2016 Ram 2500 Owner's Manual

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. 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 a heavy trailer), select TOW/HAUL mode
or use the Electronic Range Select (ERS) shift control
(refer to
Electronic 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.
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
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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.
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.
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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
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 setthat gear as the top available gear. Once in ERS mode,
tapping the GEAR- or GEAR+ switch will change the top
available gear.
1 — ERS (-) Switch
2 — ERS (+) Switch
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To exit ERS mode, simply push and hold the GEAR+
switch until the gear limit display disappears from the
instrument cluster.
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 alwaysTOW/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 gear selector 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
gear selector out of PARK (refer to “Brake/Transmission
Shift Interlock System” in this section). To drive, move
the gear selector from PARK or NEUTRAL to the DRIVE
position. Pull the gear selector 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 gear selector has only PARK, RE-
VERSE, NEUTRAL, and DRIVE shift positions. Manual
downshifts can be made using the Electronic Range
Select (ERS) shift control (refer to “Electronic Range
Select (ERS) Operation” in this section for further infor-
mation). Pressing the ERS (-/+) switches (column shift)
or moving the gear selector 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
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with the Driver Information Display (DID) will display
both the selected gear limit, and the actual current gear,
while in ERS mode.
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 (P)
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.
NOTE:
On four-wheel drive vehicles be sure that the
transfer case is in a drive position.
When parking on a hill, apply the parking brake before
shifting the transmission to PARK, otherwise the load on
the transmission locking mechanism may make it diffi-
cult to move the gear selector out of PARK. As an added
precaution, turn the front wheels toward the curb on a
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
(Continued)
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WARNING!(Continued)
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 completely in PARK. Check by trying to
move the gear selector 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
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)
WARNING! (Continued)
•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,
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.
(Continued)
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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 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
mode. A child could operate power windows, other
controls, or move the vehicle.
CAUTION!
• Before moving the gear selector out of PARK, you
must turn the ignition switch from the LOCK/OFF
position to the ON/RUN position, and also press
the brake pedal. Otherwise, damage to the gear
selector 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, pull the column-mounted
gear selector toward you and move it all the way
counterclockwise until it stops. For console-mounted
shifter, firmly move the gear selector all the way
forward and to the left until it stops.
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