2018 Ram 4500 Chassis Cab towing

TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE
This section describes procedures for towing
a disabled vehicle using a commercial towing
service. If the transmission and drivetrain areoperable, disabled vehicles may also be
towed as described under “Recreational Tow-
ing” in the “Starting And Operating” section.
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 See instructions in “Recreational Towing” under
“Starting And Operating”
• Auto Transmission in
PARK
• Manual Transmission in gear ( NOTNEUTRAL)
• Transfer Case in NEUTRAL
•Towinforward direction
Wheel Lift Or Dolly Tow Front
NOT ALLOWED
Rear OK NOT ALLOWED
Flatbed ALL
BEST METHOD BEST METHOD
Proper towing or lifting equipment is required
to prevent damage to your vehicle. Use only
tow bars and other equipment designed for
this purpose, following equipment manufac-
turer’s instructions. Use of safety chains is
mandatory. Attach a tow bar or other towing
device to main structural members of thevehicle, not to bumpers or associated brack-
ets. State and local laws regarding vehicles
under tow must be observed.
If you must use the accessories (wipers, de-
frosters, etc.) while being towed, the ignition
must be in the ON/RUN mode, not the ACC
mode.If the key fob is unavailable or the vehicle's
battery is discharged, refer to “Gear Selector
Override” in this section for instructions on
shifting the automatic transmission out of
PARK for towing.
169

CAUTION!
• Do not use sling type equipment whentowing. Vehicle damage may occur.
• When securing the vehicle to a flat bed
truck, do not attach to front or rear
suspension components. Damage to
your vehicle may result from improper
towing.
Two-Wheel Drive Models
The manufacturer recommends towing your
vehicle with all four wheels OFFthe ground
using a flatbed.
If flatbed equipment is not available, and the
transmission is operable, the vehicle may be
towed (with the rear wheels on the ground)
under the following conditions:
• The transmission must be in NEUTRAL.
• The towing speed must not exceed 30 mph (48 km/h).
• The towing distance must not exceed 15 miles (24 km). If the transmission is not operable, or the
vehicle must be towed faster than 30 mph
(48 km/h) or farther than 15 miles (24 km),
tow with the rear wheels
OFFthe ground.
Acceptable methods are to tow the vehicle on
a flatbed, or with the front wheels raised and
the rear wheels on a towing dolly, or (when
using a suitable steering wheel stabilizer to
hold the front wheels in the straight position)
with rear wheels raised and the front wheels
on the ground.CAUTION!
Towing this vehicle in violation of the
above requirements can cause severe en-
gine and/or transmission damage. Damage
from improper towing is not covered under
the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Four-Wheel Drive Models
The manufacturer recommends towing with
all wheels OFFthe ground. Acceptable meth-
ods are to tow the vehicle on a flatbed or with
one end of vehicle raised and the opposite
end on a towing dolly. If flatbed equipment is not available, and the
transfer case is operable, the vehicle may be
towed (in the forward direction, with
ALL
wheels on the ground), IFthe transfer case is
in NEUTRAL and the transmission is in PARK
(for automatic transmissions) or in gear (NOT
in NEUTRAL, for manual transmissions). Re-
fer to “Recreational Towing” in “Starting And
Operating” for further information and de-
tailed instructions.
CAUTION!
• Front or rear wheel lifts must not be used (if the remaining wheels are on the
ground). Internal damage to the trans-
mission or transfer case will occur if a
front or rear wheel lift is used when
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.IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
170

Emergency Tow Hooks —
If Equipped
Your vehicle may be equipped with emer-
gency tow hooks.
NOTE:
For off-road recovery, it is recommended to
use both of the front tow hooks to minimize
the risk of damage to the vehicle.
WARNING!
• Do not use a chain for freeing a stuckvehicle. Chains may break, causing seri-
ous injury or death.
• Stand clear of vehicles when pulling
with tow hooks. Tow straps may become
disengaged, causing serious injury.
CAUTION!
Tow hooks are for emergency use only, to
rescue a vehicle stranded off road. Do not
use tow hooks for tow truck hookup or
highway towing. You could damage your
vehicle.
ENHANCED ACCIDENT RESPONSE
SYSTEM (EARS)
This vehicle is equipped with an Enhanced
Accident Response System.
Please refer to “Occupant Restraint Sys-
tems” in “Safety” for further information on
the Enhanced Accident Response System
(EARS) function.
EVENT DATA RECORDER (EDR)
This vehicle is equipped with an Event Data
Recorder (EDR). The main purpose of an EDR
is to record data that will assist in under-
standing how a vehicle’s systems performed
under certain crash or near crash-like situa-
tions, such as an air bag deployment or hit-
ting a road obstacle.
Please refer to “Occupant Restraint Sys-
tems” in “Safety” for further information on
the Event Data Recorder (EDR).
171

Mileage or time passed (whichever comesfirst)
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
100,000
110,000
120,000
130,000
140,000
150,000
Or Years: 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Or Kilometers:
32,000
48,000
64,000
80,000
96,000
112,000
128,000
144,000
160,000
176,000
192,000
208,000
224,000
240,000
Change the automatic transmission fluid
and filter(s) (66RFE Transmission Only), if
using your vehicle for police, taxi, fleet, or
frequent trailer towing. XX
Change the automatic transmission fluid
and filter(s) (66RFE transmission). X
Inspect the transfer case fluid, change for
any of the following: police, taxi, fleet, or
frequent trailer towing. XX X X X
Change the transfer case fluid. X
Inspect and replace PCV valve if necessary. X
** The spark plug change interval is mile-
age based only, yearly intervals do not
apply.WARNING!
• You can be badly injured working on or
around a motor vehicle. Do only service
work for which you have the knowledge
and the right equipment. If you have any
doubt about your ability to perform a
service job, take your vehicle to a com-
petent mechanic.
WARNING!
• Failure to properly inspect and maintainyour vehicle could result in a component
malfunction and effect vehicle handling
and performance. This could cause an
accident.
177

Mileage or time passed (whichever comes first):7,500
15,000
22,500
30,000
37,500
45,000
52,500
60,000
67,500
75,000
82,500
90,000
97,500
105,000
112,500
120,000
127,500
135,000
142,500
150,000
Or Months: 6 12 18 24 30 36 42 48 54 60 66 72 78 84 90 96 102 108 114 120
Or Kilometers:
12,000
24,000
36,000
48,000
60,000
72,000
84,000
96,000
108,000
120,000
132,000
144,000
156,000
168,000
180,000
192,000
204,000
216,000
228,000
240,000
Inspect wheel bearings. XX XX X
Additional Maintenance
Replace cabin air filter. XXX XX X
Replace engine fuel filter element. X X X X X X X X X X
Replace chassis mounted fuel filter element. X X X X X X X X X X
Inspect the front and rear axle surfaces. If
gear oil leakage is suspected, check the fluid
level. If using your vehicle for police, taxi,
fleet, off-road or frequent trailer towing
change the axle fluid. *
Inspect the transfer case fluid (4x4), change
for any of the following: police, taxi, fleet, or
frequent trailer towing. XX XX X
Change the transfer case fluid (4x4). XX
Change automatic transmission fluid
(AS69RC transmission only). XX XX X
Change the automatic transmission fluid and
sump filter (AS69RC transmission only). XX
Change automatic transmission fluid and fil-
ter(s) if using your vehicle for any of the fol-
lowing: police, fleet, or frequent trailer towing
(68RFE transmission only). XX
181

Mileage or time passed (whichever comes first):7,500
15,000
22,500
30,000
37,500
45,000
52,500
60,000
67,500
75,000
82,500
90,000
97,500
105,000
112,500
120,000
127,500
135,000
142,500
150,000
Or Months: 6 12 18 24 30 36 42 48 54 60 66 72 78 84 90 96 102 108 114 120
Or Kilometers:
12,000
24,000
36,000
48,000
60,000
72,000
84,000
96,000
108,000
120,000
132,000
144,000
156,000
168,000
180,000
192,000
204,000
216,000
228,000
240,000
Change automatic transmission fluid and fil-
ter(s). X
Change the manual transmission fluid if using
your vehicle for any of the following: police,
fleet, or frequent trailer towing. XX
Replace Crankcase Ventilation Filter (CCV). X X
Flush and replace power steering fluid. X
Flush and replace engine coolant. *** X
Adjust valve lash clearance. X
Inspection and service should also be per-
formed anytime a malfunction is observed or
suspected. Retain all receipts.
* Inspect the front and rear axle surfaces
every 20,000 miles (32,000 km). If gear oil
leakage is suspected, check the fluid level.
If using your vehicle for police, taxi, fleet,
off-road or frequent trailer towing change
the axle fluid every 20,000 miles
(32,000 km).** Under no circumstances should oil
change intervals exceed 15,000 miles
(24 000 km) or six months or 500 Hours,
whichever comes first.
*** The manufacturer highly recommends
that all cooling system service, mainte-
nance, and repairs be performed by your
local authorized dealer.
**** Under no circumstances should the
air cleaner filter element exceed
30,000 miles (48,000 km) or 24 months,
whichever comes first.SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
182

To determine the maximum loading condi-
tions of your vehicle, locate the statement
“The combined weight of occupants and
cargo should never exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs”
on the Tire and Loading Information placard.
The combined weight of occupants, cargo/
luggage and trailer tongue weight (if appli-
cable) should never exceed the weight refer-
enced here.
Steps For Determining Correct Load
Limit—
(1) Locate the statement “The com-
bined weight of occupants and cargo
should never exceed XXX kg or
XXX lbs.” on your vehicle's placard.
(2) Determine the combined weight of
the driver and passengers that will be
riding in your vehicle.
(3) Subtract the combined weight of
the driver and passengers from XXX kg
or XXX lbs.(4) The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and luggage
load capacity. For example, if “XXX”
amount equals 1400 lbs. and there
will be five 150 lb passengers in your
vehicle, the amount of available cargo
and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400-750 (5x150) = 650 lbs.)
(5) Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on the
vehicle. That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo and lug-
gage load capacity calculated in Step
4.
(6) If your vehicle will be towing a
trailer, load from your trailer will be
transferred to your vehicle. Consult
this manual to determine how this
reduces the available cargo and lug-
gage load capacity of your vehicle.
Metric Example For Load Limit
For example, if “XXX” amount equals 635 kg
and there will be five 68 kg passengers in
your vehicle, the amount of available cargo
and luggage load capacity is 295 kg (635-
340 (5x68) = 295 kg) as shown in step 4.
NOTE:
• If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load
from your trailer will be transferred to your
vehicle. The following table shows ex-
amples on how to calculate total load,
cargo/luggage, and towing capacities of
your vehicle with varying seating configura-
tions and number and size of occupants.
This table is for illustration purposes only
and may not be accurate for the seating and
load carry capacity of your vehicle.
• For the following example, the combined weight of occupants and cargo should never
exceed 865 lbs (392 kg).
197

Lower Anchors And Tethers
For Children...............101
Older Children And Child
Restraints .................98
Seating Positions ............100
Cleaning Wheels ..................206
Climate Control ................37
Manual ...................37
Clock .....................231
Clock Setting .................231
Compact Spare Tire .............204
Contract, Service ..............285
Cooling System Coolant Capacity ............213
Selection Of Coolant
(Antifreeze) ............214, 216
Cruise Light ..................68
Customer Assistance ............284
Customer Programmable Features . . . .256
Dealer Service ................186
Defroster, Windshield ............116
Delay (Intermittent) Wipers .........35
Diagnostic System, Onboard ........69
Diesel Fuel System, Re-Priming .....190
Disabled Vehicle Towing ..........169Disturb
....................270
Door Ajar ....................62
Door Ajar Light ................62
Draining Fuel/Water Separator Filter . . .187
Driver's Seat Back Tilt ............21
Dual Rear Wheels ..........210, 211
Electrical Power Outlets ...........49
Electronically Shifted Transfer Case . . .132
Electronic Range Select (ERS) ......131
Electronic Speed Control (Cruise Control) ..............133
Electronic Throttle Control Warning Light ...............62
Emergency, In Case Of Freeing Vehicle When Stuck .....168
Hazard Warning Flasher ........154
Jacking ..................160
Jump Starting ..............164
Engine .................184, 185
Air Cleaner ............... .186
Block

Heater ...............124
Break-In Recommendations .....127
Compartment ..............185
Compartment Identification ......184
Coolant (Antifreeze) .......214, 216
Exhaust Gas Caution ..........115 Identification
..............185
Idling ...................125
Jump Starting ..............164
Oil .................214, 216
Oil Filler Cap ..............184
Overheating ...............166
Enhanced Accident Response Feature ................94, 171
Exhaust Gas Caution ............115
Exhaust System ...............115
Exterior Lighting ...............31
Exterior Lights .............31, 118
Filters Air Conditioning .............44
Engine Fuel ...........187, 214
Engine Oil ............214, 216
Flashers Turn Signal ..........34, 68, 118
Flat Tire Stowage ..............163
Fluid, Brake .................216
Fluid Capacities ...............213
Fluid Leaks ..................118
Fluids And Lubricants ........214, 216
Fog Lights ...................67
Folding Rear Seat ...............21
Four-Way Hazard Flasher .........154
INDEX
290