Ram 2500 2020 Owner's Manual

STARTING AND OPERATING259
slowly proceed over the top. If the wheels
start to slip as you approach the crest of a
hill, ease off the accelerator and maintain
headway by turning the steering wheel no
more than a quarter turn quickly back and
forth. This will provide a fresh "bite" into the
surface and will usually provide enough trac -
tion to complete the climb. If you do not make
it to the top, place the vehicle in REVERSE
and back straight down the grade using
engine resistance along with the vehicle
brakes.
Driving Downhill – Before driving down a
steep hill you need to determine if it is too
steep for a safe descent. What is the surface
traction? Is the grade too steep to maintain a
slow controlled descent? Are there obsta -
cles? Is it a straight descent? Is there plenty
of distance at the base of the hill to regain
control if the vehicle descends too fast? If
you feel confident in your ability to proceed then make sure you are in 4WD LOW with the
transmission in FIRST gear (manually select
FIRST gear on automatic transmissions) and
proceed with caution. Allow engine braking to
control the descent and apply your brakes if
necessary, but do not allow the tires to lock.
Driving Across An Incline
– If at all possible
avoid driving across an incline. If it is neces -
sary, know your vehicle's abilities. Driving
across an incline places more weight on the
downhill wheels, which increases the possi -
bilities of a downhill slide or rollover. Make
sure the surface has good traction with firm
and stable soils. If possible transverse the
incline at an angle heading slightly up or
down.
If You Stall Or Begin To Lose Headway – If you
stall or begin to lose headway while climbing
a steep hill, allow your vehicle to come to a
stop and immediately apply the brake.
Restart the engine and shift into REVERSE.
Back slowly down the hill allowing the
compression braking of the engine and trans -
mission to help regulate your speed. If the
brakes are required to control vehicle speed,
apply them lightly and avoid locking or skid-
ding the tires.
WARNING!
Never attempt to climb a hill at an angle or
turn around on a steep grade. Driving across
an incline increases the risk of a roll over,
which may result in severe injury or death.
WARNING!
Do not descend a steep grade in NEUTRAL.
Use vehicle brakes in conjunction with engine
braking. Descending a grade too fast could
cause you to lose control and be seriously
injured or killed.
WARNING!
Driving across an incline increases the risk of
a rollover, which may result in severe injury.
WARNING!
If the engine stalls or you lose headway or
cannot make it to the top of a steep hill or
grade, never attempt to turn around. To do so
may result in tipping and rolling the vehicle,
which may result in severe injury. Always back
carefully straight down a hill in REVERSE.
Never back down a hill in NEUTRAL using only
the vehicle brakes. Never drive diagonally
across a hill, always drive straight up or down.
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260STARTING AND OPERATING
Driving Through Water
Extreme care should be taken crossing any type
of water. Water crossings should be avoided if
possible and only be attempted when neces -
sary, in a safe responsible manner. You should
only drive through areas which are designated
and approved. You should tread lightly and
avoid damage to the environment. You should
know your vehicle's abilities and be able to
recover it if something goes wrong. You should
never stop or shut a vehicle off when crossing
deep water unless you ingested water into the
engine air intake. If the engine stalls do not
attempt to restart it. Determine if it has ingested
water first. The key to any crossing is low and
slow. You want to use FIRST gear in 4WD LOW
and proceed very slowly with a constant slow
speed (3-5 mph [5–8 km/h] maximum) and
light throttle. Keep the vehicle moving; do not
try to accelerate through the crossing. After
crossing any water higher than the bottom of
the axle differentials, you should inspect all of
the vehicle fluids for signs of water ingestion.
Before You Cross Any Type Of Water – As you
approach any type of water you need to
determine if you can cross it safely and
responsibly. If necessary, get out and walk
through the water or probe it with a stick. You
need to be sure of its depth, approach angle,
current and bottom condition. Be careful of
murky or muddy waters, check for hidden
obstacles. Make sure you will not be
intruding on any wildlife and you can recover
the vehicle if necessary. The key to a safe
crossing is the water depth, current and
bottom conditions. On soft bottoms the
vehicle will sink in, effectively increasing the
water level on the vehicle. Be sure to
consider this when determining the depth
and the ability to safely cross.
Crossing Puddles, Pools, Flooded Areas Or
Other Standing Water – Puddles, pools,
flooded or other standing water areas
normally contain murky or muddy waters.
These water types normally contain hidden
obstacles and make it difficult to determine
an accurate water depth, approach angle,
and bottom condition. Murky or muddy water
holes are where you want to hook up tow
straps prior to entering. This makes for a
faster, cleaner and easier vehicle recovery. If
you are able to determine you can safely
cross, than proceed using the low and slow
method.
Crossing Ditches, Streams, Shallow Rivers Or
Other Flowing Water – Flowing water can be
extremely dangerous. Never attempt to cross
a fast running stream or river even in shallow
water. Fast moving water can easily push
your vehicle downstream sweeping it out of
control. Even in very shallow water, a high
current can still wash the dirt out from
CAUTION!
Water ingestion into the axles, transmission,
transfer case, engine or vehicle interior can
occur if you drive too fast or through too deep
of water. Water can cause permanent
damage to engine, driveline or other vehicle
components and your brakes will be less
effective once wet and/or muddy.
CAUTION!
Muddy waters can reduce the cooling system
effectiveness by depositing debris onto the
radiator.

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STARTING AND OPERATING261
around your tires putting you and your vehicle
in jeopardy. There is still a high risk of
personal injury and vehicle damage with
slower water currents in depths greater than
the vehicle's running ground clearance. You
should never attempt to cross flowing water
which is deeper than the vehicle's running
ground clearance. Even the slowest current
can push the heaviest vehicle downstream
out of control if the water is deep enough to
push on the large surface area of the
vehicle's body. Before you proceed deter -
mine the speed of the current, the water's
depth, approach angle, bottom condition and
if there are any obstacles, then cross at an
angle heading slightly upstream using the
low and slow technique.Airing Down For Off-Road Driving
Running lower tire pressure off-road can
improve your ride comfort and vehicle traction.
Reducing the tire air pressure allows the tire to
bulge slightly, improving its surface area for
better flotation and ability to mold or form to the
ground contour. Different terrain, tires, and
vehicles require different tire pressure. Hard
surfaces like rock and heavier vehicles require
higher pressures than softer surfaces such as
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. 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 situa-
tion where you will need to recover your vehicle.
Vehicle recovery should always be given consid -
eration 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 move the 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 deter -
mine 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 impact 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
WARNING!
Never drive through fast moving deep water. It
can push your vehicle downstream, sweeping
it out of control. This could put you and your
passengers at risk of injury or drowning.
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.
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262STARTING AND OPERATING
hung up on something 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.
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 trac -
tion, try turning your steering wheel quickly
left and right no more than a quarter turn. If
you are stuck in mud, sand, or snow try spin -
ning 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 attach -
ment point. Using tow straps requires coordi -
nation 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 vehicles. There should be a least 20 to
30 feet (6 to 9 meters) between the vehicles
to allow for a safe recovery. If necessary join
two tow straps together using a 1.5 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!
Pulling the vehicle off an obstacle, without
first clearing the object, may result in
additional underbody damage.
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).

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STARTING AND OPERATING263
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 situ -
ation 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.
After Driving Off-Road
Off-road operation puts more stress on your
vehicle than does most on-road driving. After
going off-road, it is always a good idea to check
for damage. That way you can get any problems
taken care of right away and have your vehicle
ready when you need it.
Completely inspect the underbody of your
vehicle. Check tires, body structure, steering,
suspension, and exhaust system for damage.
Inspect the radiator for mud and debris and
clean as required.
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
(0.60 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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264STARTING AND OPERATING
Check threaded fasteners for looseness,
particularly on the chassis, drivetrain compo -
nents, steering, and suspension. Retighten
them, if required, and torque to the values
specified in the Service Manual.
Check for accumulations of plants or brush.
These things could be a fire hazard. They
might hide damage to fuel lines, brake hoses,
axle pinion seals, and propeller shafts.
After extended operation in mud, sand,
water, or similar dirty conditions, have the
radiator, fan, brake rotors, wheels, brake
linings, and axle yokes inspected and
cleaned as soon as possible.
If you experience unusual vibration after
driving in mud, slush or similar conditions,
check the wheels for impacted material.
Impacted material can cause a wheel imbal-
ance and freeing the wheels of it will correct
the situation.
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 similarly 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 slippery driving conditions. With both
rear wheels on a slippery surface, a slight appli -
cation of the accelerator will supply maximum
traction. When starting with only one rear wheel
on an excessively slippery surface, slight
momentary application of the parking brake
may be necessary to gain maximum traction. Care should be taken to avoid sudden accelera-
tions when both rear wheels are on a slippery
surface. This could cause both rear wheels to
spin, and allow the vehicle to slide sideways 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
WARNING!
Abrasive material in any part of the brakes
may cause excessive wear or unpredictable
braking. You might not have full braking
power when you need it to prevent a collision.
If you have been operating your vehicle in
dirty conditions, get your brakes checked and
cleaned as necessary.
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.

20_DJD2_OM_EN_USC_t.book Page 264

STARTING AND OPERATING265
not operate the winch without reading and
understanding the complete winch owner's
manual.
Tensioning The Winch Rope
The winch rope must be properly tensioned
before use. Follow the instructions below to
tension the rope:

1. Un-spool the rope leaving five wraps of
rope on the winch drum.

2. Attach the hook to a suitable anchor point.
3. Apply at least 1,000 lbs (454 kg) of tension to the rope while winding the rope. Always
use care to ensure the rope does not pile up
on one side of the drum and is neatly wound
onto the drum.
Low Voltage Interrupt
Your winch is equipped with a device that will
interrupt winch function if the vehicle charging
system voltage drops to a low level. The winch
will not power-in or out for 30 seconds if this
device is tripped. If the interrupt is tripped, the
vehicle should be operated at high idle for a few
minutes to allow the vehicle charging system to
recover before continuing to winch.
Understanding The Features Of Your Winch

Winch Components

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 interface 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.
CAUTION!
Be certain the anchor will withstand the load
required to tension the winch rope.
CAUTION!
The winch rope must spool on the winch
drum in the direction indicated on the drum
rotation decal on the winch.
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266STARTING AND OPERATING
(Continued)
Fairlead: The hawse fairlead acts as a guide for
the synthetic rope and minimizes damage to the
rope.
Winch Accessories
The following accessories are necessary to
attach the winch to anchors, change direction of
pull, and for safe winching.
Gloves: It is extremely important to
wear protective gloves while oper -
ating the winch or handling the winch
rope. Avoid loose fitting clothes or
anything that could become entangled in the
rope and other moving parts.
Snatch/Block Pulley: Used properly,
the multi-purpose snatch block allows
you to (1) increase the winch's pulling
power; and (2) change your pulling
direction without damaging the winch rope.
Proper use of the snatch block is covered in
"Before You Pull." Clevis/D-Shackles:
The D-Shackle is
a safe means of connecting the
looped ends of cables, straps and
snatch blocks. The shackle's pin is
threaded to allow easy removal.
Tree Trunk Protector: Typically made
of tough, high-quality nylon, it
provides the operator an attachment
point for the winch rope to a wide
variety of anchor points and objects, as well as
protect living trees.
Abrasion Sleeve: The abrasion sleeve is
provided with the synthetic rope and must be
used with the synthetic rope at all times to
protect the rope from potential abrasion wear.
The sleeve has a loose fit so it can easily be
positioned along the synthetic rope to protect
from rough surfaces and sharp corners.
Operating Your Winch CAUTION!
If not installed, the hook strap must be
placed on the hook.WARNING!
Failure to observe any of these warnings
regarding proper winch usage may result in
severe injury.
Always use supplied hook strap to hold the
hook when spooling wire rope in or out.
Never use as a hoist.
Never use to move persons.
Never exceed winch or synthetic rope rated
capacity.
Always wear heavy leather gloves when
handling the synthetic rope.
Never touch synthetic rope or hook while in
tension or under load.
Never engage or disengage clutch if winch
is under load, synthetic rope is in tension,
or rope drum is moving.
Always stand clear of synthetic rope and
load and keep others away during winching.

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STARTING AND OPERATING267
(Continued)
(Continued)
General Information
Practice using your winch before you get stuck.
Some key points to remember when using your
winch are:
Always take your time to assess the situation
and plan your pull carefully.
Always take your time when using a winch.
Use the right equipment for the situation.
Always wear leather gloves and do not allow
the synthetic rope to slip through your hands
when handling the rope.
Only the operator should handle the synthetic
rope and remote control.
Think safety at all times.
Vehicle Recovery Using The Winch
Always keep hands and clothing clear of the
synthetic rope, hook and fairlead opening
during operation and when spooling.
Never wrap synthetic rope back onto itself.
Always use a choker chain, wire choker
rope or tree trunk protector on the anchor.
Never attach a recovery strap to the winch
hook to increase the length of a pull.
Never attempt to tow a vehicle with the
recovery strap attached directly to the
winch hook.
Never use bungee or kinetic straps that
develop tremendous and potentially
dangerous amounts of force when
stretched.
Always disconnect the remote control when
not in use.
Never winch when there are less than 10
wraps of synthetic rope around the winch
drum.
WARNING!
(Continued)
Always pass remote control through a
window to avoid pinching lead in door,
when using remote inside a vehicle.
Never leave the remote control plugged
into the winch while free spooling, rigging or
sitting idle.
WARNING! (Continued)
CAUTION!
Always know your winch: Take the time to
fully read and understand the included
Installation and Operations Guide, and
Basic Guide to Winching Techniques, in
order to understand your winch and the
winching operation.
Always inspect winch installation and
synthetic rope condition before operating
the winch. Frayed, kinked or damaged rope
must be replaced immediately. Loose or
damaged winch installation must be
corrected immediately.
Always be sure any element which can
interfere with safe winching operations is
removed prior to initiating winching.
Always keep remote control lead clear of
the drum, synthetic rope and rigging.
Inspect for cracks, pinches, frayed rope, or
loose connections. Replace if damaged.
Be careful not to pull the winch rope collar
through the rollers. Watch and listen to
winch for proper snugness.
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268STARTING AND OPERATING

1. Inspect the winch, winch mount, and
synthetic rope for damage. Do not use the
winch if the mount is loose or rope shows
excessive wear, frays, or damage.

Winch Rope

2. Put on gloves.
3. Disengage the clutch to allow free spooling of the winch drum, rotate the clutch lever on
the winch to disengage. Freespooling
conserves battery power.
Free Spool Lever

4. Free the winch hook and attach the hook strap. Free the winch hook from its anchor
point. Attach the hook strap to the hook (if
not attached).

Hook Strap
5. Pull the wire to the anchor point. Pull out
enough wire rope to reach your anchor
point. To prevent losing the end, hold the
hook strap while you work.

Pulling Synthetic Rope

Never power hook through fairlead. Could
cause damage.
CAUTION! (Continued)WARNING!
Never touch winch rope or hook while
someone else is at the control switch or
during winching operation.
Never touch winch rope or hook while
under tension or under load.

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