2020 Ram 1500 start

428 STARTING AND OPERATING
(Continued)(Continued)
Flowing/Rising Water
Shallow Standing Water
Although your vehicle is capable of driving through shallow
standing water, consider the following Cautions and Warn-
ings before doing so.
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 cause
your vehicle to sink into deeper water. Furthermore,
flowing and/or rising water can carry your vehicle away
swiftly. Failure to follow this warning may result in
injuries that are serious or fatal to you, your passengers,
and others around you.
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’sbraking capabilities, which increases stopping
distances. Therefore, after driving through standing
water, drive slowly and lightly press on the brake pedal
several times to dry the brakes.
• Failure to follow these warnings may result in injuries 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.
WARNING! (Continued)
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STARTING AND OPERATING 429
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.
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 suspension.
Retighten them, if required, and torque to the values spec -
ified 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.
• Driving through standing water may cause damage to
your vehicle’s drivetrain components. Always inspect
your vehicle’s fluids (i.e., engine oil, transmission, 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 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. CAUTION!
(Continued)
5
2020_DT_1500_OM_US.book Page 429

• After extended operation in mud, sand, water, or similardirty conditions, have the radiator, fan, brake rotors,
wheels, brake linings, and axle yokes inspected and
cleaned as soon as possible. • 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.
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.
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STARTING AND OPERATING

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY 447
F30––Spare
F31 ––Spare
F32 20 Amp Blue –ECM / PCM
F33 30 Amp Pink –Brake Vacuum Pump
F34 ––Spare
F35 –10 Amp Red PCM / ECM / Power Pack Unit (PPU) Motor
Generator Unit (MGU) Wake Up / EPS / Active
Tuned Mass Module (ATMM) / ESP
F36 ––Spare
F37 –5 Amp Tan R / S Output to iPDC
F38 –10 Amp Red DTCM / Active CL TEMP VLV
F39 ––Spare
F40 40 Amp Green –Starter
F41 –10 Amp Red IRCAM Heaters
F42 ––Spare
F43 –20 Amp Yellow MGU Coolant Pump – If Equipped
F44 ––Spare
F45 ––Spare
F46 30 Amp Pink –Fuel Heater – If Equipped
F47 30 Amp Pink –Rear Defroster
Cavity
Cartridge Fuse Micro Fuse Description
6
2020_DT_1500_OM_US.book Page 447

454 IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
JACKING AND TIRE CHANGING NOTE:
If your vehicle is equipped with an air suspension system,
there is a feature which allows the automatic leveling to be
disabled to assist with changing a tire.
This feature can be activated through the Uconnect system.
Refer to “Uconnect Settings” in “Multimedia” for further
information.
Jack Location
The jack and jack tools are stored under the front passenger
seat.
WARNING!
• Do not attempt to change a tire on the side of the vehicle close to moving traffic. Pull far enough off the road to
avoid the danger of being hit when operating the jack
or changing the wheel.
• Being under a jacked-up vehicle is dangerous. The vehicle could slip off the jack and fall on you. You
could be crushed. Never put any part of your body
under a vehicle that is on a jack. If you need to get
under a raised vehicle, take it to a service center where
it can be raised on a lift.
• Never start or run the engine while the vehicle is on a jack.
• The jack is designed to be used as a tool for changing tires only. The jack should not be used to lift the
vehicle for service purposes. The vehicle should be
jacked on a firm level surface only. Avoid ice or slip -
pery areas.
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IN CASE OF EMERGENCY 463
Jacking Instructions
Jack Warning Label
1. Remove the spare tire, jack, and tools from the stored location.
2. Using the lug wrench, loosen the wheel nuts (but do not remove), by turning them counterclockwise one turn
while the wheel is still on the ground.
WARNING!

Carefully follow these tire changing warnings to help
prevent personal injury or damage to your vehicle:
• Always park on a firm, level surface as far from the edge of the roadway as possible before raising the vehicle.
• Turn on the Hazard Warning flasher.

• Block the wheel diagonally opposite the wheel to be raised.

• Apply the parking brake firmly and set the transmission in PARK.
• Never start or run the engine with the vehicle on a jack.
• Do not let anyone sit in the vehicle when it is on a jack.
• Do not get under the vehicle when it is on a jack. If you need to get under a raised vehicle, take it to a service center
where it can be raised on a lift.
• Only use the jack in the positions indicated and for lifting this vehicle during a tire change.
• If working on or near a roadway, be extremely careful of motor traffic.
• To assure that spare tires, flat or inflated, are securely stowed, spares must be stowed with the valve stem facing
the ground.

CAUTION!
Do not attempt to raise the vehicle by jacking on
locations other than those indicated in the Jacking
Instructions for this vehicle.
6
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472 IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
JUMP STARTING
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.
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 posi-
tive battery post. Do not jump off fuses. Only jump directly
off positive post which has a positive (+) symbol on or
around the post.
Positive Battery Post
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.
2020_DT_1500_OM_US.book Page 472

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY 473
1. Apply the parking brake, shift the automatic transmis-sion into PARK and turn the ignition OFF.
2. Turn off the heater, radio, and all unnecessary electrical accessories.
3. If using another vehicle to jump start the battery, park the vehicle within the jumper cables’ reach, apply the
parking brake and make sure the ignition is OFF.
Jump Starting Procedure
Connecting The Jumper Cables
Jumper Cable Connections
WARNING!
• Take care to avoid the radiator cooling fan whenever the hood is raised. It can start anytime the ignition
switch is ON. You can be injured by moving fan blades.
• Remove any metal jewelry such as rings, watch bands and bracelets that could make an inadvertent electrical
contact. You could be seriously injured.
• Batteries contain sulfuric acid that can burn your skin or eyes and generate hydrogen gas which is flammable
and explosive. Keep open flames or sparks away from
the battery.
WARNING!
Do not allow vehicles to touch each other as this could
establish a ground connection and personal injury could
result.
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.
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