2013 Ram 1500 brake

Maintain and operate your vehicle and snowplow equip-
ment following the recommendations provided by the
specific snowplow manufacturer.
Over The Road Operation With Snowplow
Attached
The blade restricts air flow to the radiator and causes the
engine to operate at higher than normal temperatures.
Therefore, when transporting the plow, angle the blade
completely and position it as low as road or surface
conditions permit. Do not exceed 40 mph (64 km/h). The
operator should always maintain a safe stopping distance
and allow adequate passing clearance.
Operating Tips
Under ideal snow plowing conditions, 20 mph (32 km/h)
should be maximum operating speed. The operator
should be familiar with the area and surface to be
cleaned. Reduce speed and use extreme caution when
plowing unfamiliar areas or under poor visibility.
General Maintenance
Snowplows should be maintained in accordance with the
plow manufacturer’s instructions.
Keep all snowplow electrical connections and battery
terminals clean and free of corrosion.
When plowing snow, to avoid transmission and drivetrain
damage, the following precautions should be observed.
•Operate with transfer case in 4L when plowing small or
congested areas where speeds are not likely to exceed
15 mph (24 km/h). At higher speeds operate in 4H.
• Vehicles with automatic transmissions should use 4L
range when plowing deep or heavy snow for extended
periods of time to avoid transmission overheating.
• Do not shift the transmission unless the engine has
returned to idle and wheels have stopped. Make a
practice of stepping on the brake pedal while shifting
the transmission.
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NOTE:Vehicles equipped with air suspension must be
lowered to the “Entry/Exit” (lowest) level, and have
automatic leveling disabled, before tying them down
(from the body) on a trailer or flatbed truck. Refer to “Air
Suspension – If Equipped” for more information. If the
vehicle cannot be lowered to the “Entry/Exit” level (for
example, engine will not run), tie-downs must be fas-
tened to the axles (not to the body). Failure to follow
these instructions may cause fault codes to be set and/or
cause loss of proper tie-down tension.
Recreational Towing – Two-Wheel Drive Models
DO NOT flat tow this vehicle. Damage to the drivetrain
will result.
Recreational towing (for two-wheel drive models) is
allowed ONLYif the rear wheels are OFFthe ground.
This may be accomplished using a tow dolly or vehicle
trailer. If using a tow dolly, follow this procedure: 1. Properly secure the dolly to the tow vehicle, following
the dolly manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Drive the rear wheels onto the tow dolly.
3. Firmly apply the parking brake. Place automatic trans- mission in PARK, manual transmission in gear (not in
NEUTRAL).
4. Properly secure the rear wheels to the dolly, following the dolly manufacturer’s instructions.
5. Remove the key fob from the ignition switch.
6. Install a suitable clamping device, designed for tow- ing, to secure the front wheels in the straight position.
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WARNING!(Continued)
the parking brake. The transfer case NEUTRAL (N)
position disengages both the front and rear drive-
shafts from the powertrain and will allow the vehicle
to move, even if the transmission is in PARK. The
parking brake should always be applied when the
driver is not in the vehicle.
CAUTION!
It is necessary to follow these steps to be certain that the
transfer case is fully in NEUTRAL (N) before recre-
ational towing to prevent damage to internal parts.
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop, with the engine
running. Firmly apply the parking brake.
2. Shift the transmission to NEUTRAL.
3. Press and hold the brake pedal. 4. Depress the clutch pedal on a manual transmission.
5.
•With manual shift transfer case, shift the transfer
case lever into NEUTRAL (N).
• With electronic shift transfer case, press and hold the
transfer case NEUTRAL (N) button. Some models
have a small, recessed Nbutton (at the center of the
transfer case switches) that must be pressed using a
ballpoint pen or similar object. Other models have a
rectangular NEUTRAL switch, below the rotary
transfer case control knob. The NEUTRAL (N) indi-
cator light will blink while the shift is in progress.
The light will stop blinking (stay on solid) when the
shift to NEUTRAL (N) is complete. After the shift is
completed and the NEUTRAL (N) light stays on,
release the NEUTRAL (N) button.
6. Release the parking brake.
7. Shift the transmission into REVERSE.
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8. Release the brake pedal (and clutch pedal on manualtransmissions) for five seconds and ensure that there is
no vehicle movement.
9. Repeat steps 7 and 8 with automatic transmission in DRIVE or manual transmission in first gear.
10. Shift the transmission to NEUTRAL. Firmly apply the parking brake. Turn OFF the engine. For vehicles
with Keyless Enter-N-Go, press and hold the EN-
GINE START/STOP button until the engine shuts off.
11. Shift the transmission into PARK or place manual transmission in gear (NOT in Neutral). On 8-speed
transmissions the shifter will automatically select
PARK when the engine is turned off.
12. Turn the ignition switch to the OFF position, then cycle the key or the Keyless Enter-N-Go button to the
RUN position and back to the OFF position. Remove
the key fob from the ignition switch. 13. Attach the vehicle to the tow vehicle using a suitable
tow bar.
14. Release the parking brake.
NOTE: With electronic shift transfer case:
• Steps 2 through 4 are requirements that must be met
prior to pressing the NEUTRAL (N) button, and must
continue to be met until the shift has been completed.
If any of these requirements are not met prior to
pressing the NEUTRAL (N) button or are no longer
met during the shift, the NEUTRAL (N) indicator light
will flash continuously until all requirements are met
or until the NEUTRAL (N) button is released.
• The ignition switch must be in the ON/RUN position
for a shift to take place and for the position indicator
lights to be operable. If the ignition switch is not in the
ON/RUN position, the shift will not take place and no
position indicator lights will be on or flashing.
566 STARTING AND OPERATING

•A flashing NEUTRAL (N) position indicator light
indicates that shift requirements have not been met.
Shifting Out Of NEUTRAL (N)
Use the following procedure to prepare your vehicle for
normal usage.
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop, leaving it con- nected to the tow vehicle.
2. Firmly apply the parking brake.
3. Press and hold the brake pedal.
4. Start the engine. Shift the transmission into NEU- TRAL. Depress the clutch pedal on a manual trans-
mission.
• With manual shift transfer case, shift the transfer
case lever to the desired position.
• With electronic shift transfer case with rotary selector
switch, press and hold the transfer case NEUTRAL (N) button until the NEUTRAL (N) indicator light
turns off. After the NEUTRAL (N) indicator light
turns off, release the NEUTRAL (N) button. After the
NEUTRAL (N) button has been released, the transfer
case will shift to the position indicated by the selec-
tor switch.
• With electronic shift transfer case with pushbutton
selector switch, press and hold the switch for the
desired transfer case position, until the NEUTRAL
(N) indicator light turns off and the desired position
indicator light turns on.
NOTE: When shifting out of transfer case NEUTRAL
(N), turning the engine OFF is not required, but may be
helpful to avoid gear clash. With the 8-speed automatic
transmission, the engine must remain running, since
turning the engine OFF will shift the transmission to
PARK (and the transmission must be in NEUTRAL for
the transfer case to shift out of NEUTRAL).
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STARTING AND OPERATING 567

5. Turn the engine OFF. Shift automatic transmission intoPARK. On 8-speed transmissions the shifter will auto-
matically select PARK when the engine is turned off.
6. Release the brake pedal (and clutch pedal on a manual transmission).
7. Disconnect vehicle from the tow vehicle.
8. Start the engine.
9. Press and hold the brake pedal.
10. Release the parking brake.
11. Shift the transmission into gear, release the brake pedal (and clutch pedal on manual transmissions),
and check that the vehicle operates normally. NOTE:
With electronic shift transfer case:
• Steps 3 and 4 are requirements that must be met prior
to pressing the button to shift out of NEUTRAL (N),
and must continue to be met until the shift has been
completed. If any of these requirements are not met
before pressing the button or are no longer met during
the shift, the NEUTRAL (N) indicator light will flash
continuously until all requirements are met or until the
button is released.
• The ignition switch must be in the ON/RUN position
for a shift to take place and for the position indicator
lights to be operable. If the ignition switch is not in the
ON/RUN position, the shift will not take place and no
position indicator lights will be on or flashing.
• A flashing NEUTRAL (N) position indicator light
indicates that shift requirements have not been met.
568 STARTING AND OPERATING

5. Pull the retainer through the center of the wheel.
NOTE:The winch mechanism is designed for use with
the jack extension tube only. Use of an air wrench or other
power tools is not recommended and can damage the
winch.Preparations
1. Park the vehicle on a firm, level surface. Avoid ice or slippery areas.
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.
2. Turn on the Hazard Warning flasher.
3. Set the parking brake.
4. Place the shift lever into PARK. On four-wheel drive vehicles, shift the transfer case to the 4L position.
578 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

5. Turn the ignition OFF.Block both the front and rear of the
wheel diagonally opposite the jacking
position. For example, if the right front
wheel is being changed, block the left
rear wheel.
NOTE: Passengers should not remain in the vehicle
when the vehicle is being jacked.
Jack Instructions (1500 Series)
WARNING!
Carefully follow these tire changing warnings to help
prevent personal injury or damage to your vehicle:
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Always park on a firm, level surface as far from the
edge of the roadway as possible before raising the
vehicle.
• Turn on the Hazard Warning flasher.
• 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.
• Never start or run the engine with the vehicle on a
jack.
• 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. If
you need to get under a raised vehicle, take it to a
service center where it can be raised on a lift.
(Continued)
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