2018 Ram 3500 tow

RECREATIONAL TOWING (BEHIND MOTORHOME, ETC.)
Towing This Vehicle Behind Another Vehicle
Towing ConditionWheels OFF The
Ground Two-Wheel Drive
Models Four-Wheel Drive Models
Flat Tow NONENOT ALLOWED See Instructions
• Automatic transmission in PARK
• Manual transmission in gear (NOT in NEUTRAL)
• Transfer case in NEUTRAL (N)
• Tow in forward direction
Dolly Tow Front
NOT ALLOWED
NOT ALLOWED
Rear OK NOT ALLOWED
On Trailer ALLOK OK
NOTE:
• When towing your vehicle, always follow
applicable state and provincial laws. Con-
tact state and provincial Highway Safety
offices for additional details. • 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 –
If Equipped” for more information. 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 instruc-
tions may cause fault codes to be set and/or
cause loss of proper tie-down tension.STARTING AND OPERATING
196

Recreational Towing —
Two-Wheel Drive Models
DO NOT flat tow this vehicle. Damage to the
drivetrain will result.
Recreational towing (for two-wheel drive
models) is allowedONLYif the rear wheels are
OFF the ground. This may be accomplished
using a tow dolly or vehicle trailer. If using a
tow dolly, follow this procedure:
NOTE:
If vehicle is equipped with air suspension,
ensure the vehicle is set to Normal Ride
Height.
1. Properly secure the dolly to the tow ve- hicle, following the dolly manufacturer's
instructions.
2. Drive the rear wheels onto the tow dolly. 3. Firmly apply the parking brake. Place au-
tomatic transmission in PARK, manual
transmission in gear (not in NEUTRAL).
4. Properly secure the rear wheels to the dolly, following the dolly manufacturer's
instructions.
5. Turn the ignition OFF and remove the key fob.
6. Install a suitable clamping device, de- signed for towing, to secure the front
wheels in the straight position.
CAUTION!
• Towing with the rear wheels on theground will cause severe transmission
damage. Damage from improper towing
is not covered under the New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
• Do not disconnect the driveshaft be-
cause fluid may leak from the transmis-
sion, causing damage to internal parts.
Recreational Towing —
Four-Wheel Drive Models
NOTE:
Both the manual shift and electronic shift
transfer cases must be shifted into NEUTRAL
(N) for recreational towing. Automatic trans-
missions must be shifted into PARK for rec-
reational towing. Manual transmissions must
be placed in gear (NOT in NEUTRAL) for
recreational towing. Refer to the following for
the proper transfer case NEUTRAL (N) shift-
ing procedure for your vehicle.
CAUTION!
• DO NOT dolly tow any 4WD vehicle.Towing with only one set of wheels on the
ground (front or rear) will cause severe
transmission and/or transfer case dam-
age. Tow with all four wheels either ON
the ground, or OFF the ground (using a
vehicle trailer).
• Tow only in the forward direction. Towing
this vehicle backwards can cause severe
damage to the transfer case.
197

CAUTION!
• Before recreational towing, the transfercase must be in NEUTRAL. To be certain
the transfer case is fully in NEUTRAL,
perform the procedure outlined under
“Shifting Into NEUTRAL”. Internal
transmission damage will result, if the
transfer case is not in NEUTRAL during
towing.
• Automatic transmissions must be
placed in PARK, and manual transmis-
sions must be placed in gear (not in
Neutral) for recreational towing.
• Towing this vehicle in violation of the
above requirements can cause severe
transmission and/or transfer case dam-
age. Damage from improper towing is
not covered under the New Vehicle Lim-
ited Warranty.
• Do not disconnect the rear driveshaft
because fluid will leak from the transfer
case, causing damage to internal parts.
• Do not use a bumper-mounted clamp-on
tow bar on your vehicle. The bumper
face bar will be damaged.
Shifting Into NEUTRAL (N)
Use the following procedure to prepare your
vehicle for recreational towing.
WARNING!
You or others could be injured or killed if
you leave the vehicle unattended with the
transfer case in the NEUTRAL (N) position
without first fully engaging the parking
brake. The transfer case NEUTRAL (N)
position disengages both the front and rear
driveshafts from the powertrain, and will
allow the vehicle to roll, even if the auto-
matic transmission is in PARK (or manual
transmission is in gear). The parking brake
should always be applied when the driver
is not in the vehicle.
CAUTION!
It is necessary to follow these steps to be
certain that the transfer case is fully in
NEUTRAL (N) before recreational towing
to prevent damage to internal parts. 1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop on
level ground, with the engine running.
Firmly apply the parking brake.
2. Shift the transmission to NEUTRAL.
NOTE:
If vehicle is equipped with air suspension,
ensure the vehicle is set to Normal Ride
Height.
3. Press and hold the brake pedal.
4. Depress the clutch pedal on a manual transmission.
5. Shift the transfer case into NEUTRAL:
• With manual shift transfer case, shiftthe transfer case lever into NEUTRAL
(N)
• With electronic shift transfer case, push and hold the transfer case NEU-
TRAL (N) button. Some models have a
small, recessed “N” button (at the cen-
ter of the transfer case switches) that
must be pushed using a ballpoint pen
or similar object. Other models have a
rectangular NEUTRAL switch, below
the rotary transfer case control knob.
STARTING AND OPERATING
198

The NEUTRAL (N) indicator light will
blink while the shift is in progress. The
light will stop blinking (stay on solid)
when the shift to NEUTRAL (N) is com-
plete. After the shift is completed and
the NEUTRAL (N) light stays on, re-
lease the NEUTRAL (N) button.
6. Release the parking brake.
7. Shift the transmission into REVERSE.
8. Release the brake pedal (and clutch pedal on manual transmissions) for five seconds
and ensure that there is no vehicle
movement.
9. Repeat steps 7 and 8 with automatic transmission in DRIVE or manual trans-
mission in first gear.
10. Shift the transmission to NEUTRAL. Firmly apply the parking brake. Turn OFF
the engine. For vehicles with Keyless
Enter-N-Go, push and hold the ENGINE
START/STOP button until the engine
shuts off.
11. Shift the transmission into PARK or place manual transmission in gear (NOT in Neutral). On 8-speed transmissions
the shifter will automatically select
PARK when the engine is turned off.
12. Turn the ignition to the OFF mode, then cycle the ignition to the RUN mode and
back to the OFF mode. Remove the key
fob from the ignition.
13. Attach the vehicle to the tow vehicle using a suitable tow bar.
14. Release the parking brake.
NOTE:
With electronic shift transfer case:
• Steps 2 through 4 are requirements that must be met before pushing the NEUTRAL
(N) button, and must continue to be met
until the shift has been completed. If any of
these requirements are not met before
pushing the NEUTRAL (N) button or are no
longer met during the shift, the NEUTRAL
(N) indicator light will flash continuously
until all requirements are met or until the
NEUTRAL (N) 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 igni-
tion 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 indicates that shift requirements have
not been met.
• If the vehicle is equipped with air suspen- sion, the engine should be started and left
running for a minimum of 60 seconds (with
all the doors closed) at least once every
24 hours. This process allows the air sus-
pension to adjust the vehicle’s ride height
to compensate for temperature effects.
Shifting Out Of NEUTRAL (N)
Use the following procedure to prepare your
vehicle for normal usage:
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop, leav-
ing it connected to the tow vehicle.
2. Firmly apply the parking brake.
3. Press and hold the brake pedal.
199

4. Start the engine. Shift the transmissioninto NEUTRAL. Depress the clutch pedal
on a manual transmission.
• With manual shift transfer case, shift the transfer case lever to the desired
position.
• With electronic shift transfer case with rotary selector switch, push and hold
the transfer case NEUTRAL (N) button
until the NEUTRAL (N) indicator light
turns off. After the NEUTRAL (N) indi-
cator light turns off, release the NEU-
TRAL (N) button. After the NEUTRAL
(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 transmission, the en-
gine must remain running, since turning the
engine OFF will shift the transmission to
PARK (and the transmission must be in NEU-
TRAL 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 automati-
cally 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 completed.
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 continuously 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 igni-
tion 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 indicates that shift requirements have
not been met.
STARTING AND OPERATING
200

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
HAZARD WARNING FLASHERS.....202
BULB REPLACEMENT ...........202
Replacement Bulbs.............202
FUSES.................... .203
Power Distribution Center.........203
JACKING AND TIRE CHANGING ......208
Jack Location................208
Removal Of Jack And Tools ........208
Removing The Spare Tire ..........209
Preparations For Jacking ..........210
Jacking Instructions ............211 To Stow The Flat Or Spare
........214
Reinstalling The Jack And Tools .....215
Hub Caps/Wheel Covers —
If Equipped .................217
JUMP STARTING ..............218
Preparations For Jump Start ........218
Jump Starting Procedure ..........219
IF YOUR ENGINE OVERHEATS ......220
GEAR SELECTOR OVERRIDE —
6-SPEED TRANSMISSION .........221
Column Gear Selector — If Equipped . .221
Center Console Gear Selector — If
Equipped...................222
MANUAL PARK RELEASE — 8 SPEED
TRANSMISSION ..............222
FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE .......224
TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE .....225
Two-Wheel Drive Models..........226
Four-Wheel Drive Models ..........226
Emergency Tow Hooks — If Equipped . .227
ENHANCED ACCIDENT RESPONSE
SYSTEM (EARS) ...............227
EVENT DATA RECORDER (EDR) ......227
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
201

CavityCartridge Fuse Micro Fuse Description
F25 30 Amp Pink – Front Wiper
F26 30 Amp Pink –Antilock Brakes / Stability Control Module / Valves
F28 20 Amp Blue –Trailer Tow Backup Lights – If Equipped
F29 20 Amp Blue –Trailer Tow Parking Lights – If Equipped
F30 30 Amp Pink –Trailer Tow Receptacle
F31 30 Amp Pink (1500 LD
Diesel) –
Urea Heater Control – If Equipped
F32 –– Spare Fuse
F33 20 Amp Blue –Special Services Vehicle Only
F34 30 Amp Pink –Vehicle System Interface Module #2 – If Equipped
F35 30 Amp Pink –Sunroof – If Equipped
F36 30 Amp Pink –Rear Defroster – If Equipped
F37 30 Amp Pink –Cummins Diesel Fuel Heater #2 – If Equipped
F38 30 Amp Pink –Power Inverter 115V AC – If Equipped
F39 20 Amp Blue –Power Outlet – Special Services Only
F41 –10 Amp Red Active Grill Shutter – If Equipped
F42 –20 Amp Yellow Horn
F44 –10 Amp Red Diagnostic Port
F46 –10 Amp Red Upfitter – If Equipped
F49 –10 Amp Red Instrument Panel Cluster (Except Fleet Vehicles)
F50 –20 Amp Yellow Air Suspension Control Module – If Equipped
F51 –10 Amp Red Ignition Node Module / Keyless Ignition (Instrument
Panel Cluster – Fleet Vehicles Only)
205

CavityCartridge Fuse Micro Fuse Description
F52 –5 Amp Tan Battery Sensor
F53 –20 Amp Yellow Trailer Tow – Left Turn/Stop Lights
F54 –20 Amp Yellow Adjustable Pedals
F56 –15 Amp Blue Additional Diesel Content – If Equipped
F57 –20 Amp Yellow Transmission
F58 –20 Amp Yellow Spare Fuse
F59 –10 Amp Red SCR Relay – If Equipped
F60 –15 Amp Blue Underhood Lamp
F61 –10 Amp Red (1500 LD Die-
sel & Cummins Diesel) PM Sensor – If Equipped
F62 –10 Amp Red Air Conditioning Clutch
F63 –20 Amp Yellow Ignition Coils (Gas), Urea Heater (Cummins Diesel)
F64 –25 Amp Clear Fuel Injectors / Powertrain
F65 –– Spare Fuse
F66 –10 Amp Red Sunroof / Passenger Window Switches / Rain Sensor
F67 –10 Amp Red CD / DVD / Bluetooth Hands-free Module – If Equipped
F69 –15 Amp Blue Mod SCR 12V (Cummins Diesel) – If Equipped
F70 –30 Amp Green Fuel Pump Motor
F71 –25 Amp Clear Amplifier
F72 –10 Amp Red PCM – If Equipped
F73 –20 Amp Yellow Fuel Transfer Pump (HD Only) – If Equipped
F74 –20 Amp Yellow (Gas Engine
& 1500 LD Diesel) Brake Vacuum Pump Gas/Diesel – If Equipped
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
206