all Ram 1500 2016 Owner's Manual

will supply maximum traction. When starting with only
one rear wheel on an excessively slippery surface, slight
momentary application of the parking brake may be
necessary to gain maximum traction.
WARNING!
On vehicles equipped with a limited-slip differential
never run the engine with one rear wheel off the
ground since the vehicle may drive through the rear
wheel remaining on the ground. You could lose
control of the vehicle.
Care should be taken to avoid sudden accelerations when
both rear wheels are on a slippery surface. This could
cause both rear wheels to spin, and allow the vehicle to
slide sideways on the crowned surface of a road or in a
turn.
DRIVING ON SLIPPERY SURFACES
Acceleration
Rapid acceleration on snow covered, wet, or other slip-
pery surfaces may cause the driving wheels to pull
erratically to the right or left. This phenomenon occurs
when there is a difference in the surface traction under
the rear (driving) wheels.
WARNING!
Rapid acceleration on slippery surfaces is dangerous.
Unequal traction can cause sudden pulling of the rear
wheels. You could lose control of the vehicle and
possibly have a collision. Accelerate slowly and
carefully whenever there is likely to be poor traction
(ice, snow, wet mud, loose sand, etc.).
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WARNING!(Continued)
your vehicle away swiftly. Failure to follow this
warning may result in injuries that are serious or
fatal to you, your passengers, and others around you.
Shallow Standing Water
Although your vehicle is capable of driving through
shallow standing water, consider the following Cautions
and Warnings before doing so.
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
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
distances. Therefore, after driving through stand-
ing water, drive slowly and lightly press on the
brake pedal several times to dry the brakes.
•Failure to follow these warnings may result in
injuries that are serious or fatal to you, your pas-
sengers, and others around you.
CAUTION!
•Always check the depth of the standing water
before driving through it. Never drive through
standing water that is deeper than the bottom of
the tire rims mounted on the vehicle.
•Determine the condition of the road or the path
that is under water and if there are any obstacles in
the way before driving through the standing water.
(Continued)
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CAUTION!(Continued)
•Do not exceed 5 mph (8 km/h) when driving
through standing water. This will minimize wave
effects.
•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.
OFF-ROAD DRIVING TIPS
Care should be taken when attempting to climb steep
hills or driving diagonally across a hill or slope. If natural
obstacles force you to travel diagonally up or down a hill,
choose a mild angle and keep as little side tilt as possible.
Keep the vehicle moving and make turns slowly and
cautiously.
If you must back down a hill, back straight down using
REVERSE gear. Never back down in NEUTRAL or diago-
nally across the hill.
When driving over sand, mud, and other soft terrain,
shift to low gear and drive steadily. Apply the accelerator
slowly to avoid spinning the wheels.
Do not reduce the tire pressures for this type of driving.
After Driving Off-Road
Off-road operation puts more stress on your vehicle than
does most on-road driving. After going off-road, it is
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3. Apply at least 500 lbs (227 kg) of tension to the rope
while winding the rope. Always use care to ensure the
rope does not pile up on one side of the drum and is
neatly wound onto the drum.
CAUTION!
Wire rope must spool on the winch drum in the
direction indicated on the drum rotation decal on the
winch.
Low Voltage Interrupt
Your winch is equipped with a device that will interrupt
winch function if the vehicle charging system voltage
drops to a low level. The winch will not power-in or out
for 30 seconds if this device is tripped. If the interrupt is
tripped, the vehicle should be operated at high idle for a
few minutes to allow the vehicle charging system to
recover before continuing to winch.
Winch Motor Thermal Protection
Your winch is equipped with a thermal protection device
in the motor. If the winch is operated for an excessive
duration, the device may interrupt motor function to
protect the winch motor. During this time the winch will
power-out but will not power-in. Allow the winch motor
to cool for a few minutes before continuing to winch. The
winch will resume normal function once the motor cools.
594 STARTING AND OPERATING

1.Motor:The winch motor is powered by the vehicle
charging system and features a thermal protection
switch that automatically stops motor function in the
power-in direction if the motor gets too hot.
2.Remote Socket:The remote socket allows the remote
control to be attached to the control pack to allow the
winch to function.
3.Winch Drum With Integral Brake:The winch drum
allows the wire rope to be stored on the winch and
transmits force to the wire rope. The winch is
equipped with an integral brake that will stop rotation
of the winch drum if the winch motor is stopped.
4.3-Stage Planetary Gear Set:Provides balance between
speed and pulling power.
5.Wire Rope:The wire rope allows the winch to be
connected to an anchor to provide a pulling force.6.Clutch Lever:The clutch lever allows the winch drum
to be disconnected from the winch motor to allow the
wire rope to be pulled from the winch by hand.
7.Remote Control:The remote control provides the
interface between the winch operator and the winch.
The remote control provides the ability to power the
winch in, out, and stop the winch. To operate the
winch, the toggle switch is pressed down to power the
winch in and up to power the winch out. The winch
will stop if the switch is left in the neutral (center)
position.
CAUTION!
If not installed, the hook strap must be placed on the
hook.
Fairlead:The fairlead acts as a guide for the wire rope
and minimizes damage to the rope.
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Winch Accessories
The following accessories are necessary to attach the
winch to anchors, change direction of pull, and for safe
winching.
Gloves:
Wire rope, through use,
will developbarbswhich can
slice skin. It is extremely impor-
tant to wear protective gloves
while operating the winch or han-
dling the wire rope. Avoid loose
fitting clothes or anything that
could become entangled in the
wire rope and other moving parts.
Snatch/Block Pulley:Used prop-
erly, the multi-purpose snatch
block allows you to (1) increase the
winch’s pulling power; and (2)
change your pulling direction
without damaging the wire rope.
Proper use of the snatch block is
covered inBefore You Pull.
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 removal.
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STARTING AND OPERATING 597

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.
•Always use supplied hook strap to hold the hook
when spooling wire rope in or out.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•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.
•Always keep hands and clothing clear of the wire
rope, hook and fairlead opening during operation
and when spooling.
(Continued)
598 STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING!(Continued)
•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 usebungeestraps that develop tremendous
and potentially dangerous amounts of force when
stretched.
•Always disconnect the remote control when not in
use.
•Never winch when there are less than five wraps of
wire rope around the winch drum.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•Always pass remote control through a window to
avoid pinching lead in door, when 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:
•Always take your time to assess the situation and plan
your pull carefully.
•Always take your time when using a winch.
•Use the right equipment for the situation.
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STARTING AND OPERATING 599

•Always wear leather gloves and do not allow the wire
rope to slip through your hands when handling the
rope.
•Only the operator should handle the wire rope and
remote control.
•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)
CAUTION!(Continued)
•Always inspect winch installation and wire rope
condition before operating the winch. Frayed,
kinked or damaged wire rope must be replaced
immediately. Loose or damaged winch installation
must be corrected immediately.
•Always be sure any element which can interfere
with safe winching operations is removed prior to
initiating winching.
•Always keep remote control lead clear of the drum,
wire rope and rigging.
•Inspect for cracks, pinches, frayed wires, or loose
connections. Replace if damaged.
•Be careful not to pull the Winch Cable Collar
through the rollers. Watch and listen to Winch for
proper snugness.
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1. Inspect the winch, winch mount, and wire rope for
damage. Do not use the winch if the mount is loose or
rope shows excessive wear or damage.2. Put on gloves.
3. Disengage the clutch to allow free spooling of the
winch drum, rotate the clutch lever on the winch to
disengage. Freespooling conserves battery power.
Winch Rope
Free Spool
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