2016 Ram 2500 fuel type

▫Ethanol Fuel (E-85) ....................681
▫ Fuel Requirements ....................682
▫ Selection Of Engine Oil For Flexible Fuel Vehicles
(E-85) And Gasoline Vehicles .............682
▫ Starting ........................... .683
▫ Cruising Range ...................... .683
▫ Replacement Parts ....................683
▫ Maintenance ....................... .684
 ADDING FUEL ....................... .684
▫ Loose Fuel Filler Cap Message ............686
 VEHICLE LOADING ....................687
▫ Certification Label ....................687 
TRAILER TOWING .....................689
▫ Common Towing Definitions .............689
▫ Trailer Hitch Type and Maximum Trailer
Weight ............................ .697
▫ Trailer Towing Weights (Maximum Trailer Weight
Ratings) ........................... .698
▫ Trailer And Tongue Weight ..............698
▫ Towing Requirements ..................699
▫ Towing Tips ........................ .709
 SNOWPLOW .........................711
▫ 1500 Models Only .....................711
▫ 2500/3500 Models Only .................712
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 475

CAUTION!
To prevent damage to the starter, do not crank the
engine for more than 10 seconds at a time. Wait 10 to
15 seconds before trying again.
WARNING!
•Never pour fuel or other flammable liquids into
the throttle body air inlet opening in an attempt to
start the vehicle. This could result in a flash fire
causing serious personal injury.
• Do not attempt to push or tow your vehicle to get it
started. Vehicles equipped with an automatic trans-
mission cannot be started this way. Unburned fuel
could enter the catalytic converter and once the
engine has started, ignite and damage the converter
and vehicle.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•If the vehicle has a discharged battery, booster
cables may be used to obtain a start from a booster
battery or the battery in another vehicle. This type
of start can be dangerous if done improperly. Refer
to “Jump-Starting” in “What To Do In Emergen-
cies” for further information.
If the engine has been flooded, it may start to run, but not
have enough power to continue running when the igni-
tion button/key is released. If this occurs, continue
cranking with the accelerator pedal pushed all the way to
the floor. Release the accelerator pedal and the ignition
button/key once the engine is running smoothly.
If the engine shows no sign of starting after a 10 second
period of engine cranking with the accelerator pedal held
to the floor, wait 10 to 15 seconds, then repeat the
“Normal Starting” procedure.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 481

OFF-ROAD DRIVING TIPS
Care should be taken when attempting to climb steep
hills or driving diagonally across a hill or slope. If natural
obstacles force you to travel diagonally up or down a hill,
choose a mild angle and keep as little side tilt as possible.
Keep the vehicle moving and make turns slowly and
cautiously.
If you must back down a hill, back straight down using
REVERSE gear. Never back down in NEUTRAL or diago-
nally across the hill.
When driving over sand, mud, and other soft terrain,
shift to low gear and drive steadily. Apply the accelerator
slowly to avoid spinning the wheels.
Do not reduce the tire pressures for this type of driving.
After Driving Off-Road
Off-road operation puts more stress on your vehicle than
does most on-road driving. After going off-road, it isalways 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.
• Check threaded fasteners for looseness, particularly on
the chassis, drivetrain components, steering, and sus-
pension. 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.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 593

Fuel Requirements
If your vehicle is E-85 compatible, it will operate on
unleaded gasoline with any octane rating, or solely E-85
fuel, or any mixture of these fuels.
For best results, avoid fueling patterns alternating
between E-85 and unleaded gasoline.
When switching fuel types:
•Add 5 gallons (19 liters) or more when refueling.
• Drive the vehicle immediately after refueling for at
least 5 miles (8 km).
Observing these precautions will avoid possible hard
starting and/or driveability problems during warm up. NOTE:
•
Use seasonally adjusted E-85 fuel (ASTM D5798). With
non-seasonally adjusted E-85 fuel, hard starting and
rough idle following start up may be experienced even
if the above recommendations are followed, especially
when the ambient temperature is below 32°F (0°C).
• Some additives used in regular gasoline are not fully
compatible with E-85 and may form deposits in your
engine. To eliminate driveability issues that may be
caused by these deposits, a supplemental gasoline
additive, such as MOPAR Injector Cleanup or Techron
may be used.
Selection Of Engine Oil For Flexible Fuel Vehicles
(E-85) And Gasoline Vehicles
FFV vehicles operated on E-85 require specially formu-
lated engine oils. These special requirements are included
in MOPAR engine oils, and in equivalent oils meeting
682 STARTING AND OPERATING