2019 Ram 3500 ECU

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during low-speed, extreme off-road situations where one
wheel is likely to not be in contact with the ground. It is not
recommended to drive the vehicle with the differentials
locked on pavement due to the reduced ability to turn and
speed limitations.Axle Lock Selector The locking axles are controlled by the axle locker switch.
The switch has three positions:
• AXLE UNLOCK – the front and rear axles are unlocked
• REAR LOCK – the rear axle is locked
• FRONT/REAR LOCK – the front and rear axles are locked
Under normal driving conditions, the switch should be left
in the AXLE UNLOCK position.
NOTE:
Even when the axles are in the AXLE UNLOCK position, the
limited slip differential in the rear axle still provides torque
biasing capability for moderate low traction environments.
During the command to lock the axle, the indicator light will
flash until the axle is locked. After the lock command has
been successfully executed, the light will remain on solid.
CAUTION!
• Do not lock the front or rear axle on hard surfaced roads. The ability to steer the vehicle is reduced and
damage to the drivetrain may occur when the axles are
locked on hard surfaced roads.
• Do not try to lock the rear axle if the vehicle is stuck andthe tires are spinning. You can damage drivetrain
components. Lock the rear axle before attempting situ -
ations or navigating terrain, which could possibly
cause the vehicle to become stuck. CAUTION!
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Water Fording Characteristics
Water fording characteristic is the vehicle's ability to cross a
body of still water, where the powertrain and drivetrain are
safe from water ingestion. This vehicle has high water
fording characteristics with the ability to cross a pool of
water, without stopping, 24 inches (60 cm) deep at a
maximum speed of 10 mph (16 km/h) and a pool of water
30 inches (76 cm) deep at a maximum speed of 5 mph (8 km/
h), both with an entrance ramp angle of 1.3 degrees.
Simultaneous Brake And Throttle Operation
Many off-road driving conditions require the simultaneous
use of the brake and throttle (two footed driving). When
climbing rocks, logs, or other stepped objects, using light
brake pressure with light throttle will keep the vehicle from
jerking or lurching. This technique is also used when you
need to stop and restart a vehicle on a steep incline.The Basics Of Off-Road Driving
You will encounter many types of terrain driving off-road.
You should be familiar with the terrain and area before
proceeding. There are many types of surface conditions:
hard packed dirt, gravel, rocks, grass, sand, mud, snow and
ice. Every surface has a different effect on your vehicle's
steering, handling and traction. Controlling your vehicle is
one of the keys to successful off-road driving, so always keep
a firm grip on the steering wheel and maintain a good
driving posture. Avoid sudden accelerations, turns or
braking. In most cases there are no road signs, posted speed
limits or signal lights. Therefore you will need to use your
own good judgment on what is safe and what isn't. When on
a trail you should always be looking ahead for surface obsta
-
cles and changes in terrain. The key is to plan your future
driving route while remembering what you are currently
driving over.
CAUTION!
The door sill height is 25 inches (63.5 cm). Water may
intrude into the interior of the vehicle at greater depths.
WARNING!
Always wear your seat belt and firmly tie down cargo.
Unsecured cargo can become projectiles in an off-road
situation.
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5. Pull the wire to the anchor point. Pull out enough wirerope to reach your anchor point. To prevent losing the
end, hold the hook strap while you work.
Pulling Synthetic Rope 6. Secure to the anchor point. Once you have established
your anchor point, secure the tree-trunk protector or
choker-chain around the object.
Tree Trunk Protector
CAUTION!
Always be certain the anchor you select will withstand
the load.
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346 STARTING AND OPERATING
NOTE:
How to choose an anchor point: A secure anchor is critical to
winching operations. An anchor must be strong enough to
hold while winching. Natural anchors include trees, stumps
and rocks. Hook the cable as low as possible. If no natural
anchors are available when recovering another vehicle, your
vehicle becomes the anchor point. In this case, be sure to put
the transmission in NEUTRAL, apply the hand brake and
block its wheels to prevent your vehicle from moving.
Ideally, you'll want an anchor point that will enable you to
pull straight in the direction the vehicle will move. This
allows the synthetic rope to wind tightly and evenly onto the
spooling drum. An anchor point as far away as possible will
provide the winch with its greatest pulling power.
7. Attach the Clevis/D-shackle and Tree Trunk Protector. Attach the shackle to the two ends of the strap or chain
and through the hook, being careful not to over tighten
(tighten and back-off 1/2 turn). Clevis/D-Shackles
8. Lock the clutch. Lock the winch drum by rotating the clutch lever on the winch to engage.
NOTE:
Always ensure the clutch is fully engaged or disengaged.

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9. Connect the remote control to the winch control box,located on the front bumper. Be careful not to let the
remote control cord dangle in front of the winch. If you
choose to control the winch from inside your vehicle,
always pass the remote through a window to avoid
pinching the cord in the door. Always disconnect the
remote control when not in use.
Winch Box Remote Control Connector 10. Put synthetic rope under tension. Using the remote
control switch, slowly wind the rope until no slack
remains. Once the rope is under tension, stand well clear
of it and never step over it.
Pulling Synthetic Rope Under Tension
11. Check your anchor. Make sure all connections are secured and free of debris before continuing with the
winching procedure.
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350 STARTING AND OPERATING
NOTE:•Avoid overheating the winch motor. For extendedwinching, stop at reasonable intervals to allow the
winch motor to cool down.
•What to look for under load: The synthetic rope must always spool onto the drum as indicated by the drum
rotation decal on the winch. As you power-in, make
sure the synthetic rope winds evenly and tightly on the
drum. This prevents the outer rope wraps from
drawing into the inner wraps, binding and damaging
the synthetic rope. Avoid shock loads by using the
control switch intermittently to take up rope slack.
Shock loads can momentarily far exceed the winch and
synthetic rope ratings. During side pulls the synthetic
rope tends to stack up at one end of the drum. This
stack can become large enough to cause serious
damage to the winch. So, line up pulls as straight ahead
as possible and stop winching if the synthetic rope
comes close to the tie rods or mounting plate. To fix an
uneven stack, spool out that section of the rope and
reposition it to the opposite end of the drum, which will
free up space for continued winching. 15. Secure vehicle. Once recovery of the vehicle is complete,
be sure to secure the vehicle's brakes and shift the trans -
mission to PARK. Release tension in the synthetic rope.
16. Disconnect the synthetic rope, and disconnect from the anchor.
17. Rewind the synthetic rope. The person handling the synthetic rope should walk the rope in and not let it slide
through the hand, control the winch at all times.
Rewinding The Synthetic Rope

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Rigging Techniques
Various winching situations will require application of other
winching techniques. These could range from too little
distance to achieve maximum pull using straight line
rigging, simply increasing pulling power, or maintaining a
straight-line pulling situation. You will have to assess what
technique is correct for your situation. Think "safety" at all
times.How To Change The Pulling Direction
Change Pulling Directions
All winching operations should have a straight line from the
winch to the object being pulled. This minimizes the
synthetic rope collecting on one side of the drum affecting
pulling efficiency and damaging synthetic rope. A snatch
block, secured to a point directly in front of the vehicle will
enable you to change your pulling direction while still
allowing the synthetic rope to be at 90° to wind properly onto
the spooling drum.

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Increasing Pulling Power
In some cases, you may find yourself needing more pulling
power. The use of snatch blocks increases mechanical advan-
tage and that increases your pulling power.
Double Line
Wire Rope Routing Because pulling power decreases with the number of layers
of synthetic rope on the winch drum, you can use a snatch
block to double line out more rope. This decreases the
number of layers of synthetic rope on the drum, and
increases pulling power. Start by feeding out enough
synthetic rope to free the winch hook. Attach the hook to
your vehicle's frame/tow hook and run the rope through a
snatch block. Disengage the clutch and, using the snatch
block, pull out enough synthetic rope to reach your anchor
point. Do not attach the hook to the mounting kit. Secure to
the anchor point with a tree trunk protector or choker chain.
Attach the clevis/shackle. Attach the shackle to the two ends
of the strap/chain, being careful not to over tighten (tighten
and back-off 1/2 turn).
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