ECU DODGE RAM 2500 DIESEL 2009 4.G Owner's Manual

WARNING!
•
Never leave children alone in a vehicle. Leaving
unattended children in a vehicle is dangerous for a
number of reasons. A child or others could be
seriously or fatally injured. Do not leave the key in
the ignition. A child could operate power win-
dows, other controls, or move the vehicle.
•
In an accident, there is a greater risk of being
thrown from a vehicle with an open sunroof. You
could also be seriously injured or killed. Always
fasten your seat belt properly and make sure all
passengers are properly secured too.
•
Do not allow small children to operate the sun-
roof. Never allow your fingers, other body parts, or
any object to project through the sunroof opening.
Injury may result.
Open Sunroof — Express ModeMomentarily pressing the switch rearward will activate
the Express Open Feature, causing the sunroof to open
automatically. During the Express Open operation, any
movement of the switch will stop the sunroof and it will
remain in a partial open position. Again, momentarily
pressing the switch rearward will activate the Express
Open Feature.Closing Sunroof — ExpressPress the switch forward and release, and the sunroof
will close automatically from any position. The sunroof
will close fully and stop automatically. This is called
Express Close. During Express Close operation, any
movement of the switch will stop the sunroof.Pinch Protect FeatureThis feature will detect an obstruction in the opening of
the sunroof during Express Close operation. If an ob-
struction in the path of the sunroof is detected, the
160 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

To secure the cup, place the cup to be held into one of the
cup wells and then push the cupholder arm toward the
cup until it is held stable.
Front Instrument Panel Cupholders (Bucket
Seats)If your vehicle is equipped with bucket seats there are
three cupholders located on the front of the center
console.
Cupholders
Cupholders Bucket Seat
166 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

2. Grasp the knob on the load floor and lift the knob until
the load floor unfolds into position.
3. Reverse the procedure to store the load floor.Positioning the Load Floor for Storage Access Under
the Seat
1. Lift the 60/40 seat cushion(s) to the upward position.
2. Unsnap the securing snap located at either side of the
load floor.
3. Lift the load floor up to access storage under the load
floor.
WARNING!
Do not drive with the load floor in the up position.
When stopping fast or in an accident, the load floor
could move to the down position causing serious
injury.
Load Floor In Open Position
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 175
3

4. Reverse the procedure to put the load floor back in the
secured down position before you operate the vehicle.
PICKUP BOXThe pickup box has many features designed for utility
and convenience.
Load Floor Securing Straps
Pick Up Box Features
1 — Upper Load Floor Indents
2 — Bulk Head Dividers
3 — Cleats
176 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

CAUTION!
Driving with a hot engine cooling system could
damage your vehicle. If temperature gauge reads “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
the “H” and you hear continuous chimes, turn the
engine off immediately, and call an authorized deal-
ership for service.
WARNING!
A hot engine cooling system is dangerous. You or
others could be badly burned by steam or boiling
coolant. You may want to call an authorized dealer-
ship for service if your vehicle overheats. If you
decide to look under the hood yourself, see Section 7
of this manual. Follow the warnings under the Cool-
ing System Pressure Cap paragraph.
14. Vehicle Security Light — If Equipped This light will flash at a fast rate for approxi-
mately 15 seconds, when the vehicle security
alarm is arming, and then will flash slowly
until the vehicle is disarmed.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 191
4

The locking axles are controlled by the axle locker switch
located on the center console.
The switch has three positions, AXLE UNLOCK, REAR
LOCK, and FRONT/REAR LOCK. Under normal driv-
ing conditions, the switch should be left in the AXLE
UNLOCK position. In the AXLE UNLOCK position, thefront and rear axles are unlocked. In the REAR LOCK
position, the rear axle is locked. In the FRONT/REAR
LOCK position, the front and rear axles are locked.
NOTE:
Even when the axles are in the AXLE UNLOCK
position, the limited slip differential in the rear axle still
provides torque biasing capability for moderate low
traction environments.
During the command to lock the axle, the indicator light
will flash until the axle is locked. After the lock command
has been successfully executed, the light will remain on
solid.
To lock the rear axle, place the vehicle in 4LO. Refer to
“Four Wheel Drive Operation” in this section of the
manual. Move the axle locker switch position to REAR
LOCK while traveling less than 3 mph (5 km/h). The RR
indicator light will remain on when the rear axle is
locked.
Locking Axle Switch
280 STARTING AND OPERATING

using light brake pressure with light throttle will keep the
vehicle from jerking or lurching. This technique is also
used when you need to stop and restart a vehicle on a
steep incline.The Basics Of Off-Road DrivingYou will encounter many types of terrain driving off-
road. You should be familiar with the terrain and area
before proceeding. There are many types of surface
conditions: hard packed dirt, gravel, rocks, grass, sand,
mud, snow and ice. Every surface has a different effect on
your vehicle’s steering, handling and traction. Control-
ling your vehicle is one of the keys to successful off-road
driving, so always keep a firm grip on the steering wheel
and maintain a good driving posture. Avoid sudden
accelerations, turns or braking. In most cases there are no
road signs, posted speed limits or signal lights. Therefore
you will need to use your own good judgment on what is
safe and what isn’t. When on a trail you should always be
looking ahead for surface obstacles and changes interrain. The key is to plan your future driving route while
remembering what you are currently driving over.
CAUTION!
Never park your vehicle over dry grass or other
combustible materials. The heat from your vehicle
exhaust system could cause a fire.
WARNING!
Always wear your seat belt and firmly tie down
cargo. Unsecured cargo can become projectiles in an
off-road situation.When To Use Low RangeWhen driving off-road, shift into 4L (Low Range) for
additional traction or to improve handling and control on
slippery or difficult terrain. Due to the lower gearing, low
range will allow the engine to operate in a higher power
288 STARTING AND OPERATING

and over-wrapped when slackened, leading to wire rope
damage. To prevent losing the end, hold the hook strap
while you work.
6. Secure to the anchor point. Once you have established
your anchor point, secure the tree-trunk protector or
choker-chain around the object.
CAUTION!
Always be certain the anchor you select will with-
stand the load.
Tree Trunk Protector
318 STARTING AND OPERATING

NOTE: How to choose an anchor point:A secure
anchor is critical to winching operations. An anchor must
be strong enough to hold while winching. Natural an-
chors include trees, stumps and rocks. Hook the cable as
low as possible. If no natural anchors are available when
recovering another vehicle, your vehicle becomes the
anchor point. In this case, be sure to put the transmission
in NEUTRAL, apply the hand brake and block its wheels
to prevent your vehicle from moving. Ideally, you’ll want
an anchor point that will enable you to pull straight in the
direction the vehicle will move. This allows the wire rope
to wind tightly and evenly onto the spooling drum. An
anchor point as far away as possible will provide the
winch with its greatest pulling power.
7. Attach the Clevis/D-shackle and Tree Trunk Protector.
Attach the shackle to the two ends of the strap or chain
and through the hook loop, being careful not to over
tighten (tighten and back-off 1/2 turn). 8. Lock the clutch. Lock the winch drum by rotating the
clutch lever on the winch to engage.
NOTE:
Always ensure the clutch is fully engaged or
disengaged.
Clevis/D-Shackles
STARTING AND OPERATING 319
5

9. Connect the remote control to the winch control box,
located behind the front bumper. Be careful not to let the
remote control cord dangle in front of the winch. If you
choose to control the winch from inside your vehicle,
always pass the remote through a window to avoid
pinching the cord in the door. Always disconnect the
remote control when not in use.10. Put wire rope under tension. Using the remote con-
trol switch, slowly wind the wire rope until no slack
remains. Once the wire rope is under tension, stand well
clear of it and never step over it.
11. Check your anchor. Make sure all connections are
secured and free of debris before continuing with the
winching procedure.320 STARTING AND OPERATING