2017 Ram 2500 Owner's Manual

The limited-slip differential is especially helpful during
slippery driving conditions. With both rear wheels on a
slippery surface, a slight application of the accelerator will
supply maximum traction. When starting with only one
rear wheel on an excessively slippery surface, slight mo-
mentary 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 slippery
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 care-
fully whenever there is likely to be poor traction (ice,
snow, wet mud, loose sand, etc.).
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 precautions
should be observed:
•
Slow down during rainstorms or when the roads are
slushy.
• Slow down if the road has standing water or puddles.
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•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 Differ-
ential (LSD) that reduces, but does not eliminate, the
amount of wheel slip across a given axle for improved
handling.
DRIVING THROUGH WATER
Driving through water more than a few inches/centimeters
deep will require extra caution to ensure safety and pre-
vent 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). Flowing
water can wear away the road or path’s surface and
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WARNING! (Continued)
cause your vehicle to sink into deeper water. Further-
more, flowing and/or rising water can carry your ve-
hicle away swiftly. Failure to follow this warning may
result in injuries that are serious or fatal to you, your
passengers, and others around you.
Shallow Standing Water
Although your vehicle is capable of driving through shal-
low standing water, consider the following Cautions and
Warnings before doing so.
WARNING!
•Driving through standing water limits your vehicle’s
traction capabilities. Do not exceed 5 mph (8 km/h)
when driving through standing water.
• Driving through standing water limits your vehicle’s
braking capabilities, which increases stopping dis-
tances. Therefore, after driving through standing
water, drive slowly and lightly press on the brake
pedal several times to dry the brakes.
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WARNING!(Continued)
•Failure to follow these warnings may result in inju-
ries that are serious or fatal to you, your passengers,
and others around you.
CAUTION!
• Always check the depth of the standing water before
driving through it. Never drive through standing
water that is deeper than the bottom of the tire rims
mounted on the vehicle.
• Determine the condition of the road or the path that
is under water and if there are any obstacles in the
way before driving through the standing water.
• Do not exceed 5 mph (8 km/h) when driving through
standing water. This will minimize wave effects.
• Driving through standing water may cause damage
to your vehicle’s drivetrain components. Always in-
spect your vehicle’s fluids (i.e., engine oil, transmis-
sion, axle, etc.) for signs of contamination (i.e., fluid
that is milky or foamy in appearance) after driving
through standing water. Do not continue to operate
the vehicle if any fluid appears contaminated, as this
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CAUTION! (Continued)
may result in further damage. Such damage is not
covered by the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
• Getting water inside your vehicle’s engine can cause
it to lock up and stall out, and cause serious internal
damage to the engine. Such damage is not covered by
the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
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.
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After Driving Off-Road
Off-road operation puts more stress on your vehicle than
does most on-road driving. After going off-road, it is
always 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.
• 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.
WINCH USAGE — POWER WAGON ONLY
(IF EQUIPPED)
Things To Know Before Using Your Winch
General Winch Information
Your vehicle is equipped with an electric vehicle recovery
winch. This winch uses the electrical power from the
vehicle charging system to power a motor that winds wire
rope into the winch drum via planetary gear reduction. By
nature, a winch is capable of generating very high forces
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and should be used with care. Do not operate the winch
without reading and understanding the complete winch
owner’s manual.
Tensioning The Wire Rope
The winch rope must be properly tensioned before use.
Follow the instructions below to tension the rope:
1. Un-spool the wire rope leaving five wraps of rope on thewinch drum.
2. Attach the hook to a suitable anchor point.
CAUTION!
Be certain the anchor will withstand the load required
to tension the wire rope.
3. Apply at least 500 lbs (227 kg) of tension to the rope while winding the rope. Always use care to ensure the
rope does not pile up on one side of the drum and is
neatly wound onto the drum.
CAUTION!
Wire rope must spool on the winch drum in the
direction indicated on the drum rotation decal on the
winch.
Low Voltage Interrupt
Your winch is equipped with a device that will interrupt
winch function if the vehicle charging system voltage
drops to a low level. The winch will not power-in or out for
30 seconds if this device is tripped. If the interrupt is
tripped, the vehicle should be operated at high idle for a
few minutes to allow the vehicle charging system to
recover before continuing to winch.
Winch Motor Thermal Protection
Your winch is equipped with a thermal protection device in
the motor. If the winch is operated for an excessive
duration, the device may interrupt motor function to
protect the winch motor. During this time the winch will
power-out but will not power-in. Allow the winch motor to
cool for a few minutes before continuing to winch. The
winch will resume normal function once the motor cools.
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Understanding The Features Of Your Winch
Winch Components
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1.Motor: The winch motor is powered by the vehicle
charging system and features a thermal protection
switch that automatically stops motor function in the
power-in direction if the motor gets too hot.
2. Remote Socket: The remote socket allows the remote
control to be attached to the control pack to allow the
winch to function.
3. Winch Drum With Integral Brake: The winch drum
allows the wire rope to be stored on the winch and
transmits force to the wire rope. The winch is equipped
with an integral brake that will stop rotation of the
winch drum if the winch motor is stopped.
4. 3-Stage Planetary Gear Set: Provides balance between
speed and pulling power.
5. Wire Rope: The wire rope allows the winch to be
connected to an anchor to provide a pulling force.
6. Clutch Lever: The clutch lever allows the winch drum to
be disconnected from the winch motor to allow the wire
rope to be pulled from the winch by hand. 7.
Remote Control: The remote control provides the inter-
face between the winch operator and the winch. The
remote control provides the ability to power the winch
in, out, and stop the winch. To operate the winch, the
toggle switch is pressed down to power the winch in
and up to power the winch out. The winch will stop if
the switch is left in the neutral (center) position.
CAUTION!
If not installed, the hook strap must be placed on the
hook.
Fairlead: The fairlead acts as a guide for the wire rope and
minimizes damage to the rope.
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Winch Accessories
The following accessories are necessary to attach the winch
to anchors, change direction of pull, and for safe winching.Gloves:
Wire rope, through use,
will develop barbswhich can
slice skin. It is extremely impor-
tant to wear protective gloves
while operating the winch or
handling the wire rope. Avoid
loose fitting clothes or anything
that could become entangled in
the wire rope and other moving
parts.
Snatch/Block Pulley: Used prop-
erly, the multi-purpose snatch
block allows you to (1) increase
the winch’s pulling power; and
(2) change your pulling direction
without damaging the wire rope.
Proper use of the snatch block is
covered in Before You Pull. Clevis/D-Shackles:
The D-Shackle is a safe means
of connecting the looped ends
of cables, straps and snatch
blocks. The shackle’s pin is
threaded to allow easy removal.
Tree Trunk Protector:
Typically
made of tough, high-quality ny-
lon, it provides the operator an
attachment point for the winch
rope to a wide variety of anchor
points and objects, as well as
protect living trees.
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