2021 RAM 1500 Owners Manual

STARTING AND OPERATING151
ENGINE BREAK-IN RECOMMENDATIONS —
DIESEL ENGINE
The diesel engine does not require a break-in
period due to its construction. Normal operation
is allowed, providing the following
recommendations are followed:
Warm up the engine before placing it under
load.
Do not operate the engine at idle for
prolonged periods.
Observe vehicle oil pressure and tempera -
ture indicators.
Check the coolant and oil levels frequently.
Vary throttle position at highway speeds
when carrying or towing significant weight.
NOTE:
Light duty operation such as light trailer towing
or no load operation will extend the time before
the engine is at full efficiency. Reduced fuel
economy and power may be seen at this time.
The engine oil installed in the engine at the
factory is a high-quality energy conserving type
lubricant. Oil changes should be consistent with anticipated climate conditions under which
vehicle operations will occur. For the
recommended viscosity and quality grades
Ú
page 475.
NOTE:
NON-DETERGENT OR STRAIGHT MINERAL OILS
MUST NEVER BE USED.
PARKING BRAKE
ELECTRIC PARK BRAKE (EPB)
Your vehicle is equipped with an EPB that offers
simple operation, and some additional features
that make the parking brake more convenient
and useful.
The parking brake is primarily intended to
prevent the vehicle from rolling while parked.
Before leaving the vehicle, make sure that the
parking brake is applied. Also, be certain to
leave the transmission in PARK.
You can engage the parking brake in two ways:
Manually, by applying the parking brake
switch.
Automatically, by enabling the Auto Park
Brake feature in the customer programmable
features section of the Uconnect settings. The parking brake switch is located on the
instrument panel to the left of the steering
wheel (below the headlamp switch).

Electric Park Brake Switch

To apply the parking brake manually, pull up on
the switch momentarily. You may hear a slight
sound from the back of the vehicle while the
parking brake engages. Once the park brake is
fully engaged, the BRAKE telltale light in the
instrument cluster and an indicator on the
switch will illuminate. If your foot is on the brake
pedal while you apply the parking brake, you
may notice a small amount of brake pedal
movement. The parking brake can be applied
even when the ignition switch is OFF but the
BRAKE telltale light will not illuminate, however,
it can only be released when the ignition is in
the ON/RUN mode.
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152STARTING AND OPERATING
(Continued)
NOTE:
The EPB fault light will illuminate if the EPB
switch is held for longer than 20 seconds in
either the released or applied position. The light
will extinguish upon releasing the switch.
If the Auto Park Brake feature is enabled, the
parking brake will automatically engage
whenever the transmission is placed into PARK.
If your foot is on the brake pedal, you may notice
a small amount of brake pedal movement while
the parking brake is engaging.
The parking brake will release automatically
when the ignition is ON, the transmission is in
DRIVE or REVERSE, the driver seat belt is
buckled, and an attempt is made to drive away.
To release the parking brake manually, the
ignition switch must be in the ON/RUN mode.
Put your foot on the brake pedal, then push the
parking brake switch down momentarily. You
may hear a slight whirring sound from the back
of the vehicle while the parking brake
disengages. You may also notice a small
amount of movement in the brake pedal. Once
the parking brake is fully disengaged, The
BRAKE telltale light in the instrument cluster
and the LED indicator on the switch will
extinguish.NOTE:
When parking on a hill, it is important to turn the
front wheels toward the curb on a downhill
grade and away from the curb on an uphill
grade. Apply the parking brake before placing
the gear selector in PARK, otherwise the load on
the transmission locking mechanism may make
it difficult to move the gear selector out of PARK.
WARNING!
Never use the PARK position as a substi
-
tute for the parking brake. Always apply the
parking brake fully when parked to guard
against vehicle movement and possible
injury or damage.
When exiting the vehicle, always remove
the key fob from the ignition and lock your
vehicle.
Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or
with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Allowing children to be in a vehicle unat -
tended 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 chil -
dren, and do not leave 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.
Be sure the parking brake is fully disen -
gaged before driving; failure to do so can
lead to brake failure and a collision.
Always fully apply the parking brake when
leaving your vehicle, or it may roll and
cause damage or injury. Also be certain to
leave the transmission in PARK. Failure to
do so may allow the vehicle to roll and
cause damage or injury.
CAUTION!
If the Brake System Warning Light remains on
with the parking brake released, a brake
system malfunction is indicated. Have the
brake system serviced by an authorized
dealer immediately.
WARNING! (Continued)

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STARTING AND OPERATING153
If exceptional circumstances should make it
necessary to engage the parking brake while
the vehicle is in motion, maintain upward
pressure on the EPB switch for as long as
engagement is desired. The BRAKE telltale light
will illuminate, and a continuous chime will
sound. The rear stop lamps will also be
illuminated automatically while the vehicle
remains in motion.
To disengage the parking brake while the
vehicle is in motion, release the switch. If the
vehicle is brought to a complete stop using the
parking brake, when the vehicle reaches
approximately 3 mph, (5 km/h) the parking
brake will remain engaged. In the unlikely event of a malfunction of the EPB
system, a yellow EPB fault light will illuminate.
This may be accompanied by the BRAKE telltale
light flashing. In this event, urgent service of the
EPB system is required. Do not rely on the
parking brake to hold the vehicle stationary.
Auto Park Brake
The Electric Park Brake (EPB) can be
programmed to be applied automatically
whenever the vehicle is at a standstill and the
automatic transmission is placed in PARK. Auto
Park Brake is enabled and disabled by
customer selection through the customer
programmable features section of the Uconnect
Settings Ú
page 245.
Any single Auto Park Brake application can be
bypassed by pushing the EPB switch to the
release position while the transmission is
placed in PARK.
SafeHold
SafeHold is a safety feature of the Electric Park
Brake (EPB) system that will engage the parking
brake automatically if the vehicle is left
unsecured while the ignition is in ON/RUN. The parking brake will automatically engage if
all of the following conditions are met:
The vehicle is at a standstill.
There is no attempt to press the brake pedal
and accelerator pedal.
The seat belt is unbuckled.
The driver door is open.
SafeHold can be temporarily bypassed by
pushing the EPB switch while the driver door is
open. Once manually bypassed, SafeHold will
be enabled again once the vehicle reaches
12 mph (20 km/h) or the ignition is turned to
the OFF position and back to ON again.
Brake Service Mode
We recommend having your brakes serviced by
an authorized dealer. You should only make
repairs for which you have the knowledge and
the right equipment. You should only enter
Brake Service Mode during brake service.
When servicing your rear brakes, it may be
necessary for you or your technician to push the
rear piston into the rear caliper bore. With the
Electric Park Brake (EPB) system, this can only
be done after retracting the EPB actuator.
WARNING!
Driving the vehicle with the parking brake
engaged, or repeated use of the parking
brake to slow the vehicle may cause serious
damage to the brake system. Be sure the
parking brake is fully disengaged before
driving; failure to do so can lead to brake
failure and a collision.
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154STARTING AND OPERATING
(Continued)
(Continued)
Fortunately, actuator retraction can be done
easily by entering the Brake Service Mode
through the Uconnect Settings in your vehicle.
This menu based system will guide you through
the steps necessary to retract the EPB actuator
in order to perform rear brake service.
Service Mode has requirements that must be
met in order to be activated:
The vehicle must be at a standstill.
The parking brake must be unapplied.
The transmission must be in PARK or
NEUTRAL.
While in Service Mode, the EPB fault lamp will
flash continuously while the ignition is ON.
When brake service work is complete, the
following steps must be followed to reset the
park brake system to normal operation:
Ensure the vehicle is at a standstill.
Press the brake pedal with moderate force.
Apply the EPB Switch.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
You must press and hold the brake pedal while
shifting out of PARK.
WARNING!
You can be badly injured working on or
around a motor vehicle. Do only that service
work for which you have the knowledge and
the right equipment. If you have any doubt
about your ability to perform a service job,
take your vehicle to a competent mechanic.
WARNING!
Never use the PARK position as a substi -
tute for the parking brake. Always apply the
parking brake fully when exiting the vehicle
to guard against vehicle movement and
possible injury or damage.
Your vehicle could move and injure you and
others if it is not in PARK. Check by trying to
move the transmission gear selector out of
PARK with the brake pedal released. Make
sure the transmission is in PARK before
exiting the vehicle.
The transmission may not engage PARK if
the vehicle is moving. Always bring the
vehicle to a complete stop before shifting to
PARK, and verify that the transmission gear
position indicator solidly indicates PARK (P)
without blinking. Ensure that the vehicle is
completely stopped, and the PARK position
is properly indicated, before exiting 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 accel -
erate quickly forward or in reverse. 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.
WARNING! (Continued)

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STARTING AND OPERATING155
(Continued)
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 transmission 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
I
NTERLOCK SYSTEM
This vehicle is equipped with a Brake
Transmission Shift Interlock (BTSI) system 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.
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. Before exiting a
vehicle, always come to a complete stop,
then apply the parking brake, shift the
transmission into PARK, and turn the igni -
tion OFF. When the ignition is in the OFF
mode, the transmission is locked in PARK,
securing the vehicle against unwanted
movement.
When exiting the vehicle, always make sure
the ignition is in the OFF mode, 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 unat -
tended 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.
WARNING! (Continued)
Do not leave the key fob in or near the
vehicle (or in a location accessible to chil -
dren), and do not leave the ignition in the
ACC or ON/RUN mode. A child could
operate power windows, other controls, or
move the vehicle.
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.
WARNING! (Continued)
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156STARTING AND OPERATING
EIGHT-SPEED AUTOMATIC
T
RANSMISSION
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.
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 continu -
ously until the selector is returned to the proper
position, 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 Ú
page 159. 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 press 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.
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 exiting the vehicle in this range.

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STARTING AND OPERATING157
(Continued)
(Continued)
(Continued)
When parking on a hill, apply the parking brake
before shifting the transmission to 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.
NOTE:
On four-wheel drive vehicles be sure that the
transfer case is in a drive position.
When exiting the vehicle, always:
Apply the parking brake.
Shift the transmission into PARK.
Turn the engine off.
Remove the key fob from the vehicle.
WARNING!
Never use the PARK position as a substi
-
tute for the parking brake. Always apply the
parking brake fully when exiting the vehicle
to guard against vehicle movement and
possible injury or damage.
Your vehicle could move and injure you and
others if it is not in PARK. Check by trying to
move the transmission gear selector out of
PARK with the brake pedal released. Make
sure the transmission is in PARK before
exiting the vehicle.
The transmission may not engage PARK if
the vehicle is moving. Always bring the
vehicle to a complete stop before shifting to
PARK, and verify that the transmission gear
position indicator solidly indicates PARK (P)
without blinking. Ensure that the vehicle is
completely stopped, and the PARK position
is properly indicated, before exiting 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 accel -
erate quickly forward or in reverse. 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.
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. Before exiting a
vehicle, always come to a complete stop,
then apply the parking brake, shift the
transmission into PARK, and turn the igni -
tion OFF. When the ignition is in the OFF
mode, the transmission is locked in PARK,
securing the vehicle against unwanted
movement.
When exiting the vehicle, always make sure
the ignition is in the OFF mode, 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 unat -
tended 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.
WARNING! (Continued)
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158STARTING AND OPERATING
The following indicators should be used to
ensure that you have properly engaged the
transmission into the PARK position:
Look at the transmission gear position
display and verify that it indicates the PARK
position (P), and is not blinking.
With brake pedal released, verify that the
gear selector will not move out of PARK.
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 exit the
vehicle. DRIVE (D)
This range should be used for most city and
highway driving. It provides the smoothest
upshifts and downshifts, and the best fuel
economy. The transmission automatically
upshifts through all forward gears.
When frequent transmission shifting occurs
(such as when operating the vehicle under
heavy loading conditions, 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
to select a lower gear range
Úpage 159. Under
these conditions, using a lower gear range will
improve performance and extend transmission
life by reducing excessive shifting and heat
buildup.
Do not leave the key fob in or near the
vehicle (or in a location accessible to chil -
dren), and do not leave the ignition in the
ACC or ON/RUN mode. 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.
WARNING! (Continued)
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.
For Recreational Towing Ú page 231.
For Towing A Disabled Vehicle Ú page 392.

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