2004 Dodge Ram 3500 Pickup Owner Manual Diesel - Page 224

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