2015 Ram 5500 Chassis Cab Owner's Manual

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.
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.
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 479

SHIFT LEVER OVERRIDE
If a malfunction occurs and the shift lever cannot be
moved out of the PARK position, you can use the
following procedure to temporarily move the shift lever:
1. Turn the engine OFF.
2. Firmly apply the parking brake.
3. Tilt the steering wheel to the full up position.
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 shift lever to the NEUTRAL position.
7. The vehicle may then be started in NEUTRAL.
Shift Lever Override Access Port
480 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

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 vehiclesmay 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) maxdistance 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 METHOD
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 481

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 “Shift Lever Override” in this section
for instructions on shifting the automatic transmission
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. Dam-
age to your vehicle may result from improper towing.
Two-Wheel Drive Models
The manufacturer recommends towing your vehicle with
all four wheels OFFthe 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).
• The towing distance must not exceed 15 miles (24 km).
482 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

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 wheelsOFFthe 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 ALLwheels 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.
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 483

CAUTION!
•Front or rear wheel lifts must not be used. Internal
damage to the transmission or transfer case will
occur if a front or rear wheel lift is used when
towing.
• Towing this vehicle in violation of the above re-
quirements can cause severe transmission and/or
transfer case damage. Damage from improper tow-
ing is not covered under the New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.
484 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE
CONTENTS
ENGINE COMPARTMENT — 5.7L ..........487
 ENGINE COMPARTMENT — 6.4L ..........488
 ONBOARD DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM (OBD II) . . .489
▫ Loose Fuel Filler Cap Message ............489
 EMISSIONS INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE
PROGRAMS ......................... .490
 REPLACEMENT PARTS ..................491
 DEALER SERVICE ..................... .492
 MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES ...........492
▫ Engine Oil ......................... .493▫
Engine Oil Filter ..................... .496
▫ Engine Air Cleaner Filter ................496
▫ Accessory Drive Belt Inspection ...........500
▫ Maintenance-Free Battery ...............502
▫ Air Conditioner Maintenance .............503
▫ Front Prop Shaft Lubrication — Four-Wheel
Drive Models ....................... .504
▫ Body Lubrication .....................505
▫ Windshield Wiper Blades ...............505
▫ Adding Washer Fluid ..................510
7

▫Exhaust System ......................511
▫ Cooling System ..................... .513
▫ Brake System ....................... .521
▫ Rear Axle And 4x4 Front Driving Axle
Fluid Level ........................ .523
▫ Transfer Case ....................... .524
▫ Automatic Transmission — If Equipped .....524
▫ Appearance Care And Protection From
Corrosion .......................... .528
 FUSES ............................. .535
▫ Power Distribution Center ...............536
 VEHICLE STORAGE ....................545
 REPLACEMENT BULBS .................546 
BULB REPLACEMENT ..................547
▫ Base Quad / Premium Bi-Halogen: Low Beam
Headlamp, High Beam Headlamp, Front Park
And Turn — If Equipped ...............547
▫ Fog Lamps — If Equipped ..............549
▫ Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL)
With Cargo Lamp .....................550
▫ Cab Top Clearance Lamps — If Equipped . . . .552
 FLUID CAPACITIES ....................554
 FLUIDS, LUBRICANTS AND GENUINE
PARTS ............................. .555
▫ Engine ............................ .555
▫ Chassis ........................... .558
486 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE