2021 RAM 1500 instrument cluster

108GETTING TO KNOW YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL
PREMIUM INSTRUMENT CLUSTER
D
ESCRIPTIONS — GASOLINE

1. Tachometer

Indicates the engine speed in revolutions
per minute (RPM x 1000).
2. Instrument Cluster Display
When the appropriate conditions exist,
this display shows the instrument cluster
display messages Ú page 114.

Instrument Cluster Display/Controls Location

The display always show one of the main
menu item after ignition on. 3. Speedometer
Indicates vehicle speed.
4. Fuel Gauge
The pointer shows the level of fuel in the
fuel tank when the ignition is in the ON/
RUN position.
 The fuel pump symbol points to the
side of the vehicle where the fuel door
is located.
5. Temperature Gauge
The pointer shows engine coolant
temperature. The pointer positioned
within the normal range indicates that
the engine cooling system is operating
satisfactorily.
The pointer will likely indicate a higher
temperature when driving in hot weather,
up mountain grades, or when towing a
trailer. It should not be allowed to exceed
the upper limits of the normal operating
range.
1 – Instrument Cluster Display Controls
2 – Instrument Cluster Display Screen
WARNING!
A hot engine cooling system is dangerous.
You or others could be badly burned by steam
or boiling coolant. You may want to call an
authorized dealer for service if your vehicle
overheats Ú page 423.
CAUTION!
Driving with a hot engine cooling system
could damage your vehicle. If the
temperature gauge reads “H,” pull over and
stop the vehicle. Idle the vehicle with the air
conditioner turned off until the pointer drops
back into the normal range. If the pointer
remains on the “H,” turn the engine off
immediately and call an authorized dealer for
service.

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GETTING TO KNOW YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL109
BASE / MIDLINE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER — DIESEL
Diesel Base / Midline Instrument Cluster
3

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110GETTING TO KNOW YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL
BASE / MIDLINE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER
D
ESCRIPTIONS — DIESEL

1. Tachometer

Indicates the engine speed in revolutions
per minute (RPM x 1000).
2. Engine Coolant Temperature
This gauge shows the engine coolant
temperature. The gauge pointer will likely
show higher temperatures when driving
in hot weather, up mountain grades, or in
heavy stop and go traffic. If the red
Warning Light turns on while driving,
safely bring the vehicle to a stop, and
turn off the engine. DO NOT operate the
vehicle until the cause is corrected.
3. Instrument Cluster Display
When the appropriate conditions exist,
this display shows the instrument cluster
display messages Úpage 114.
Instrument Cluster Display/Controls Location

The display always show one of the main
menu item after ignition on.
4. Oil Pressure Gauge
The pointer should always indicate some
oil pressure when the engine is running.
A continuous high or low reading under
normal driving conditions may indicate a
lubrication system malfunction. Imme -
diate service should be obtained from an
authorized dealer.
WARNING!
A hot engine cooling system is dangerous.
You or others could be badly burned by steam
or boiling coolant. You may want to call an
authorized dealer for service if your vehicle
overheats Ú page 423.
WARNING!
Driving with a hot engine cooling system
could damage your vehicle. If the
temperature gauge reads “H” pull over and
stop the vehicle. Idle the vehicle with the air
conditioner turned off until the pointer drops
back into the normal range. If the pointer
remains on the “H”, turn the engine off
immediately and call an authorized dealer for
service.1 – Instrument Cluster Display Controls
2 – Instrument Cluster Display Screen

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112GETTING TO KNOW YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL
PREMIUM INSTRUMENT CLUSTER — DIESEL
Diesel Premium Instrument Cluster

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GETTING TO KNOW YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL113
PREMIUM INSTRUMENT CLUSTER
D
ESCRIPTIONS — DIESEL

1. Tachometer

Indicates the engine speed in revolutions
per minute (RPM x 1000).
2. Instrument Cluster Display
When the appropriate conditions exist,
this display shows the instrument cluster
display messages Ú page 114.

Instrument Cluster Display/Controls Location

The display always show one of the main
menu item after ignition on. 3. Speedometer
Indicates vehicle speed.
4. Fuel Gauge
The pointer shows the level of fuel in the
fuel tank when the ignition switch is in
the ON/RUN position.
 The fuel pump symbol points to the
side of the vehicle where the fuel filler
door is located.
5. Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) Gauge
The DEF Gauge displays the actual level
of Diesel Exhaust Fluid in the DEF tank.
DEF is required to maintain normal
vehicle operation and emissions compli -
ance. If something is wrong with the
gauge, a DEF Warning Message or
Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) will be
displayed Ú page 123.
NOTE:
The DEF tank on these vehicles is designed
with a large amount of full reserve. So the
level sensor will indicate a full reading even
before the tank is completely full. To put it
another way, there’s additional storage capacity in the tank above the Full mark
that’s not represented in the gauge. You may
not see any movement in the reading – even
after driving up to 2,000 miles in some
cases.
The gauge may take up to five seconds to
update after adding a gallon or more of DEF
to the DEF tank. If you have a fault related to
the DEF system, the gauge may not update to
the new level. See an authorized dealer for
service.
The DEF gauge may also not immediately
update after a refill if the temperature of the
DEF fluid is below 12°F (-11°C). The DEF line
heater will possibly warm up the DEF fluid
and allow the gauge to update after a period
of run time. Under very cold conditions, it is
possible that the gauge may not reflect the
new fill level for several drives.
Outside temperature can affect DEF
consumption. In cold conditions, 12°F
(-11°C) and below, the DEF gauge needle
can stay on a fixed position and may not
move for extended periods of time. This is a
normal function of the system.
1 – Instrument Cluster Display Controls
2 – Instrument Cluster Display Screen
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114GETTING TO KNOW YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL
INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DISPLAY
Your vehicle will be equipped with an
instrument cluster display, which offers useful
information to the driver. With the ignition in the
OFF mode, opening/closing of a door will
activate the display for viewing, and display the
total miles, or kilometers, in the odometer. Your
instrument cluster display is designed to display
important information about your vehicle’s
systems and features. Using a driver interactive
display located on the instrument panel, your
instrument cluster display can show you how
systems are working and give you warnings
when they are not. The steering wheel mounted
controls allow you to scroll through the main
menus and submenus. You can access the
specific information you want and make
selections and adjustments.
INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DISPLAY
C
ONTROLS
The instrument cluster display features a driver
interactive display that is located in the
instrument cluster.

Instrument Cluster Display/Controls Location

The instrument cluster display menu items may
consist of the following:
Speedometer
Vehicle Info
Off-Road — If Equipped
Driver Assist (show/hide) — If Equipped
Fuel Economy (show/hide)
Stop/Start — If Equipped
Trip Info (show/hide)
Trailer Tow (show/hide) — If Equipped
Audio (show/hide)
Messages
Screen Set Up
The system allows the driver to select
information by pushing the following instrument
cluster display control buttons located on the
left side of the steering wheel.

Instrument Cluster Display Control Buttons

1 – Instrument Cluster Display Controls
2 – Instrument Cluster Display Screen

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GETTING TO KNOW YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL115
Up And Down Arrow Buttons:
Using the up or down arrow button allows
you to cycle through the Main Menu Items.
Left And Right Arrow Buttons:
Using the left or right arrow button allows
you to cycle through the submenu items of the
Main menu item.
NOTE:
Holding the up / down or left /
right arrow buttons will loop the user
through the currently selected menu or
options presented on the screen.
Main menu and submenus wrap for contin -
uous scrolling.
Upon returning to a main menu, the last
submenu screen viewed within that main
menu will be displayed.
OK Button:
For Digital Speedometer:
Pushing the OK button changes units (mph or
km/h).
For Screen Setup:
OK button allows user to enter menu and
submenus.
Within each submenu layer, the up and
down arrow buttons will allow the user to
select the item of interest.
Pushing the OK button makes the selection
and a confirmation screen will appear
(returning the user to the first page of the
submenu).
Pushing the left arrow button will exit each
submenu layer and return to the main menu.
OIL LIFE RESET
Your vehicle is equipped with an engine oil
change indicator system. The “Oil Change
Required” message will display in the
instrument cluster display for five seconds after
a single chime has sounded, to indicate the next
scheduled oil change interval. The engine oil
change indicator system is duty cycle based,
which means the engine oil change interval may
fluctuate, dependent upon your personal
driving style.
Unless reset, this message will continue to
display each time you place the ignition in the
ON/RUN position. To turn off the message
temporarily, push and release the OK or arrow
buttons. To reset the oil change indicator
system (after performing the scheduled
maintenance), refer to the following procedure:
1. Without pressing the brake pedal, push the
ENGINE START/STOP button and place the
ignition in the ON/RUN position (do not
start the engine).

2. Push and release the down arrow button
to scroll downward through the main menu
to “Vehicle Info.”
3. Push and release the right arrow button
to access the ”Oil Life” screen.
4. Push and hold the OK button to reset oil life.
If conditions are met, the gauge and
numeric display will update to show 100%.
If conditions are not met a pop up message
of “To reset oil life engine must be off with
ignition in run” will be displayed (for five
seconds), and the user will remain at the Oil
Life screen.
5. Push and release the up or down
arrow button to exit the submenu screen.
NOTE:
If the indicator message illuminates when you
start the vehicle, the oil change indicator
system did not reset. If necessary, repeat this
procedure.
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116GETTING TO KNOW YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL
DISPLAY MENU ITEMS
Push and release the up or down arrow
button until the desired selectable menu icon is
highlighted in the instrument cluster display.
Speedometer
Push and release the up or down arrow
button until the speedometer menu item is
highlighted in the instrument cluster display.
Push and release the OK button to cycle the
display between mph and km/h.
Vehicle Info
Push and release the up or down arrow
button until the Vehicle Info menu icon is
displayed in the instrument cluster display.
Push and release the left or right arrow
button to scroll through the information
submenus and push and release the OK button
to select or reset the resettable submenus.
Tire Pressure Monitor System
Air Suspension — If Equipped
Coolant Temperature — If Equipped
Trans Temperature (Automatic only)
Oil Temperature
Oil Pressure — If Equipped
Oil Life
Battery Voltage — If Equipped
Gauge Summary — If Equipped
Coolant Temp
Trans Temp
Oil Temp
Oil Pressure
Engine Hours
Off-Road
Push and release the up or down arrow
button until the Off-Road menu icon is displayed
in the instrument cluster display. Push and
release the left or right arrow button to
scroll through the information submenus.
Drivetrain
Front Wheel Angle: displays the graphical
and numerical value of calculated
average front wheel angle from the
steering wheel orientation.
Transfer Case Lock Status: displays
“Lock” graphic only during 4WD High,
4WD High Part Time, 4WD Low status.
Axle Lock And Sway Bar Status (If
Equipped): displays front and rear or rear
only axle locker graphic, and sway bar
connection graphic with text message
(connected or disconnected).
Pitch And Roll
Displays the pitch and roll of the vehicle
in the graphic with the angle number on
the screen.
NOTE:
When vehicle speed becomes too high to
display the pitch and roll, “- -” will display in
place of the numbers, and the graphic will be
greyed out. A message indicating the necessary
speed for the feature to become available will
also display.
Driver Assist — If Equipped
The Driver Assist menu displays the status of
the ACC and LaneSense systems.
Push and release the up or down arrow
button until the Driver Assist menu is displayed
in the instrument cluster display.

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