RAM CHASSIS CAB 2016 Owners Manual

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 ONLY if the rear wheels are OFF the ground.
This may be accomplished using a tow dolly or vehicle
trailer. If using a tow dolly, follow this procedure:
NOTE: If vehicle is equipped with air suspension, ensure
the vehicle is set to Normal Ride Height.
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.
CAUTION!• Towing with the rear wheels on the ground will
cause severe transmission damage. Damage from
improper towing is not covered under the New
Vehicle Limited Warranty.
• Do not disconnect the driveshaft because fluid may
leak from the transmission, causing damage to
internal parts. 5STARTING AND OPERATING 529

Recreational Towing — Four-Wheel Drive Models
NOTE: Both the manual shift and electronic shift transfer
cases must be shifted into NEUTRAL (N) for recreational
towing. Automatic transmissions must be shifted into
PARK for recreational towing. Manual transmissions
must be placed in gear (NOT in NEUTRAL) for recre-
ational towing. Refer to the following for the proper
transfer case NEUTRAL (N) shifting procedure for your
vehicle.
CAUTION!• DO NOT dolly tow any 4WD vehicle. Towing with
only one set of wheels on the ground (front or rear)
will cause severe transmission and/or transfer case
damage. Tow with all four wheels either ON the
ground, or OFF the ground (using a vehicle trailer). (Continued) CAUTION! (Continued)• Tow only in the forward direction. Towing this
vehicle backwards can cause severe damage to the
transfer case.
• Automatic transmissions must be placed in PARK
for recreational towing.
• Manual transmissions must be placed in gear (not
in Neutral) for recreational towing.
• Before recreational towing, perform the procedure
outlined under “Shifting Into NEUTRAL (N)” to be
certain that the transfer case is fully in NEUTRAL
(N). Otherwise, internal damage will result.
• Towing this vehicle in violation of the above re-
quirements can cause severe transmission and/or
transfer case damage. Damage from improper tow-
ing is not covered under the New Vehicle Limited
Warranty. (Continued)530 STARTING AND OPERATING

CAUTION! (Continued)• Do not disconnect the rear driveshaft because fluid
will leak from the transfer case, causing damage to
internal parts.
• Do not use a bumper-mounted clamp-on tow bar
on your vehicle. The bumper face bar will be
damaged.
Shifting Into NEUTRAL (N)
Use the following procedure to prepare your vehicle for
recreational towing.
WARNING!You or others could be injured or killed if you leave
the vehicle unattended with the transfer case in the
NEUTRAL (N) position without first fully engaging (Continued) WARNING! (Continued)the parking brake. The transfer case NEUTRAL (N)
position disengages both the front and rear drive
shaft from the powertrain, and will allow the vehicle
to roll, even if the automatic transmission is in PARK
(or manual transmission is in gear). The parking
brake should always be applied when the driver is
not in the vehicle.
CAUTION!It is necessary to follow these steps to be certain that
the transfer case is fully in NEUTRAL (N) before
recreational towing to prevent damage to internal
parts.
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop, with the engine
running. Firmly apply the parking brake. 5STARTING AND OPERATING 531

2. Shift the transmission to NEUTRAL.
3. Press and hold the brake pedal.
4. Depress the clutch pedal on a manual transmission.
5. Shift the transfer case into NEUTRAL:
• With manual shift transfer case, shift the transfer
case lever into NEUTRAL (N).
• With electronic shift transfer case, push and hold the
transfer case NEUTRAL (N) button. Some models
have a small, recessed  N  button (at the center of the
transfer case switches) that must be pressed using a
ballpoint pen or similar object. Other models have a
rectangular NEUTRAL switch, below the rotary
transfer case control knob. The NEUTRAL (N) indi-
cator light will blink while the shift is in progress.
The light will stop blinking (stay on solid) when the
shift to NEUTRAL (N) is complete. After the shift is
completed and the NEUTRAL (N) light stays on,
release the NEUTRAL (N) button. 6. Release the parking brake.
7. Shift the transmission into REVERSE.
8. Release the brake pedal (and clutch pedal on manual
transmissions) 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, push 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).
12. Turn the ignition switch to the OFF position, and
remove the Key Fob.532 STARTING AND OPERATING

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 5 are requirements that must be met
before pushing the NEUTRAL (N) button, and must
continue to be met until the shift has been completed.
If any of these requirements are not met before push-
ing 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.
• 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. Turn the ignition switch to the ON/RUN position, but
do not start the engine.
4. Press and hold the brake pedal.
5. Shift the transmission into NEUTRAL.
• With manual shift transfer case, shift the transfer
case lever to the desired position. 5STARTING AND OPERATING 533

• With electronic shift transfer case, push and hold the
transfer case NEUTRAL (N) button until the NEU-
TRAL (N) indicator light turns off. After the NEU-
TRAL (N) indicator light turns off, release the NEU-
TRAL (N) button. After the NEUTRAL (N) button
has been released, the transfer case will shift to the
position indicated by the selector switch.
NOTE: When shifting the transfer case out of NEUTRAL
(N), the engine should remain OFF to avoid gear clash.
6. Shift automatic transmission into PARK.
7. Release the brake pedal (and clutch pedal on a manual
transmission).
8. Disconnect vehicle from the tow vehicle.
9. Start the engine.
10. Press and hold the brake pedal.
11. Release the parking brake. 12. 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 through 5 are requirements that must be met
before 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 before push-
ing 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.
• 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.534 STARTING AND OPERATING

WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIESCONTENTS  HAZARD WARNING FLASHERS .......... .536
 IF YOUR ENGINE OVERHEATS ........... .536
 WHEEL AND TIRE TORQUE
SPECIFICATIONS ..................... .537
▫ Torque Specifications ................. .538
 JACKING AND TIRE CHANGING ......... .540
▫ 4500/5500 Models .................... .540
▫ Preparations For Jacking ................ .541
▫ Jacking Instructions ................... .542
 HOISTING .......................... .548  JUMP-STARTING PROCEDURES .......... .548
▫ Preparations For Jump-Start ............. .549
▫ Jump-Starting Procedure ............... .550
 FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE ............ .553
 EMERGENCY TOW HOOKS — IF EQUIPPED . .554
 GEAR SELECTOR OVERRIDE ............ .555
 TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE .......... .556
▫ Two-Wheel Drive Models ............... .557
▫ Four-Wheel Drive Models ............... .5586

HAZARD WARNING FLASHERS
The Hazard Warning flasher switch is located on the
upper switch bank just below the radio.
Push 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. Push 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 ac-
tion.
• On the highways — slow down.
• In city traffic — while stopped, place the transmission
in NEUTRAL, but do not increase the engine idle
speed while preventing vehicle motion with the
brakes.
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 a536 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

supplement to the radiator and aids in removing heat
from the engine cooling system.
CAUTION!Driving with a hot cooling system could damage
your vehicle. If the temperature gauge reads HOT
(H), pull over and stop the vehicle. Idle the vehicle
with the air conditioner turned off until the pointer
drops back into the normal range. If the pointer
remains on HOT (H), and you hear continuous
chimes, turn the engine off immediately and call for
service. WARNING!You or others can be badly burned by hot engine
coolant (antifreeze) or steam from your radiator. If
you see or hear steam coming from under the hood,
do not open the hood until the radiator has had time
to cool. Never try to open a cooling system pressure
cap when the radiator or coolant bottle is hot.
WHEEL AND TIRE TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS
Proper lug nut/bolt torque is very important to ensure
that the wheel is properly mounted to the vehicle. Any
time a wheel has been removed and reinstalled on the
vehicle the lug nuts/bolts should be torqued using a
properly calibrated torque wrench. 6WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 537

Torque Specifications
Lug Nut/Bolt
Torque Lug Nut/
Bolt
Type **Lug
Nut/Bolt
Size Lug Nut/
Bolt
Socket
Size
120-150 Ft-Lbs
(160-200 N·m) Cone M14 x
1.50 22 mm
130-160 Ft-Lbs
(190-220 N·m) Flanged
**Use only your Authorized Dealer recommended lug
nuts/bolts and clean or remove any dirt or oil before
tightening.
Inspect the wheel mounting surface prior to mounting
the tire and remove any corrosion or loose particles. NOTE: Dual wheels are flat mounted, center piloted.
The lug nuts are a two-piece assembly. When the tires are
being rotated or replaced, clean these lug nuts and add
two drops of oil at the interface between the hex and the
washer.
Two-Piece Lug Nut538 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES