engine Ram 1500 2013 Get to Know Guide 

IF YOUR ENGINE OVERHEATS
• In any of the following situations, you can reduce the potential for overheating bytaking the appropriate action.
• On the highways — slow down.
• In city traffic — while stopped, place the transmission in NEUTRAL, but do not increase engine idle speed.
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.
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.
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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 an authorized dealer where it can be raised on a lift.
• The jack is designed to be used as a tool for changing tires only. The jackshould 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.
• 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.
• 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 flashers.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Raising the vehicle higher than necessary can make the vehicle less stable. It
could slip off the jack and hurt someone near it. Raise the vehicle only enough
to remove the tire.
• To avoid the risk of forcing the vehicle off the jack, do not fully tighten the
wheel bolts until the vehicle has been lowered. Failure to follow this warning
may result in personal injury.
• To avoid possible personal injury, handle the wheel covers with care to avoid
contact with any sharp edges.
•
A loose tire or jack thrown forward in a collision or hard stop could endanger the
occupants of the vehicle. Always stow the jack parts and the spare tire in the
places provided.
•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 immediately.
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JUMP-STARTING
• If your vehicle has a discharged bat-tery it can be jump-started using a set
of jumper cables and a battery in an-
other vehicle or by using a portable
battery booster pack.
•
Jump-starting can be dangerous if done
improperly so please follow the proce-
dures in this section carefully.
NOTE:
When using a portable battery booster
pack follow the manufacturer’s operating
instructions and precautions.
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 is covered with a protective cap. Lift up on the cap to gain
access to the positive battery post.
• Set the parking brake, shift the automatic transmission into PARK and turn the ignition to OFF.
• Turn off the heater, radio, and all unnecessary electrical accessories.
• 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.
Jump-Starting Procedure
• Connect the positive (+)end of the jumper cable to the positive (+)post of the
discharged vehicle.
• Connect the opposite end of the positive (+)jumper cable to the positive (+)post
of the booster battery.
• Connect the negative end (-)of the jumper cable to the negative (-)post of the
booster battery.
• 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.
• 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.
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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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150

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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151

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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ENGINE COMPARTMENT3.6L Engine
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE
157

4.7L Engine
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE
158

5.7L ENGINE
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE
159