towing Ram 2500 2013 Workshop Manual

CAUTION!
•Towing with the rear wheels on the ground will
cause severe transmission damage. Damage from
improper towing is not covered under the New
Vehicle Limited Warranty.
• Do not disconnect the driveshaft because fluid may
leak from the transmission, causing damage to
internal parts.
Recreational Towing – Four-Wheel Drive Models
NOTE: Both the manual shift and electronic shift trans-
fer cases must be shifted into NEUTRAL (N) for recre-
ational towing. Automatic transmissions must be shifted
into PARK for recreational towing. Manual transmissions
must be placed in gear (NOT in NEUTRAL) for recre-
ational towing. Refer to the following for the proper
transfer case NEUTRAL (N) shifting procedure for your
vehicle.
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
recreational towing.
(Continued)
568 STARTING AND OPERATING

CAUTION!(Continued)
•Tow only in the forward direction. Towing this
vehicle backwards can cause severe damage to the
transfer case.
• Automatic transmissions must be placed in PARK
for recreational towing.
• Manual transmissions must be placed in gear (not
in Neutral) for recreational towing.
• Before recreational towing, perform the procedure
outlined under “Shifting Into NEUTRAL (N)” to be
certain that the transfer case is fully in NEUTRAL
(N). Otherwise, internal damage will result.
• 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.
(Continued)
CAUTION! (Continued)
•Do not disconnect the rear driveshaft because fluid
will leak from the transfer case, causing damage to
internal parts.
• Do not use a bumper-mounted clamp-on tow bar
on your vehicle. The bumper face bar will be
damaged.
Shifting Into NEUTRAL (N)
Use the following procedure to prepare your vehicle for
recreational towing.
WARNING!
You or others could be injured or killed if you leave
the vehicle unattended with the transfer case in the
NEUTRAL (N) position without first fully engaging
(Continued)
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 569

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.
•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
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.
570 STARTING AND OPERATING

▫To Stow The Flat Or Spare ...............609
▫ Reinstalling The Jack And Tools (2500 And 3500
Series) ..............................611
▫ Hub Caps/Wheel Covers — If Equipped . . . .613
▫ Wheel Nuts ........................ .614
 HOISTING .......................... .617
 JUMP-STARTING PROCEDURES ...........617
▫ Preparations For Jump-Start ..............618
▫ Jump-Starting Procedure ................619
 FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE .............621
EMERGENCY TOW HOOKS — IF EQUIPPED . .623
 SHIFT LEVER OVERRIDE ................624
▫ Column Shifter — If Equipped ............624
▫ Center Console Shifter — If Equipped .......625
 MANUAL PARK RELEASE — 8 SPEED
TRANSMISSION (3.6L Engine) .............626
 TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE ...........628
▫ Two-Wheel Drive Models ................630
▫ Four-Wheel Drive Models ................631
576 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

WARNING!(Continued)
explode and injure someone. Do not spin your vehi-
cle’s wheels faster than 30 mph (48 km/h) or for
longer than 30 seconds continuously without stop-
ping when you are stuck and do not let anyone near
a spinning wheel, no matter what the speed.
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.
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 623

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.
628 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

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.
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 629

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
630 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

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 engine and/or transmission
damage. Damage from improper towing is not cov-
ered 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.
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 631

ONBOARD DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM (OBD II)
Your vehicle is equipped with a sophisticated onboard
diagnostic system called OBD II. This system monitors
the performance of the emissions, engine, and automatic
transmission control systems. When these systems are
operating properly, your vehicle will provide excellent
performance and fuel economy, as well as engine emis-
sions well within current government regulations.
If any of these systems require service, the OBD II system
will turn on the “Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL).” It
will also store diagnostic codes and other information to
assist your service technician in making repairs. Al-
though your vehicle will usually be drivable and not
need towing, see your authorized dealer for service as
soon as possible.
CAUTION!
•Prolonged driving with the MIL on could cause
further damage to the emission control system. It
could also affect fuel economy and drivability. The
vehicle must be serviced before any emissions tests
can be performed.
• If the MIL is flashing, while the engine is running,
severe catalytic converter damage and power loss
will soon occur. Immediate service is required.
Loose Fuel Filler Cap Message
If the vehicle diagnostic system determines
that the fuel filler cap is loose, improperly
installed, or damaged, a loose gascap indicator
will display in the EVIC telltale display area.
Refer to “Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) in
7
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 639