spare wheel Ram 1500 2009 Owner's Manual

Safety Checks You Should Make Inside the
Vehicle
Seat Belts
Inspect the belt system periodically, checking for cuts,
frays, and loose parts. Damaged parts must be replaced
immediately. Do not disassemble or modify the system.
Front seat belt assemblies must be replaced after a
collision. Rear seat belt assemblies must be replaced after
a collision if they have been damaged (i.e., bent retractor,
torn webbing, etc.). If there is any question regarding belt
or retractor condition, replace the belt.
Airbag Warning Light
The light should come on and remain on for six to eight
seconds as a bulb check when the ignition switch is first
turned ON. If the light is not lit during starting, see your
authorized dealer. If the light stays on, flickers, or comes
on while driving, have the system checked by an autho-
rized dealer.
Defroster
Check operation by selecting the defrost mode and place
the blower control on high speed. You should be able to
feel the air directed against the windshield. See your
authorized dealer for service if your defroster is
inoperable.
Periodic Safety Checks You Should Make Outside
the Vehicle
Tires
Examine tires for excessive tread wear and uneven wear
patterns. Check for stones, nails, glass, or other objects
lodged in the tread. Inspect the tread and sidewall for
cuts and cracks. Check the wheel nuts for tightness.
Check the tires (including spare) for proper pressure.
84 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Tire Pressure Monitoring Low Pressure Warnings
The Tire Pressure Monitoring Telltale Lamp will
illuminate in the instrument cluster, and an au-
dible chime will be activated when one or more of
the four active road tire pressures are low. Should this
occur, you should stop as soon as possible, check the
inflation pressure of each tire on your vehicle and inflate
each tire to the vehicle’s recommended cold placard
pressure value. The system will automatically update
and the Tire Pressure Monitoring Lamp will extinguish
once the updated tire pressures have been received. The
vehicle may need to be driven for up to 20 minutes above
15 mph (25 km/h) to receive this information.
Check TPMS Warnings
The “Tire Pressure Monitoring Telltale Light” located in
the instrument cluster will flash on and off for 75 seconds
and will remain on solid when a system fault is detected.
The system fault will also sound a chime. If the ignition key is cycled, this sequence will repeat, providing the
system fault still exists. A system fault can occur by any
of the following scenarios:
1. Signal interference due to electronic devices or driving
next to facilities emitting the same radio frequencies as
the TPMS sensors.
2. Installing aftermarket window tinting that affects ra-
dio wave signals.
3. Accumulation of snow or ice around the wheels or
wheel housings.
4. Using tire chains on the vehicle.
5. Using wheels/tires not equipped with TPM sensors.
6. Loss of communication with the tire pressure moni-
toring sensors.
NOTE: Your vehicle is equipped with a non-matching
full size spare wheel and tire assembly.
384 STARTING AND OPERATING

WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES
CONTENTS
Hazard Warning Flasher ................ 420
 Jacking And Tire Changing ............... 420
▫ Jack Location ....................... 421
▫ Removing The Spare Tire ............... 426
▫ Preparations ........................ 427
▫ Instructions ........................ 428
 Hoisting ............................ 433 
Jump-Starting Procedures ................ 433
▫ With Portable Starting Unit ............. 435
 Freeing A Stuck Vehicle ................. 436
 Emergency Tow Hooks — If Equipped ...... 437
 Towing A Disabled Vehicle ............... 437
▫ 4-Wheel Drive Vehicles ................ 438
▫ 2-Wheel Drive Vehicles ................ 438
6

Removing The Spare Tire
Remove the spare tire before attempting to jack up the
truck. Attach the wheel wrench to the jack extension tube.
Insert the tube through the access hole between the lower
tailgate and the top of the bumper and into the winch
mechanism tube. Rotate the wheel wrench handle coun-
terclockwise until the spare tire is on the ground with
enough cable slack to allow you to pull it out from under
the vehicle. When the spare is clear, tilt the retainer at the
end of the cable and pull it through the center of the
wheel.It is recommended that you stow the flat or spare to
avoid tangling the loose cable.
1 — Lower
2 — Raise
426 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

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.
•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.
•Do not let anyone sit in the vehicle when it is on a
jack.(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Do not get under the vehicle when it is on a jack.
•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.
•Turn on the Hazard Warning flasher.
1. Remove the spare wheel, jack, and tools from storage.
Jack Warning Label
428 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

•For all trucks, when changing a rear wheel, as-
semble the jack drive tube to the jack and connect
the drive tube to the extension tube. Place the jack
under the axle between the wheel and the shock
bracket with the drive tubes extending to the rear.•Connect the jack tube extension and wheel wrench.
Before raising the wheel off the ground, make sure
that the jack will not damage surrounding truck
parts and adjust the jack position as required.
4. Raise the vehicle until the wheel just clears the surface,
by rotating the wheel wrench clockwise
WARNING!
Raising the vehicle higher than necessary can make
the vehicle unstable and cause an accident. 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 wheel nuts toward the wheel. Lightly tighten the
Rear Jacking Location (All)
430 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

wheel nuts. To avoid the risk of forcing the vehicle off the
jack, do not fully tighten the wheel nuts until the vehicle
has been lowered.
6. Using the wheel wrench, finish tightening the wheel
nuts using a crisscross pattern. The correct wheel nut
tightness is 130 ft lbs (177 N·m) torque. 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. Al-
ways stow the jack parts and the extra tire and wheel
in the places provided.
7. Install the wheel center cap and remove the 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 bottle
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.
NOTE:
Do not oil wheel studs. For chrome wheels, do
not substitute with chrome plated wheel nuts.
Wheel Nuts
All wheel nuts should be tightened occasionally to elimi-
nate the possibility of wheel studs being sheared or the
bolt holes in the wheels becoming elongated. This is
especially important during the first few hundred miles/
kilometers of operation to allow the wheel nuts to
become properly set. All wheel nuts should first be firmly
seated against the wheel. The wheel nuts should then be
tightened to recommended torque. Tighten the wheel
nuts to final torque in increments. Progress around the6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 431

bolt circle, tightening the wheel nut opposite to the wheel
nut just previously tightened until final torque is
achieved. Recommended torques are shown in the fol-
lowing chart.
Disc
WheelsNut Type Stud Size Torque
(Ft. Lbs.)Torque
(N•m)
Cone 9/16-18 110-150 160-200
To Stow The Flat Or Spare
NOTE: Vehicles equipped with aluminum wheels can-
not be stored under the vehicle because the wheel
retainer will not fit through the wheel pilot hole. Secure
the flat tire in the bed of the truck. Have the flat tire
repaired or replaced immediately.
WARNING!
A loose tire thrown forward in a collision or hard
stop could injure the occupants in the vehicle. Have
the deflated (flat) tire repaired or replaced immedi-
ately.
Turn the wheel so that the valve stem is down. Slide the
wheel retainer through the center of the wheel and
position it properly across the wheel opening.
For convenience in checking the spare tire inflation, stow
with the valve stem toward the rear of the vehicle.
Attach the wheel wrench to the extension tube. Rotate the
winch mechanism until the wheel is drawn into place
against the underside of the vehicle. Continue to rotate
until you feel the winch mechanism slip or click three or
four times. It cannot be overtightened. Push against the
tire several times to be sure it is firmly in place.
432 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES