Ram 2500 2013 Owner's Manual

12. Check wire rope. The wire rope should be neatlywound around the spooling drum. Improper wind-
ing can cause damage to the wire rope. In certain situations you
may decide to throw a
heavy blanket or similar
object over the wire rope.
A heavy blanket can ab-
sorb energy should the
wire rope break. Place it
on the wire rope midway
between the winch and
the anchor point. Do this
before the wire rope is put under tension. Do not
approach or move the blanket once tension is applied. Do
not allow it to get pulled into the fairlead. If it is
necessary to move or remove the blanket, slack the
tension on the wire rope first.
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13.Establish no people zones:Make your intentions
clear. Be sure that everyone in the immediate vicinity
surrounding the winching operation is completely
aware of your intentions before you pull. Declare
where the spectators should not stand - never
behind or in front of the vehicle and never near the
wire rope or snatch block. Your situation may have
other no people zones.
14. Begin winching. With the winching vehicles engineon and light tension already on the wire rope, begin
winching slowly and steadily. Be sure that the wire
rope is winding evenly and tightly around the spool-
ing drum. For additional assistance, the winched
vehicle can be slowly driven while being pulled by
No People Zones
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the winch. Continue pulling until the vehicle is on
stable ground. If you are able to drive the vehicle, the
winching operation is complete.NOTE:
•Avoid overheating the winch motor. For extended
winching, stop at reasonable intervals to allow the
winch motor to cool down.
• What to look for under load: The wire rope must
always spool onto the drum as indicated by the
drum rotation decal on the winch. As you power-in,
make sure the wire rope winds evenly and tightly on
the drum. This prevents the outer wire wraps from
drawing into the inner wraps, binding and damag-
ing the wire rope. Avoid shock loads by using the
control switch intermittently to take up wire rope
slack. Shock loads can momentarily far exceed the
winch and wire rope ratings. During side pulls the
wire rope tends to stack up at one end of the drum.
This stack can become large enough to cause serious
damage to the winch. So, line up pulls as straight
ahead as possible and stop winching if the wire rope
comes close to the tie rods or mounting plate. To fix
Using The Remote Control
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an uneven stack, spool out that section of the rope
and reposition it to the opposite end of the drum,
which will free up space for continued winching.
15. Secure vehicle. Once recovery of the vehicle is com- plete, be sure to secure the vehicle’s brakes and shift
the transmission to PARK. Release tension in the wire
rope.
16. Disconnect the wire rope, and disconnect from the anchor.
17. Rewind the wire rope. The person handling the wire rope should walk the rope in and not let it slide
through the hand, control the winch at all times.
WARNING!
To prevent serious injury, NEVER put your fingers
inside the hook area as you are powering-in.
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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.
18. Store the hook on the most outboard loop of the tow hook. 19. Disconnect the remote control. Disconnect the remote
control cord from the control box and store in a clean
and dry place. Winching operations are now com-
plete. Put the cap on the solenoid plug-in.
NOTE: Always store the remote control in a protected,
clean, dry area.
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Rigging Techniques
Various winching situations will require application of
other winching techniques. These could range from too
little distance to achieve maximum pull using straight
line rigging, simply increasing pulling power, or main-
taining a straight-line pulling situation. You will have to
assess what technique is correct for your situation. Think
safetyat all times.
How To Change The Pulling Direction
All winching operations should have a straight line from
the winch to the object being pulled. This minimizes the
wire rope collecting on one side of the drum affecting
pulling efficiency and damaging wire rope. A snatch
Change Pulling Directions
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block, secured to a point directly in front of the vehicle
will enable you to change your pulling direction while
still allowing the wire rope to be at 90° to wind properly
onto the spooling drum.
Increasing Pulling Power
In some cases, you may find yourself needing more
pulling power. The use of snatch blocks increases me-
chanical advantage and that increases your pulling
power.
Double Line
Because pulling power decreases with the number of
layers of wire rope on the winch drum, you can use a
snatch block to double line out more wire rope. This
decreases the number of layers of wire rope on the drum,
and increases pulling power. Start by feeding out enough
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wire rope to free the winch hook. Attach the hook to your
vehicle’s frame/tow hook and run the wire rope through
a snatch block. Disengage the clutch and, using the
snatch block, pull out enough wire to reach your anchor
point. Do not attach the hook to the mounting kit. Secure
to the anchor point with a tree trunk protector or choker
chain. Attach the clevis/shackle. Attach the shackle to the
two ends of the strap/chain, being careful not to over
tighten (tighten and back-off 1/2 turn).
POWER STEERING
The standard power steering system will give you good
vehicle response and increased ease of maneuverability
in tight spaces. The system will provide mechanical
steering capability if power assist is lost.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.
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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.
Power Steering Fluid Check
Checking the power steering fluid level at a defined
service interval is not required. The fluid should only be
checked if a leak is suspected, abnormal noises areapparent, and/or the system is not functioning as antici-
pated. Coordinate inspection efforts through an autho-
rized dealer.
CAUTION!
Do not use chemical flushes in your power steering
system as the chemicals can damage your power
steering components. Such damage is not covered by
the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
WARNING!
Fluid level should be checked on a level surface and
with the engine off to prevent injury from moving
parts and to ensure accurate fluid level reading. Do
not overfill. Use only manufacturer’s recommended
power steering fluid.
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If necessary, add fluid to restore to the proper indicated
level. With a clean cloth, wipe any spilled fluid from all
surfaces. Refer to “Fluids, Lubricants, and Genuine
Parts” in “Maintaining Your Vehicle” for further informa-
tion.
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.Parking Brake Release
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