2021 RAM CHASSIS CAB transmission

214STARTING AND OPERATING
RECREATIONAL TOWING (BEHIND MOTORHOME)
TOWING THIS VEHICLE BEHIND ANOTHER VEHICLE
NOTE:
When towing your vehicle, always follow applicable state and provincial laws. Contact state and provincial Highway Safety offices for additional details.
Towing ConditionWheels OFF The
Ground Two-Wheel Drive
Models Four-Wheel Drive Models
Flat Tow
NONENOT ALLOWED See InstructionsAutomatic transmission in PARK
Transfer case in NEUTRAL (N)
Tow in forward direction
Dolly Tow Front
NOT ALLOWED NOT ALLOWED
Rear OK NOT ALLOWED
On Trailer ALLOK OK

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STARTING AND OPERATING215
(Continued)
RECREATIONAL TOWING — TWO-WHEEL
D
RIVE MODELS
DO NOT flat tow this vehicle. Damage to the
drivetrain will result.
Recreational towing (for two-wheel drive
models) is allowed ONLY if the rear wheels are
OFF the ground. This may be accomplished
using a tow dolly or vehicle trailer. If using a tow
dolly, follow this procedure:

1. Properly secure the dolly to the tow vehicle, following the dolly manufacturer's
instructions.

2. Drive the rear wheels onto the tow dolly.
3. Firmly apply the parking brake. Place automatic transmission in PARK.
4. Properly secure the rear wheels to the dolly, following the dolly manufacturer's
instructions.
5. Turn the ignition to the OFF position and remove the key fob.
6. Install a suitable clamping device, designed for towing, to secure the front wheels in the
straight position.
RECREATIONAL TOWING —
F
OUR-WHEEL DRIVE MODELS
NOTE:
Both the manual shift and electronically shifted
transfer cases must be shifted into N (Neutral)
for recreational towing. Automatic transmis -
sions must be shifted into PARK for recreational
towing. Refer to the following for the proper
transfer case N (Neutral) shifting procedure for
your vehicle.
CAUTION!
Towing with the rear wheels on the ground
will cause severe transmission damage.
Damage from improper towing is not
covered under the New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.
Do not disconnect the driveshaft because
fluid may leak from the transmission,
causing damage to internal parts.
CAUTION!
DO NOT dolly tow any four-wheel drive
vehicle. Towing with only one set of wheels
on the ground (front or rear) will cause
severe transmission and/or transfer case
damage. Tow with all four wheels either ON
the ground, or OFF the ground (using a
vehicle trailer).
Tow only in the forward direction. Towing
this vehicle backwards can cause severe
damage to the transfer case.
Before recreational towing, the transfer
case must be in NEUTRAL. To be certain the
transfer case is fully in NEUTRAL, perform
the procedure outlined under “Shifting Into
NEUTRAL”. Internal transmission damage
will result, if the transfer case is not in
NEUTRAL during towing.
The transmission must be placed in PARK
for recreational towing.

Towing this vehicle in violation of the above
requirements can cause severe transmis-
sion and/or transfer case damage. Damage
from improper towing is not covered under
the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.

4

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216STARTING AND OPERATING
Shifting Into N (Neutral)
Use the following procedure to prepare your
vehicle for recreational towing.
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop on
level ground, with the engine running.
Firmly apply the parking brake.

2. Shift the transmission to NEUTRAL.
3. Press and hold the brake pedal.
4. Shift the transfer case into N (Neutral):
With manual shift transfer case, shift the
transfer case lever into N (Neutral).

With electronically shifted transfer
case, push and hold the transfer case
N (Neutral) button. Some models have a
small, recessed "N" button (at the center
of the transfer case switches) that must be
pressed using a ballpoint pen or similar
object. Other models have a rectangular
N (Neutral) switch, below the rotary
transfer case control knob. The N (Neutral)
indicator light will blink while the shift is in progress. The light will stop blinking (stay
on solid) when the shift to N (Neutral) is
complete. After the shift is completed and
the N (Neutral) light stays on, release the
N (Neutral) button.

5. Release the parking brake.
6. Shift the transmission into REVERSE.
7. Release the brake pedal for five seconds and ensure that there is no vehicle
movement.
8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 with automatic transmission in DRIVE.
9. Shift the transmission to NEUTRAL. Firmly apply the parking brake. Turn off the engine.
For vehicles with Keyless Enter-N-Go, push
and hold the ENGINE START/STOP button
until the engine shuts off.
10. Shift the transmission into PARK.
11. Place the ignition in the OFF mode, and remove the key fob.
12. Attach the vehicle to the tow vehicle using a suitable tow bar.
13. Release the parking brake.
Do not disconnect the rear driveshaft
because fluid will leak from the transfer
case, causing damage to internal parts.
Do not use a bumper-mounted clamp-on
tow bar on your vehicle. The bumper face
bar will be damaged.
WARNING!
You or others could be injured or killed if you
leave the vehicle unattended with the transfer
case in the N (NEUTRAL) position without first
fully engaging the parking brake. The transfer
case N (NEUTRAL) position disengages both
the front and rear driveshafts from the
powertrain, and will allow the vehicle to
roll, even if the automatic transmission is
in PARK (or manual transmission is in gear).
The parking brake should always be applied
when the driver is not in the vehicle.
CAUTION! (Continued)CAUTION!
It is necessary to follow these steps to be
certain that the transfer case is fully in
NEUTRAL (N) before recreational towing to
prevent damage to internal parts.

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STARTING AND OPERATING217
NOTE:
With electronically shifted transfer case:
Steps 2 through 3 are requirements that
must be met before pushing the N (Neutral)
button, and must continue to be met until the
shift has been completed. If any of these
requirements are not met before pushing the
N (Neutral) button or are no longer met
during the shift, the N (Neutral) indicator light
will flash continuously until all requirements
are met or until the N (Neutral) button is
released.
The ignition must be in the ON/RUN mode for
a shift to take place and for the position indi -
cator lights to be operable. If the ignition is
not in the ON/RUN mode, the shift will not
take place and no position indicator lights will
be on or flashing.
A flashing N (Neutral) position indicator light
indicates that shift requirements have not
been met.
Shifting Out Of N (Neutral)
Use the following procedure to prepare your
vehicle for normal usage:

1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop,
leaving it connected to the tow vehicle.

2. Firmly apply the parking brake.
3. Press and hold the brake pedal.
4. Start the engine, and shift the transmission into NEUTRAL.

With manual shift transfer case, shift the
transfer case lever to the desired position.

With electronically shifted transfer case
with rotary selector switch, push and hold
the transfer case N (Neutral) button until
the N (Neutral) indicator light turns off.
After the N (Neutral) indicator light turns
off, release the N (Neutral) button. After
the N (Neutral) button has been released,
the transfer case will shift to the position
indicated by the selector switch.
With electronically shifted transfer case
with push-button selector switch, push
and hold the switch for the desired
transfer case position, until the N (Neutral) indicator light turns off and the
desired position indicator light turns on.
NOTE:
When shifting the transfer case out of
N (Neutral), turning the engine off is not
required, but may be helpful to avoid gear clash.
With 8-speed automatic transmission, the
engine must remain running, since turning the
engine off will shift the transmission to PARK
(and the transmission must be in NEUTRAL for
the transfer case to shift out of NEUTRAL).
5. Turn the engine off. Shift automatic transmission into PARK. On 8-speed
transmissions the shifter will automatically
select PARK when the engine is turned off.
6. Release the brake pedal.
7. Disconnect vehicle from the tow vehicle.
8. Start the engine.
9. Press and hold the brake pedal.
10. Release the parking brake.
11. Shift the transmission into gear, release the brake pedal, and check that the vehicle
operates normally.
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STARTING AND OPERATING219
(Continued)
Shallow Standing Water

Although your vehicle is capable of driving
through shallow standing water, consider the
following Warnings and Cautions before doing so.

WARNING!
Driving through standing water limits your
vehicle’s traction capabilities. Do not
exceed 5 mph (8 km/h) when driving
through standing water.
Driving through standing water limits your
vehicle’s braking capabilities, which
increases stopping distances. Therefore,
after driving through standing water, drive
slowly and lightly press on the brake pedal
several times to dry the brakes.
Failure to follow these warnings may result
in injuries that are serious or fatal to you,
your passengers, and others around you.
CAUTION!
Always check the depth of the standing
water before driving through it. Never drive
through standing water that is deeper than
the bottom of the tire rims mounted on the
vehicle.
Determine the condition of the road or the
path that is under water and if there are any
obstacles in the way before driving through
the standing water.
Do not exceed 5 mph (8 km/h) when
driving through standing water. This will
minimize wave effects.
Driving through standing water may cause
damage to your vehicle’s drivetrain compo -
nents. Always inspect your vehicle’s fluids
(i.e., engine oil, transmission, axle, etc.) for
signs of contamination (i.e., fluid that is
milky or foamy in appearance) after driving
through standing water. Do not continue to
operate the vehicle if any fluid appears
contaminated, as this may result in further
damage. Such damage is not covered by
the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Getting water inside your vehicle’s engine
can cause it to lock up and stall out, and
cause serious internal damage to the
engine. Such damage is not covered by the
New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
CAUTION! (Continued)
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MULTIMEDIA235
Mirrors & Wipers
When the Mirrors & Wipers button is pressed on the touchscreen, the system displays the options related to the vehicle’s mirrors and wipers.
Brakes
After pressing the Brakes button on the touchscreen, the following settings will be available:
Setting Name Description
Tilt Side Mirrors In ReverseThis setting will tilt the outside side-view mirrors when the ignition is in the ON/RUN position
and the transmission gear selector is in the REVERSE position. The mirrors will move back to
their previous position when the transmission is shifted out of REVERSE. The available
settings are “On” and “Off”.
Rain Sensing Auto Wipers This setting will turn the rain sensing auto wipers on or off.
Headlights With Wipers This setting will turn the headlights on when the wipers are activated.
Setting Name Description
Auto Park BrakeThis setting will turn the Auto Park Brake on or off.
Brake Service This setting will allow you to retract the brakes for servicing.
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MULTIMEDIA271
VEHICLE DYNAMICS
The Vehicle Dynamics page displays
information concerning the vehicle’s transfer
case and steering angle.
The following information is displayed:

1. Status of Transfer Case

2. Status of Front Axles — If Equipped
3. Status of the Rear Axles
4. Steering angle in degrees

Drivetrain Menu 2WD/4WD

ACCESSORY GAUGE
The Accessory Gauge page displays the current
status of the vehicle’s Coolant Temperature, Oil
Temperature, Oil Pressure, Transmission
Temperature, and Battery Voltage.

Accessory Gauge Menu 2WD/4WD

1 — Transfer Case Status
2 — Front Axle Locker Status
3 — Steering Angle
4 — Rear Axle Locker Status
1 — Coolant Temperature
2 — Oil Temperature
3 — Oil Pressure
4 — Transmission Temperature
5 — Battery Voltage
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SAFETY279
8th = 5.0 mph (8 km/h)
9th = 5.6 mph (9 km/h) – If Equipped
NOTE:
During HDC the +/- shifter input is used for HDC
target speed selection, but will not affect the
gear chosen by the transmission. When actively
controlling HDC the transmission will shift
appropriately for the driver-selected set speed
and corresponding driving conditions.
Driver Override
The driver may override HDC activation with
throttle or brake application at any time.
Deactivating HDC
HDC will be deactivated but remain available if
any of the following conditions occur:
Driver overrides HDC set speed with throttle
or brake application.
Vehicle speed exceeds 20 mph (32 km/h)
but remains below 40 mph (64 km/h).

Vehicle is on a downhill grade of insufficient
magnitude, is on level ground, or is on an uphill
grade.

Vehicle is shifted to PARK. Disabling HDC
HDC will be deactivated and disabled if any of
the following conditions occur:
The driver pushes the HDC switch.
The driveline is shifted out of 4WD Low.
The parking brake is applied.
The driver door opens.
The vehicle is driven greater than 20 mph
(32 km/h) for greater than 70 seconds.
The vehicle is driven greater than 40 mph
(64 km/h) (HDC exits immediately).
HDC detects excessive brake temperature.
Feedback To The Driver
The instrument cluster has an HDC icon and the
HDC switch has an LED icon, which offers
feedback to the driver about the state HDC is in.
The cluster icon and switch lamp will illumi -
nate and remain on solid when HDC is
enabled or activated. This is the normal oper -
ating condition for HDC.
The cluster icon and switch lamp will flash for
several seconds then extinguish when the
driver pushes the HDC switch but enable
conditions are not met.
The cluster icon and switch lamp will flash for
several seconds then extinguish when HDC
disables due to excess speed.
The cluster icon and switch lamp will flash
when HDC deactivates due to overheated
brakes. The flashing will stop and HDC will
activate again once the brakes have cooled
sufficiently.
WARNING!
HDC is only intended to assist the driver in
controlling vehicle speed when descending
hills. The driver must remain attentive to the
driving conditions and is responsible for
maintaining a safe vehicle speed.
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