2017 Ram 2500 starting

(N) button has been released, the transfer case will
shift to the position indicated by the selector switch.
• With electronic shift transfer case with push-button
selector switch, push 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 transmis-
sion, 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).
5. Turn the engine OFF. Shift automatic transmission into PARK. 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 before
pushing the button to shift out of NEUTRAL (N), and
must continue to be met until the shift has been com-
pleted. If any of these requirements are not met before
pushing the button or are no longer met during the shift,
the NEUTRAL (N) indicator light will flash continu-
ously until all requirements are met or until the button is
released.
• The ignition must be in the ON/RUN mode for a shift to
take place and for the position indicator lights to be
operable. If the ignition is not in the ON/RUN mode, the
shift will not take place and no position indicator lights
will be on or flashing.
• A flashing NEUTRAL (N) position indicator light indi-
cates that shift requirements have not been met.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 577

WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES
CONTENTS
HAZARD WARNING FLASHERS ............580
 IF YOUR ENGINE OVERHEATS .............580
 WHEEL AND TIRE TORQUE
SPECIFICATIONS ...................... .581
▫ Torque Specifications ....................581
 JACKING AND TIRE CHANGING ............583
▫ Jacking And Tire Changing
1500 Series Trucks ..................... .583
▫ Jacking And Tire Changing
2500 And 3500 Series Trucks ...............600
 HOISTING ........................... .618
 JUMP-STARTING PROCEDURES ............618
▫ Preparations For Jump-Start ...............618
▫ Jump-Starting Procedure ..................620 
FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE ..............621

EMERGENCY TOW HOOKS — IF EQUIPPED . . . .623
 GEAR SELECTOR OVERRIDE — 6-SPEED
TRANSMISSION ....................... .623
▫ Column Shifter — If Equipped .............623
▫ Center Console Shifter — If Equipped ........624
 MANUAL PARK RELEASE — 8 SPEED
TRANSMISSION ....................... .625
 TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE ............626
▫ Two-Wheel Drive Models .................628
▫ Four-Wheel Drive Models .................629
 ENHANCED ACCIDENT RESPONSE SYSTEM
(EARS) .............................. .630
 EVENT DATA RECORDER (EDR) ............630
6

HOISTING
A conventional floor jack may be used at the jacking
locations. Refer to the graphics that show jacking locations.
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.
JUMP-STARTING PROCEDURES
If your vehicle has a discharged battery, it can be jump-
started using a set of jumper cables and a battery in another
vehicle or by using a portable battery booster pack. Jump-
starting can be dangerous if done improperly, so please
follow the procedures in this section carefully.
NOTE:When using a portable battery booster pack, follow
the manufacturer ’s operating instructions and precautions.
WARNING!
Do not attempt jump-starting if the battery is frozen. It
could rupture or explode and cause personal injury.
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.
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 may be covered with a
protective cap if equipped. Lift up on the cap to gain access
to the positive battery post. Do not jump off fuses. Only
jump directly off positive post which has a positive (+)
symbol on or around the post.
618 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

Jump-Starting Procedure
WARNING!
Failure to follow this jump-starting procedure could
result in personal injury or property damage due to
battery explosion.
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 electrical 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.
CAUTION!
Do not connect jumper cable to any of the fuses on the
positive battery terminal. The resulting electrical cur-
rent will blow the fuse.
6. Once the engine is started, remove the jumper cables in the reverse sequence:
620 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

Disconnecting The Jumper Cables
1. Disconnect the negative(-)end of the jumper cable from
the engine ground of the vehicle with the discharged
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.
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 press-
ing the accelerator. Use the least amount of accelerator
pedal pressure that will maintain the rocking motion,
without spinning the wheels or racing the engine.
NOTE: For trucks equipped with 8-speed automatic trans-
mission: Shifts between DRIVE and REVERSE can only be
achieved at wheel speeds of 5 mph (8 km/h) or less.
Whenever the transmission remains in NEUTRAL for more
than two seconds, you must press the brake pedal to
engage DRIVE or REVERSE.
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 621

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
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 Offmode, before
rocking the vehicle. Refer to “Electronic Brake Control” in
“Starting And Operating” for further information. Once
the vehicle has been freed, push the ESC Offswitch again
to restore ESC Onmode.
WARNING!
Fast spinning tires can be dangerous. Forces generated
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 vehicle’s wheels
faster than 30 mph (48 km/h) or for longer than 30
seconds continuously without stopping when you are
stuck and do not let anyone near a spinning wheel, no
matter what the speed.
CAUTION!
•When “rocking” a stuck vehicle by shifting between
DRIVE/2nd gear and REVERSE, do not spin the
wheels faster than 15 mph (24 km/h), or drivetrain
damage may result.
• 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 transmis-
sion shifting occurring).
622 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

4. While holding the locking tab in the disengaged posi-tion, pull the tether strap to rotate the lever rearward,
until it locks in place pointing towards the driver’s seat.
Release the locking tab and verify that the Manual Park
Release lever is locked in the released position.
5. The vehicle is now out of PARK and can be towed. Release the parking brake only when the vehicle is
securely connected to a tow vehicle.
To Reset The Manual Park Release:
1. Push the locking tab to the right, to unlock the lever.
2. Rotate the Manual Park Release lever forward to its original position, until the locking tab snaps into place
to secure the lever.
3. Pull gently on the tether strap to confirm that the lever is locked in its stowed position.
4. Re-install the access cover.TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE
This section describes procedures for towing a disabled
vehicle using a commercial towing service. If the transmis-
sion and drivetrain are operable, disabled vehicles may
also be towed as described under “Recreational Towing” in
the “Starting And Operating” section.
NOTE: Vehicles equipped with air suspension must be
placed in Transport mode, before tying them down (from
the body) on a trailer or flatbed truck. Refer to Air
Suspension inStarting And Operating for more informa-
tion. If the vehicle cannot be placed in Transport mode (for
example, engine will not run), tie-downs must be fastened
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.
626 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

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 (6–speed
transmission)
• 30 miles (48 km) maxdistance (8–speed
transmission) See instructions in “Recreational Tow-
ing” under “Starting and Operating”
•
Automatic Transmission in PARK
• Manual Transmission in gear
(NOT NEUTRAL)
• Transfer Case in NEUTRAL (N)
• 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 627