2019 Ram 2500 manual transmission

6
STARTING AND OPERATING
STARTING THE ENGINE .............................................. 290
Automatic Transmission ............................................ 291
Tip Start Feature ......................................................... 291
Keyless Enter-N-Go — Ignition................................. 291
Normal Starting Using ENGINE START/STOP
Button ......................................................................... 292

Cold Weather Operation (Below –22°F Or −30°C) ..... 296

After Starting................................................................ 296
 ENGINE BLOCK HEATER — IF EQUIPPED .............. 297
 ENGINE BREAK-IN RECOMMENDATIONS ............ 297
 PARKING BRAKE ........................................................... 298
 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ................................... 299
Ignition Park Interlock ................................................ 301
Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock System ........... 301
Eight-Speed Automatic Transmission .................... 301
 ACTIVE NOISE CANCELLATION ............................... 308
 FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE OPERATION —
IF EQUIPPED .................................................................... 309
Four-Position Electronically Shifted Transfer
Case — If Equipped ................................................... 309
Manually Shifted Transfer Case — If Equipped ..... 314 
AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM (2500/3500 MODELS) —
IF EQUIPPED .....................................................................317
Description.................................................................... 317
Air Suspension Modes ................................................318
Instrument Cluster Display Messages ......................320
Operation ......................................................................320
 AXLE LOCKER SYSTEM — POWER WAGON
MODELS ONLY (IF EQUIPPED)....................................320
 STABILIZER/SWAY BAR SYSTEM — POWER WAGON
ONLY ................................................................................322
 SAFE OFF-ROAD DRIVING — POWER WAGON
ONLY .................................................................................324
Off-Road Driving Tips And Vehicle
Characteristics ............................................................324
Driving In Snow, Mud And Sand .............................326
Crossing Obstacles (Rocks And Other High
Points)............................................................................327
Hill Climbing................................................................329
Driving Through Water ..............................................331
Airing Down For Off-Road Driving .........................332
Vehicle Recovery .........................................................333
After Driving Off-Road...............................................336
 LIMITED-SLIP DIFFERENTIAL ....................................337

9
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
HAZARD WARNING FLASHERS ............................. 440
 ASSIST AND SOS SYSTEM — IF EQUIPPED .............. 441
 BULB REPLACEMENT ................................................... 446
Replacement Bulbs ..................................................... 446
Replacing Exterior Bulbs ............................................ 447
 FUSES.................................................................................. 457
Power Distribution Center ......................................... 458
 JACKING AND TIRE CHANGING .......................... 469
Jack Location ................................................................ 470
Removal Of Jack And Tools ....................................... 470
Removing The Spare Tire ........................................... 473
Preparations For Jacking ............................................ 476
Jacking Instructions ..................................................... 477
To Stow The Flat Or Spare ...................................... 483
Reinstalling The Jack And Tools ............................... 485
Hub Caps/Wheel Covers — If Equipped .............. 487
 JUMP STARTING ............................................................ 488
Preparations For Jump Start ...................................... 489
Jump Starting Procedure ............................................ 490
 MANUAL PARK RELEASE — 8–SPEED
TRANSMISSION ............................................................... 492 
IF YOUR ENGINE OVERHEATS ..................................493
 FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE ......................................494
 TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE ...............................495
Two-Wheel Drive Models .......................................... 497
Four-Wheel Drive Models .......................................... 497
Emergency Tow Hooks — If Equipped....................498
 ENHANCED ACCIDENT RESPONSE
SYSTEM (EARS) ...............................................................498
 EVENT DATA RECORDER (EDR)................................. 498
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
SCHEDULED SERVICING ............................................499
Maintenance Plan ........................................................500
Heavy Duty Use Of The Vehicle ...............................503
 ENGINE COMPARTMENT .......................................... 504
6.4L Engine ..................................................................504
Checking Oil Level — Gas Engine ...........................505
Adding Washer Fluid ................................................505
Maintenance-Free Battery .......................................... 506

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR VEHICLE 79
•Transmission In NEUTRAL Position — When the igni-
tion is ON, and the transmission is in the NEUTRAL posi -
tion, 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 oper -
ational 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
The Climate Control System allows you to regulate the
temperature, air flow, and direction of air circulating
throughout the vehicle. The controls are located on the
touchscreen (if equipped), on the sides of the touchscreen, or
on the instrument panel below the radio.
Climate Controls Without A Touchscreen Overview
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
2

198 SAFETY
Hill Start Assist (HSA)
The HSA system is designed to mitigate roll back from a
complete stop while on an incline. If the driver releases the
brake while stopped on an incline, HSA will continue to hold
the brake pressure for a short period. If the driver does not
apply the throttle before this time expires, the system will
release brake pressure and the vehicle will roll down the hill
as normal.
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 trans -
mission, 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 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
vehicles, 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.

SAFETY 199
Towing With HSA
HSA will also provide assistance to mitigate roll back while
towing a trailer.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 “Ucon -
nect Settings” in “Multimedia” for further information.
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.
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 order to avoid
rolling down an incline while resuming acceleration,
manually activate the trailer brake or apply more
vehicle brake pressure prior to releasing 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 colli -
sion or serious personal injury.
4

STARTING AND OPERATING 291
Automatic Transmission
Start the engine with the transmission in PARK position.
Apply the brake before shifting into any driving range.
NOTE:
• This vehicle is equipped with a transmission shift inter-
locking system. The brake pedal must be pressed to shift
out of PARK.
• If equipped with an 8-speed transmission, starting the vehicle in NEUTRAL is not possible unless the Manual
Park Release has been activated. For the Manual Park
Release operation refer to Manual Park Release in “In Case
Of Emergency”.
Tip Start Feature
Do not press the accelerator. Cycle the ignition switch briefly
to the START position and release it. The starter motor will
continue to run and will automatically disengage when the
engine is running.
Keyless Enter-N-Go — Ignition
Keyless Push Button Ignition
This feature allows the driver to operate the ignition switch
with the push of a button, as long as the Remote Start/
Keyless Enter-N-Go key fob is in the passenger compart -
ment.
5

302 STARTING AND OPERATING
NOTE:
In the event of a mismatch between the gear selector position
and the actual transmission gear (for example, driver selects
PARK while driving), the position indicator will blink
continuously until the selector is returned to the proper posi-
tion, or the requested shift can be completed.
The electronically-controlled transmission adapts its shift
schedule based on driver inputs, along with environmental
and road conditions. The transmission electronics are
self-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, REVERSE,
NEUTRAL, and DRIVE positions. Manual downshifts can be
made using the Electronic Range Select (ERS) shift control.
Pressing the GEAR-/GEAR+ switches (on the steering
wheel) 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. Refer to “Electronic Range Select (ERS) Operation” in this section for further
information. Some models will display both the selected gear
limit, and the actual current gear, while in ERS mode.
Electronic Transmission Gear Selector
Gear Ranges
Do not depress the accelerator pedal 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.

316 STARTING AND OPERATING
Neutral (N)
Neutral — This range disengages the front and rear drivesh-
afts from the powertrain. To be used for flat towing behind
another vehicle. Refer to “Recreational Towing” in “Starting
And Operating” for further information.
Four-Wheel Drive Low Range (4L)
Four-Wheel Drive Low Range — This range locks the front
and rear driveshafts together forcing the front and rear
wheels to rotate at the same speed. Additional traction and
maximum pulling power for loose, slippery road surfaces
only. Do not exceed 25 mph (40 km/h).
Shifting Procedure — Manually Shifted Transfer Case
2H To 4H
Shifting between 2H and 4H can be made with the vehicle
stopped or in motion. If the vehicle is in motion, shifts can be
made up to 55 mph (88 km/h). With the vehicle in motion,
the transfer case will engage/disengage faster if you
momentarily release the accelerator pedal after completing the shift. Apply a constant force when shifting the transfer
case lever.
2H Or 4H To 4L
NOTE:
When shifting into or out of 4L some gear noise may be
heard. This noise is normal and is not detrimental to the
vehicle or occupants.
With the vehicle rolling at 2 to 3 mph (3 to 5 km/h), shift the
transmission into NEUTRAL. While the vehicle is coasting at
2 to 3 mph (3 to 5 km/h), shift the transfer case lever firmly
to the desired position. Do not pause in transfer case
NEUTRAL.
NOTE:
• Pausing in transfer case NEUTRAL in vehicles equipped
with an automatic transmission may require shutting the
engine OFF to avoid gear clash while completing the shift.
If difficulty occurs, shift the transmission into NEUTRAL,
hold your foot on the brake, and turn the engine OFF.
Complete the range shift to the desired mode.
• Shifting into or out of 4L is possible with the vehicle completely stopped, however difficulty may occur due to
the mating clutch teeth not being properly aligned. Several
attempts may be required for clutch teeth alignment and
CAUTION!
Do not use 4L (Low) range when operating the vehicle on
dry pavement. Driveline hardware damage can result.