2019 Ram 2500 brakes

STARTING AND OPERATING 301
NOTE:
You must press and hold the brake pedal while shifting out
of PARK.
Ignition Park Interlock
This vehicle is equipped with an Ignition Park Interlock
which requires the transmission to be in PARK before the
ignition can be turned to the OFF mode. This helps the driver
avoid inadvertently leaving the vehicle without placing the
transmission in PARK. This system also locks the transmis-
sion in PARK whenever the ignition is in the OFF mode.
NOTE:
The transmission is NOT locked in PARK when the ignition
is in the ACC mode (even though the engine will be off).
Ensure that the transmission is in PARK, and the ignition is
OFF (not in ACC mode) before exiting the vehicle.
Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock System
This vehicle is equipped with a Brake Transmission Shift
Interlock System (BTSI) that holds the transmission gear
selector in PARK unless the brakes are applied. To shift the
transmission out of PARK, the engine must be running and
the brake pedal must be pressed.
The brake pedal must also be pressed to shift from
NEUTRAL into DRIVE or REVERSE when the vehicle is
stopped or moving at low speeds.
Eight-Speed Automatic Transmission
The transmission is controlled using a rotary electronic gear
selector located on the instrument panel. The transmission
gear range (PRND) is displayed both above the gear selector
and in the instrument cluster. To select a gear range, simply
rotate the gear selector. You must press the brake pedal to
shift the transmission out of PARK (or NEUTRAL, when the
vehicle is stopped or moving at low speeds). To shift past
multiple gear ranges at once (such as PARK to DRIVE),
simply rotate the gear selector to the appropriate detent.
Select the DRIVE range for normal driving.
CAUTION!
• Shift into or out of PARK or REVERSE only after the vehicle has come to a complete stop.
• Do not shift between PARK, REVERSE, NEUTRAL, or DRIVE when the engine is above idle speed.
• Before shifting into any gear, make sure your foot is firmly pressing the brake pedal.
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328 STARTING AND OPERATING
Crossing Large Rocks
When approaching large rocks, choose a path which ensures
you drive over the largest with your tires. This will lift your
undercarriage over the obstacle. The tread of the tire is
tougher and thicker than the side wall and is designed to
take the abuse. Always look ahead and make every effort to
cross the large rocks with your tires.
Crossing A Ravine, Gully, Ditch, Washout Or Rut
When crossing a ravine, gully, ditch, washout or a large rut,
the angled approach is the key to maintaining your vehicle's
mobility. Approach these obstacles at a 45-degree angle and
let each tire go through the obstacle independently. You
need to use caution when crossing large obstacles with steep
sides. Do not attempt to cross any large obstacle with steep
sides at an angle great enough to put the vehicle at risk of a
rollover. If you get caught in a rut, dig a small trench to the
right or left at a 45-degree angle ahead of the front tires. Usethe removed dirt to fill the rut ahead of the turnout you just
created. You should now be able to drive out following the
trench you just created at a 45-degree angle.
Crossing Logs
To cross a log, approach it at a slight angle (approximately 10
to 15 degrees). This allows one front tire to be on top of the
log while the other just starts to climb the log. While climbing
the log, modulate your brake and accelerator to avoid spin
-
ning the log out from under your tires. Then ease the vehicle
off the log using your brakes.
CAUTION!
• Never attempt to straddle a rock that is large enough to strike your axles or undercarriage.
• Never attempt to drive over a rock which is large enough to contact the door sills.
WARNING!
There is an increased risk of rollover when crossing an
obstacle, at any angle, with steep sides.
CAUTION!
Do not attempt to cross a log with a greater diameter than
the running ground clearance or the vehicle will become
high centered.

330 STARTING AND OPERATING
provide enough traction to complete the climb. If you do
not make it to the top, place the vehicle in REVERSE and
back straight down the grade using engine resistance
along with the vehicle brakes.
• Driving Down Hill – Before driving down a steep hill you
need to determine if it is too steep for a safe descent. What
is the surface traction? Is the grade too steep to maintain a
slow controlled descent? Are there obstacles? Is it a
straight descent? Is there plenty of distance at the base of
the hill to regain control if the vehicle descends too fast? If
you feel confident in your ability to proceed then make
sure you are in 4LO (Low Range) with the transmission in
first gear (manually select first gear on automatic transmis -
sions) and proceed with caution. Allow engine braking to
control the descent and apply your brakes if necessary, but
do not allow the tires to lock. •
Driving Across An Incline – If at all possible avoid
driving across an incline. If it is necessary, know your
vehicle's abilities. Driving across an incline places more
weight on the down hill wheels, which increases the possi -
bilities of a down hill slide or rollover. Make sure the
surface has good traction with firm and stable soils. If
possible transverse the incline at an angle heading slightly
up or down.
• If You Stall Or Begin To Lose Headway – If you stall or
begin to lose headway while climbing a steep hill, allow
your vehicle to come to a stop and immediately apply the
brake. Restart the engine and shift into REVERSE. Back
slowly down the hill allowing the compression braking of
the engine and transmission to help regulate your speed. If
WARNING!
Never attempt to climb a hill at an angle or turn around
on a steep grade. Driving across an incline increases the
risk of a roll over, which may result in severe injury or
death.
WARNING!
Do not descend a steep grade in NEUTRAL. Use vehicle
brakes in conjunction with engine braking. Descending
a grade too fast could cause you to lose control and be
seriously injured or killed.
WARNING!
Driving across an incline increases the risk of a rollover,
which may result in severe injury.

STARTING AND OPERATING 331
the brakes are required to control vehicle speed, apply
them lightly and avoid locking or skidding the tires.
Driving Through Water
Extreme care should be taken crossing any type of water.
Water crossings should be avoided if possible and only be
attempted when necessary, in a safe responsible manner.
You should only drive through areas which are designated
and approved. You should tread lightly and avoid damage
to the environment. You should know your vehicle's abilities
and be able to recover it if something goes wrong. You
should never stop or shut a vehicle off when crossing deep
water unless you ingested water into the engine air intake. If
the engine stalls do not attempt to restart it. Determine if it
has ingested water first. The key to any crossing is low andslow. You want to use first gear in 4L (Low Range) and
proceed very slowly with a constant slow speed (3-5 mph
[5–8 km/h] maximum) and light throttle. Keep the vehicle
moving; do not try to accelerate through the crossing. After
crossing any water higher than the bottom of the axle differ
-
entials, you should inspect all of the vehicle fluids for signs
of water ingestion.
• Before You Cross Any Type Of Water – As you approach
any type of water you need to determine if you can cross it
safely and responsibly. If necessary, get out and walk
through the water or probe it with a stick. You need to be
sure of its depth, approach angle, current and bottom
condition. Be careful of murky or muddy waters, check for
hidden obstacles. Make sure you will not be intruding on
any wildlife and you can recover the vehicle if necessary.
The key to a safe crossing is the water depth, current and
bottom conditions. On soft bottoms the vehicle will sink in,
WARNING!
If the engine stalls or you lose headway or cannot make
it to the top of a steep hill or grade, never attempt to turn
around. To do so may result in tipping and rolling the
vehicle, which may result in severe injury. Always back
carefully straight down a hill in REVERSE. Never back
down a hill in NEUTRAL using only the vehicle brakes.
Never drive diagonally across a hill, always drive
straight up or down.
CAUTION!
Water ingestion into the axles, transmission, transfer
case, engine or vehicle interior can occur if you drive too
fast or through too deep of water. Water can cause
permanent damage to engine, driveline or other vehicle
components and your brakes will be less effective once
wet and/or muddy.
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334 STARTING AND OPERATING
•Rock Cycling Your Vehicle – Rock cycling your vehicle is
one of the easiest, fastest and most commonly used
methods. This simply involves shifting your vehicle from
DRIVE to REVERSE, while applying throttle after each
shift. During this process, for additional traction, try
turning your steering wheel quickly left and right no more
than a ¼ turn. If you are stuck in mud, sand, or snow try
spinning your tires during this process to clean the debris
from the tread and improve the traction. You want to
create a rocking motion with the vehicle. This helps build
vehicle momentum, which hopefully gets you out.
Remember to ease off and on the accelerator before and
after the shift. If after a few rock cycles your vehicle is not
free, stop and try another method of recovery. Continuous
rock cycling will only cause unnecessary damage to your
vehicle and the environment.
• Using The Tow Hooks With A Tow Strap – Tow straps
are a quick and easy way to recover your vehicle from
minor situations if you have a secondary vehicle which is
not stuck. The tow hooks on your vehicle are designed to take the abusive force generated during vehicle recovery.
Do not use the bumper or any other vehicle component as
an attachment point. Using tow straps requires coordina
-
tion between the two drivers. Good communication and
line of sight are required for a safe recovery. First connect
the tow strap to the correct attachment points on both vehi -
cles. There should be a least 20 to 30 feet (6 to 9 meters)
between the vehicles to allow for a safe recovery. If neces -
sary join two tow straps together using a 1 ½ inch hard
wood dowel. This will keep the straps from becoming
knotted and is safer than using a clevis pin if the strap
breaks. Next have the tow vehicle backup, leaving two to
three feet worth of slack in the strap. Then the tow vehicle,
using light throttle, should accelerate tightening the strap
providing the pulling force needed to free the vehicle. The
vehicle being recovered should assist in the recovery, at
the time of the snap, by slowly spinning the tires in the
same direction as the pulling vehicle. After the vehicle
becomes free, the driver of the previously stuck vehicle
should signal they are free and should hit their brakes
stopping both vehicles. The driver of the pulling vehicle
should let off the throttle without using the brakes, once
signaled by the other driver. This sequence is important to
avoid having the recovered vehicle hit the pulling vehicle.
CAUTION!
Damage can occur when spinning your tires at an
excessive high speed. Do not spin your tires faster than
an indicated 30 mph (48 km/h).

336 STARTING AND OPERATING
After Driving Off-Road
Off-road operation puts more stress on your vehicle than
does most on-road driving. After going off-road, it is always
a good idea to check for damage. That way you can get any
problems taken care of right away and have your vehicle
ready when you need it.
• Completely inspect the underbody of your vehicle. Checktires, body structure, steering, suspension, and exhaust
system for damage.
• Inspect the radiator for mud and debris and clean as required.
• Check threaded fasteners for looseness, particularly on the chassis, drivetrain components, steering, and suspension.
Retighten them, if required, and torque to the values spec -
ified in the Service Manual.
• Check for accumulations of plants or brush. These things could be a fire hazard. They might hide damage to fuel
lines, brake hoses, axle pinion seals, and propeller shafts. • After extended operation in mud, sand, water, or similar
dirty conditions, have the radiator, fan, brake rotors,
wheels, brake linings, and axle yokes inspected and
cleaned as soon as possible.
• If you experience unusual vibration after driving in mud, slush or similar conditions, check the wheels for impacted
material. Impacted material can cause a wheel imbalance
and freeing the wheels of it will correct the situation.
WARNING!
Abrasive material in any part of the brakes may cause
excessive wear or unpredictable braking. You might not
have full braking power when you need it to prevent a
collision. If you have been operating your vehicle in
dirty conditions, get your brakes checked and cleaned as
necessary.

350 STARTING AND OPERATING
NOTE:•Avoid overheating the winch motor. For extendedwinching, stop at reasonable intervals to allow the
winch motor to cool down.
•What to look for under load: The synthetic rope must always spool onto the drum as indicated by the drum
rotation decal on the winch. As you power-in, make
sure the synthetic rope winds evenly and tightly on the
drum. This prevents the outer rope wraps from
drawing into the inner wraps, binding and damaging
the synthetic rope. Avoid shock loads by using the
control switch intermittently to take up rope slack.
Shock loads can momentarily far exceed the winch and
synthetic rope ratings. During side pulls the synthetic
rope tends to stack up at one end of the drum. This
stack can become large enough to cause serious
damage to the winch. So, line up pulls as straight ahead
as possible and stop winching if the synthetic rope
comes close to the tie rods or mounting plate. To fix an
uneven stack, spool out that section of the rope and
reposition it to the opposite end of the drum, which will
free up space for continued winching. 15. Secure vehicle. Once recovery of the vehicle is complete,
be sure to secure the vehicle's brakes and shift the trans -
mission to PARK. Release tension in the synthetic rope.
16. Disconnect the synthetic rope, and disconnect from the anchor.
17. Rewind the synthetic rope. The person handling the synthetic rope should walk the rope in and not let it slide
through the hand, control the winch at all times.
Rewinding The Synthetic Rope

STARTING AND OPERATING 359
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) Operation
The speed control buttons (located on the right side of the
steering wheel) operate the ACC system.Adaptive Cruise Control Buttons
NOTE:
Any chassis/suspension or tire size modifications to the
vehicle will effect the performance of the Adaptive Cruise
Control and Forward Collision Warning System.
• Will bring the vehicle to a complete stop while
following a target vehicle and hold the vehicle for
approximately two seconds in the stop position. At
this point, there will be an “ACC may cancel soon”
chime and warning to the driver. When ACC is
cancelled, the system will release the brakes and the
driver must take over braking. The system can be
resumed when the target vehicle drives off by
releasing the brake and pushing the resume button
on the steering wheel.
You should switch off the ACC system:
• When driving in fog, heavy rain, heavy snow, sleet, heavy traffic, and complex driving situations (i.e., in
highway construction zones).
• When entering a turn lane or highway off ramp; when driving on roads that are winding, icy, snow-covered,
slippery, or have steep uphill or downhill slopes.
• When towing a trailer up or down steep slopes.
• When circumstances do not allow safe driving at a constant speed.
WARNING! (Continued)
1 — Adaptive Cruise Control On/Off Button
2 — Distance Button
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