2023 RAM PROMASTER Owners Manual

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY215
JUMP STARTING PROCEDURE
Connecting The Jumper Cables

1. Connect the positive
(+) end of the jumper
cable to the remote positive (+)
post of the
discharged vehicle.

NOTE:The remote positive (+) post is located in the
engine compartment on the driver's side under the
cover of the Front Power Distribution Center.
2. Connect the opposite end of the positive (+)
jumper cable to the positive (+) post of the
booster battery.
3. Connect the negative (-) end of the jumper
cable to the negative (-) post of the booster
battery.
4. Connect the opposite end of the negative (-)
jumper cable to the remote negative post or a
good engine ground of the discharged vehicle.
A “ground” is an exposed metallic/unpainted
part of the engine, frame or chassis, such as
an accessory bracket or large bolt. The ground
must be away from the battery and the fuel
injection system.
NOTE:The remote negative (-) post is located in the front
of the engine compartment on the driver's side. 5. Start the engine in the vehicle that has the
booster battery. Let the engine idle a few
minutes and then start the engine in the
vehicle with the discharged battery.
6. Once the engine is started, follow the discon -
necting procedure.
Disconnecting The Jumper Cables

1. Disconnect the negative
(-) end of the jumper
cable from the remote negative (-)
post of the
vehicle with the discharged battery.

2. Disconnect the opposite end of the negative (-)
jumper cable from the negative (-) post of the
booster battery.
3. Disconnect the positive (+) end of the jumper
cable from the positive (+) post of the booster
battery.
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!
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.
WARNING!WARNING!
Do not connect the jumper cable to the negative
(-) post of the discharged battery. The resulting
electrical spark could cause the battery to
explode and could result in personal injury.
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216IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
4. Disconnect the opposite end of the positive (+)
jumper cable from the remote positive (+) post
of the discharged vehicle, and reinstall the
protective cap.
5. Close the cover of the Front Power Distribution Center.
If frequent jump starting is required to start your
vehicle you should have the battery and charging
system inspected at an authorized dealer.
BATTERY LOCATION
There are two remote jump starting posts under
the hood which is the recommended jump start
location. If access to the battery is needed, an
access panel on the driver’s side floor will allow for
battery access.
Battery Access Panel
Battery Location

IF YOUR ENGINE OVERHEATS
If the vehicle is overheating, it will need to be
serviced by an authorized dealer.
In any of the following situations, you can reduce
the potential for overheating by taking the
appropriate action.
On the highways — slow down.
In city traffic — while stopped, place the trans -
mission in NEUTRAL (N), but do not increase the
engine idle speed while preventing vehicle
motion with the brakes.
NOTE:There are steps that you can take to slow down an
impending overheat condition:
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 supplement to the radiator and
aids in removing heat from the engine cooling
system.
CAUTION!
Accessories plugged into the vehicle power
outlets draw power from the vehicle’s battery,
even when not in use (i.e., cellular devices, etc.).
Eventually, if plugged in long enough without
engine operation, the vehicle’s battery will
discharge sufficiently to degrade battery life
and/or prevent the engine from starting.

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IN CASE OF EMERGENCY217
GEAR SELECTOR OVERRIDE
If a malfunction occurs and the gear selector
cannot be moved out of the PARK (P) position, you
can use the following procedure to temporarily
move the gear selector:

1. Turn the engine OFF.

2. Firmly apply the parking brake.
3. Using a small screwdriver or similar tool,
remove the shifter boot material of the gear
selector by pulling up to carefully separate the
gear selector bezel and boot assembly from
the console.

Shifter Boot And Bezel
4. Press and maintain firm pressure on the brake
pedal.
5. Insert the screwdriver or similar tool into the gear selector override release and push down
while depressing the shifter button at the
same time.

Gear Selector Override Release Lever

6. Move the gear selector to the NEUTRAL (N) position.
7. The vehicle may then be started in NEUTRAL.
8. Reinstall the shifter boot and bezel.
WARNING!
You or others can be badly burned by hot engine
coolant (antifreeze) or steam from your radiator.
If you see or hear steam coming from under the
hood, do not open the hood until the radiator
has had time to cool. Never try to open a cooling
system pressure cap when the radiator or
coolant bottle is hot.
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.
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218IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE
If your vehicle becomes stuck in mud, sand, or
snow, it can often be moved using a rocking
motion. Turn the steering wheel right and left to
clear the area around the front wheels. Shift back
and forth between DRIVE (D) and REVERSE (R),
while gently pressing the accelerator. Use the least
amount of accelerator pedal pressure that will
maintain the rocking motion, without spinning the
wheels or racing the engine.
NOTE:Push the ESC OFF button, to place the Electronic
Stability Control System (ESC) in “Partial OFF”
mode, before rocking the vehicle Ú page 154.
Once the vehicle has been freed, push the ESC OFF
button again to restore “ESC ON” mode.
CAUTION!
Racing the engine or spinning the wheels may
lead to transmission overheating and failure.
Allow the engine to idle with the transmission
in NEUTRAL for at least one minute after every
five rocking-motion cycles. This will minimize
overheating and reduce the risk of transmission
failure during prolonged efforts to free a stuck
vehicle.
WARNING!

Fast spinning tires can be dangerous. Forces
generated by excessive wheel speeds may cause
damage, or even failure, of the axle and tires. A tire
could explode and injure someone. Do not spin your
vehicle's wheels faster than 30 mph (48 km/h) or
for longer than 30 seconds continuously without
stopping when you are stuck and do not let anyone
near a spinning wheel, no matter what the speed.

CAUTION!
When “rocking” a stuck vehicle by shifting
between DRIVE and REVERSE, do not spin the
wheels faster than 15 mph (24 km/h), or
drivetrain damage may result.
Spinning the wheels too fast may lead to
transmission overheating and failure. It can
also damage the tires. Do not spin the wheels
above 30 mph (48 km/h) while in gear (no
transmission shifting occurring).

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IN CASE OF EMERGENCY219
TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE
This section describes procedures for towing a disabled vehicle using a commercial towing service.
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 manufacturer’s 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/bumper or associated
brackets. State and local laws regarding vehicles
under tow must be observed.
NOTE:
You must ensure that the Auto Park Brake
Úpage 78 feature is disabled before towing this
vehicle to avoid inadvertent Electric Park Brake
engagement. The Auto Park Brake feature is
enabled or disabled via the customer program -
mable features in the Uconnect Settings.
Vehicles with a discharged battery, or total elec -
trical failure when the Electric Park Brake (EPB)
is engaged, will need a wheel dolly or jack to
raise the rear wheels off the ground when
moving the vehicle onto a flatbed.
The Safehold feature will engage the Electric
Park Brake whenever the driver's door is
opened (if the battery is connected, ignition is
ON, transmission is not in PARK, and brake
pedal is released). If you are towing this vehicle
with the ignition in the ON/RUN mode, you must
manually disable the Electric Park Brake each
time the driver's door is opened by pressing the
brake pedal and then releasing the EPB. If you must use the accessories (wipers,
defrosters, etc.) while being towed, the ignition
must be in the ON/RUN mode.
If the key fob is unavailable or the vehicle's battery
is discharged, for instructions on shifting the
automatic transmission out of PARK (P) for
towing Ú
page 217.
Towing Condition Wheels OFF the Ground Automatic Transmission
Flat Tow NONENOT ALLOWED
Dolly Tow Front
OK
Rear NOT ALLOWED
On Trailer ALLOK
NOTE:When towing your vehicle, always follow applicable state and provincial laws. Contact state and provincial Highway Safety offices for additional details.
CAUTION!
Do not use sling type equipment when towing.
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.
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220IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
The 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, this vehicle may be
towed (with front wheels on the ground) under the
following conditions:
The transmission must be in NEUTRAL (N).
The towing speed must not exceed 25 mph
(40 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 25 mph (40 km/h) or
farther than 15 miles (24 km), tow with the front
wheels OFF the ground (using a flatbed truck, or
wheel lift equipment with the front wheels raised).
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 183.
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 185.
CAUTION!
Towing faster than 25 mph (40 km/h) or
farther than 15 miles (24 km) with front
wheels on the ground can cause severe trans -
mission damage. Damage from improper
towing is not covered under the New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
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.

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221
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 in the instrument
cluster. 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 the
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
Ú
page 57.
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 the tire pressures and look for unusual
wear or damage. Rotate at the first sign of irreg
-
ular wear, even if it occurs before the oil indi -
cator system turns on
Check the fluid levels of the coolant reservoir,
and brake master cylinder and fill as needed
Check function of all interior and exterior lights
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222SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
MAINTENANCE PLAN
Refer to the maintenance plan for the required maintenance intervals. More frequent maintenance may be needed in severe conditions, such as dusty areas
and very short trip driving. In some extreme conditions, additional maintenance not specified in the maintenance schedule may be required.
At Every Oil Change Interval As Indicated By Oil Change Indicator System:
Change oil and filter.
Rotate the tires at the first sign of irregular wear, even if it occurs before the oil indicator system turns on.
Inspect battery and clean and tighten terminals as required.
Inspect the CV/Universal joints.
Inspect brake pads, shoes, rotors, drums, hoses and parking brake.
Inspect engine cooling system protection and hoses.
Inspect exhaust system.
Inspect engine air cleaner filter if using in dusty or off-road conditions.

Inspect and replace the Evaporative System Fresh Air Filter as necessary, replacement may be more frequent if vehicle is operated in extreme dusty conditions.

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