Ram 1500 2013 Get to Know Guide 

Once the engine is started, remove the jumper cables in the reverse sequence:
• Disconnect the negative(-)jumper cable from the engine ground of the vehicle
with the discharged battery.
• Disconnect the negative end (-)of the jumper cable from the negative (-)post of
the booster battery.
• Disconnect the opposite end of the positive (+)jumper cable from the positive (+)
post of the booster battery.
• Disconnect the positive (+)end of the jumper cable from the positive (+)post of
the discharged vehicle.
• If frequent jump-starting is required to start your vehicle you should have the battery and charging system inspected at your authorized dealer.
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.
• Failure to follow these procedures could result in damage to the charging system of the booster vehicle or the discharged vehicle.
•
Accessories that can be plugged into the vehicle power outlets draw power from
the vehicle’s battery, even when not in use (i.e., cellular phones, etc.). Eventually,
if plugged in long enough, the vehicle’s battery will discharge sufficiently to
degrade battery life and/or prevent the engine from starting.
WARNING!
• When temperatures are below the freezing point, electrolyte in a discharged battery may freeze. Do not attempt jump-starting because the battery could
rupture or explode and cause personal injury. Battery temperature must be
brought above the freezing point before attempting a jump-start.
•
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.
• Remove any metal jewelry, such as watch bands or bracelets, that might make an inadvertent electrical contact. You could be severely 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.
• Do not allow vehicles to touch each other as this could establish a ground
connection and personal injury could result.
• Failure to follow this procedure could result in personal injury or property
damage due to battery explosion.
• Do not connect the 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.
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149

EMERGENCY TOW HOOKS
• If your vehicle is equipped with tow hooks, they are mounted in the front.
• For off-road recovery, it is recommended to use both of the front tow hooks tominimize the risk of damage to the vehicle.
CAUTION!
Tow hooks are for emergency use only, to rescue a vehicle stranded off-road. Do not
use tow hooks for tow truck hookup or highway towing. You could damage your
vehicle. Tow straps are recommended when towing the vehicle; chains may cause
vehicle damage.
WARNING!
• Chains are not recommended for freeing a stuck vehicle. Chains may break,
causing serious injury or death.
• Stand clear of vehicles when pulling with tow hooks. Tow straps and chains may
break, causing serious injury.
SHIFT LEVER OVERRIDE
• If a malfunction occurs and the shift lever cannot be moved out of the PARKposition, you can use the following procedure to temporarily move the shift lever.
• Have your vehicle inspected by your local authorized dealer immediately if the shift lever override has been used.
Column Shifter
•
Tilt the steering wheel to the full up
position and firmly set the parking brake.
•Turn the Key Fob to the ACC or ON/RUN
position without starting the engine.
•Press and maintain firm pressure on the
brake pedal.
• Using a screwdriver, press and hold the override tab through the access
port (ringed circle) on the bottom of
the steering column.
• Move the shift lever into the NEUTRAL position and start the vehicle.
• Release the parking brake.
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Center Console Shifter
• Firmly set the parking brake.
•
Turn the Key Fob to the ACC or ON/RUN
position without starting the engine.
• Press and maintain firm pressure on the brake pedal.
• Using a screwdriver, press and hold the override tab through the access
port on the center console.
• Move the shift lever into the NEUTRAL position and start the vehicle.
• Release the parking brake.
MANUAL PARK RELEASE — EIGHT SPEED TRANSMISSION
• In order to push or tow the vehicle in cases where the transmission will not shift out of PARK (such as a dead battery), a Manual Park Release is available.
• Follow these steps to use the Manual Park Release: • Firmly apply the parking brake.
• Using a small screwdriver or similar tool, remove the Manual Park Release
access cover, which is just above the parking brake release handle, below and to
the left of the steering column.
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• Using the screwdriver or similar tool, push the Manual Park Release leverlocking tab (just below the middle of the lever) to the right.
• While holding the locking tab in the disengaged position, pull the tether
strap to rotate the lever rearward,
until it locks in place pointing to-
wards the driver's seat. Release the
locking tab and verify that the
Manual Park Release lever is locked
in the released position.
• The vehicle is now out of PARK and can be towed. Release the parking
brake only when the vehicle is se-
curely connected to a tow vehicle.
To Reset The Manual Park Release:
• Push the locking tab to the right, to unlock the lever.
• Rotate the Manual Park Release lever forward to its original position, until
the locking tab snaps into place to
secure the lever.
• Pull gently on the tether strap to con- firm that the lever is locked in its
stowed position.
• Re-install the access cover.
WARNING!
Always secure your vehicle by fully applying the parking brake, before activating
the Manual Park Release. Activating the Manual Park Release will allow your
vehicle to roll away if it is not secured by the parking brake or by proper connection
to a tow vehicle. Activating the Manual Park Release on an unsecured vehicle
could lead to serious injury or death for those in or around the vehicle.
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TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE
Towing Condition Wheels OFF the Ground2WD Models4WD Models
Flat Tow NONEIf transmission is operable:
• Transmission in NEUTRAL
• 30 mph (48 km/h) max
• 15 miles (24 km) maxdistance •
Auto Transmission in PARK
• Manual Transmission in gear
(NOT NEUTRAL)
• Transfer Case in NEUTRAL
• Tow in FORWARD direction
Wheel Lift or Dolly Tow Front
NOT ALLOWED
Rear OK
NOT ALLOWED
Flatbed ALL
BEST METHOD BEST METHOD
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153

FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE
• If your vehicle becomes stuck in mud, sand or snow, it can often be moved by arocking motion. Turn your steering wheel right and left to clear the area around the
front wheels. Then, move the shift lever back and forth between REVERSE and
DRIVE. Using minimal accelerator pedal pressure to maintain the rocking motion,
without spinning the wheels, is most effective.
• Allow the engine to idle with the transmission shift lever in NEUTRAL for at least one minute after every five rocking-motion cycles. This will minimize overheating
and reduce the risk of transmission failure during prolonged efforts to free a stuck
vehicle.
NOTE:
If your vehicle is equipped with Electronic Stability Control (ESC) then press the
"ESC Off" switch, to place the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system in "Partial
Off" mode, before rocking the vehicle.
CAUTION!
Revving the engine or spinning the wheels too fast may lead to transmission
overheating and failure. It can also damage the tires. Do not spin the wheels above
30 mph (48 km/h) while in gear (no transmission shifting occurring).
WARNING!
Fast spinning tires can be dangerous. Forces generated by excessive wheel speeds
may cause tire damage or failure. A tire could explode and injure someone. Do not
spin your vehicle's wheels faster than 30 mph (48 km/h) when you are stuck. Do
not let anyone near a spinning wheel, no matter what the speed.
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EVENT DATA RECORDER (EDR)
•This vehicle is equipped with an Event Data Recorder (EDR). The main purpose of an
EDR is to record, in certain crash or near crash-like situations, such as an air bag
deployment or hitting a road obstacle, data that will assist in understanding how a
vehicle’s systems performed. The EDR is designed to record data related to vehicle
dynamics and safety systems for a short period of time, typically 30 seconds or less.
The EDR in this vehicle is designed to record such data as:
• How various systems in your vehicle were operating.
• Whether or not the driver and passenger safety belts were buckled/fastened.
• How far (if at all) the driver was depressing the accelerator and/or brake pedal.
• How fast the vehicle was traveling.
• These data can help provide a better understanding of the circumstances in which crashes and injuries occur.
NOTE:
EDR data are recorded by your vehicle only if a non-trivial crash situation occurs; no
data are recorded by the EDR under normal driving conditions and no personal data
(e.g. name, gender, age, and crash location) are recorded. However, other parties,
such as law enforcement, could combine the EDR data with the type of personally
identifying data routinely acquired during a crash investigation.
• To read data recorded by an EDR, special equipment is required, and access to the vehicle or the EDR is needed. In addition to the vehicle manufacturer, other parties
such as law enforcement, that have the special equipment, can read the informa-
tion if they have access to the vehicle or the EDR.
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OPENING THE HOOD
• Pull the hood release lever locatedbelow the steering wheel at the base of
the instrument panel.
• Reach into the opening beneath the center of the hood and move the safety
latch lever while lifting the hood at the
same time.
WARNING!
Be sure the hood is fully latched before driving your vehicle. If the hood is not fully
latched, it could open when the vehicle is in motion and block your vision. Failure
to follow this warning could result in serious injury or death.
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE
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ENGINE COMPARTMENT3.6L Engine
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE
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4.7L Engine
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE
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