2013 Ram 1500 instrument cluster

Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC)
Displays
The EVIC displays are located in the center portion of the
cluster and consists of eight sections:1. Main Screen — The inner ring of the display will
illuminate in grey under normal conditions, yellow for
non critical warnings, red for critical warnings and
white for on demand information.
2. Audio / Phone Information and Sub-menu Informa- tion — Whenever there are sub-menus available, the
position within the sub-menus is shown here.
3. Selectable Information (Compass, Temp, Range to Empty, Trip A, Trip B, Average MPG, Trailer Trip
(distance only), Trailer Brake Gain)
4. Telltales/Indicators
5. Shift Lever Status (PRNDL)
6. Selectable Menu Icons
7. Air Suspension Status – If Equipped
8. 4WD Status
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Audio
Press and release the UP or DOWN arrow
button until the Audio display icon is high-
lighted in the EVIC. Press and release the
SELECT/RIGHT arrow button to display the
active source.
Screen Setup
Press and release the UP or DOWN arrow
button until the Screen Setup display icon is
highlighted in the EVIC. Press and release the
SELECT/RIGHT arrow button to enter the
Screen Setup sub-menu. The Screen Setup feature allows
you to change what information is displayed in the
instrument cluster as well as the location that information
is displayed.
Stored Messages
Press and release the UP or DOWN button until “Mes-
sages: XX” displays highlighted in the EVIC. If there is
more than one message, pressing the SELECT/RIGHT
button will display a stored warning message. Press and
release the UP and DOWN buttons if there is more than
one message to step through the remaining stored mes-
sages. If there are no message, pressing the SELECT/
RIGHT button will do nothing.
Personal Settings (Customer-Programmable
Features)
For vehicles equipped a 3.5” EVIC screen
Personal Settings allows the driver to set and recall
features when the transmission is in PARK.
Press and release the UP and DOWN button until Per-
sonal Settings displays in the EVIC.
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•Units
When in this display, you may select to have the EVIC,
odometer, and navigation system (if equipped) changed
between US and Metric units of measure. Touch US or
Metric until a check-mark appears next to the setting,
showing that setting has been selected. Touch the back
arrow soft-key to return to the previous menu.
• Voice Response Length
When in this display, you may change the Voice Re-
sponse Length settings. To change the Voice Response
Length, touch the Brief or Detailed soft-key until a
check-mark appears next to the setting, showing that
setting has been selected. Touch the back arrow soft-key
to return to the previous menu.
• Touchscreen Beep
When in this display, you may turn on or shut off the
sound heard when a touch screen button (soft-key) is pressed. Touch the Touchscreen Beep soft-key until a
check-mark appears next to the setting, showing that
setting has been selected. Touch the back arrow soft-key
to return to the previous menu.
•
Navigation Turn-By-Turn In Cluster — If Equipped
When this feature is selected, the turn-by-turn directions
will appear in the display as the vehicle approaches a
designated turn within a programmed route. To make
your selection, touch the Navigation Turn-By-Turn In
Cluster soft-key, until a check-mark appears next to the
setting, showing that setting has been selected. Touch the
back arrow soft-key to return to the previous menu.
• Fuel Saver Display In Cluster
The “ECO” message is located in the instrument cluster
display, this message can be turned on or off. To make
your selection, touch the Fuel Saver Display soft-key,
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UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 299

available transmission gear, and will display that gear in
the instrument cluster as 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Gear Ranges
DO NOT race the engine when shifting from PARK or
NEUTRAL into another gear range.NOTE:
After selecting any gear range, wait a moment to
allow the selected gear to engage before accelerating.
This is especially important when the engine is cold.
PARK
This range supplements the parking brake by locking the
transmission. The engine can be started in this range.
Never attempt to use PARK while the vehicle is in
motion. Apply the parking brake when leaving the
vehicle in this range.
When parking on a level surface, you may shift the
transmission into PARK first, and then apply the parking
brake.
When parking on a hill, apply the parking brake before
shifting the transmission to PARK. As an added precau-
tion, turn the front wheels toward the curb on a downhill
grade and away from the curb on an uphill grade.
Electronic Transmission Shifter
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restarted. The Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) may be
illuminated. A message in the instrument cluster will
inform the driver of the more serious conditions, and
indicate what actions may be necessary.
In the event of a momentary problem, the transmission
can be reset to regain all forward gears by performing the
following steps:
NOTE:In cases where the instrument cluster message
indicates the transmission may not re-engage after en-
gine shutdown, perform this procedure only in a desired
location (preferably, at your authorized dealer).
1. Stop the vehicle.
2. Shift the transmission into PARK, if possible.
3. Turn the engine OFF.
4. Wait approximately 30 seconds.
5. Restart the engine. 6. Shift into the desired gear range. If the problem is no
longer detected, the transmission will return to normal
operation.
NOTE: Even if the transmission can be reset, we recom-
mend that you visit your authorized dealer at your
earliest possible convenience. Your authorized dealer has
diagnostic equipment to determine if the problem could
recur.
If the transmission cannot be reset, authorized dealer
service is required.
Electronic Range Select (ERS) Operation – 8 Speed
Transmission
The Electronic Range Select (ERS) switches allow the
driver to limit the highest available gear when the
transmission is in DRIVE. For example, if you shift the
transmission into 3 (third gear), the transmission will not
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shift above third gear (except to prevent engine over-
speed), but will shift down into second and first gears
normally.
You can switch between DRIVE and ERS mode at any
vehicle speed. When the shifter control is in the DRIVE
position, the transmission will operate automatically,
shifting between all available gears. Tapping the GEAR-
switch (on the steering wheel) will activate ERS mode,
display the current gear in the instrument cluster, and
maintain that gear as the top available gear. Once in ERS
mode, tapping the GEAR- or GEAR+ switch will change
the top available gear.To exit ERS mode, simply press and hold the GEAR+
switch until “D” is once again displayed in the transmis-
sion gear position indicator in the instrument cluster.
1 — ERS (-) Switch2 — ERS (+) Switch
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WARNING!
Do not downshift for additional engine braking on a
slippery surface. The drive wheels could lose their
grip and the vehicle could skid, causing a collision or
personal injury.
When to Use TOW/HAUL Mode
When driving in hilly areas, towing a trailer, carrying a
heavy load, etc., and frequent transmission shifting oc-
curs, press the TOW/HAUL switch to activate TOW/
HAUL mode. This will improve performance and reduce
the potential for transmission overheating or failure due
to excessive shifting.The “TOW/HAUL Indicator Light” will illuminate in the
instrument cluster to indicate that TOW/HAUL mode
has been activated. Pressing the switch a second time
restores normal operation. Normal operation is always
TOW/HAUL Switch
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the default at engine start-up. If TOW/HAUL mode is
desired, the switch must be pressed each time the engine
is started.
Six–Speed Automatic Transmission If Equipped
— 1500 Models Only
The shift lever position display (located in the instrument
cluster) indicates the transmission gear range. The shift
lever is mounted either on the right side of the steering
column (if equipped) or on the console (if equipped). You
must press the brake pedal to move the shift lever out of
PARK (refer to “Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock Sys-
tem” in this section). To drive, move the shift lever from
PARK or NEUTRAL to the DRIVE position. Pull the shift
lever toward you when shifting into REVERSE or PARK,
or when shifting out of PARK (column shift only).
The electronically-controlled transmission provides a
precise shift schedule. The transmission electronics are
self-calibrating; therefore, the first few shifts on a newvehicle may be somewhat abrupt. This is a normal
condition, and precision shifts will develop within a few
hundred miles (kilometers).
Only shift from DRIVE to PARK or REVERSE when the
accelerator pedal is released and the vehicle is stopped.
Be sure to keep your foot on the brake pedal when
shifting between these gears.
The transmission shift lever has only PARK, REVERSE,
NEUTRAL, and DRIVE shift positions. Manual down-
shifts can be made using the Electronic Range Select
(ERS) shift control (refer to “Electronic Range Select (ERS)
Operation” in this section). Pressing the ERS (-/+)
switches (column shift) or moving the shift lever to the
left or right (-/+) (console shift) while in the DRIVE
position will select the highest available transmission
gear, and will display that gear in the instrument cluster
as 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
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