RAM CHASSIS CAB 2016 Owners Manual

NOTE: When using a portable battery booster pack
follow the manufacturer ’s operating instructions and
precautions.
CAUTION!Do not use a portable battery booster pack or any
other booster source with a system voltage greater
than 12 Volts or damage to the battery, starter motor,
alternator or electrical system may occur.
WARNING!Do not attempt jump-starting if the battery is frozen.
It could rupture or explode and cause personal injury.
Preparations For Jump-Start
The battery in your vehicle is located in the front of the
engine compartment, behind the left headlight assembly. NOTE: The positive battery post is covered with a
protective cap. Lift up on the cap to gain access to the
positive battery post. Do not jump off fuses. Only jump
directly off positive post.
Correct Positive Jumping Location 6WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 549

WARNING!• Take care to avoid the radiator cooling fan when-
ever 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. Set the parking brake, shift the automatic transmission
into PARK and turn the ignition to LOCK.
2. Turn off the heater, radio, and all unnecessary electri-
cal accessories. 3. If using another vehicle to jump-start the battery, park
the vehicle within the jumper cables reach, set 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 connection and personal
injury could result.
Jump-Starting Procedure
WARNING!Failure to follow this jump-starting procedure could
result in personal injury or property damage due to
battery explosion.550 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

CAUTION!Failure to follow these procedures could result in
damage to the charging system of the booster vehicle
or the discharged vehicle.
Connecting The Jumper Cables
1. Connect the positive (+) end of the jumper cable to the
positive (+) post of the discharged 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 electri-
cal spark could cause the battery to explode and
could result in personal injury. Only use the specific
ground point, do not use any other exposed metal
parts.
5. Start the engine in the vehicle that has the booster
battery, let the engine idle a few minutes, and then
start the engine in the vehicle with the discharged
battery. 6WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 551

CAUTION!Do not connect jumper cable to any of the fuses on
the positive battery terminal. The resulting electrical
current will blow the fuse.
6. Once the engine is started, remove the jumper cables
in the reverse sequence:
Disconnecting The Jumper Cables
1. Disconnect the negative (-) end of the jumper cable
from the engine ground of the vehicle with the dis-
charged battery.
2. Disconnect the opposite end of the negative (-) jumper
cable from the negative (-) post of the booster battery.
3. Disconnect the positive (+) end of the jumper cable
from the positive (+) post of the booster battery. 4. Disconnect the opposite end of the positive (+) jumper
cable from the positive (+) post of the vehicle with the
discharged battery.
If frequent jump-starting is required to start your vehicle
you should have the battery and charging system in-
spected at your authorized dealer.
CAUTION!Accessories plugged into the vehicle power outlets
draw power from the vehicle’s battery, even when not
in use (i.e., cellular devices, etc.). Eventually, if
plugged in long enough without engine operation,
the vehicle’s battery will discharge sufficiently to
degrade battery life and/or prevent the engine from
starting.552 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE
If your vehicle becomes stuck in mud, sand, or snow, it
can often be moved using a rocking 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 2nd gear
and REVERSE (with manual transmission), while gently
pressing the accelerator. Use the least amount of accel-
erator pedal pressure that will maintain the rocking
motion, without spinning the wheels or racing the en-
gine.
CAUTION!Racing the engine or spinning the wheels may lead to
transmission overheating and failure. Allow the en-
gine to idle with the transmission in NEUTRAL for at
least one minute after every five rocking-motion (Continued) CAUTION! (Continued)cycles. This will minimize overheating and reduce
the risk of clutch or transmission failure during
prolonged efforts to free a stuck vehicle.
NOTE: Push the  ESC Off  switch, to place the Electronic
Stability Control (ESC) system in  Partial Off  mode,
before rocking the vehicle. Refer to “Electronic Brake
Control” in “Starting And Operating” for further infor-
mation. Once the vehicle has been freed, push the  ESC
Off  switch again to restore  ESC On  mode.
CAUTION!• When “rocking” a stuck vehicle by shifting be-
tween DRIVE/2nd gear and REVERSE, do not spin
the wheels faster than 15 mph (24 km/h), or drive-
train damage may result. (Continued) 6WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 553

CAUTION! (Continued)• Revving the engine or spinning the wheels too fast
may lead to transmission overheating and failure.
It can also damage the tires. Do not spin the wheels
above 30 mph (48 km/h) while in gear (no trans-
mission shifting occurring).
WARNING!Fast spinning tires can be dangerous. Forces gener-
ated 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 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.554 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

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.
GEAR SELECTOR OVERRIDE
If a malfunction occurs and the gear selector cannot be
moved out of the PARK position, you can use the
following procedure to temporarily move the gear selec-
tor:
1. Turn the engine OFF.
2. Firmly apply the parking brake.
3. Tilt the steering wheel to the full up position.
4. Push 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. Gear Selector Override Access Port 6WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 555

TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE
This section describes procedures for towing a disabled
vehicle using a commercial towing 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.
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) max distance 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 METHOD556 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

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.
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, refer to “Gear Selector Override” in this
section for instructions on shifting the automatic trans-
mission out of PARK for towing. CAUTION!• Do not use sling type equipment when towing.
Vehicle damage may occur.
• When securing the vehicle to a flat bed truck, do
not attach to front or rear suspension components.
Damage to your vehicle may result from improper
towing.
Two-Wheel Drive Models
The manufacturer recommends towing your vehicle with
all four wheels OFF the ground using a flatbed.
If flatbed equipment is not available, and the transmis-
sion is operable, the vehicle may be towed (with the 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). 6WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 557

• The towing distance must not exceed 15 miles (24 km).
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), tow with the rear wheels OFF the 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 in the straight position)
with 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
OFF the 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 ALL wheels on the ground), IF
the 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
further information and detailed instructions.558 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES