towing Ram 2500 2014 User Guide

•Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) Light
This light informs you of a problem with the
Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) system. The
light will come on when the ignition is first
turned ON and remain on briefly as a bulb
check. If the light does not come on during starting, have
the system checked by an authorized dealer.
If a problem is detected, the light will come on while the
engine is running. Cycle the ignition key when the
vehicle has completely stopped and the shift lever is
placed in the PARK position. The light should turn off.
If the light remains lit with the engine running, your
vehicle will usually be drivable. However, see an autho-
rized dealer for service as soon as possible. If the light is
flashing when the engine is running, immediate service is
required. You may experience reduced performance, an
elevated/rough idle or engine stall and your vehicle may
require towing. •
Engine Temperature Warning Light
This light warns of an overheated engine condi-
tion. As temperatures rise and the gauge ap-
proaches H,this indicator will illuminate and a single
chime will sound after reaching a set threshold. Further
overheating will cause the temperature gauge to pass H,
a continuous chime will occur until the engine is allowed
to cool.
If the light turns on while driving, safely pull over and
stop the vehicle. If the A/C system is on, turn it off. Also,
shift the transmission into NEUTRAL and idle the ve-
hicle. If the temperature reading does not return to
normal, turn the engine off immediately and call for
service. Refer to “If Your Engine Overheats” in “What To
Do In Emergencies” for more information.
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Transport Mode – If Equipped
When this feature is selected the air suspension system is
disabled to assist with flat bed towing. To make your
selection, press and release the SELECT button until a
check-mark appears next to the feature showing the
system has been activated or the check-mark is removed
showing the system has been deactivated.
Wheel Alignment Mode – If Equipped
Before performing a wheel alignment this mode must be
enabled. Refer to your authorized dealer for further
information.
Horn with Remote Lower – If Equipped
When this feature is selected, a short horn sound will
occur when the RKE transmitter REMOTE LOWER but-
ton is pressed. To make your selection, press and release
the SELECT button until a check-mark appears next tothe feature showing the system has been activated or the
check-mark is removed showing the system has been
deactivated.
Lights with Remote Lower – If Equipped
When this feature is selected, the front and rear turn
signals will flash when the RKE transmitter REMOTE
LOWER button is pressed. This feature may be selected
with or without the sound horn on lower feature selected.
To make your selection, press and release the SELECT
button until a check-mark appears next to the feature
showing the system has been activated or the check-mark
is removed showing the system has been deactivated.
Trailer Select
When this feature is selected, the Trailer Type can be
selected between “Trailer 1”, “Trailer 2”, “Trailer 3” and
“Trailer 4”. To make your selection, scroll up or down
until the preferred setting is highlighted, then press and
330 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

to the feature showing the system has been activated or
the check-mark is removed showing the system has been
deactivated.
•Transport Mode
When this feature is selected the air suspension system is
disabled to assist with flat bed towing. Touch the box
next to your selection and a check-mark appears next to
the feature showing the system has been activated or the
check-mark is removed showing the system has been
deactivated.
• Wheel Alignment Mode
Before performing a wheel alignment this mode must be
enabled. Refer to your authorized dealer for further
information.
SiriusXM Setup
After pressing the “SIRIUS” Setup soft-key the following
settings will be available: •
Channel Skip
SiriusXM can be programmed to designate a group of
channels that are the most desirable to listen to or to
exclude undesirable channels while scanning. To make
your selection, touch the “Channel Skip” soft-key, select
the channels you would like to skip followed by pressing
the back arrow soft-key.
• Subscription Information
New vehicle purchasers or lessees will receive a free
limited time subscription to SiriusXM Satellite Radio
with your radio. Following the expiration of the free
services, it will be necessary to access the information on
the Subscription Information screen to re-subscribe.
Touch the “Subscription Info” soft-key to access the
Subscription Information screen.
352 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

FUEL REQUIREMENTS ..................568
▫ 3.6L/6.4L Engine ..................... .568
▫ 5.7L Engines ........................ .568
▫ Reformulated Gasoline .................569
▫ Gasoline/Oxygenate Blends ..............569
▫ E-85 Usage In Non-Flex Fuel Vehicles .......570
▫ MMT In Gasoline .....................570
▫ Materials Added To Fuel ................571
▫ Fuel System Cautions ...................571
▫ Carbon Monoxide Warnings .............572
 FLEXIBLE FUEL (3.6L ENGINE ONLY) —
IF EQUIPPED ........................ .573
▫ E-85 General Information ...............573 ▫
Ethanol Fuel (E-85) ....................574
▫ Fuel Requirements ....................574
▫ Selection Of Engine Oil For Flexible Fuel Vehicles
(E-85) And Gasoline Vehicles .............575
▫ Starting ........................... .575
▫ Cruising Range ...................... .576
▫ Replacement Parts ....................576
▫ Maintenance ....................... .576
 ADDING FUEL ....................... .577
▫ Loose Fuel Filler Cap Message ............579
 VEHICLE LOADING ....................579
▫ Certification Label ....................579
 TRAILER TOWING .....................581
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▫Common Towing Definitions .............582
▫ Trailer Hitch Type and Maximum Trailer
Weight ............................ .585
▫ Trailer Towing Weights (Maximum Trailer
Weight Ratings) ..................... .586
▫ Trailer And Tongue Weight ..............589
▫ Towing Requirements ..................590
▫ Towing Tips ........................ .600
 SNOWPLOW ........................ .601▫
1500 Models Only .....................601
▫ 2500/3500 Models Only .................602
 RECREATIONAL TOWING (BEHIND
MOTORHOME, ETC.) ...................606
▫ Towing This Vehicle Behind Another Vehicle . .606
▫ Recreational Towing — Two-Wheel Drive
Models ............................ .607
▫ Recreational Towing — Four-Wheel Drive
Models ............................ .608
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STARTING AND OPERATING 383

CAUTION!
•DO NOT race the engine when shifting from
PARK or NEUTRAL into another gear range, as this
can damage the drivetrain.
• Before moving the gear selector out of PARK, you
must start the engine, and also press the brake
pedal. Otherwise, damage to the gear selector could
result.
The following indicator should be used to ensure that
you have engaged the transmission into PARK:
• With brake pedal released, look at the transmission
gear display and verify that it indicates PARK.
REVERSE (R)
This range is for moving the vehicle backward. Shift into
REVERSE only after the vehicle has come to a complete
stop. NEUTRAL (N)
Use this range when the vehicle is standing for prolonged
periods with the engine running. The engine may be
started in this range. Apply the parking brake and shift
the transmission into PARK if you must leave the vehicle.
WARNING!
Do not coast in NEUTRAL and never turn off the
ignition to coast down a hill. These are unsafe
practices that limit your response to changing traffic
or road conditions. You might lose control of the
vehicle and have a collision.
CAUTION!
Towing the vehicle, coasting, or driving for any other
reason with the transmission in NEUTRAL can cause
(Continued)
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CAUTION!(Continued)
severe transmission damage. Refer to “Recreational
Towing” in “Starting And Operating” and “Towing A
Disabled Vehicle” in “What To Do In Emergencies” for
further information.
DRIVE (D)
This range should be used for most city and highway
driving. It provides the smoothest upshifts and down-
shifts, and the best fuel economy. The transmission
automatically upshifts through all forward gears. The
DRIVE provides optimum driving characteristics under
all normal operating conditions.
When frequent transmission shifting occurs (such as
when operating the vehicle under heavy loading condi-
tions, in hilly terrain, traveling into strong head winds, or
while towing heavy trailers), use the Electronic Range
Select (ERS) switches (refer to Electronic Range Select(ERS) Operation
in this section) to select a lower gear
range. Under these conditions, using a lower gear range
will improve performance and extend transmission life
by reducing excessive shifting and heat buildup.
During extremely cold temperatures (-22°F [-30°C] or
below), transmission operation may be modified depend-
ing on engine and transmission temperature as well as
vehicle speed. Normal operation will resume once the
transmission temperature has risen to a suitable level.
Transmission Limp Home Mode
Transmission function is monitored electronically for
abnormal conditions. If a condition is detected that could
result in transmission damage, Transmission Limp Home
Mode is activated. In this mode, the transmission may
operate only in certain gears, or may not shift at all.
Vehicle performance may be severely degraded and the
engine may stall. In some situations, the transmission
may not re-engage if the engine is turned off and
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WARNING!
Do not downshift for additional engine braking on a
slippery surface. The drive wheels could lose their
grip and the vehicle could skid, causing a collision or
personal injury.
When to Use TOW/HAUL Mode
When driving in hilly areas, towing a trailer, carrying a
heavy load, etc., and frequent transmission shifting oc-
curs, press the TOW/HAUL switch to activate TOW/
HAUL mode. This will improve performance and reduce
the potential for transmission overheating or failure due
to excessive shifting.The “TOW/HAUL Indicator Light” will illuminate in the
instrument cluster to indicate that TOW/HAUL mode
has been activated. Pressing the switch a second time
restores normal operation. Normal operation is always
TOW/HAUL Switch
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 405

•Release the shift lever and make sure it is fully seated
in the PARK gate.
• Look at the transmission gear position display and
verify that it indicates the PARK position.
• With brake pedal released, verify that the shift lever
will not move out of PARK.
REVERSE (R)
This range is for moving the vehicle backward. Shift into
Reverse only after the vehicle has come to a complete
stop.
NEUTRAL (N)
Use this range when the vehicle is standing for prolonged
periods with the engine running. The engine may be
started in this range. Apply the parking brake and shift
the transmission into PARK if you must leave the vehicle.WARNING!
Do not coast in NEUTRAL and never turn off the
ignition to coast down a hill. These are unsafe
practices that limit your response to changing traffic
or road conditions. You might lose control of the
vehicle and have a collision.
CAUTION!
Towing the vehicle, coasting, or driving for any other
reason with the transmission in NEUTRAL can cause
severe transmission damage. Refer to “Recreational
Towing” in “Starting And Operating” and “Towing A
Disabled Vehicle” in “What To Do In Emergencies”
for further information.
410 STARTING AND OPERATING

DRIVE (D)
This range should be used for most city and highway
driving. It provides the smoothest upshifts and down-
shifts, and the best fuel economy. The transmission
automatically upshifts through underdrive first and sec-
ond gears, direct third gear and overdrive fourth and
fifth gears. The DRIVE position provides optimum driv-
ing characteristics under all normal operating conditions.
To access all six available gears, you must use the
Electronic Range Select (ERS) shift control, described
below.
When frequent transmission shifting occurs (such as
when operating the vehicle under heavy loading condi-
tions, in hilly terrain, traveling into strong head winds, or
while towing heavy trailers), use the Electronic Range
Select (ERS) shift control (refer to “Electronic Range
Select (ERS) Operation)” in this section) to select a lower
gear range. Under these conditions, using a lower gearrange will improve performance and extend transmission
life by reducing excessive shifting and heat buildup.
If the transmission temperature exceeds normal operat-
ing limits, the powertrain controller will modify the
transmission shift schedule and expand the range of
torque converter clutch engagement. This is done to
prevent transmission damage due to overheating.
If the transmission becomes extremely hot or is in danger
of overheating, the “Transmission Temperature Warning
Light” may illuminate and the transmission may operate
differently until the transmission cools down.
NOTE:
Use caution when operating a heavily loaded
vehicle at low speeds (such as towing a trailer up a steep
grade, or in stop-and-go traffic) during hot weather. In
these conditions, torque converter slip can impose a
significant additional heat load on the cooling system.
Downshifting the transmission to the lowest possible
gear (when climbing a grade), or shifting to NEUTRAL
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