2015 Ram 1500 brake

•Automatic equipped vehicles with optional Keyless
Enter-N-Go™ – If the start button is pushed once
while in park with the ignition off and driver ’s foot on
the brake pedal, the vehicle will automatically crank
and start after the Wait to Start time has elapsed. If it is
desired to abort the start process before it completes,
the driver ’s foot should be fully removed from the
brake pedal prior to pushing the start button again in
order for the ignition to move directly to off.
• If the engine stalls, or if the ignition switch is left ON
for more than two minutes after the “Wait To Start”
telltale goes out, reset the grid heaters by turning the
ignition switch to the OFF position for at least five
seconds and then back ON. Repeat steps 1 through 5 of
“Starting Procedure – Engine Manifold Air Tempera-
ture Below 66°F (19°C).”Starting Procedure — Engine Manifold Air
Temperature Below 0°F (-18°C)
In extremely cold weather below 0°F (-18°C) it may be
beneficial to cycle the manifold heaters twice before
attempting to start the engine. This can be accomplished
by turning the ignition OFF for at least five seconds and
then back ON after the “Wait To Start” telltale has turned
off, but before the engine is started. However, excessive
cycling of the manifold heaters will result in damage to
the heater elements or reduced battery voltage.
NOTE:If multiple pre-heat cycles are used before start-
ing, additional engine run time may be required to
maintain battery state of charge at a satisfactory level.
1. If the engine stalls after the initial start, the ignition must be turned to the OFF position for at least five
seconds and then to the ON position to recycle the
manifold heaters.
4
STARTING AND OPERATING 215

WARNING!(Continued)
•Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Allowing children to
be in a vehicle unattended is dangerous for a
number of reasons. A child or others could be
seriously or fatally injured. Children should be
warned not to touch the parking brake, brake pedal
or the transmission gear selector. Do not leave the
key fob in or near the vehicle (or in a location
accessible to children), and do not leave the igni-
tion (of a vehicle equipped with Keyless Enter-N-
Go™) in the ACC or ON/RUN mode. A child could
operate power windows, other controls, or move
the vehicle.
NORMAL OPERATION — DIESEL ENGINE
Observe the following when the engine is operating.
• All message center lights are off.
• Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) is off.
• Engine oil pressure is above 10 psi (69 kPa) at idle.
• Voltmeter operation:
The voltmeter may show a gauge fluctuation at various
engine temperatures. This cycling operation is caused by
the post-heat cycle of the intake manifold heater system.
The number of cycles and the length of the cycling
operation is controlled by the engine control module.
Post-heat operation can run for several minutes, and then
the electrical system and voltmeter needle will stabilize.
The cycling action will cause temporary dimming of the
headlamps, interior lamps, and also a noticeable reduc-
tion in blower motor speed.
218 STARTING AND OPERATING

NOTE:High-speed, no-load running of a cold engine can
result in excessive white smoke and poor engine perfor-
mance. No-load engine speeds should be kept under
1,200 RPM during the warm-up period, especially in cold
ambient temperature conditions.
Your vehicle is equipped with a turbo speed limiter, this
feature limits the engine speed to 1,200 RPM when
engine coolant temperatures are below 70°F (21°C). This
feature is designed to protect the turbocharger from
damage and will only operate in PARK or NEUTRAL.
If temperatures are below 32°F (0°C), operate the engine
at moderate speeds for five minutes before full loads are
applied. NOTE:
If ambient temperatures are low and the coolant
temperature is below 180°F (82°C), the engine idle speed
will slowly increase to 1,000 RPM after two minutes of
idle, if the following conditions are met:
• Foot is off brake pedal and throttle pedal.
• Automatic transmission is in PARK.
• Vehicle speed is 0 mph (0 km/h).
• Applying the throttle will cancel fast idle.
• Operating the exhaust brake at idle will greatly im-
prove warm up rate and will help keep the engine
close to operating temperature during extended idle.
Engine Idling
Avoid prolonged idling, long periods of idling may be
harmful to your engine because combustion chamber
temperatures can drop so low that the fuel may not burn
completely. Incomplete combustion allows carbon and
4
STARTING AND OPERATING 221

varnish to form on piston rings, engine valves, and
injector nozzles. Also, the unburned fuel can enter the
crankcase, diluting the oil and causing rapid wear to the
engine.
If the engine is allowed to idle, under some conditions
the idle speed may increase to 900 RPM then return to
normal idle speed. This is normal operation.
NOTE:For EVIC/DID messages related to the vehicle’s
exhaust system, refer to “Electronic Vehicle Information
Center (EVIC)” or “Driver Information Display (DID)”
for further information.
Idle-Up Feature — Automatic Transmission Only
The driver-controlled high idle speed feature will help
increase cylinder temperatures and provide additional
cab heat, however, excessive idling may still cause the
exhaust aftertreatment system to not properly regenerate.
Extended periods of idle time should be avoided. The Idle-Up feature uses the speed control switches to
increase engine idle speed and quickly warm the vehi-
cle’s interior.
1. With the transmission in PARK, the parking brake
applied, and the engine running, press the speed
control switch to the ON position, then press the SET
switch.
2. The engine RPM will go up to 1100 RPM. To increase the RPM, press and hold the ACCEL/RESUME switch
and the idle speed will increase to approximately 1500
RPM. To decrease the RPM, press and hold the DECEL
switch and the idle speed will decrease to approxi-
mately 1100 RPM.
3. To cancel the Idle–Up feature, either press the CAN- CEL switch, press the ON/OFF switch, or press the
brake pedal.
222 STARTING AND OPERATING

ENGINE BLOCK HEATER — IF EQUIPPED
The engine block heater warms engine coolant and
permits quicker starts in cold weather. Connect the heater
cord to a ground-fault interrupter protected 110–115 Volt
AC electrical outlet with a grounded, three-wire exten-
sion cord.
The engine block heater cord is routed under the hood to
the right side and can be located just behind the grille
near the headlamp.
NOTE:The engine block heater cord is a factory installed
option. If your vehicle is not equipped, heater cords are
available from your authorized MOPAR® dealer.
The block heater must be plugged in at least one hour to
have an adequate warming effect on the coolant.
WARNING!
Remember to disconnect the cord before driving.
Damage to the 110–115 Volt electrical cord could
cause electrocution.
NOTE: The block heater will require 110 Volts AC and 6.5
Amps to activate the heater element.
Block Heater Usage
For ambient temperatures below 0°F (-18°C), engine
block heater usage is recommended.
For ambient temperatures below –20°F (-29°C), engine
block heater usage is required.
DIESEL EXHAUST BRAKE (ENGINE BRAKING)
The purpose of the exhaust brake (engine braking) fea-
ture is to supply negative (braking) torque from the
engine. Typically, the engine braking is used for, but not
4
STARTING AND OPERATING 227

limited to, vehicle towing applications where vehicle
braking can be achieved by the internal engine power,
thereby sparing the mechanical brakes of the vehicle.
Benefits of the exhaust brake are:
•vehicle driving control
• reduced brake fade
• longer brake life
• faster cab warm-up
The exhaust brake feature will only function when the
driver toggles it on by pushing the exhaust brake button
until the Exhaust Brake Indicator is illuminated. Nor-
mal (Full Strength) exhaust brake mode is indicated by a
yellow Exhaust Brake Indicator. Once the
Exhaust Brake Indicator” is illuminated and
the vehicle is moving faster than 5 mph (8 km/h); the
exhaust brake will automatically operate when the driver
removes pressure from the accelerator pedal. Exhaust
braking is most effective when the engine RPM is higher.
Exhaust Brake Switch
228 STARTING AND OPERATING

The automatic transmission will downshift more aggres-
sively in TOW/HAUL mode when the exhaust brake is
enabled to increase brake performance.
CAUTION!
Use of aftermarket exhaust brakes is not recom-
mended and could lead to engine damage
WARNING!
Do not use the exhaust brake feature when driving in
icy or slippery conditions as the increased engine
braking can cause the rear wheels to slide and the
vehicle to swing around with the possible loss of
vehicle control, which may cause an accident possi-
bly resulting in personal injury or death.
NOTE: For optimum braking power it is recommended
to use the exhaust brake while in TOW/HAUL mode. The exhaust brake feature can also be used to reduce the
engine warm up time. To use the exhaust brake as a
warm-up device, the vehicle must be stopped or moving
less than 5 mph (8 km/h), the
Exhaust Brake Indicator
must be on, and the coolant temperature must be below
180°F (82°C) and ambient temperature below 60°F (16°C).
Automatic Smart Exhaust Brake
Automatic Exhaust Brake technology delivers smoother,
less aggressive exhaust braking characteristics during
downhill descents. Although it can apply full exhaust
braking force if needed, Automatic Exhaust Brake may
not apply obvious braking if the vehicle speed is not
increasing. Automatic Exhaust Brake is intended to main-
tain vehicle speed, while Full Exhaust Brake is intended
to reduce vehicle speed.
Automatic Exhaust Brake can be enabled by pushing the
exhaust brake button again anytime after the normal Full
Exhaust Brake has been turned on. The “Exhaust Brake
4
STARTING AND OPERATING 229

Indicator” in the EVIC/DID will change from Yellow to
Green when Automatic Exhaust Brake is enabled. Push-
ing the exhaust brake button again will toggle the ex-
haust brake mode to off.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION — IF EQUIPPED
CAUTION!
Damage to the transmission may occur if the follow-
ing precautions are not observed:
•Shift into or out of PARK or REVERSE only after
the vehicle has come to a complete stop.
• Do not shift between PARK, REVERSE, NEU-
TRAL, or DRIVE when the engine is above idle
speed.
• Before shifting into any gear, make sure your foot
is firmly pressing the brake pedal.
WARNING!
• It is dangerous to shift out of PARK or NEUTRAL
if the engine speed is higher than idle speed. If
your foot is not firmly pressing the brake pedal, the
vehicle could accelerate quickly forward or in re-
verse. You could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear when
the engine is idling normally and your foot is
firmly pressing the brake pedal.
(Continued)
230 STARTING AND OPERATING