warning RAM CHASSIS CAB 2017 Owners Manual

WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIESCONTENTS  HAZARD WARNING FLASHERS ........... .426
 IF YOUR ENGINE OVERHEATS ............ .426
 WHEEL AND TIRE TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS . .427
▫ Torque Specifications ................... .427
 JACKING AND TIRE CHANGING .......... .429
▫ 4500/5500 Models ..................... .430
▫ Preparations For Jacking ................. .430
▫ Jacking Instructions .................... .430
 HOISTING ........................... .435
 JUMP-STARTING PROCEDURES ........... .436
▫ Preparations For Jump-Start .............. .436 ▫ Jump-Starting Procedure ................. .437
 FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE ............. .439
 EMERGENCY TOW HOOKS — IF EQUIPPED . . .440
 GEAR SELECTOR OVERRIDE ............. .441
 TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE ........... .442
▫ Two-Wheel Drive Models ................ .443
▫ Four-Wheel Drive Models ................ .444
 ENHANCED ACCIDENT RESPONSE SYSTEM
(EARS) .............................. .444
 EVENT DATA RECORDER (EDR) ........... .4446

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 directional
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 action.
• 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 a supplement
to the radiator and aids in removing heat from the
engine cooling system.
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.426 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

1 — 10 Bolt Pattern
2 — 8 Bolt Pattern
WARNING!To avoid the risk of forcing the vehicle off the jack, do
not tighten the lug nuts fully until the vehicle has been
lowered. Failure to follow this warning may result in
personal injury. JACKING AND TIRE CHANGING
WARNING!• Do not attempt to change a tire on the side of the
vehicle close to moving traffic, pull far enough off
the road to avoid the danger of being hit when
operating the jack or changing the wheel.
• Being under a jacked-up vehicle is dangerous. The
vehicle could slip off the jack and fall on you. You
could be crushed. Never put any part of your body
under a vehicle that is on a jack.
• Never start or run the engine while the vehicle is on
a jack. If you need to get under a raised vehicle, take
it to a service center where it can be raised on a lift.
• The jack is designed to use as a tool for changing
tires only. The jack should not be used to lift the
vehicle for service purposes. The vehicle should be
jacked on a firm level surface only. Avoid ice or
slippery areas.8/10 Lug Nuts/Bolts Torque Patterns
6WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 429

4500/5500 Models
These vehicles do not come equipped with a jack.
NOTE: Jacking and tire changing on 4500/5500 models
should be performed by an authorized dealer, or knowl-
edgeable service personnel with the appropriate heavy
duty equipment, like a tire service company.
Preparations For Jacking
1. Park the vehicle on a firm, level surface. Avoid ice or
slippery areas.
WARNING!Do not attempt to change a tire on the side of the
vehicle close to moving traffic, pull far enough off the
road to avoid the danger of being hit when operating
the jack or changing the wheel.
2. Turn on the Hazard Warning flasher.
3. Apply the parking brake.
4. Place the gear selector into PARK (automatic transmis-
sion) or REVERSE (manual transmission). On 4-Wheel
drive vehicles, shift the transfer case to the “4L” posi-
tion. 5. Turn OFF the ignition.
6. Block both the front and rear of the wheel diagonally
opposite of the jacking position. For ex-
ample, if changing the right front tire, block
the left rear wheel.
NOTE: Passengers should not remain in the vehicle when
the vehicle is being jacked.
Jacking Instructions
Instructions
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. (Continued)430 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

WARNING! (Continued)• 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.
• Do not let anyone sit in the vehicle when it is on a
jack.
• Do not get under the vehicle when it is on a jack. If
you need to get under a raised vehicle, take it to a
service center where it can be raised on a lift.
• Only use the jack in the positions indicated and for
lifting this vehicle during a tire change.
• If working on or near a roadway, be extremely
careful of motor traffic.
• To assure that spare tires, flat or inflated, are securely
stowed, spares must be stowed with the valve stem
facing the ground. CAUTION!Do not attempt to raise the vehicle by jacking on
locations other than those indicated in the Jacking
Instructions for this vehicle.
1. If equipped, remove the spare wheel, jack, and tools
from storage.
2. Using the wheel wrench, loosen, but do not remove, the
wheel nuts by turning them counterclockwise one turn
while the wheel is still on the ground. Jack Warning Label
6WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 431

WARNING!Raising the vehicle higher than necessary can make the
vehicle unstable. It could slip off the jack and hurt
someone near it. Raise the vehicle only enough to
remove the tire.
5. Remove the wheel nuts and pull the wheel off. Install
the spare wheel and wheel nuts with the cone shaped
end of the nuts toward the wheel on single rear wheel
(SRW) models. On dual rear wheel models (DRW) the
lug nuts are a two-piece assembly with a flat face.
Lightly tighten the nuts. To avoid risk of forcing the
vehicle off the jack, do not fully tighten the nuts until the
vehicle has been lowered.
6. Using the wheel wrench, finish tightening the nuts
using a crisscross pattern. For the proper lug nut torque
specifications refer to “Wheel and Tire Torque Specifi-
cations” in this section. If in doubt about the correct
tightness, have them checked with a torque wrench by
your authorized dealer or at a service station. WARNING!A loose tire or jack thrown forward in a collision or
hard stop could injure someone in the vehicle. Always
stow the jack parts and the extra tire and wheel in the
places provided.
7. Install wheel center cap (if equipped) and remove wheel
blocks. Do not install chrome or aluminum wheel center
caps on the spare wheel. This may result in cap damage.
8. Lower the jack to its fully closed position. If the jack will
not lower by turning the dial (thumbwheel) by hand, it
may be necessary to use the jack drive tube in order to
lower the jack. Stow the replaced tire, jack, and tools as
previously described.
9. Adjust the tire pressure when possible. 6WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 433

JUMP-STARTING PROCEDURES
If your vehicle has a discharged battery, it can be jump-
started using a set of jumper cables and a battery in another
vehicle or by using a portable battery booster pack. Jump-
starting can be dangerous if done improperly, so please
follow the procedures in this section carefully.
NOTE: When using a portable battery booster pack, follow
the manufacturer ’s operating instructions and precautions.
WARNING!Do not attempt jump-starting if the battery is frozen. It
could rupture or explode and cause personal injury.
CAUTION!Do not use a portable battery booster pack or any other
booster source with a system voltage greater than 12
Volts or damage to the battery, starter motor, alternator
or electrical system may occur.
Preparations For Jump-Start
The battery in your vehicle is located in the front of the
engine compartment, behind the left headlight assembly. NOTE: The positive battery post may be covered with a
protective cap if equipped. Lift up on the cap to gain access
to the positive battery post. Do not jump off fuses. Only
jump directly off positive post which has a positive (+)
symbol on or around the post.
WARNING!• Take care to avoid the radiator cooling fan whenever the
hood is raised. It can start anytime the ignition switch is
ON. You can be injured by moving fan blades. (Continued)Correct Positive Jumping Location436 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

WARNING! (Continued)• 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. Apply the parking brake, shift the automatic transmis-
sion into PARK and turn the ignition to LOCK.
2. Turn off the heater, radio, and all unnecessary electrical
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 jump-starting procedure could
result in personal injury or property damage due to
battery explosion.
CAUTION!Failure to follow these procedures could result in
damage to the charging system of the booster vehicle
or the discharged vehicle.
Connecting The Jumper Cables
1. Connect the positive (+) end of the jumper cable to the
positive (+) post of the discharged vehicle.
NOTE: Do not jump off fuses. Only jump directly off
positive post.
2. Connect the opposite end of the positive (+) jumper
cable to the positive (+) post of the booster battery.
3. Connect the negative (-) end of the jumper cable to the
negative (-) post of the booster battery. 6WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 437

4. Connect the opposite end of the negative (-) jumper
cable to a good engine ground (exposed metal part of
the discharged vehicle’s engine) away from the battery
and the fuel injection system.
WARNING!Do not connect the jumper cable to the negative (-) post
of the discharged battery. The resulting electrical spark
could cause the battery to explode and could result in
personal injury. Only use the specific ground point, do
not use any other exposed metal parts.
5. Start the engine in the vehicle that has the booster
battery, let the engine idle a few minutes, and then start
the engine in the vehicle with the discharged battery.
CAUTION!Do not connect jumper cable to any of the fuses on the
positive battery terminal. The resulting electrical cur-
rent will blow the fuse.
6. Once the engine is started, remove the jumper cables in
the reverse sequence: Disconnecting The Jumper Cables
1. Disconnect the negative (-) end of the jumper cable from the
engine ground of the vehicle with the discharged battery.
2. Disconnect the opposite end of the negative (-) jumper
cable from the negative (-) post of the booster battery.
3. Disconnect the positive (+) end of the jumper cable from
the positive (+) post of the booster battery.
4. Disconnect the opposite end of the positive (+) jumper
cable from the positive (+) post of the vehicle with the
discharged battery.
If frequent jump-starting is required to start your vehicle
you should have the battery and charging system in-
spected at your authorized dealer.
CAUTION!Accessories plugged into the vehicle power outlets
draw power from the vehicle’s battery, even when not
in use (i.e., cellular devices, etc.). Eventually, if plugged
in long enough without engine operation, the vehicle’s
battery will discharge sufficiently to degrade battery
life and/or prevent the engine from starting.438 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE
If your vehicle becomes stuck in mud, sand, or snow, it can
often be moved using a rocking motion. Turn the steering
wheel right and left to clear the area around the front
wheels. Next, shift back and forth between DRIVE and
REVERSE (with automatic transmission) or 2nd gear and
REVERSE (with manual transmission) while gently press-
ing the accelerator. Use the least amount of accelerator
pedal pressure that will maintain the rocking motion,
without spinning the wheels or racing the engine.
CAUTION!Racing the engine or spinning the wheels may lead to
transmission overheating and failure. Allow the en-
gine to idle with the transmission in NEUTRAL for at
least one minute after every five rocking-motion
cycles. This will minimize overheating and reduce the
risk of clutch or transmission failure during prolonged
efforts to free a stuck vehicle. NOTE: Push the  ESC Off  switch, to place the Electronic
Stability Control (ESC) system in  Partial Off  mode, before
rocking the vehicle. Refer to “Electronic Brake Control
System” in “Starting And Operating” for further informa-
tion. Once the vehicle has been freed, push the  ESC Off 
switch again to restore  ESC On  mode.
WARNING!Fast spinning tires can be dangerous. Forces generated
by excessive wheel speeds may cause damage, or even
failure, of the axle and tires. A tire could explode and
injure someone. Do not spin your vehicle’s wheels
faster than 30 mph (48 km/h) or for longer than 30
seconds continuously without stopping when you are
stuck and do not let anyone near a spinning wheel, no
matter what the speed. 6WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 439