Towing A Disabled Vehicle; Freeing A Stuck Vehicle - Dodge DART User Manual

WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE

Towing Condition
Flat Tow
Wheel Lift or
Dolly Tow
Flatbed

FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE

• If your manual transmission vehicle becomes stuck in mud, sand, or snow, it can often be
moved by a rocking motion. Turn your steering wheel right and left to clear the area around
the front wheels. Then shift back and forth between DRIVE/1st Gear and REVERSE. Using
minimal accelerator pedal pressure to maintain the rocking motion, without spinning the
wheels, is most effective.
NOTE:
• Automatic transmission vehicles cannot be rocked in this manner, because the trans-
mission will not allow shifts between DRIVE and REVERSE while the wheels are turning.
• If your vehicle is equipped with Electronic Stability Control (ESC) or Traction Control
turn the system off before attempting to "rock" the vehicle.
• Racing the engine or spinning the wheels may lead to transmission overheating and
failure. Allow the engine to idle with the shift lever 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.
• When "rocking" a stuck vehicle by moving between DRIVE/1st gear and REVERSE, do
not spin the wheels faster than 15 mph (24 km/h), or drivetrain damage may result.
• Revving the engine or spinning the wheels too fast may lead to transmission over-
heating 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).
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.
Wheels OFF The
Ground
NONE
Rear
Front
ALL
CAUTION!
WARNING!
AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
NOT ALLOWED
NOT ALLOWED
NOT ALLOWED
BEST METHOD
MANUAL
TRANSMISSION
Transmission in
NEUTRAL
NOT ALLOWED
NOT ALLOWED
BEST METHOD
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