light Ram 2500 2019 Owner's Manual

STARTING AND OPERATING 333
sand and lighter vehicles. You will need to experiment to
determine what is right for your situation. It is easier and
faster to let air out than it is to replace it so, start high and
lower it as required. Remember you must return the tires to
normal air pressure before driving on road or at highway
conditions. Be sure you have a way to return the tires to their
normal on road air pressure.
Vehicle Recovery
If you drive off-road, you may encounter a situation where
you will need to recover your vehicle. Vehicle recovery
should always be given consideration before attempting a
questionable obstacle. You should never go off-road driving
without the ability to recover your vehicle from a situation.
Having another vehicle with you usually works best for most
situations. The first thing to do is assess the situation. Why
are you stuck? Are you hung up on something? Would it be
easier to go forward or to go backward? Can you still movethe vehicle? Is there an anchor point to winch to? Are you
alone or do you have another vehicle to help? Is there high
risk of vehicle damage during the recovery process?
Answering these questions will help you determine the best
method of recovery. If you can still move the vehicle slightly
and the only issue is slick ground, then rock cycling your
vehicle would be the first choice. If you have ample room, an
additional vehicle and there is low risk of vehicle impinge
-
ment on the surroundings, then using a tow strap to the
vehicle tow hooks would be fast and easy. If the vehicle is
severely hung up or in a situation where great care needs to
be taken during the recovery, then nothing can do the job
better than a winch. If you are severely hung up on some -
thing you should jack the vehicle up and stack something
under the wheels to allow the vehicle to roll off the object
without causing further damage. This should be tried before
attempting any recovery method.
CAUTION!
Reduced tire pressure increases the risk of tire damage
and may cause tire unseating with total loss of air
pressure. To reduce the risk of tire unseating, while at a
reduced tire pressure, drive at slower speeds and avoid
sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers.
CAUTION!
Pulling the vehicle off an obstacle, without first clearing
the object, may result in additional underbody damage.
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334 STARTING AND OPERATING
•Rock Cycling Your Vehicle – Rock cycling your vehicle is
one of the easiest, fastest and most commonly used
methods. This simply involves shifting your vehicle from
DRIVE to REVERSE, while applying throttle after each
shift. During this process, for additional traction, try
turning your steering wheel quickly left and right no more
than a ¼ turn. If you are stuck in mud, sand, or snow try
spinning your tires during this process to clean the debris
from the tread and improve the traction. You want to
create a rocking motion with the vehicle. This helps build
vehicle momentum, which hopefully gets you out.
Remember to ease off and on the accelerator before and
after the shift. If after a few rock cycles your vehicle is not
free, stop and try another method of recovery. Continuous
rock cycling will only cause unnecessary damage to your
vehicle and the environment.
• Using The Tow Hooks With A Tow Strap – Tow straps
are a quick and easy way to recover your vehicle from
minor situations if you have a secondary vehicle which is
not stuck. The tow hooks on your vehicle are designed to take the abusive force generated during vehicle recovery.
Do not use the bumper or any other vehicle component as
an attachment point. Using tow straps requires coordina
-
tion between the two drivers. Good communication and
line of sight are required for a safe recovery. First connect
the tow strap to the correct attachment points on both vehi -
cles. There should be a least 20 to 30 feet (6 to 9 meters)
between the vehicles to allow for a safe recovery. If neces -
sary join two tow straps together using a 1 ½ inch hard
wood dowel. This will keep the straps from becoming
knotted and is safer than using a clevis pin if the strap
breaks. Next have the tow vehicle backup, leaving two to
three feet worth of slack in the strap. Then the tow vehicle,
using light throttle, should accelerate tightening the strap
providing the pulling force needed to free the vehicle. The
vehicle being recovered should assist in the recovery, at
the time of the snap, by slowly spinning the tires in the
same direction as the pulling vehicle. After the vehicle
becomes free, the driver of the previously stuck vehicle
should signal they are free and should hit their brakes
stopping both vehicles. The driver of the pulling vehicle
should let off the throttle without using the brakes, once
signaled by the other driver. This sequence is important to
avoid having the recovered vehicle hit the pulling vehicle.
CAUTION!
Damage can occur when spinning your tires at an
excessive high speed. Do not spin your tires faster than
an indicated 30 mph (48 km/h).

STARTING AND OPERATING 335
•Winching (Refer To “Winch Operation” For Additional
Information) – Winching is most commonly used in the
following situations: there is no support vehicle available,
a high controlled force is required to recover the vehicle,
there is a high risk of environmental or vehicle damage, or
where nothing else seems to work. A winch can deliver a
high pulling force with a great deal of control. It allows
you to walk the vehicle out of the situation in a slow
controlled manner. This control works well for avoiding
further vehicle damage. Once you decide it is time to use
the winch look for a good anchor point. It needs to be
strong enough to hold more than the vehicle's weight and
provide a direction of pull as straight as possible. Use
block and tackle if necessary to improve the angle of pull
or increase the winch's pulling force. If the anchor point is a tree use a strap around its base and hook the cable to the
strap. If it is another vehicle, then place that vehicle in
PARK and block the front tires. If you cannot find an
anchor point within reach try using your spare tire by
burying it. Once you have determined an anchor point
hook up the cable, ensuring there are a least five wraps of
cable left on the drum, and place a floor mat or something
else over the strung out cable. Placing something over the
strung out cable helps keep the cable on the ground if it
breaks. Next, place the vehicle in first gear and apply a
very light throttle as you power the winch in. Be careful
not to allow slack in the cable as you recover the vehicle.
Do not try to guide the cable into the drum. If it starts to
bunch up on one end, let it. You can re-spool the cable
afterwards. Never use a winch cable as a tow strap and
always stand back while winching.
WARNING!
Never use tow straps with end hooks or link two straps
with a clevis pin. These heavy metal objects could
become projectiles if a strap breaks, which could cause
severe injury. Never leave more than 2 to 3 feet (.6 to
1 meter) of slack in the strap. More slack than this greatly
increases the risk of injury and vehicle damage. Always
keep everyone at least 30 feet (9 meters) away from a
strapping or winching situation.
WARNING!
Winch cables are under high tension when in use and
can become a projectile if they fail. Never stand over or
straddle the winch cable. Never jerk or overload the
winch cable. Never stand in front of the vehicle while
winching. Failure to follow these instructions can result
in serious or fatal injury.
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STARTING AND OPERATING 337
LIMITED-SLIP DIFFERENTIAL
The limited-slip differential provides additional traction on
snow, ice, mud, sand and gravel, particularly when there is
a difference between the traction characteristics of the
surface under the right and left rear wheels. During normal
driving and cornering, the limited-slip unit performs simi-
larly to a conventional differential. On slippery surfaces,
however, the differential delivers more of the driving effort
to the rear wheel having the better traction.
The limited-slip differential is especially helpful during slip -
pery driving conditions. With both rear wheels on a slippery
surface, a slight application of the accelerator will supply
maximum traction. When starting with only one rear wheel
on an excessively slippery surface, slight momentary appli -
cation of the parking brake may be necessary to gain
maximum traction. 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 side
-
ways on the crowned surface of a road or in a turn.
WINCH USAGE — POWER WAGON ONLY (IF
EQUIPPED)
Things To Know Before Using Your Winch
General Winch Information
Your vehicle is equipped with an electric vehicle recovery
winch. This winch uses the electrical power from the vehicle
charging system to power a motor that winds the winch rope
onto the winch drum via planetary gear reduction. By
nature, a winch is capable of generating very high forces and
should be used with care. Do not operate the winch without
reading and understanding the complete winch owner's
manual.
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.
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340 STARTING AND OPERATING
1.Motor: The winch motor is powered by the vehicle
charging system.
2. Remote Socket: The remote socket (which will be located
on the bumper assembly) allows the remote control to be
attached to the control pack to allow the winch to func -
tion.
3. Winch Drum With Integral Brake: The winch drum
allows the rope to be stored on the winch and transmits
force to the rope. The winch is equipped with an integral
brake that will stop rotation of the winch drum if the
winch motor is stopped.
4. Synthetic Rope: The synthetic rope allows the winch to
be connected to an anchor to provide a pulling force. This
synthetic rope is highly flexible, lightweight, and it floats. 5.
Clutch Lever: The clutch lever allows the winch drum to
be disconnected from the winch motor to allow the rope
to be pulled from the winch by hand.
6. Remote Control: The remote control provides the inter -
face 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.
Fairlead: The hawse fairlead acts as a guide for the synthetic
rope and minimizes damage to the rope. CAUTION!
If not installed, the hook strap must be placed on the
hook.

STARTING AND OPERATING 349
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 synthetic rope or snatch
block. Your situation may have other "no people" zones.
No People Zones 14. Begin winching. With the winching vehicles engine on
and light tension already on the synthetic rope, begin
winching slowly and steadily. Be sure that the rope is
winding evenly and tightly around the spooling drum.
For additional assistance, the winched vehicle can be
slowly driven while being pulled by the winch. Continue
pulling until the vehicle is on stable ground. If you are
able to drive the vehicle, the winching operation is
complete.
Using The Remote Control
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STARTING AND OPERATING 351
NOTE:
How to spool under no load: Arrange the remote control
lead so it cannot be caught in the winch. Arrange the
synthetic rope so it will not kink or tangle when spooled. Be
sure any synthetic rope already on the spooling drum is
wound tightly and evenly layered. Tighten and straighten
the layer if necessary. Keep the synthetic rope under light
tension and spool the 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
synthetic rope. Walk the synthetic rope towards the fairlead,
carefully spooling in the remaining rope. By pulsing the
remote control switch. 18. Store the hook on the most outboard loop of the hawse
fairlead.
Hook In Stored Position
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 complete. Put
the cap on the solenoid plug-in.
NOTE:
Always store the remote control in a protected, clean, dry
area.
WARNING!
To prevent serious injury, NEVER put your fingers
inside the hook area as you are powering-in.
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354 STARTING AND OPERATING
FUEL SAVER TECHNOLOGY — 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 function-
ality after a battery disconnect.
SPEED CONTROL
When engaged, the Speed Control takes over accelerator
operations at speeds greater than 20 mph (32 km/h).
The Speed Control buttons are located on the right side of the
steering wheel. Speed Control Buttons
NOTE:
In order to ensure proper operation, the Speed Control
System has been designed to shut down if multiple speed
control functions are operated at the same time. If this
occurs, the Speed Control System can be reactivated by
pushing the Speed Control On/Off button and resetting the
desired vehicle set speed.
1 — On/Off Button 3 — SET (-)
2 — RES (+) 4 — CANCEL

STARTING AND OPERATING 355
To Activate
Push the On/Off button to activate the Speed Control. The
cruise indicator light in the instrument cluster display will
illuminate. To turn the system off, push the On/Off button a
second time. The cruise indicator light will turn off. The
system should be turned off when not in use.
To Set A Desired Speed
Turn the Speed Control on. When the vehicle has reached the
desired speed, push the SET (-) button and release. Release
the accelerator and the vehicle will operate at the selected
speed.
NOTE:
The vehicle should be traveling at a steady speed and on
level ground before pushing the SET (-) button.
To Vary The Speed Setting
To Increase Speed
When the Speed Control is set, you can increase speed by
pushing the RES (+) button.
The driver’s preferred units can be selected through the
instrument panel settings if equipped. Refer to “Getting To
Know Your Instrument Panel” for more information. The
speed decrement shown is dependant on the chosen speed
unit of U.S. (mph) or Metric (km/h):
U.S. Speed (mph)
• Pushing the RES (+) button once will result in a 1 mph increase in set speed. Each subsequent tap of the button
results in an increase of 1 mph.
• If the button is continually pushed, the set speed will continue to increase until the button is released, then the
new set speed will be established.
WARNING!
Leaving the Speed Control system on when not in use is
dangerous. You could accidentally set the system or
cause it to go faster than you want. You could lose
control and have an accident. Always leave the system
off when you are not using it.
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356 STARTING AND OPERATING
Metric Speed (km/h)
• Pushing the RES (+) button once will result in a 1 km/h increase in set speed. Each subsequent tap of the button
results in an increase of 1 km/h.
• If the button is continually pushed, the set speed will continue to increase until the button is released, then the
new set speed will be established.
To Decrease Speed
When the Speed Control is set, you can decrease speed by
pushing the SET (-) button.
The driver’s preferred units can be selected through the
instrument panel settings if equipped. Refer to “Getting To
Know Your Instrument Panel” for more information. The
speed decrement shown is dependant on the chosen speed
unit of U.S. (mph) or Metric (km/h):
U.S. Speed (mph)
• Pushing the SET (-) button once will result in a 1 mph decrease in set speed. Each subsequent tap of the button
results in a decrease of 1 mph.
• If the button is continually pushed, the set speed will continue to decrease until the button is released, then the
new set speed will be established. Metric Speed (km/h)

• Pushing the SET (-) button once will result in a 1 km/h decrease in set speed. Each subsequent tap of the button
results in a decrease of 1 km/h.
• If the button is continually pushed, the set speed will continue to decrease until the button is released, then the
new set speed will be established.
To Accelerate For Passing
Press the accelerator as you would normally. When the pedal
is released, the vehicle will return to the set speed.
Using Speed Control On Hills
The transmission may downshift on hills to maintain the
vehicle set speed.
NOTE:
The Speed Control system maintains speed up and down
hills. A slight speed change on moderate hills is normal.