2018 Ram 3500 manual transmission

INTRODUCTION
Dear Customer, congratulations on selecting your new
vehicle. Be assured that it represents precision workman-
ship, distinctive styling, and high quality.
This is a specialized utility vehicle. It can go places and
perform tasks that conventional passenger vehicles are not
intended. It handles and maneuvers differently from many
passenger vehicles both on-road and off-road, so take time
to become familiar with your vehicle. If equipped, the
two-wheel drive version of this vehicle was designed for
on-road use only. It is not intended for off-road driving or
use in other severe conditions suited for a four-wheel drive
vehicle. Before you start to drive this vehicle, read the
Owner ’s Manual. Be sure you are familiar with all vehicle
controls, particularly those used for braking, steering,
transmission, and transfer case shifting. Learn how your
vehicle handles on different road surfaces. Your driving
skills will improve with experience. When driving off-road,
or working the vehicle, don’t overload the vehicle or expect
the vehicle to overcome the natural laws of physics.
Always observe federal, state, provincial and local laws
wherever you drive. As with other vehicles of this type,
failure to operate this vehicle correctly may result in loss of
control or a collision. Refer to the “Driving Tips” section for
further information.This Owner ’s Manual has been prepared with the assis-
tance of service and engineering specialists to acquaint you
with the operation and maintenance of your vehicle. It is
supplemented by Warranty Information, and customer
oriented documents. In the attached Warranty Booklet you
will find a description of the services that FCA offers to its
customers, the Warranty Certificate and the details of the
terms and conditions for maintaining its validity. Please
take the time to read all of these publications carefully
before driving your vehicle for the first time. Following the
instructions, recommendations, tips, and important warn-
ings in this manual will help assure safe and enjoyable
operation of your vehicle.
This Owner ’s Manual describes all versions of this vehicle.
Options and equipment dedicated to specific markets or
versions are not expressly indicated in the text. Therefore,
you should only consider the information which is related
to the trim level, engine, and version that you have
purchased. Any content introduced throughout the Own-
er ’s Information, that may or may not be applicable to your
vehicle, will be identified with the wording “If Equipped”.
All data contained in this publication are intended to help
you use your vehicle in the best possible way. FCA aims at
a constant improvement of the vehicles produced. For this
reason, it reserves the right to make changes to the model
4 INTRODUCTION

detents and one that is spring-loaded. The detent positions
are OFF, ACC, and ON/RUN. The START position is a
spring-loaded momentary contact position. When released
from the START position, the switch automatically returns
to the ON/RUN position.Removing Key Fob From The (WIN) Ignition
Place the gear selector in PARK (if equipped with an
automatic transmission). Turn the key fob to the OFF
position and then remove the key fob.
NOTE:
•The power window switches, radio, power sunroof (if
equipped), and power outlets will remain active for up
to 10 minutes after the ignition switch is turned to the
OFF position. Opening either front door will cancel this
feature. Refer to “Uconnect Settings” in “Multimedia”
for further information.
• For vehicles not equipped with a touchscreen radio,
refer to “Instrument Cluster Display in “Getting To
Know Your Instrument Panel” for further information.
• For vehicles equipped with a touchscreen radio, refer to
“Uconnect Settings” in “Multimedia” for further infor-
mation.
WARNING!
•Before exiting a vehicle, always shift the automatic
transmission into PARK or the manual transmission
(Continued)
Wireless Ignition Switch
1 — OFF
2 — ACC (Accessory)
3 — ON/RUN
4 — START 28 GETTING TO KNOW YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!(Continued)
•For personal security and safety in the event of an
collision, lock the vehicle doors as you drive as well
as when you park and leave the vehicle.
• Before exiting a vehicle, always shift the automatic
transmission into PARK or the manual transmission
into FIRST gear or REVERSE, apply the parking
brake, turn the vehicle OFF, remove the key fobs
from vehicle, and lock all doors. and lock your
vehicle.
•
Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or with access
to an unlocked vehicle. Leaving children 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.
• 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
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
ignition 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.
Power Door Locks — If Equipped
The power door lock switches are on each front door trim
panel. Use these switches to lock or unlock the doors.
NOTE:The key fob may not be able to be detected by the
vehicle Keyless Enter-N-Go system if it is located next to a
mobile phone, laptop or other electronic device; these
devices may block the key fob’s wireless signal and prevent
the Keyless Enter-N-Go system from starting the vehicle.
38 GETTING TO KNOW YOUR VEHICLE

Memory Position Recall
NOTE:
•For vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission,
the vehicle speed must be lower than 5 mph to recall
memory positions. If a recall is attempted when the
vehicle speed is greater than 5 mph, a message will be
displayed in the instrument cluster display.
• For vehicles equipped with a manual transmission, the
vehicle speed must be at 0 mph (0 km/h) to recall
memory positions. If a recall is attempted with the
vehicle speed above 0 mph (0 km/h), a message will
appear in the instrument cluster display.
Driver One Memory Position Recall
• To recall the memory settings for driver one using the
memory switch, push memory button (1) on the
memory switch.
• To recall the memory settings for driver one using the
key fob, push the unlock button on the key fob linked to
memory position 1. Driver Two Memory Position Recall
•
To recall the memory setting for driver two using the
memory switch, push memory button (2) on the
memory switch.
• To recall the memory settings for driver two using the
key fob, push the unlock button on the key fob linked to
memory position 2.
A recall can be cancelled by pushing any of the memory
buttons during a recall (S, 1, or 2). When a recall is
cancelled, the driver’s seat and the power pedals (if
equipped) stop moving. A delay of one second will occur
before another recall can be selected.
Easy Entry/Exit Seat
This feature provides automatic driver ’s seat positioning to
enhance driver mobility when entering and exiting the
vehicle.
The distance the driver ’s seat moves depends on where
you have the driver ’s seat positioned when you remove the
key fob from the ignition (or change the ignition to OFF, for
vehicles equipped with Keyless Enter-N-Go).
• When you remove the key fob from the ignition (or
change the ignition to OFF, for vehicles equipped with
3
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR VEHICLE 51

•Transmission In NEUTRAL Position — When the igni-
tion is ON, and the transmission is in the NEUTRAL
position, the Rain Sensing system will not operate until
the wiper switch is moved, vehicle speed is greater than
5 mph (8 km/h), or the gear selector is moved out of the
NEUTRAL position.
• Remote Start Mode Inhibit — On vehicles equipped
with Remote Starting system, Rain Sensing wipers are
not operational when the vehicle is in the remote start
mode. Once the operator is in the vehicle and has placed
the ignition switch in the RUN position, Rain Sensing
wiper operation can resume, if it has been selected, and
no other inhibit conditions (mentioned previously) exist.CLIMATE CONTROLS
Manual Climate Controls Without Touchscreen
The controls for the manual heating and air conditioning
system in this vehicle consist of a series of outer rotary
dials and inner push knobs. These comfort controls can be
set to obtain desired interior conditions.
Manual Climate Controls Without A Touchscreen
86 GETTING TO KNOW YOUR VEHICLE

The following conditions must be met in order for HSA to
activate:
•The feature must be enabled.
• The vehicle must be stopped.
• Park brake must be off.
• Driver door must be closed.
• The vehicle must be on a sufficient grade.
• The gear selection must match vehicle uphill direction
(i.e., vehicle facing uphill is in forward gear; vehicle
backing uphill is in REVERSE gear).
• HSA will work in REVERSE gear and all forward gears.
The system will not activate if the transmission is in
PARK or NEUTRAL. For vehicles equipped with a
manual transmission, if the clutch is pressed, HSA will
remain active.
WARNING!
There may be situations where the Hill Start Assist
(HSA) will not activate and slight rolling may occur,
such as on minor hills or with a loaded vehicle, or
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
while pulling a trailer. HSA is not a substitute for
active driving involvement. It is always the driver ’s
responsibility to be attentive to distance to other ve-
hicles, people, and objects, and most importantly brake
operation to ensure safe operation of the vehicle under
all road conditions. Your complete attention is always
required while driving to maintain safe control of your
vehicle. Failure to follow these warnings can result in
a collision or serious personal injury.
Towing With HSA
HSA will also provide assistance to mitigate roll back while
towing a trailer.
WARNING!
•If you use a trailer brake controller with your trailer,
the trailer brakes may be activated and deactivated
with the brake switch. If so, there may not be enough
brake pressure to hold both the vehicle and the
trailer on a hill when the brake pedal is released. In
(Continued)
5
SAFETY 207

WARNING!(Continued)
order to avoid rolling down an incline while resum-
ing acceleration, manually activate the trailer brake
or apply more vehicle brake pressure prior to releas-
ing the brake pedal.
• HSA is not a parking brake. Always apply the
parking brake fully when exiting your vehicle. Also,
be certain to place the transmission in PARK.
• Failure to follow these warnings can result in a
collision or serious personal injury.
Disabling And Enabling HSA
This feature can be turned on or turned off. To change the
current setting, proceed as follows:
• If disabling HSA using your instrument cluster display,
refer to “Instrument Cluster Display” in “Getting To
Know Your Instrument Panel” for further information.
• If disabling HSA using Uconnect Settings, refer to
“Uconnect Settings” in “Multimedia” for further infor-
mation. For vehicles not equipped with an instrument cluster
display, perform the following steps:
1. Center the steering wheel (front wheels pointing
straight forward).
2. Shift the transmission into PARK.
3. Apply the parking brake.
4. Start the engine.
5. Rotate the steering wheel slightly more than one-half turn to the left.
6. Push the “ESC Off” button located in the lower switch bank below the climate control four times within 20
seconds. The “ESC Off Indicator Light” should turn on
and turn off two times.
7. Rotate the steering wheel back to center and then an additional slightly more than one-half turn to the right.
8. Turn the ignition to the OFF mode and then back to ON. If the sequence was completed properly, the “ESC Off
Indicator Light” will blink several times to confirm HSA
is disabled.
9. Repeat these steps if you want to return this feature to its previous setting.
208 SAFETY

STARTING AND OPERATING
CONTENTS
STARTING THE ENGINE —
GASOLINE ENGINE .....................288
▫ Automatic Transmission ..................288
▫ Tip Start Feature .......................289
▫ Keyless Enter-N-Go — Ignition .............289
▫ Normal Starting Using ENGINE START/STOP
Button ............................. .289
▫ Idle Shutdown — 6.4L Engine Only ..........293
▫ If Engine Fails To Start ..................293
▫ Cold Weather Operation
(Below –22°F Or 30°C) ..................294
▫ After Starting ..........................294
 ENGINE BLOCK HEATER — IF EQUIPPED . . . .294
 ENGINE BREAK-IN RECOMMENDATIONS . . . .295
 PARKING BRAKE .......................295 
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ..............297
▫ Key Ignition Park Interlock ................298
▫ Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock System . . . .299
▫ Eight-Speed Automatic Transmission —
If Equipped ..........................299
▫ Six-Speed Automatic Transmission —
1500 Models Only (If Equipped) ............306
▫ Six-Speed Automatic Transmission —
2500/3500 Models Only ..................315
 FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE OPERATION —
IF EQUIPPED ..........................324
▫ Manually Shifted Transfer Case — If Equipped . .324
▫ Electronically Shifted Transfer Case (Four-Position
Switch) — If Equipped ..................327
▫ Electronically Shifted Transfer Case (Five-Position
Switch) — If Equipped ..................332
6