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If Engine Fails To Start
WARNING!
Never pour fuel or other flammable liquids into the
throttle body air inlet opening in an attempt to start
the vehicle. This could result in a flash fire causing
serious personal injury.
CAUTION!
•Do not attempt to push or tow your vehicle to get it
started. Vehicles equipped with an automatic trans-
mission cannot be started this way. Unburned fuel
could enter the catalytic converter and once the
engine has started, ignite and damage the converter
and vehicle.
CAUTION! (Continued)
•To prevent damage to the starter, do not continu-
ously crank the engine for more than 15 seconds at
a time. Wait 10 to 15 seconds before trying again.
After Starting
The idle speed is controlled automatically and it will
decrease as the engine warms up.
ENGINE BLOCK HEATER — IF EQUIPPED
The engine block heater warms the engine and permits
quicker starts in cold weather.
Connect the cord to a 110-115 Volt AC electrical outlet
with a grounded, three-wire extension cord.
For ambient temperatures below 0°F (-18°C), the engine
block heater is recommended. For ambient temperatures
below -20°F (-29°C), the engine block heater is required.
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The engine block heater cord is routed under the hood,
behind to the driver ’s side headlamp. Follow the steps
below to properly use the engine block heater:
1. Locate the engine block heater cord (behind the driv-er ’s side headlamp).
2. Undo the Velcro strap that secures the heater cord in place.
3. Pull the cord to the front of the vehicle and plug it into a grounded, three-wire extension cord.
4. After the vehicle is running, reattach the cord to the Velcro strap and properly stow away behind the
driver ’s side 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 engine block heater will require 110 Volts AC and
6.5 Amps to activate the heater element.
• The engine block heater must be plugged in at least
one hour to have an adequate warming effect on the
engine.
WARNING!
Remember to disconnect the engine block heater
cord before driving. Damage to the 110-115 Volt
electrical cord could cause electrocution.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WARNING!
• It is dangerous to shift out of PARK or NEUTRAL
if the engine speed is higher than idle speed. If
(Continued)
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WARNING!(Continued)
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.
• Unintended movement of a vehicle could injure
those in or near the vehicle. As with all vehicles,
you should never exit a vehicle while the engine is
running. Before exiting a vehicle, always apply the
parking brake, shift the transmission into PARK,
turn the engine OFF, and remove the ignition key.
Once the key is removed, the transmission is
locked in PARK, securing the vehicle against un-
wanted movement.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•When leaving the vehicle, always remove the igni-
tion key from the vehicle and lock the vehicle.
• 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 ignition key in or near the vehicle
(or in a location accessible to children). A child
could operate power windows, other controls, or
move the vehicle.
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downhill grade and away from the curb on an uphill
grade.
WARNING!
•Never use the PARK position as a substitute for the
parking brake. Always apply the parking brake
fully when parked to guard against vehicle move-
ment and possible injury or damage.
• Your vehicle could move and injure you and others
if it is not in PARK. Check by trying to move the
gear selector/shift lever out of PARK with the brake
pedal released. Make sure the transmission is in
PARK before leaving the vehicle.
• 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
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
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.
• Unintended movement of a vehicle could injure
those in or near the vehicle. As with all vehicles,
you should never exit a vehicle while the engine is
running. Before exiting a vehicle, always apply the
parking brake, shift the transmission into PARK,
turn the engine OFF, and remove the ignition key.
Once the key is removed, the transmission is
locked in PARK, securing the vehicle against un-
wanted movement.
• When leaving the vehicle, always remove the igni-
tion key from the vehicle and lock the vehicle.
(Continued)
5
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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 gear selector.
• Do not leave the ignition key in or near the vehicle
(or in a location accessible to children). A child
could operate power windows, other controls, or
move the vehicle.
CAUTION!
• Before moving the shift lever out of PARK, you
must turn the ignition switch from the LOCK/OFF
(Continued)
CAUTION! (Continued)
position to the ON/RUN position, and also press
the brake pedal. Otherwise, damage to the shift
lever could result.
• DO NOT race the engine when shifting from
PARK or NEUTRAL into another gear range, as this
can damage the drivetrain.
The following indicators should be used to ensure that
you have engaged the transmission into the PARK posi-
tion:
• When shifting into PARK, press the lock button on the
shift lever and firmly move the lever all the way
forward until it stops and is fully seated.
• Look at the transmission gear position display and
verify that it indicates the PARK position (P).
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•With brake pedal released, verify that the shift lever
will not move out of PARK.
REVERSE (R)
This range is for moving the vehicle backward. Shift into
REVERSE only after the vehicle has come to a complete
stop.
NEUTRAL (N)
Use this range when the vehicle is standing for prolonged
periods with the engine running. The engine may be
started in this range. Apply the parking brake and shift
the transmission into PARK if you must leave the vehicle.
WARNING!
Do not coast in NEUTRAL and never turn off the
ignition to coast down a hill. These are unsafe
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
practices that limit your response to changing traffic
or road conditions. You might lose control of the
vehicle and have a collision.
CAUTION!
Towing the vehicle, coasting, or driving for any other
reason with the transmission in NEUTRAL can cause
severe transmission damage. Refer to “Recreational
Towing” in “Starting And Operating” and “Towing A
Disabled Vehicle” in “What To Do In Emergencies”
for further information.
DRIVE (D)
This range should be used for most city and highway
driving. It provides the smoothest upshifts and down-
shifts, and the best fuel economy. The transmission
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automatically upshifts through all forward gears. The
DRIVE position provides optimum driving characteris-
tics under all normal operating conditions.
When frequent transmission shifting occurs (such as
when operating the vehicle under heavy loading condi-
tions, in hilly terrain or traveling into strong head winds),
use the Electronic Range Select (ERS) shift control (refer
toElectronic Range Select (ERS) Operation in this
section for further information) to select a lower gear
range. Under these conditions, using a lower gear range
will improve performance and extend transmission life
by reducing excessive shifting and heat buildup.
If the transmission temperature exceeds normal operat-
ing limits, the transmission controller may modify the
transmission shift schedule, reduce engine torque,
and/or expand the range of torque converter clutch
engagement. This is done to prevent transmission dam-
age due to overheating. If the transmission becomes extremely hot, the “Trans-
mission Temperature Warning Light” may illuminate and
the transmission may operate differently until the trans-
mission cools down.
During cold temperatures, transmission operation may
be modified depending on engine and transmission
temperature as well as vehicle speed. This feature im-
proves warm up time of the engine and transmission to
achieve maximum efficiency. Engagement of the torque
converter clutch, and shifts into 8th or 9th gear, are
inhibited until the transmission fluid is warm (refer to the
“Note” under “Torque Converter Clutch” in this section).
Normal operation will resume once the transmission
temperature has risen to a suitable level.
Transmission Limp Home Mode
Transmission function is monitored electronically for
abnormal conditions. If a condition is detected that could
result in transmission damage, Transmission Limp Home
210 STARTING AND OPERATING
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![Ram ProMaster City 2015 Owners Manual NOTE:The torque converter clutch will not engage until
the transmission fluid is warm [usually after 1 to 3 miles
(2 to 5 km) of driving]. Because the engine speed is higher
when the torque converter Ram ProMaster City 2015 Owners Manual NOTE:The torque converter clutch will not engage until
the transmission fluid is warm [usually after 1 to 3 miles
(2 to 5 km) of driving]. Because the engine speed is higher
when the torque converter](/manual-img/34/12524/w960_12524-213.png)
NOTE:The torque converter clutch will not engage until
the transmission fluid is warm [usually after 1 to 3 miles
(2 to 5 km) of driving]. Because the engine speed is higher
when the torque converter clutch is not engaged, it may
seem as if the transmission is not shifting properly when
cold. This is normal. The torque converter clutch will
function normally once the transmission is sufficiently
warm.
Electronic Range Select (ERS) Operation
The Electronic Range Select (ERS) shift control allows the
driver to limit the highest available gear. For example, if
you set the transmission gear limit to 5 (fifth gear), the
transmission will not shift above fifth gear, but will shift
through the lower gears normally.
You can switch between DRIVE and ERS mode at any
vehicle speed. When the shift lever is in the DRIVE
position, the transmission will operate automatically,
shifting between all available gears. Moving the shift lever to the ERS position (beside
DRIVE) will activate ERS mode, display the current gear
in the instrument cluster, and set that gear as the top
available gear. Once in ERS mode, moving the shift lever
forward (-) or rearward (+) will change the top available
gear and it will be displayed in the instrument cluster.
To exit ERS mode, simply return the shift lever to the
DRIVE position.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.
212 STARTING AND OPERATING