tow Ram 1500 2013 Owner's Manual

CAUTION!
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.
NOTE: 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.
4. By rotating the wheel wrench clockwise, raise the vehicle until the wheel just clears the surface.
WARNING!
Raising the vehicle higher than necessary can make
the vehicle unstable and cause a collision. 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. On
single rear-wheel (SRW) trucks, install the spare wheel
and wheel nuts with the cone shaped end of the wheel
nuts toward the wheel. On 3500 dual rear-wheel
models (DRW) the wheel nuts are a two-piece assem-
bly with a flat face. Lightly tighten the 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 lug wrench, finish tightening the wheel nuts using a crisscross pattern. The correct wheel nut
tightness for a cone type wheel nut is 120–140 ft lbs
(160–190 N·m) torque, for a flanged type wheel nut is
130–160 ft lbs (175–215 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.
602 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

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.
To Stow The Flat Or Spare
NOTE: Have the flat tire repaired or replaced immedi-
ately.
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.
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 603

1. Turn the wheel so that the valve stem is facing theground and toward the rear of the vehicle for conve-
nience in checking the spare tire inflation. Slide the
wheel retainer through the center of the wheel.
2. Lift the spare tire with one hand to give clearance to tilt the retainer at the end of the cable and position it
properly across the wheel opening. 3. Attach the wheel wrench to the jack extension tube
with the curved angle facing away from the vehicle.
Insert the tube through the access hole between the
lower tailgate and the top of the bumper and into the
winch mechanism tube.
604 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

EMERGENCY TOW HOOKS — IF EQUIPPED
Your vehicle may be equipped with emergency tow
hooks.
NOTE:For off-road recovery, it is recommended to use
both of the front tow hooks to minimize the risk of
damage to the vehicle.
WARNING!
• Do not use a chain for freeing a stuck vehicle.
Chains may break, causing serious injury or death.
• Stand clear of vehicles when pulling with tow
hooks. Tow straps may become disengaged, caus-
ing serious injury.
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.
SHIFT LEVER OVERRIDE
If a malfunction occurs and the shift lever cannot be
moved out of the PARK position, you can use one of the
following procedures to temporarily move the shift lever:
618 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

MANUAL PARK RELEASE — 8 SPEED
TRANSMISSION (3.6L Engine)
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.
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:
1. Firmly apply the parking brake.
Manual Park Release Pull Strap6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 621

2. Using a small screwdriver or similar tool, remove theManual Park Release access cover, which is just above
the parking brake release handle, below and to the left
of the steering column.
3. Using the screwdriver or similar tool, push the Manual Park Release lever locking tab (just below the
middle of the lever) to the right.
4. While holding the locking tab in the disengaged position, pull the tether strap to rotate the lever
rearward, until it locks in place pointing towards the
driver’s seat. Release the locking tab and verify that
the Manual Park Release lever is locked in the released
position. 5. The vehicle is now out of PARK and can be towed.
Release the parking brake only when the vehicle is
securely connected to a tow vehicle.
To Reset The Manual Park Release:
1. Push the locking tab to the right, to unlock the lever.
2. Rotate the Manual Park Release lever forward to its original position, until the locking tab snaps into place
to secure the lever.
3. Pull gently on the tether strap to confirm that the lever is locked in its stowed position.
4. Re-install the access cover.
622 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE
This section describes procedures for towing a disabled
vehicle using a commercial wrecker service. If the trans-
mission and drivetrain are operable, disabled vehicles
may also be towed as described under “Recreational
Towing” in the “Starting and Operating” section.NOTE:
Vehicles equipped with air suspension must be
lowered to the Park (lowest) level, and have automatic
leveling disabled, before tying them down (from the
body) on a trailer or flatbed truck. Refer to Air Suspen-
sion inStarting and Operating for more information. If
the vehicle cannot be lowered to the Park level (for
example, engine will not run), tie-downs must be fas-
tened to the axles (not to the body). Failure to follow
these instructions may cause fault codes to be set and/or
cause loss of proper tie-down tension.
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 623

Towing
Condition Wheels
OFF the Ground 2WD Models 4WD Models
Flat Tow NONE If transmission is operable:
•Transmission in NEUTRAL
• 30 mph (48 km/h) max speed
• 15 miles (24 km) maxdistance
(6–speed transmission)
• 30 miles (48 km) maxdistance
(8–speed transmission) See instructions in “Recreational Tow-
ing” under “Starting and Operating”
•
Auto Transmission in PARK
• Manual Transmission in gear ( NOT
NEUTRAL)
• Transfer Case in NEUTRAL
• To w i n forward direction
Wheel Lift or Dolly To w Front
NOT ALLOWED
Rear OK NOT ALLOWED
Flatbed ALL BEST METHOD BEST METHOD
Proper towing or lifting equipment is required to prevent
damage to your vehicle. Use only tow bars and other
equipment designed for this purpose, following equip-
ment manufacturer ’s instructions. Use of safety chains is mandatory. Attach a tow bar or other towing device to
main structural members of the vehicle, not to bumpers
or associated brackets. State and local laws regarding
vehicles under tow must be observed.
624 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

If you must use the accessories (wipers, defrosters, etc.)
while being towed, the ignition must be in the ON/RUN
position, not the ACC position.
If the key fob is unavailable or the vehicle’s battery is
discharged, see ”Manual Park Release” or “Shift Lever
Override” in “What To Do In Emergencies” for instruc-
tions on shifting the automatic transmission out of PARK
for towing.
CAUTION!
Do not use sling type equipment when towing.
When securing the vehicle to a flat bed truck, do not
attach to front or rear suspension components. Dam-
age to your vehicle may result from improper towing.
Two-Wheel Drive Models
The manufacturer recommends towing your vehicle with
all four wheelsOFFthe ground using a flatbed. If flatbed equipment is not available, and the transmis-
sion is operable, the vehicle may be towed (with rear
wheels on the ground) under the following conditions:
•
The transmission must be in NEUTRAL.
• The towing speed must not exceed 30 mph (48 km/h).
• The towing distance must not exceed 15 miles (24 km)
for 6-speed transmission, or 30 miles (48 km) for
8-speed transmission.
If the transmission is not operable, or the vehicle must be
towed faster than 30 mph (48 km/h) or farther than 15
miles (24 km), for 6-speed transmission, or 30 miles
(48 km) for 8-speed transmission, tow with the rear
wheels OFFthe ground. Acceptable methods are to tow
the vehicle on a flatbed, or with the front wheels raised
and the rear wheels on a towing dolly, or (when using a
suitable steering wheel stabilizer to hold the front wheels
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 625

in the straight position) with the rear wheels raised and
the front wheels on the ground.
CAUTION!
Towing this vehicle in violation of the above require-
ments can cause severe transmission damage. Dam-
age from improper towing is not covered under the
New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Four-Wheel Drive Models
The manufacturer recommends towing with all wheels
OFFthe ground. Acceptable methods are to tow the
vehicle on a flatbed or with one end of vehicle raised and
the opposite end on a towing dolly.
If flatbed equipment is not available, and the transfer
case is operable, the vehicle may be towed (in the
forward direction, with ALLwheels on the ground), IFthe transfer case is in NEUTRAL (N) and the transmis-
sion is in
PARK(for automatic transmissions) or in gear
(NOT in Neutral, for manual transmissions). Refer to
“Recreational Towing” in “Starting And Operating” for
detailed instructions.
CAUTION!
• Front or rear wheel lifts must not be used. Internal
damage to the transmission or transfer case will
occur if a front or rear wheel lift is used when
towing.
• Towing this vehicle in violation of the above re-
quirements can cause severe transmission and/or
transfer case damage. Damage from improper tow-
ing is not covered under the New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.
626 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES