2016 Ram 1500 Start

NOTE:On four-wheel drive vehicles be sure that the
transfer case is in a drive position.
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. 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
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
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WARNING!(Continued)
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. When the ignition is in the LOCK/OFF
(key removal) position, the transmission is locked
in PARK, securing the vehicle against unwanted
movement.
•Before exiting a vehicle, always apply the parking
brake, shift the automatic transmission into PARK
or the manual transmission into REVERSE, turn
the vehicle OFF, remove the key fob from the
ignition and lock your vehicle. If equipped with
Keyless Enter-N-Go, always make sure the keyless
ignition node is in “OFF” mode, remove the Key
Fob from the vehicle and lock the vehicle.
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WARNING!(Continued)
•When leaving the vehicle, always make sure the
ignition is in the OFF position, remove the key fob
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 key fob in or near the vehicle (or
in a location accessible to children), and do not
leave the ignition (in a vehicle equipped with
Keyless Enter-N-Go) in the ACC or ON/ RUN
position. A child could operate power windows,
other controls, or move the vehicle.
CAUTION!
•DO NOT race the engine when shifting from
PARK or NEUTRAL into another gear range, as this
can damage the drivetrain.
•Before moving the transmission gear selector out of
PARK, you must start the engine, and also press the
brake pedal. Otherwise, damage to the gear selector
could result.
The following indicator should be used to ensure that
you have engaged the transmission into PARK:
•With brake pedal released, look at the transmission
gear position display and verify that it indicates the
PARK position (P).
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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. 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
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
automatically upshifts through all forward gears. The
DRIVE position provides optimum driving characteris-
tics under all normal operating conditions.
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When frequent transmission shifting occurs (such as
when operating the vehicle under heavy loading condi-
tions, in hilly terrain, traveling into strong head winds, or
while towing heavy trailers), select TOW/HAUL mode
or use the Electronic Range Select (ERS) shift control
(refer toElectronic Range Select (ERS) Operationin 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.
During extremely cold temperatures (-22°F [-30°C] or
below), transmission operation may be modified depend-
ing on engine and transmission temperature as well as
vehicle speed. 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
Mode is activated. In this mode, the transmission may
operate only in certain gears, or may not shift at all.
Vehicle performance may be severely degraded and the
engine may stall. In some situations, the transmission
may not re-engage if the engine is turned off and
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.
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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. If not,
shift the transmission to NEUTRAL.
3. Turn the ignition switch to the OFF position. On
vehicles with Keyless Enter-N-Go, push and hold the
ignition switch until the engine turns 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 —
Eight-Speed Transmission
The Electronic Range Select (ERS) shift control allows the
driver to limit the highest available gear when the
transmission is in DRIVE. For example, if you set the
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transmission gear limit to 4 (fourth gear), the transmis-
sion will not shift above fourth gear (except to prevent
engine overspeed), but will shift through the lower gears
normally.
You can switch between DRIVE and ERS mode at any
vehicle speed. When the transmission gear selector is in
DRIVE, the transmission will operate automatically, shift-
ing 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 set
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 push and hold the GEAR+
switch until the gear limit display disappears from the
instrument cluster.
1 — ERS (-) Switch 2 — 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. Pushing 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 pushed each time the engine
is started.
Six-Speed Automatic Transmission — 1500
Models Only (If Equipped)
The transmission gear 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 System” 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 areself-calibrating; therefore, the first few shifts on a new
vehicle 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 for further information). Press-
ing 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 limit in the
instrument cluster as 1, 2, 3, etc. Models with the Driver
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