tow Ram 1500 2014 Owner's Manual

WARNING!(Continued)
the parking brake. The transfer case NEUTRAL (N)
position disengages both the front and rear drive-
shafts from the powertrain and will allow the vehicle
to move, even if the transmission is in PARK. The
parking brake should always be applied when the
driver is not in the vehicle.
CAUTION!
It is necessary to follow these steps to be certain that
the transfer case is fully in NEUTRAL (N) before
recreational towing to prevent damage to internal
parts.
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop, with the engine running. Firmly apply the parking brake.
2. Shift the transmission to NEUTRAL. 3. Press and hold the brake pedal.
4. Depress the clutch pedal on a manual transmission.
5. If the transfer case is in 4WD AUTO (if equipped),
press a selector button or rotate the selector switch to
shift the transfer case into the 2WD or 4WD LOCK
position.
• With manual shift transfer case, shift the transfer
case lever into NEUTRAL (N).
• With electronic shift transfer case, press and hold the
transfer case NEUTRAL (N) button. Some models
have a small, recessed Nbutton (at the center of the
transfer case switches) that must be pressed using a
ballpoint pen or similar object. Other models have a
rectangular NEUTRAL switch, below the rotary
transfer case control knob. The NEUTRAL (N) indi-
cator light will blink while the shift is in progress.
The light will stop blinking (stay on solid) when the
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 621

shift to NEUTRAL (N) is complete. After the shift is
completed and the NEUTRAL (N) light stays on,
release the NEUTRAL (N) button.
6. Release the parking brake.
7. Shift the transmission into REVERSE.
8. Release the brake pedal (and clutch pedal on manual transmissions) for five seconds and ensure that there is
no vehicle movement.
9. Repeat steps 7 and 8 with automatic transmission in DRIVE or manual transmission in first gear.
10. Shift the transmission to NEUTRAL. Firmly apply the parking brake. Turn OFF the engine. For vehicles
with Keyless Enter-N-Go™, press and hold the EN-
GINE START/STOP button until the engine shuts off. 11. Shift the transmission into PARK or place manual
transmission in gear (NOT in Neutral). On 8-speed
transmissions the shifter will automatically select
PARK when the engine is turned off.
12. Turn the ignition switch to the OFF position, then cycle the key or the Keyless Enter-N-Go™ button to
the RUN position and back to the OFF position.
13. Attach the vehicle to the tow vehicle using a suitable tow bar.
14. Release the parking brake.
NOTE: With electronic shift transfer case:
• Steps 2 through 4 are requirements that must be met
prior to pressing the NEUTRAL (N) button, and must
continue to be met until the shift has been completed.
If any of these requirements are not met prior to
pressing the NEUTRAL (N) button or are no longer
met during the shift, the NEUTRAL (N) indicator light
622 STARTING AND OPERATING

will flash continuously until all requirements are met
or until the NEUTRAL (N) button is released.
• The ignition switch must be in the ON/RUN position
for a shift to take place and for the position indicator
lights to be operable. If the ignition switch is not in the
ON/RUN position, the shift will not take place and no
position indicator lights will be on or flashing.
• A flashing NEUTRAL (N) position indicator light
indicates that shift requirements have not been met.Shifting Out Of NEUTRAL (N)
Use the following procedure to prepare your vehicle for
normal usage.
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop, leaving it con- nected to the tow vehicle.
2. Firmly apply the parking brake.
3. Press and hold the brake pedal.
4. Start the engine. Shift the transmission into NEU- TRAL. Depress the clutch pedal on a manual trans-
mission.
• With manual shift transfer case, shift the transfer
case lever to the desired position.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 623

•With electronic shift transfer case with rotary selector
switch, press and hold the transfer case NEUTRAL
(N) button until the NEUTRAL (N) indicator light
turns off. After the NEUTRAL (N) indicator light
turns off, release the NEUTRAL (N) button. After the
NEUTRAL (N) button has been released, the transfer
case will shift to the position indicated by the selec-
tor switch.
• With electronic shift transfer case with pushbutton
selector switch, press and hold the switch for the
desired transfer case position, until the NEUTRAL
(N) indicator light turns off and the desired position
indicator light turns on. NOTE:
When shifting out of transfer case NEUTRAL (N),
turning the engine OFF is not required, but may be
helpful to avoid gear clash. With the 8-speed automatic
transmission, the engine must remain running, since
turning the engine OFF will shift the transmission to
PARK (and the transmission must be in NEUTRAL for
the transfer case to shift out of NEUTRAL).
5. Turn the engine OFF. Shift automatic transmission into PARK. On 8-speed transmissions the shifter will auto-
matically select PARK when the engine is turned off.
6. Release the brake pedal (and clutch pedal on a manual transmission).
7. Disconnect vehicle from the tow vehicle.
8. Start the engine.
9. Press and hold the brake pedal.
10. Release the parking brake.
624 STARTING AND OPERATING

WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES
CONTENTS
HAZARD WARNING FLASHERS ...........629
 IF YOUR ENGINE OVERHEATS ............629
 WHEEL AND TIRE TORQUE
SPECIFICATIONS ..................... .630
▫ Torque Specifications ..................631
 JACKING AND TIRE CHANGING ..........633
▫
Jacking And Tire Changing 1500 Series Trucks . .633
▫ Jacking And Tire Changing 2500 And 3500 Series
Trucks ............................ .651
HOISTING .......................... .671
 JUMP-STARTING PROCEDURES ...........671
▫ Preparations For Jump-Start ..............672
▫ Jump-Starting Procedure ................673
 FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE .............675
 EMERGENCY TOW HOOKS — IF EQUIPPED . .677
 SHIFT LEVER OVERRIDE ................678
▫ Column Shifter — If Equipped ............678
▫ Center Console Shifter — If Equipped .......679
6

MANUAL PARK RELEASE — 8 SPEED
TRANSMISSION ...................... .680
 TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE ...........682▫
Two-Wheel Drive Models ................684
▫ Four-Wheel Drive Models ................685
628 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

Information Center (EVIC)” in “Understanding Your
Instrument Panel” for further information.
Jack Location
The jack and jack tools are stored under the front
passenger seat.
Removal Of Jack And Tools (1500 Series)
To access the jack and jack tools you must remove the
plastic access cover, located on the side of the front
passengers seat. To remove the cover, pull the front part
of the cover (closest to the front of the seat) toward you
to release a locking tab. Once the front of the cover is
loose, slide the cover toward the front of the seat until it
is free from the seat frame.Remove the jack and tools by turning the wing bolt
counterclockwise, remove the wing bolt and then slide
the assembly out from under the seat.
Jack Access Cover
634 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

WARNING!(Continued)
•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. If
you need to get under a raised vehicle, take it to a
service center where it can be raised on a lift.
• 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.
CAUTION!
Do not attempt to raise the vehicle by jacking on
locations other than those indicated in the Jacking
Instructions for this vehicle.
1. Remove the spare wheel, jack, and tools from storage.
2. Using the wheel wrench, loosen, but do not remove, the wheel nuts by turning them counterclockwise one
turn while the wheel is still on the ground.
Jack Warning Label
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 641

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.
4. By rotating the lug 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. Install the
spare wheel and wheel nuts with the cone shaped end of
the wheel nuts toward the wheel. 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. Finish tightening the lug nuts. Push down on the
wrench while at the end of the handle for increased
leverage. Tighten the lug nuts in a star pattern until
each nut has been tightened twice. For the correct lug
nut torque refer to “Torque Specifications” in this
section. If in doubt about the correct tightness, have
them checked with a torque wrench by you authorized
dealer or service station.
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 645

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: 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.
1. Turn the wheel so that the valve stem is facing the ground 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.
646 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES