2016 Ram 1500 differential

LIMITED-SLIP DIFFERENTIAL.............587
DRIVING ON SLIPPERY SURFACES.........588
▫Acceleration.........................588
▫Traction............................589
DRIVING THROUGH WATER.............589
▫Flowing/Rising Water..................589
▫Shallow Standing Water.................590
OFF-ROAD DRIVING TIPS...............591
▫After Driving Off-Road.................591
WINCH USAGE — POWER WAGON ONLY —
(IF EQUIPPED)........................593
▫Things To Know Before Using Your Winch. . . .593
▫Understanding The Features Of Your Winch . . .595▫Winch Accessories....................597
▫Operating Your Winch..................598
▫Rigging Techniques....................611
POWER STEERING.....................613
▫Electric Power Steering — 1500 Models.....613
▫Hydraulic Power Steering — 2500/3500
Models............................614
FUEL SAVER TECHNOLOGY 5.7L/6.4L ENGINES
ONLY — IF EQUIPPED..................616
PARKING BRAKE......................616
BRAKE SYSTEM.......................618
▫Hydraulic Brake Assist — 2500/3500 Models Only
(Except Power Wagon)..................618
ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEM. . . .619
472 STARTING AND OPERATING

•Entry/Exit Mode – Indicator lamp 3 will be illumi-
nated when the vehicle is in Entry Exit Mode. Entry/
Exit mode can be requested up to 33 mph (53 km/h).
If vehicle speed is reduced to, and kept below, 15 mph
(24 km/h) indicator lamp 3 will flash and indicator
lamp 4 will remain solid until Entry/Exit Mode is
achieved at which point indicator lamp 4 will turn off.
•Transport Mode – No indicator lamps will be illumi-
nated. Transport Mode is disabled by driving the
vehicle.
•Tire/Jack Mode – indicator lamps 3 and 6 will be
illuminated. Tire/Jack Mode is disabled by driving the
vehicle.
•Wheel Alignment Mode – indicator lamps 3, 4 and 5
will be illuminated. Wheel Alignment Mode is dis-
abled by driving the vehicle.AXLE LOCKER SYSTEM — POWER WAGON
MODELS ONLY (IF EQUIPPED)
This vehicle is equipped with electronically locking front
and rear differentials. These differentials, when engaged,
mechanically lock together the axle shafts forcing the
wheels to spin at an equal rate. This allows the vehicle to
maintain its momentum and prevents it from becoming
stuck. The locking front and rear differentials should only
be engaged during low-speed, extreme off-road situa-
tions where one wheel is likely to not be in contact with
the ground. It is not recommended to drive the vehicle
with the differentials locked on pavement due to the
reduced ability to turn and speed limitations.
CAUTION!
•Do not lock the front or rear axle on hard surfaced
roads. The ability to steer the vehicle is reduced
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564 STARTING AND OPERATING

CAUTION!(Continued)
and damage to the drivetrain may occur when the
axles are locked on hard surfaced roads.
•Do not try to lock the rear axle if the vehicle is
stuck and the tires are spinning. You can damage
drivetrain components. Lock the rear axle before
attempting situations or navigating terrain, which
could possibly cause the vehicle to become stuck.
The locking axles are controlled by the axle locker switch.
The switch has three positions, AXLE UNLOCK, REAR
LOCK, and FRONT/REAR LOCK. Under normal driv-
ing conditions, the switch should be left in the AXLE
UNLOCK position. In the AXLE UNLOCK position, the
front and rear axles are unlocked. In the REAR LOCK
position, the rear axle is locked. In the FRONT/REAR
LOCK position, the front and rear axles are locked.NOTE:Even when the axles are in the AXLE UNLOCK
position, the limited slip differential in the rear axle still
provides torque biasing capability for moderate low
traction environments.
During the command to lock the axle, the indicator light
will flash until the axle is locked. After the lock command
has been successfully executed, the light will remain on
solid.
To lock the rear axle, place the vehicle in 4LO. Refer to
“Four Wheel Drive Operation” in “Starting And Operat-
ing” for further information. Move the axle locker switch
position to REAR LOCK while traveling less than 3 mph
(5 km/h). The RR indicator light will remain on when the
rear axle is locked.
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STARTING AND OPERATING 565

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 NEU-
TRAL using only the vehicle brakes. Never drive
diagonally across a hill, always drive straight up or
down.
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 necessary, in a safe responsible
manner. You should only drive through areas which are
designated and approved. You should tread lightly andavoid 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 4L (Low Range) 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.
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STARTING AND OPERATING 579

•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.
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.•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 imbalance 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 per-
forms similarly to a conventional differential. On slip-
pery 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 application of the accelerator5
STARTING AND OPERATING 587

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.
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.
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 sideways on the crowned surface of a road or in a
turn.
DRIVING ON SLIPPERY SURFACES
Acceleration
Rapid acceleration on snow covered, wet, or other slip-
pery surfaces may cause the driving wheels to pull
erratically to the right or left. This phenomenon occurs
when there is a difference in the surface traction under
the rear (driving) wheels.
WARNING!
Rapid acceleration on slippery surfaces is dangerous.
Unequal traction can cause sudden pulling of the rear
wheels. You could lose control of the vehicle and
possibly have a collision. Accelerate slowly and
carefully whenever there is likely to be poor traction
(ice, snow, wet mud, loose sand, etc.).
588 STARTING AND OPERATING

Traction
When driving on wet or slushy roads, it is possible for a
wedge of water to build up between the tire and road
surface. This is known as hydroplaning and may cause
partial or complete loss of vehicle control and stopping
ability. To reduce this possibility, the following precau-
tions should be observed:
•Slow down during rainstorms or when the roads are
slushy.
•Slow down if the road has standing water or puddles.
•Replace tires when tread wear indicators first become
visible.
•Keep tires properly inflated.
•Maintain sufficient distance between your vehicle and
the vehicle in front of you to avoid a collision in a
sudden stop.Your vehicle may be equipped with a Limited Slip
Differential (LSD) that reduces, but does not eliminate,
the amount of wheel slip across a given axle for im-
proved handling.
DRIVING THROUGH WATER
Driving through water more than a few inches/
centimeters deep will require extra caution to ensure
safety and prevent damage to your vehicle.
Flowing/Rising Water
WARNING!
Do not drive on or across a road or path where water
is flowing and/or rising (as in storm run-off). Flow-
ing water can wear away the road or path’s surface
and cause your vehicle to sink into deeper water.
Furthermore, flowing and/or rising water can carry
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STARTING AND OPERATING 589

flat blade on the end of the lug wrench to pull the caps
off. The wheel skin can now be removed.
CAUTION!
•Use a pulling motion to remove the hub cap. Do not
use a twisting motion when removing the hub cap,
damage to the hub cap; finish may occur.
•The rear hub caps on the dual rear wheel has two
pull off notches. Make sure that the hook of the
jack handle driver is located squarely in the cap
notch before attempting to pull off.
You must use the flat end of the lug wrench to pull off the
wheel skins. Locate the hub cap pull notches (2 notches
on each cap). Insert the flat tip completely and using a
back and forth motion, loosen the wheel skin. Repeat this
procedure around the tire until the skin pops off.Replace the wheel skins first using a rubber mallet. When
replacing the hub caps, tilt the cap retainer over the lug
nut bolt circle and strike the high side down with a
rubber mallet. Be sure that the hub caps and wheel skins
are firmly seated around the wheel.
HOISTING
A conventional floor jack may be used at the jacking
locations. Refer to the graphics that show jacking loca-
tions. However, a floor jack or frame hoist must never be
used on any other parts of the underbody.
CAUTION!
Never use a floor jack directly under the differential
housing of a loaded truck or damage to your vehicle
may result.
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WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 769