2004 Dodge Ram 2500 Pickup Owner Manual Diesel - Page 224
2004 Dodge Ram 2500 Pickup Manual
Page 224 highlights
224 STARTING AND OPERATING avoid overspeeding the engine and clutch. For acceleration at speeds less than 15 mph (25 km/h), 2nd gear is recommended. Fully depress the clutch pedal before shifting gears. As you release the clutch pedal, lightly depress the accelerator pedal. When launching a stationary vehicle, keep the engine speed low until the clutch is fully engaged. Damage to the clutch can result from starting in 2nd or 3rd gear with a loaded vehicle. Use each gear in numerical order - do not skip a gear. CAUTION! When descending a hill, be very careful to downshift one gear at a time to prevent overspeeding the engine which can cause valve damage. Manual Transmission - 6-Speed (NV-5600) - If Equipped NOTE: The parking brake should be engaged before leaving the vehicle, especially on an incline. Truck models with manual transmission are equipped with a clutch interlocking ignition system. The clutch pedal must be fully depressed to start the vehicle. This six-speed manual transmission has the same gear ratios for 1st gear and the two highest gears as appear in the five-speed transmission. The advantage is that the middle gears (2nd, 3rd and 4th) have ratios that are closer