warning Ram 1500 2013 Owner's Manual

CAUTION!(Continued)
•Driving through standing water may cause damage
to your vehicle’s drivetrain components. Always
inspect your vehicle’s fluids (i.e., engine oil, trans-
mission, axle, etc.) for signs of contamination (i.e.,
fluid that is milky or foamy in appearance) after
driving through standing water. Do not continue to
operate the vehicle if any fluid appears contami-
nated, as this may result in further damage. Such
damage is not covered by the New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.
• Getting water inside your vehicle’s engine can
cause it to lock up and stall out, and cause serious
internal damage to the engine. Such damage is not
covered by the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
WARNING!
• Driving through standing water limits your vehi-
cle’s traction capabilities. Do not exceed 5 mph
(8 km/h) when driving through standing water.
• Driving through standing water limits your vehi-
cle’s braking capabilities, which increases stopping
distances. Therefore, after driving through stand-
ing water, drive slowly and lightly press on the
brake pedal several times to dry the brakes.
• Getting water inside your vehicle’s engine can
cause it to lock up and stall out, and leave you
stranded.
• Failure to follow these warnings may result in
injuries that are serious or fatal to you, your pas-
sengers, and others around you.
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•After extended operation in mud, sand, water, or
similar dirty conditions, have the radiator, fan, brake
rotors, wheels, brake linings, and axle yokes inspected
and cleaned as soon as possible.
WARNING!
Abrasive material in any part of the brakes may cause
excessive wear or unpredictable braking. You might
not have full braking power when you need it to
prevent a collision. If you have been operating your
vehicle in dirty conditions, get your brakes checked
and cleaned as necessary.
• If you experience unusual vibration after driving in
mud, slush or similar conditions, check the wheels for
impacted material. Impacted material can cause a
wheel imbalance and freeing the wheels of it will
correct the situation.
WINCH USAGE (POWER WAGON ONLY) — IF
EQUIPPED
Things To Know Before Using Your Winch
General Winch Information
Your vehicle is equipped with an electric vehicle recovery
winch. This winch uses the electrical power from the
vehicle charging system to power a motor that winds
wire rope into the winch drum via planetary gear reduc-
tion. By nature, a winch is capable of generating very
high forces and should be used with care. Do not operate
the winch without reading and understanding the com-
plete winch owner’s manual.
Tensioning The Wire Rope
The winch rope must be properly tensioned before use.
Follow the instructions below to tension the rope:
1. Un-spool the wire rope leaving five wraps of rope on the winch drum.
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Clevis/D-Shackles:The
D-Shackle is a safe means of
connecting the looped ends of
cables, straps and snatch
blocks. The shackle’s pin is
threaded to allow easy re-
moval. Tree Trunk Protector:
Typi-
cally made of tough, high-
quality nylon, it provides the
operator an attachment point
for the winch rope to a wide
variety of anchor points and
objects, as well as protect liv-
ing trees.
Operating Your Winch
WARNING!
Failure to observe any of these warnings regarding
proper winch usage may result in severe injury.
(Continued)
450 STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING!(Continued)
•Always use supplied hook strap to hold the hook
when spooling wire rope in or out.
• Never use as a hoist.
• Never use to move persons.
• Never exceed winch or wire rope rated capacity.
• Always wear heavy leather gloves when handling
the wire rope.
• Never touch wire rope or hook while in tension or
under load.
• Never engage or disengage clutch if winch is under
load, wire rope is in tension, or wire rope drum is
moving.
• Always stand clear of wire rope and load and keep
others away during winching.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Always keep hands and clothing clear of the wire
rope, hook and fairlead opening during operation
and when spooling.
• Never wrap wire rope back onto itself. Always use
a choker chain, wire choker rope or tree trunk
protector on the anchor.
• Never attach a recovery strap to the winch hook to
increase the length of a pull.
• Never attempt to tow a vehicle with the recovery
strap attached directly to the winch hook.
• Never use bungeestraps that develop tremendous
and potentially dangerous amounts of force when
stretched.
• Always disconnect the remote control when not in
use.
(Continued)
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WARNING!(Continued)
•Never winch when there are less than five wraps of
wire rope around the winch drum.
• Always pass remote control through a window to
avoid pinching lead in door, then using remote
inside a vehicle.
• Never leave the remote control plugged into the
winch while free spooling, rigging or sitting idle.
General Information
Practice using your winch before you get stuck. Some key
points to remember when using your winch are:
1. Always take your time to assess the situation and plan your pull carefully.
2. Always take your time when using a winch.
3. Use the right equipment for the situation. 4. Always wear leather gloves and do not allow the wire
rope to slip through your hands when handling the
rope.
5. Only the operator should handle the wire rope and remote control.
6. Think safety at all times.
Vehicle Recovery Using The Winch
CAUTION!
• Always Know Your Winch: Take the time to fully
read and understand the included Installation and
Operations Guide, and Basic Guide to Winching
Techniques, in order to understand your winch and
the winching operation.
(Continued)
452 STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING!
To prevent serious injury, NEVER put your fingers
inside the hook area as you are powering-in.NOTE: How to spool under no load:
Arrange the re-
mote control lead so it cannot be caught in the winch.
Arrange the wire rope so it will not kink or tangle when
spooled. Be sure any wire rope already on the spooling
drum is wound tightly and evenly layered. Tighten and
straighten the layer if necessary. Keep the wire rope
under light tension and spool the wire rope back and
onto the winch drum in even layers. Stop frequently to
tighten and straighten the layers as necessary. Repeat this
process until the winch hook is the same distance as the
full length of the remote control from the winch. Pinch
the hook between your thumb and forefinger and attach
the hook strap. Hold the hook strap between the thumb
and forefinger to keep tension on the wire rope. Walk the
wire rope towards the fairlead, carefully spooling in the
remaining wire rope. By pulsing the remote control
switch.
462 STARTING AND OPERATING

If for some reason the power assist is interrupted, it will
still be possible to steer your vehicle. Under these condi-
tions, you will observe a substantial increase in steering
effort, especially at very low vehicle speeds and during
parking maneuvers.
NOTE:
•Increased noise levels at the end of the steering wheel
travel are considered normal and do not indicate that
there is a problem with the power steering system.
• Upon initial start-up in cold weather, the power steer-
ing pump may make noise for a short amount of time.
This is due to the cold, thick fluid in the steering
system. This noise should be considered normal, and it
does not in any way damage the steering system.WARNING!
Continued operation with reduced power steering
assist could pose a safety risk to yourself and others.
Service should be obtained as soon as possible.
CAUTION!
Prolonged operation of the steering system at the end
of the steering wheel travel will increase the steering
fluid temperature and it should be avoided when
possible. Damage to the power steering pump may
occur.
466 STARTING AND OPERATING

FUEL SAVER TECHNOLOGY 5.7L ENGINE ONLY
– IF EQUIPPED
This feature offers improved fuel economy by shutting
off four of the engine’s eight cylinders during light load
and cruise conditions. The system is automatic with no
driver inputs or additional driving skills required.
NOTE:This system may take some time to return to full
functionality after a battery disconnect.
PARKING BRAKE
Before leaving the vehicle, make sure that the parking
brake is fully applied. Also, be certain to leave the
transmission in PARK.
The foot operated parking brake is located below the
lower left corner of the instrument panel. To apply the
park brake, firmly push the park brake pedal fully. To
release the parking brake, pull the parking brake release
handle. When the parking brake is applied with the ignition
switch ON, the “Brake Warning Light” in the instrument
cluster will illuminate.Parking Brake Release
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STARTING AND OPERATING 467

NOTE:
•When the parking brake is applied and the transmis-
sion is placed in gear, the “Brake Warning Light” will
flash. If vehicle speed is detected, a chime will sound
to alert the driver. Fully release the parking brake
before attempting to move the vehicle.
• This light only shows that the parking brake is ap-
plied. It does not show the degree of brake application.
When parking on a hill, it is important to turn the front
wheels toward the curb on a downhill grade and away
from the curb on an uphill grade. Apply the parking
brake before placing the shift lever in PARK, otherwise
the load on the transmission locking mechanism may
make it difficult to move the shift lever out of PARK. The
parking brake should always be applied whenever the
driver is not in the vehicle.WARNING!
• Never use the PARK position as a substitute for the
parking brake. Always apply the parking brake
fully when parked to guard against vehicle move-
ment and possible injury or damage.
• Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked 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 fob in or near the vehicle (or
in a location accessible to children, and do not
leave a vehicle equipped with Keyless Enter-N-Go
in the ACC or ON/RUN mode). A child could
operate power windows, other controls, or move
the vehicle.
(Continued)
468 STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING!(Continued)
•Be sure the parking brake is fully disengaged
before driving; failure to do so can lead to brake
failure and a collision.
• Always fully apply the parking brake when leav-
ing your vehicle or it may roll and cause damage or
injury. Also, be certain to leave the transmission in
PARK. Failure to do so may cause the vehicle to roll
and cause damage or injury.
CAUTION!
If the Brake System Warning Light remains on with
the parking brake released, a brake system malfunc-
tion is indicated. Have the brake system serviced by
an authorized dealer immediately.
BRAKE SYSTEM
If power assist is lost for any reason (for example,
repeated brake applications with the engine off), the
brakes will still function. However, you will experience a
substantial increase in braking effort to stop the vehicle.
If either the front or rear hydraulic system loses normal
braking capability, the remaining system will still func-
tion with some loss of overall braking effectiveness. This
will be evident by increased pedal travel during applica-
tion, greater pedal force required to slow or stop, and
activation of the “Brake Warning Light” and the “ABS
Warning Light” (if equipped) during brake use.
3500 Dual Rear Wheel Models Only
The brake system power assist is provided by a hydro-
boost unit which shares fluid with the power steering
system. You may experience some clicking or hissing
noises from the hydro-boost system during hard braking
conditions.
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