Ram 2500 2017 Owner's Manual

WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES
CONTENTS
HAZARD WARNING FLASHERS ............580
 IF YOUR ENGINE OVERHEATS .............580
 WHEEL AND TIRE TORQUE
SPECIFICATIONS ...................... .581
▫ Torque Specifications ....................581
 JACKING AND TIRE CHANGING ............583
▫ Jacking And Tire Changing
1500 Series Trucks ..................... .583
▫ Jacking And Tire Changing
2500 And 3500 Series Trucks ...............600
 HOISTING ........................... .618
 JUMP-STARTING PROCEDURES ............618
▫ Preparations For Jump-Start ...............618
▫ Jump-Starting Procedure ..................620 
FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE ..............621

EMERGENCY TOW HOOKS — IF EQUIPPED . . . .623
 GEAR SELECTOR OVERRIDE — 6-SPEED
TRANSMISSION ....................... .623
▫ Column Shifter — If Equipped .............623
▫ Center Console Shifter — If Equipped ........624
 MANUAL PARK RELEASE — 8 SPEED
TRANSMISSION ....................... .625
 TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE ............626
▫ Two-Wheel Drive Models .................628
▫ Four-Wheel Drive Models .................629
 ENHANCED ACCIDENT RESPONSE SYSTEM
(EARS) .............................. .630
 EVENT DATA RECORDER (EDR) ............630
6

HAZARD WARNING FLASHERS
The Hazard Warning flasher switch is located on the upper
switch bank just below the radio.Push the switch to turn on the Hazard Warning
flasher. When the switch is activated, all directional
turn signals will flash on and off to warn oncoming traffic
of an emergency. Push the switch a second time to turn off
the Hazard Warning flashers.
This is an emergency warning system and it should not be
used when the vehicle is in motion. Use it when your
vehicle is disabled and it is creating a safety hazard for
other motorists.
When you must leave the vehicle to seek assistance, the
Hazard Warning flashers will continue to operate even
though the ignition is placed in the OFF position.
NOTE: With extended use the Hazard Warning flashers
may wear down your battery.
IF YOUR ENGINE OVERHEATS
In any of the following situations, you can reduce the
potential for overheating by taking the appropriate action.
• On the highways — slow down.
• In city traffic — while stopped, place the transmission in
NEUTRAL, but do not increase the engine idle speed
while preventing vehicle motion with the brakes.
NOTE: There are steps that you can take to slow down an
impending overheat condition:
• If your air conditioner (A/C) is on, turn it off. The A/C
system adds heat to the engine cooling system and
turning the A/C off can help remove this heat.
• You can also turn the temperature control to maximum
heat, the mode control to floor and the blower control to
high. This allows the heater core to act as a supplement
to the radiator and aids in removing heat from the
engine cooling system.
580 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

WARNING!
You or others can be badly burned by hot engine
coolant (antifreeze) or steam from your radiator. If you
see or hear steam coming from under the hood, do not
open the hood until the radiator has had time to cool.
Never try to open a cooling system pressure cap when
the radiator or coolant bottle is hot.
CAUTION!
Driving with a hot cooling system could damage your
vehicle. If the temperature gauge reads HOT (H), pull
over and stop the vehicle. Idle the vehicle with the air
conditioner turned off until the pointer drops back
into the normal range. If the pointer remains on HOT
(H), and you hear continuous chimes, turn the engine
off immediately and call for service.
WHEEL AND TIRE TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS
Proper lug nut/bolt torque is very important to ensure that
the wheel is properly mounted to the vehicle. Any time a
wheel has been removed and reinstalled on the vehicle, the
lug nuts/bolts should be torqued using a properly cali-
brated torque wrench.
Torque Specifications
Lug Nut/BoltTorque Lug Nut/
Bolt Type **Lug
Nut/Bolt Size Lug Nut/
Bolt
Socket Size
130 Ft-Lbs (176 N·m) Cone M14 x
1.5022 mm
140 Ft-Lbs (190 N·m) Flanged
**Use only your authorized dealer recommended lug nuts/
bolts and clean or remove any dirt or oil before tightening.6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 581

NOTE:Dual wheels are flat mounted, center piloted. The
lug nuts are a two-piece assembly. When the tires are being
rotated or replaced, clean these lug nuts and add two drops
of oil at the interface between the lug nut/bolt and the
washer. Do not oil wheel studs.
Inspect the wheel mounting surface prior to mounting the
tire and remove any corrosion or loose particles.
Two-Piece Lug NutWheel Mounting Surface
582 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

Tighten the lug nuts/bolts in a star pattern until each
nut/bolt has been tightened twice.
After 25 miles (40 km), check the lug nut/bolt torque to be
sure that all the lug nuts/bolts are properly seated against
the wheel.WARNING!
To avoid the risk of forcing the vehicle off the jack, do
not tighten the lug nuts fully until the vehicle has been
lowered. Failure to follow this warning may result in
personal injury.
JACKING AND TIRE CHANGING
Jacking And Tire Changing 1500 Series Trucks
WARNING!
•Do not attempt to change a tire on the side of the
vehicle close to moving traffic. Pull far enough off
the road to avoid the danger of being hit when
operating the jack or changing the wheel.
• Being under a jacked-up vehicle is dangerous. The
vehicle could slip off the jack and fall on you. You
could be crushed. Never put any part of your body
under a vehicle that 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.
(Continued)
Four And Five Lug Nuts/Bolts Torque Pattern
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 583

WARNING!(Continued)
•Never start or run the engine while the vehicle is on
a jack.
• The jack is designed to be used as a tool for changing
tires only. The jack should not be used to lift the
vehicle for service purposes. The vehicle should be
jacked on a firm level surface only. Avoid ice or
slippery areas.
NOTE: If your vehicle is equipped with an air suspension
system, there is a feature which allows the automatic
leveling to be disabled to assist with changing a tire.
If your vehicle is equipped with a touchscreen, this feature
can be activated through the Uconnect system. Refer to
“Uconnect Settings” in “Understanding Your Instrument
Panel” for further information.
If your vehicle is not equipped with a touchscreen, this
feature can be activated through the instrument cluster
display. Refer to “Instrument Cluster Display” in “Under-
standing 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 passen-
ger ’s 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.
Jack Access Cover
584 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

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.Release the tool bag straps from the jack and remove tools
from bag.
Jack And Tools (1500 Series)
Jack And Tool Bag
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 585

There are two ways to assemble the tools:
Assembled For Spare Tire Lowering/RaisingCAUTION!
•The wheel wrench can only be attached to extension
3.
• When attaching the tool to the winch mechanism be
sure the large flared end opening on extension 1 is
positioned correctly over the winch mechanism ad-
justing nut.
• Damage to the wheel wrench, extensions and winch
mechanism may occur from improper tool assembly.
Assembled For Spare Tire Lowering/Raising
1 — Extension 1 3 — Extension 3
2 — Extension 2 4 — Wheel Wrench
586 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

Assembled For Jack OperationWARNING!
After using the jack and tools, always reinstall them in
the original carrier and location. While driving you
may experience abrupt stopping, rapid acceleration or
sharp turns. A loose jack, tools, bracket or other objects
in the vehicle may move around with force, resulting
in serious injury.
Assembled For Jack Operation
1 — Extension With Jack Hook 4 — Extension 4
2 — Extension 2 5 — Wheel Wrench
3 — Extension 3
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 587

Removing The Spare Tire
1. Remove the spare tire before attempting to jack up thetruck. Attach the wheel wrench to the jack extension
tube with the curved angle facing away from the
vehicle. Insert the tube through the access hole between
the lower tailgate and the top of the bumper and into the
winch mechanism tube. 2. Rotate the wheel wrench handle counterclockwise until
the spare tire is on the ground with enough cable slack
to allow you to pull it out from under the vehicle.
Inserting The Jack Extension Tube Into The Access Hole
Rotating The Wheel Wrench Handle
588 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES