2023 RAM 1500 tow

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY321
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.
3. Assemble the jack and jacking tools. Connect the jack handle driver to the extension, then to the lug wrench.

Assembled Jack And Tools

4. Placement for the front and rear jacking locations are critical. See the following images for proper jacking
locations.

Jack / Extensions Placement

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 Flashers.
 Apply the parking brake firmly and set the transmis -
sion in PARK.
 Block the wheel diagonally opposite the wheel to be
raised.
 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.
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IN CASE OF EMERGENCY323
6. Remove the lug nuts and pull the wheel off. Install the
spare wheel and lug nuts with the cone shaped end
of the lug nuts toward the wheel. Hand tighten the lug
nuts with the vehicle lifted. To avoid the risk of forcing
the vehicle off the jack, do not fully tighten the lug
nuts until the vehicle has been completely lowered.
7. Lower the vehicle to the ground and finish tightening the lug nuts. Push down on the wrench handle for
increased leverage. Tighten the lug nuts in a star
pattern until each lug nut has been tightened twice
Úpage 392. If in doubt about the correct tightness,
have them checked with a torque wrench by an
authorized dealer or at a service station.
8. If your vehicle is equipped with a wheel center cap, install the cap and remove the wheel blocks. Do not
install chrome or aluminum wheel center caps on the
spare wheel. This may result in cap damage.
9. Lower the jack to its fully closed position. Stow the replaced tire, and secure the jack and tools in the
proper location.
10. Adjust the tire pressure when possible.
TO STOW THE FLAT OR SPARE

1. Lift the spare tire with one hand to give clearance to tilt the retainer at the end of the cable.

2. Position the wheel behind the rear fascia/bumper facing outward. Push the end of the winch’s cable,
spring and steel sleeve through the back of the road
wheel. Making sure the valve stem is facing the
ground when the wheel is stowed.

Reinstalling The Retainer

3. Remove the extension with the hook and reattach the
short extension #5 Úpage 318. Attach the lug
wrench to the extension tubes with the curved angle
facing away from the vehicle. Insert the extension
tubes through the access hole between the lower
tailgate and the top of the fascia/bumper and into the
winch mechanism tube.

Reinstalling The Flat Or Spare Tire

WARNING!
A loose tire or jack thrown forward in a collision or hard
stop, could endanger the occupants of the vehicle.
Always stow the jack parts and the spare tire in the
places provided.
CAUTION!
The winch mechanism is designed for use with the jack
extension tube only. Use of an air wrench or other
power tools is not recommended and can damage the
winch.
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324IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
4. Rotate the lug wrench handle clockwise until the
wheel is drawn into place against the underside of
the vehicle. Continue to rotate until you feel the winch
mechanism slip, or click three or four times. It cannot
be overtightened. Push against the tire several times
to ensure it is firmly in place.

Rotating The Lug Wrench Handle

NOTE:
Have the flat tire repaired or replaced immediately.
REINSTALLING THE JACK AND TOOLS

1. Tighten the jack all the way down by turning the jack turn-screw counterclockwise until the jack is snug.

2. Position the jack and tool bag. Make sure the lug wrench is under the jack near the jack turn-screw.

Jack And Tool Bag

3. Secure the tool bag straps to the jack.

Jack And Tools Tied

4. Place the jack and tools in the storage position holding the jack by the jack turn-screw, slip the jack
and tools under the seat so that the bottom slot
engages into the fastener on the floor.
NOTE:Ensure that the jack slides into the front hold down
location.
5. Turn the wing bolt clockwise to secure to the floor pan. Reinstall the plastic cover.

Jack Hold Down Wing Bolt
WARNING!
A loose tire or jack thrown forward in a collision or hard
stop could endanger the occupants of the vehicle.
Always stow the jack parts and the spare tire in the
places provided. Have the deflated (flat) tire repaired or
replaced immediately.WARNING!
After using the jack and tools, always reinstall them in
the original carrier and location. While driving you may
experience abrupt stopping, rapid acceleration or sharp
turns. A loose jack, tools, bracket or other objects in the
vehicle may move around with force, resulting in
serious injury.

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328IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
In the event it is observed that the temperature gauge is
moving towards or close to the HOT (H) position, you can
reduce the potential for overheating by taking the
appropriate action.
On the highways — slow down.
 In city traffic — while stopped, place the transmission in
NEUTRAL (N), but do not increase the engine idle speed
while preventing vehicle motion with the brakes.
 If your Air Conditioner (A/C) is on, turn it off. The A/C
system adds heat to the engine cooling system and
turning the A/C off can help remove this heat.
 You can also turn the temperature control to maximum
heat, the mode control to floor and the blower control
to high. This allows the heater core to act as a supple -
ment to the radiator and aids in removing heat from the
engine cooling system.MANUAL PARK RELEASE
In order to move the vehicle in cases where the
transmission will not shift out of PARK (P) (such as a
depleted battery), a Manual Park Release is available.
Follow these steps to activate the Manual Park Release:

1. Apply firm pressure to the brake pedal while seated in the driver’s seat.

2. Apply the parking brake if possible.
3. Using a small screwdriver or similar tool, open the Manual Park Release cover, which is located to the
lower left of the steering column.

Manual Park Release Access Cover

4. Behind the Manual Park Release access cover is the orange tether strap. Pull the tether strap out as far as
it will go, then release it. The tether and lever will
remain outside of the trim panel and the
transmission should now be in NEUTRAL, allowing the
vehicle to be moved.

Manual Park Release Tether

CAUTION!
Driving with a hot cooling system could damage your
vehicle. If the temperature gauge reads HOT (H), pull
over and stop the vehicle. Idle the vehicle with the air
conditioner turned off until the pointer drops back into
the normal range. If the pointer remains on HOT (H),
and you hear continuous chimes, turn the engine off
immediately and call for service.
WARNING!
Always secure your vehicle by fully applying the parking
brake before activating the Manual Park Release. In
addition, you should be seated in the driver’s seat with
your foot firmly on the brake pedal when activating the
Manual Park Release. Activating the Manual Park
Release will allow your vehicle to roll away if it is not
secured by the parking brake, or by proper connection
to a tow vehicle. Activating the Manual Park Release on
an unsecured vehicle could lead to serious injury or
death for those in or around the vehicle.

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330IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE
This section describes procedures for towing a disabled vehicle using a commercial towing service.
If the transmission and drivetrain are operable, disabled vehicles may also be towed as described on
Úpage 186.
NOTE:Vehicles equipped with the Active-Level Four Corner Air Suspension System must be placed in Transport mode, before tying them down (from the body) on a trailer or flatbed truck Úpage 134. 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
instructions may cause fault codes to be set and/or cause loss of proper tie-down tension.
Towing Condition Wheels OFF The Ground Two-Wheel Drive Models Four-Wheel Drive Models
Flat TowNONENOT ALLOWED See Instructions
 Transmission in PARK
 Transfer case in N (Neutral)
 Tow in forward direction
Dolly Tow Front
NOT ALLOWED NOT ALLOWED
Rear OK NOT ALLOWED
On Trailer ALLOK OK

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IN CASE OF EMERGENCY331
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
per FCA US LLC instructions. Use of safety chains is
mandatory. Attach a tow bar or other towing device to
main structural members of the vehicle, not to fascia/
bumpers or associated brackets. State and local laws
regarding vehicles under tow must be observed.
If you must use the accessories (wipers, defrosters, 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, find Instructions on shifting the transmission
out of PARK in order to move the vehicle
Úpage 328.
TWO-WHEEL DRIVE MODELS
FCA US LLC recommends towing your vehicle with all four
wheels OFF the ground using a flatbed.
If flatbed equipment is not available, and the transmission
is operable, the vehicle may be towed (with front wheels
on the ground) under the following conditions:
 The transmission must be in NEUTRAL (N). Instructions
on shifting the transmission to NEUTRAL (N) when the
engine is OFF
Úpage 328.
 The towing speed must not exceed 30 mph (48 km/h).
 The towing distance must not exceed 30 miles
(48 km).
If the transmission is not operable, or the vehicle must be
towed faster than 30 mph (48 km/h) and farther than 30 miles (48 km), tow with the rear wheels OFF the
ground. An acceptable method to tow the vehicle on a
flatbed are as follows:
 Using a suitable steering wheel stabilizer to hold the
front wheels in the straight position with the rear
wheels raised and the front wheels ON the ground.
FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE MODELS
FCA US LLC recommends towing with all wheels OFF the
ground.
CAUTION!
 Do not use sling type equipment when towing.
Vehicle damage may occur.
 When securing the vehicle to a flatbed truck, do not
attach to front or rear suspension components.
Damage to your vehicle may result from improper
towing.
CAUTION!
Towing this vehicle in violation of the approved
requirements can cause severe transmission damage.
Damage from improper towing is not covered under the
New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
CAUTION!
Front or rear wheel lifts must not be used (if the
remaining wheels are on the ground). Internal
damage to the transmission or transfer case will
occur if a front or rear wheel lift is used when towing.
 Towing this vehicle in violation of the approved
requirements can cause severe transmission and/or
transfer case damage. Damage from improper
towing is not covered under the New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
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332IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
EMERGENCY TOW HOOKS —
I
F EQUIPPED
Your vehicle may be equipped with emergency tow hooks.

Emergency 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.
ENHANCED ACCIDENT RESPONSE SYSTEM
(EARS)
This vehicle is equipped with an Enhanced Accident
Response System.
This feature is a communication network that takes effect
in the event of an impact
Úpage 297.
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 understanding how a vehicle’s systems
performed under certain crash or near crash-like
situations, such as an air bag deployment or hitting a road
obstacle
Úpage 298.
WARNING!
 Do not use a chain for freeing a stuck vehicle. Chains
may break, causing serious 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.

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333
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
SCHEDULED SERVICING
Your vehicle is equipped with an automatic oil change
indicator system. The oil change indicator system will
remind you that it is time to take your vehicle in for
scheduled maintenance.
Based on engine operation conditions, the oil change
indicator message will illuminate. This means that service
is required for your vehicle. Operating conditions such as
frequent short-trips, trailer tow, and extremely hot or cold
ambient temperatures will influence when the “Oil Change
Required” message is displayed. Have your vehicle
serviced as soon as possible, within the next 500 miles
(805 km).An authorized dealer will reset the oil change indicator
message after completing the scheduled oil change. If a
scheduled oil change is performed by someone other than
an authorized dealer, the message can be reset by
referring to the steps described under Instrument Cluster
Display
Úpage 98.
NOTE:Under no circumstances should oil change intervals
exceed 10,000 miles (16,000 km), 12 months or
350 hours of engine run time, whichever comes first.
The 350 hours of engine run or idle time is generally only
a concern for fleet customers.
Once A Month Or Before A Long Trip:

Check engine oil level.
 Check windshield washer fluid level.
 Check tire pressure and look for unusual wear or
damage. Rotate tires at the first sign of irregular
wear, even if it occurs before the oil indicator system
turns on.
 Check the fluid levels of the coolant reservoir, brake
master cylinder, and fill as needed.
 Check function of all interior and exterior lights.
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