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To Stow The Flat Or Spare
NOTE:
RAM 1500 vehicles equipped with alumi-
num wheels cannot be stored under the ve-
hicle 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.
1. Turn the wheel so that the valve stem isdown. Slide the wheel retainer through
the center of the wheel and position it
properly across the wheel opening.
2. For convenience in checking the spare tire inflation, stow with the valve stem toward
the rear of the vehicle.
3. Attach the lug wrench to the extension tubes with the curved angle facing away
from the vehicle. Rotate the lug wrench
handle clockwise until the wheel is drawn
into place against the underside of the
vehicle. Continue to rotate until you feel
the winch mechanism slip, or click three
or four times. It cannot be overtightened.
Push against the tire several times to be
sure it is firmly in place.
WARNING!
• Do not attempt to change a tire on theside of the vehicle close to moving traf-
fic. 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 dan-
gerous. 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.
• Never start or run the engine while the
vehicle is on a jack. If you need to get
under a raised vehicle, take it to your
authorized dealer where it can be raised
on a lift.
• 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.
• Do not attempt to change a tire on the
side of the vehicle close to moving traf-
fic, pull far enough off the road to avoid
WARNING!
the danger of being hit when operating
the jack or changing the wheel.
• Carefully follow these tire changing
warnings to help prevent personal injury
or damage to your vehicle:• Always park on a firm, level surface
as far from the edge of the roadway
as possible before raising the ve-
hicle.
• Turn on the Hazard Warning flash-
ers.
• Block the wheel diagonally opposite
the wheel to be raised.
• Set the parking brake firmly and set
an automatic transmission in
PARK; a manual transmission in
REVERSE.
• 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.
• Only use the jack in the positions
indicated and for lifting this vehicle
during a tire change.
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
214

WARNING!
• If working on or near a roadway, beextremely 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.
• Raising the vehicle higher than nec-
essary can make the vehicle less
stable. It could slip off the jack and
hurt someone near it. Raise the ve-
hicle only enough to remove the
tire.
• To avoid the risk of forcing the ve-
hicle off the jack, do not fully
tighten the wheel bolts until the
vehicle has been lowered. Failure to
follow this warning may result in
personal injury.
• To avoid possible personal injury,
handle the wheel covers with care to
avoid contact with any sharp edges.
WARNING!
• A loose tire or jack thrown forward ina collision or hard stop could en-
danger the occupants of the ve-
hicle. Always stow the jack parts
and the spare tire in the places
provided.
• 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 immediately.
CAUTION!
• Do not attempt to raise the vehicle byjacking on locations other than those
indicated in the Jacking Instructions for
this vehicle.
• 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.
• Use a back and forth motion to remove
the hub cap. Do not use a twisting mo-
CAUTION!
tion when removing the hub cap, dam-
age to the hub cap; finish may occur.
• The rear hubcaps on the dual rear wheel
has two pry off notches. Make sure that
the hook of the jack handle driver is
located squarely in the cap notch before
attempting to pull off.
Reinstalling The Jack And Tools
1500 Series Trucks
1. Tighten the jack all the way down by turning the jack turn-screw clockwise un-
til the jack is snug.
215

2. Position the jack and tool bag. Make surethe lug wrench is under the jack near the
jack turn-screw. 3. Secure the tool bag straps to the jack.
4. Place the jack and tools in the storage
position holding the jack by the jack turn-
screw, slip the jack and tools under the
seat so that the bottom slot engages into
the fastener on the floor.
NOTE:
Ensure that the jack slides into the front
hold down location. 5. Turn the wing bolt clockwise to secure to
the floor pan. Reinstall the plastic cover.
Jack And Tool Bag
Floor Fastener Location
Wing Bolt Location
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
216

2500/3500 Series Trucks
1. Tighten the jack all the way down byturning the jack turn-screw clockwise un-
til the jack is snug.
2. Position the jack and tools into bracket assembly. Make sure the lug wrench is
under the jack near the jack turn-screw.
Snap tools into bracket assembly clips.
Install the jack into bracket assembly and
turn screw until jack is snug into bracket
assembly.
3. Place the jack and tool bracket assembly in the storage position holding the jack by
the jack turn-screw, slip the jack and tools
under the seat so that the bottom slot
engages into the fastener on the floor. NOTE:
Ensure that the jack and tool bracket
assembly slides into the front hold down
location.
4. Turn the wing bolt clockwise to secure to the floor pan. Reinstall the plastic cover.Hub Caps/Wheel Covers — If
Equipped
The hub caps must be removed before raising
the vehicle off the ground.
CAUTION!
Use extreme caution when removing the
front and rear center caps. Damage can
occur to the center cap and/or the wheel if
screwdriver type tools are used. A pulling
motion, not a pry off motion, is recom-
mended to remove the caps.
For single rear wheel (SRW) models, use the
flat blade on the end of the lug wrench to pull
the hub cap off. Insert the blade end into the
pull off notch and carefully pull the hub cap
off with a back and forth motion.
On 3500 models with dual rear wheels
(DRW), you must first remove the hub caps.
The jack handle driver has a hook at one end
that will fit in the pull off notch of the rear
hub caps. Position the hook and pull straight
out on the ratchet firmly. The hub cap should
pop off. The wheel skins can now be removed.
For the front hub cap, use the flat blade on
Floor Fastener Location
217

NOTE:
The positive battery post may be covered with
a protective cap if equipped. Lift up on the
cap to gain access to the positive battery
post. Do not jump off fuses. Only jump di-
rectly off positive post which has a positive
(+)symbol on or around the post.
WARNING!
• Take care to avoid the radiator cooling
fan whenever the hood is raised. It can
start anytime the ignition switch is ON.
You can be injured by moving fan blades.
• Remove any metal jewelry such as rings,
watch bands and bracelets that could
make an inadvertent electrical contact.
You could be seriously injured.
• Batteries contain sulfuric acid that can
burn your skin or eyes and generate
hydrogen gas which is flammable and
explosive. Keep open flames or sparks
away from the battery.
1. Apply the parking brake, shift the auto- matic transmission into PARK and turn
the ignition to LOCK. 2. Turn off the heater, radio, and all unnec-
essary electrical accessories.
3. If using another vehicle to jump start the battery, park the vehicle within the jumper
cables reach, apply the parking brake and
make sure the ignition is OFF.
WARNING!
Do not allow vehicles to touch each other
as this could establish a ground connec-
tion and personal injury could result.
Jump Starting Procedure
WARNING!
Failure to follow this jump starting proce-
dure could result in personal injury or
property damage due to battery explosion.
CAUTION!
Failure to follow these procedures could
result in damage to the charging system of
the booster vehicle or the discharged ve-
hicle.
Connecting The Jumper Cables
1. Connect the positive (+)end of the jumper
cable to the positive (+)post of the dis-
charged vehicle.
NOTE:
Do not jump off fuses. Only jump directly off
positive post.
2. Connect the opposite end of the positive (+) jumper cable to the positive (+)post of
the booster battery.
3. Connect the negative (-)end of the jumper
cable to the negative (-)post of the
booster battery.
4. Connect the opposite end of the negative (-)jumper cable to a good engine ground
(exposed metal part of the discharged
vehicle’s engine) away from the battery
and the fuel injection system.
WARNING!
Do not connect the jumper cable to the
negative (-) post of the discharged battery.
The resulting electrical spark could cause
the battery to explode and could result in
219

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.
GEAR SELECTOR OVERRIDE —
6-SPEED TRANSMISSION
If a malfunction occurs and the gear selector
cannot be moved out of the PARK position,
you can use one of the following procedures
to temporarily move the gear selector.
Column Gear Selector — If
Equipped
1. Turn the engine OFF.
2. Firmly apply the parking brake.
3. Tilt the steering wheel to the full upposition.
4. Press and maintain firm pressure on the brake pedal.
5. Insert a screwdriver or similar tool into the access port (ringed circle) on the bottom
of the steering column, and push and hold
the override release lever up. 6. Move the gear selector to the NEUTRAL
position.
7. The vehicle may then be started in NEUTRAL.
Shift Lock Manual Override Access Port
221

Follow these steps to activate the Manual
Park Release:
1. Firmly apply the parking brake.
2. Using a small screwdriver or similar tool,remove the Manual Park Release access
cover, which is just above the parking
brake release handle, below and to the left
of the steering column.
3. Press and maintain firm pressure on the brake pedal. 4. Using the screwdriver or similar tool, push
the Manual Park Release lever locking tab
(just below the middle of the lever) to the
right.
5. While holding the locking tab in the disengaged position, pull the tether strap
to rotate the lever rearward, until it locks
in place pointing towards the driver's seat.
Release the locking tab and verify that the
Manual Park Release lever is locked in the
released position. 6. The vehicle is now out of PARK and can be
towed. Release the parking brake only
when the vehicle is securely connected to
a tow vehicle.
To Reset The Manual Park Release:
1. Push the locking tab to the right, to unlock the lever.
Manual Park Release Access Cover
Manual Park Release Lever Locking Tab
Manual Park Release Tether
223

2. Rotate the Manual Park Release leverforward to its original position, until the
locking tab snaps into place to secure the
lever.
3. Pull gently on the tether strap to confirm that the lever is locked in its stowed
position.
4. Re-install the access cover.
FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE
If your vehicle becomes stuck in mud, sand,
or snow, it can often be moved using a rock-
ing motion. Turn the steering wheel right and
left to clear the area around the front wheels.
Then shift back and forth between DRIVE
and REVERSE (with automatic transmission)
or SECOND GEAR and REVERSE (with
manual transmission), while gently pressing
the accelerator. Use the least amount of ac-
celerator pedal pressure that will maintain
the rocking motion, without spinning the
wheels or racing the engine. NOTE:
For trucks equipped with 8-speed automatic
transmission: Shifts between DRIVE and RE-
VERSE can only be achieved at wheel speeds
of 5 mph (8 km/h) or less. Whenever the
transmission remains in NEUTRAL for more
than two seconds, you must press the brake
pedal to engage DRIVE or REVERSE.
NOTE:
Push the "ESC Off" switch, to place the Elec-
tronic Stability Control (ESC) system in "Par-
tial Off" mode, before rocking the vehicle.
Refer to “Electronic Brake Control” in
“Safety” in the Owner’s Manual for further
information. Once the vehicle has been
freed, push the "ESC Off" switch again to
restore "ESC On" mode.
WARNING!
Fast spinning tires can be dangerous.
Forces generated by excessive wheel
speeds may cause damage, or even failure,
of the axle and tires. A tire could explode
and injure someone. Do not spin your
vehicle's wheels faster than 30 mph
(48 km/h) or for longer than 30 seconds
continuously without stopping when you
WARNING!
are stuck and do not let anyone near a
spinning wheel, no matter what the speed.
CAUTION!
• Racing the engine or spinning the
wheels may lead to transmission over-
heating and failure. Allow the engine to
idle with the transmission in NEUTRAL
for at least one minute after every five
rocking-motion cycles. This will mini-
mize overheating and reduce the risk of
clutch or transmission failure during
prolonged efforts to free a stuck vehicle.
• When “rocking” a stuck vehicle by shift- ing between DRIVE/2nd gear and RE-
VERSE, do not spin the wheels faster
than 15 mph (24 km/h), or drivetrain
damage may result.
• Revving the engine or spinning the wheels too fast may lead to transmission
overheating and failure. It can also dam-
age the tires. Do not spin the wheels
above 30 mph (48 km/h) while in gear
(no transmission shifting occurring).
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
224

nate and an audible chime will be heard. At
this point, you should stop the engine and
drain the water from the filter housing.
CAUTION!
If the “Water In Fuel Indicator Light” re-
mains on, DO NOT START the engine be-
fore you drain water from the fuel filter to
avoid engine damage.
If the “Water In Fuel Indicator Light” comes
on and a single chime is heard while you are
driving, or with the ignition in the ON posi-
tion, there may be a problem with your water
separator wiring or sensor. See your autho-
rized dealer for service.
Upon proper draining of the water from the
fuel filter, the “Water In Fuel Indicator Light”
will remain illuminated for approximately
10 seconds. If the water was drained while
the engine was running, the “Water In Fuel
Indicator Light” may remain on for approxi-
mately three minutes. NOTE:
Care should be taken in disposing of used
fluids from your vehicle. Used fluids, indis-
criminately discarded, can present a problem
to the environment. Contact an authorized
dealer, service station, or government agency
for advice on recycling programs and for
where used fluids and filters can be properly
disposed of in your area.
Drain the fuel/water separator filter when the
“Water In Fuel Indicator Light” is ON. Within
10 minutes of vehicle shutdown, turn the
filter drain valve (located on the bottom of the
filter housing) counterclockwise to drain fuel/
water, then turn the ignition switch to the ON
position, and allow any accumulated water to
drain. Leave the drain valve open until all
water and contaminants have been removed.
When clean fuel is visible, close the drain
valve by turning it clockwise, and turn the
ignition switch to OFF.
If more than two ounces or 60 milliliters of
fuel have been drained, follow the directions
for “Priming If The Engine Has Run Out Of
Fuel.”
Underbody Mounted Fuel Filter
Replacement
NOTE:
Using a fuel filter that does not meet the
manufacturer's filtration and water separat-
ing requirements can severely impact fuel
system life and reliability.
CAUTION!
• Diesel fuel will damage blacktop paving
surfaces. Drain the filter into an appro-
priate container.
• Do not prefill the fuel filter when install-
ing a new fuel filter. There is a possibility
debris could be introduced into the fuel
filter during this action. It is best to
install the filter dry and allow the in-tank
lift pump to prime the fuel system.
1. Turn engine off.
2. Place a drain pan under the fuel filter assembly.
3. Open the water drain valve, and let any accumulated water drain.
4. Close the water drain valve.
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
250

5. Remove bottom cover using a strapwrench. Rotate counterclockwise for re-
moval. Remove the used o-ring and dis-
card it.
6. Remove the used filter cartridge from the housing and dispose of it according to
your local regulations.
7. Wipe the sealing surfaces of the lid and housing clean.
8. Install a new o-ring into the ring groove on the filter housing and lubricate with clean
engine oil.
NOTE:
WIF (Water In Fuel) sensor is re-usable. Ser-
vice kit comes with new o-ring for filter can-
ister and WIF sensor.
Priming If The Engine Has Run Out
Of Fuel
WARNING!
Do not open the high pressure fuel system
with the engine running. Engine operation
causes high fuel pressure. High pressure
WARNING!
fuel spray can cause serious injury or
death.
1. Add a substantial amount of fuel to the tank, approximately 2 to 5 gal (8L to
19L).
2. Press ignition switch twice without your foot on brake to put vehicle in Run posi-
tion. This will activate the in tank fuel
pump for approximately 30 seconds. Re-
peat this process twice.
3. Start the engine using the “Normal Start- ing” procedure. Refer to “Starting The
Engine” in “Starting and Operating” for
further information.
CAUTION!
The starter motor will engage for approxi-
mately 30 seconds at a time. Allow two
minutes between cranking intervals.
NOTE:
The engine may run rough until the air is
forced from all the fuel lines.
WARNING!
Do not use alcohol or gasoline as a fuel
blending agent. They can be unstable un-
der certain conditions and be hazardous or
explosive when mixed with diesel fuel.
CAUTION!
Due to lack of lubricants in alcohol or
gasoline, the use of these fuels can cause
damage to the fuel system.
NOTE:
• Use of biodiesel mixture in excess of 20% can negatively impact the fuel filter's abil-
ity to separate water from the fuel, resulting
in high pressure fuel system corrosion or
damage.
• In addition, commercially available fuel ad- ditives are not necessary for the proper
operation of your diesel engine.
• For extreme cold conditions, "Mopar Pre- mium Diesel Fuel Treatment" is recom-
mended to assist with cold starting.
251