2022 RAM PROMASTER transmission

114STARTING AND OPERATING
(Continued)
(Continued)
Towing Requirements — Tires
Do not attempt to tow a trailer while using a
compact spare tire.
Do not drive more than 50 mph (80 km/h) when
towing while using a full size spare tire.

Proper tire inflation pressures are essential to the
safe and satisfactory operation of your vehicle.

Check the trailer tires for proper tire inflation
pressures before trailer usage.
Check for signs of tire wear or visible tire
damage before towing a trailer.
Replacing tires with a higher load carrying
capacity will not increase the vehicle's GVWR
and GAWR limits.
For further information Ú page 225.
Towing Requirements — Trailer Brakes
Do not interconnect the hydraulic brake system
or vacuum system of your vehicle with that of
the trailer. This could cause inadequate braking
and possible personal injury.
An electronically actuated trailer brake
controller is required when towing a trailer with
electronically actuated brakes. When towing a
trailer equipped with a hydraulic surge actuated
brake system, an electronic brake controller is
not required.
Trailer brakes are recommended for trailers
over 1,000 lb (453 kg) and may be required for
any trailer, for example trailers in excess of
2,000 lb (907 kg). Trailer brake requirements
vary by local law, consult local legal require -
ments where the trailer is to be towed for trailer
brake requirements.
WARNING!
Make certain that the load is secured in the
trailer and will not shift during travel. When
trailering cargo that is not fully secured,
dynamic load shifts can occur that may be
difficult for the driver to control. You could lose
control of your vehicle and have a collision.
When hauling cargo or towing a trailer, do not
overload your vehicle or trailer. Overloading
can cause a loss of control, poor performance
or damage to brakes, axle, engine, transmis -
sion, steering, suspension, chassis structure
or tires.

Safety chains must always be used between your
vehicle and trailer. Always connect the chains to
the hook retainers of the vehicle hitch. Cross the
chains under the trailer tongue and allow enough
slack for turning corners.
Vehicles with trailers should not be parked on a
grade. When parking, apply the parking brake on
the tow vehicle. Put the tow vehicle transmission
in PARK. For four-wheel drive vehicles, make sure
the transfer case is not in NEUTRAL. Always, block
or "chock" the trailer wheels.

GCWR must not be exceeded.
Total weight must be distributed between the
tow vehicle and the trailer such that the
following four ratings are not exceeded :
GVWR
GTW
GAWR
Tongue weight rating for the trailer hitch
utilized.
WARNING!
WARNING!

Do not connect trailer brakes to your vehicle's
hydraulic brake lines. It can overload your brake
system and cause it to fail. You might not have
brakes when you need them and could have an
accident.

22_VF_OM_EN_USC_t.book Page 114

116STARTING AND OPERATING
Automatic Transmission

The DRIVE range can be selected when towing.
The transmission controls include a drive strategy to
avoid frequent shifting when towing. However, if
frequent shifting does occur while in DRIVE, select
TOW/HAUL mode or select a lower gear range (using
the Electronic Range Select (ERS) shift control).

NOTE:Using TOW/HAUL mode or selecting a lower gear
range (using the ERS shift control) while operating
the vehicle under heavy loading conditions will
improve performance and extend transmission life
by reducing excessive shifting and heat buildup.
This action will also provide better engine braking. When towing a loaded trailer up steep grades at
low speeds, holding your vehicle in FIRST gear
(using the ERS shift control) can help to avoid
transmission overheating.
Tow/Haul Mode
To reduce potential for automatic transmission
overheating, activate TOW/HAUL mode when
driving in hilly areas, or select a lower gear range
(using the Electronic Range Select (ERS) shift
control) on more severe grades.
Cruise Control — If Equipped
Do not use on hilly terrain or with heavy loads.
When using the Cruise Control, if you experience
speed drops greater than 10 mph (16 km/h),
disengage until you can get back to cruising
speed.
Use Cruise Control in flat terrain and with light
loads to maximize fuel efficiency.
RECREATIONAL TOWING (BEHIND MOTORHOME)
TOWING THIS VEHICLE BEHIND ANOTHER VEHICLE
Towing Condition
Wheels OFF the Ground Automatic Transmission
Flat Tow NONENOT ALLOWED
Dolly Tow Front
OK
Rear NOT ALLOWED
On Trailer ALLOK
NOTE:When towing your vehicle, always follow applicable state and provincial laws. Contact state and provincial Highway Safety offices for additional details.

22_VF_OM_EN_USC_t.book Page 116

STARTING AND OPERATING117
RECREATIONAL TOWING
Recreational towing is allowed ONLY if the
front 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 front wheels onto the tow dolly.
3. Firmly apply the parking brake. Place the transmission in PARK.
4. Properly secure the front wheels to the dolly, following the dolly manufacturer's instructions.
5. Release the parking brake.
DRIVING TIPS
DRIVING ON SLIPPERY SURFACES
Acceleration
Rapid acceleration on snow covered, wet, or other
slippery surfaces may cause the driving wheels to
pull erratically to the right or left. This phenomenon
occurs when there is a difference in the surface
traction under the front (driving) wheels.
Traction
When driving on wet or slushy roads, it is possible
for a wedge of water to build up between the tire
and road surface. This is hydroplaning and may
cause partial or complete loss of vehicle control
and stopping ability. To reduce this possibility, the
following precautions should be observed:
Slow down during rainstorms or when the roads
are slushy.
Slow down if the road has standing water or
puddles.
Replace the tires when tread wear indicators
first become visible.
Keep tires properly inflated.
Maintain sufficient distance between your
vehicle and the vehicle in front of you to avoid a
collision in a sudden stop.CAUTION!
DO NOT flat tow this vehicle. Damage to the
drivetrain will result. If this vehicle requires
towing, make sure the drive wheels are OFF
the ground.

Towing this vehicle in violation of the above
requirements can cause severe transmission
damage. Damage from improper towing is not
covered under the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.

WARNING!

Rapid acceleration on slippery surfaces is
dangerous. Unequal traction can cause sudden
pulling of the front wheels. You could lose control of
the vehicle and possibly have a collision. Accelerate
slowly and carefully whenever there is likely to be
poor traction (ice, snow, wet, mud, loose sand, etc.).

4

22_VF_OM_EN_USC_t.book Page 117

118STARTING AND OPERATING
(Continued)
DRIVING THROUGH WATER
Driving through water more than a few inches/
centimeters deep will require extra caution to
ensure safety and prevent damage to your vehicle.
Flowing/Rising Water
Shallow Standing Water
Although your vehicle is capable of driving through
shallow standing water, consider the following
Cautions and Warnings before doing so.
WARNING!
Do not drive on or across a road or path where
water is flowing and/or rising (as in storm
run-off). Flowing water can wear away the road
or path's surface and cause your vehicle to sink
into deeper water. Furthermore, flowing and/or
rising water can carry your vehicle away swiftly.
Failure to follow this warning may result in
injuries that are serious or fatal to you, your
passengers, and others around you.
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!

22_VF_OM_EN_USC_t.book Page 118

SAFETY141
Towing With HSA
HSA will also provide assistance to mitigate roll
back while towing a trailer.
Traction Control System (TCS)
TCS monitors the amount of wheel spin of each of
the driven wheels. If wheel spin is detected, brake
pressure is applied to the slipping wheel(s) and
engine power is reduced, to provide enhanced
acceleration and stability. A feature of the TCS,
Brake Limited Differential (BLD) functions similarly to a limited slip differential and controls the wheel
spin across a driven axle. If one wheel on a driven
axle is spinning faster than the other, the system
will apply the brake of the spinning wheel. This will
allow more engine torque to be applied to the
wheel that is not spinning. This feature remains
active even if the ESC is in the “Partial Off” mode.
The ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light (in
the instrument cluster) will start to flash as soon as
the tires lose traction and the wheels begin to spin.
This indicates that the TCS is active. If the indicator
light flashes during acceleration, ease up on the
accelerator and apply as little throttle as possible.
Be sure to adapt your speed and driving to the
prevailing road conditions, and do not switch off
the ESC or TCS.
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) — If Equipped
TSC uses sensors in the vehicle to recognize an
excessively swaying trailer and will take the
appropriate actions to attempt to stop the sway.
The system may reduce engine power and apply
the brake of the appropriate wheel(s) to counteract
the sway of the trailer.
NOTE:TSC cannot stop all trailers from swaying. Always
use caution when towing a trailer and follow the
trailer tongue weight recommendations
Ú
page 110.
When TSC is functioning, the ESC Activation/
Malfunction Indicator Light will flash, the engine
power may be reduced, and you may feel the
brakes being applied to individual wheels to
attempt to stop the trailer from swaying. TSC is
disabled when the ESC system is in the “Partial
Off” mode.
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 accel -
eration, 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
collision or serious personal injury.
WARNING!
The TCS cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can it
increase the traction afforded.
The TCS cannot prevent collisions, including
those resulting from excessive speed in turns,
or hydroplaning.
The capabilities of a TCS-equipped vehicle
must never be exploited in a reckless or
dangerous manner, which could jeopardize
the user's safety or the safety of others.
WARNING!
If TSC activates while driving, slow the vehicle
down, stop at the nearest safe location, and
adjust the trailer load to eliminate trailer sway.
6

22_VF_OM_EN_USC_t.book Page 141

148SAFETY
FORWARD COLLISION WARNING (FCW)
W
ITH MITIGATION — IF EQUIPPED
The FCW with Mitigation system provides the driver
with audible warnings, visual warnings (within the
instrument cluster display), and may apply a brake
jerk to warn the driver when it detects a potential
frontal collision. The warnings and limited braking
are intended to provide the driver with enough time
to react, avoid or mitigate the potential collision.
NOTE:FCW monitors the information from the forward
looking camera as well as the Electronic Brake
Controller (EBC), to calculate the probability of a
forward collision. When the system determines
that a forward collision is probable, the driver will
be provided with audible and visual warnings as
well as a possible brake jerk warning.
If the driver does not take action based upon these
progressive warnings, then the system will provide
a limited level of active braking to help slow the
vehicle and mitigate the potential forward collision.
If the driver reacts to the warnings by braking and
the system determines that the driver intends to
avoid the collision by braking but has not applied
sufficient brake force, the system will compensate
and provide additional brake force as required.
If a FCW with Mitigation event begins at a speed
below 26 mph (42 km/h), the system may provide
the maximum braking possible to mitigate the
potential forward collision. Vehicles With Automatic
Transmission: After the end of the intervention of
automatic braking, the transmission may remain in
last gear stored — therefore the vehicle could lurch
forward, once the brakes release a few seconds
later. If the Forward Collision Warning with Mitigation
event stops the vehicle completely, the system will
hold the vehicle at standstill for two seconds and
then release the brakes.
FCW Message

When the system determines a collision with the
vehicle in front of you is no longer probable, the
warning message will be deactivated.
NOTE:
The minimum speed for FCW activation is
3 mph (5 km/h).
The FCW alerts may be triggered on objects
other than vehicles such as guardrails or sign
posts based on the course prediction. This is
expected and is a part of normal FCW activation
and functionality.
It is unsafe to test the FCW system. To prevent
such misuse of the system the Active Braking
portion of FCW will be deactivated for the first
20 seconds from braking actuation.
The FCW system is intended for on-road use
only. If the vehicle is taken off-road, the FCW
system should be deactivated to prevent unnec -
essary warnings to the surroundings.
FCW may not react to irrelevant objects such as
overhead objects, ground reflections, objects
not in the path of the vehicle, stationary objects
that are far away, oncoming traffic, or leading
vehicles with the same or higher rate of speed.
FCW will be disabled with the unavailable
screens Ú page 256.

22_VF_OM_EN_USC_t.book Page 148

180IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
Automatic SOS — If Equipped
Automatic SOS is a hands-free safety service that
can immediately connect you with help in the event
that your vehicle’s airbags deploy. Please refer to
your provided radio supplement for complete
information.
ASSIST Call
The ASSIST Button is used to automatically
connect you to any one of the following support
centers:
Roadside Assistance – If you get a flat tire, or
need a tow, just push the ASSIST button and
you’ll be connected to someone who can help.
Roadside Assistance will know what vehicle
you’re driving and its location. Additional fees
may apply for roadside assistance.
SiriusXM Guardian™ Customer Care – In-vehicle
support for SiriusXM Guardian™.
Vehicle Customer Care – Total support for all
other vehicle issues.
Uconnect Customer Care - Total support for
Radio, Phone and NAV issues.
JACKING AND TIRE CHANGING PREPARATIONS FOR JACKING

1. Park the vehicle on a firm, level surface. Avoid ice or slippery areas.

2. Turn on the Hazard Warning Flashers.
3. Apply the parking brake firmly.
4. Place the transmission in PARK (P) or REVERSE (R) for manual transmission.
5. Turn the ignition OFF.
6. Block both front and rear of the wheel diagonally opposite of the jacking position.
For example, if the driver’s front wheel is being
changed, block the passenger’s rear wheel.WARNING!
Do not attempt to change a tire on the side of
the vehicle close to moving traffic. Pull far
enough off the road to avoid the danger of
being hit when operating the jack or changing
the wheel.
Being under a jacked-up vehicle is dangerous.
The vehicle could slip off the jack and fall on
you. You could be crushed. Never put any part
of your body under a vehicle that is on a jack.
If you need to get under a raised vehicle, take
it to a service center where it can be raised on
a lift.
Never start or run the engine while the vehicle
is on a jack.
The jack is designed to be used as a tool for
changing tires only. The jack should not be
used to lift the vehicle for service purposes.
The vehicle should be jacked on a firm level
surface only. Avoid ice or slippery areas.
WARNING!
Do not attempt to change a tire on the side of
the vehicle close to moving traffic. Pull far
enough off the road to avoid being hit when
operating the jack or changing the wheel.

22_VF_OM_EN_USC_t.book Page 180

184IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
(Continued)
5. Pull the retainer through the center of the
wheel.

Retainer

JACKING INSTRUCTIONS

Jack Warning Label
Assembled Jack

1. Loosen (but do not remove) the wheel lug bolts by turning them counterclockwise one
turn while the wheel is still on the ground.

WARNING!
Carefully follow these tire changing warnings to
help prevent personal injury or damage to your
vehicle:
Always park on a firm, level surface as far from
the edge of the roadway as possible before
raising the vehicle.
Turn on the Hazard Warning Flashers.
Apply the parking brake firmly and place an
automatic transmission in PARK; a manual
transmission in REVERSE.
Block the wheel diagonally opposite of the
wheel that is to be raised.
Never start or run the engine with the vehicle
on a jack.
Do not let anyone sit in the vehicle when it is
on a jack.
Do not get under the vehicle when it is on a
jack. If you need to get under a raised vehicle,
take it to a service center where it can be
raised on a lift.
Only use the jack in the positions indicated
and for lifting this vehicle during a tire change.
If working on or near a roadway, be extremely
careful of motor traffic.
To assure that spare tires, flat or inflated, are
securely stowed, spares must be stowed with
the valve stem facing the ground.
WARNING!

22_VF_OM_EN_USC_t.book Page 184