
of a normal bulb check.
640 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE