4WD Ram 1500 2016 Owner's Manual

Air Suspension Ride Height Lowering Indicator Light— If Equipped
Yellow Telltale
LightWhat It Means
Air Suspension Ride Height Lowering Indicator Light
This light will blink and alert the driver that the vehicle is changing to a lower ride height.
4WD Indicator Light — If Equipped
Yellow Telltale
LightWhat It Means
4WD Indicator Light
This light alerts the driver that the vehicle is in the four-wheel drive mode, and the front
and rear driveshafts are mechanically locked together forcing the front and rear wheels to
rotate at the same speed.
4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 325

Service 4WD Indicator Light — If Equipped
Yellow Telltale
LightWhat It Means
Service 4WD Indicator Light
If the light stays on or comes on during driving, it means that the 4WD system is not func-
tioning properly and that service is required. We recommend you drive to the nearest ser-
vice center and have the vehicle serviced immediately.
2WD Indicator Light — If Equipped
Yellow Telltale
LightWhat It Means
2WD Indicator Light
This light alerts the driver that the vehicle is in the two-wheel drive mode.
4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 327

4WD AUTO Indicator Light — If Equipped
Green Telltale
LightWhat It Means
4WD AUTO Indicator Light
This light alerts the driver that the vehicle is in the four-wheel drive auto mode, and the
front axle is engaged, but the vehicle’s power is sent to the rear wheels. Four-wheel drive
will be automatically engaged when the vehicle senses a loss of traction.
For further information on four-wheel drive operation and proper use, refer to “Four-Wheel
Drive Operation — If Equipped” in “Starting And Operating.”
4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 331

•Air Suspension Temporarily Disabled For Jacking And
Tire Change
•Battery Low Start Engine To Change Ride Height
•Stop/Start Ready – If Equipped
•Stop/Start Not Ready – If Equipped
•Stop/Start Not Ready Hood Open – If Equipped
•Stop/Start Not Ready Battery Charging – If Equipped
•Stop/Start Not Ready Trailer Tow/Haul Selected – If
Equipped
•Stop/Start Not Ready 4WD/Low Range Selected – If
Equipped
•Stop/Start Not Ready Fuel Level Low – If Equipped
•Stop/Start Not Ready Steep Incline – If Equipped•Stop/Start Not Ready Extreme Outside Temperature –
If Equipped
•Stop/Start Not Ready Engine Temperature Too High –
If Equipped
•Stop/Start Not Ready Engine Temperature Too Low –
If Equipped
•Stop/Start Not Ready Driver Seatbelt Unbuckled – If
Equipped
•Stop/Start Not Ready Driver Door Open – If Equipped
•Stop/Start Not Ready Cabin Cooling Or Heating – If
Equipped
•Stop/Start Not Ready Not Ready Max Cooling Or
Heating – If Equipped
•Stop/Start Not Ready Max Cooling Or Heating Se-
lected – If Equipped
346 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

8. 4WD Status
9. Selectable Gauge 2 (Trans Temp, Oil Temp, Oil Life,
Trailer Brake, Current MPG)
10. Selectable Gauge 1 (Trans Temp, Oil Temp, Oil Life,
Trailer Brake, Current MPG)
The main display area will normally display the main
menu or the screens of a selected feature of the main
menu. The main display area also displays “pop up”
messages that consist of approximately 60 possible warn-
ing or information messages. These pop up messages fall
into several categories:
•Five Second Stored Messages
When the appropriate conditions occur, this type of
message takes control of the main display area for five
seconds and then returns to the previous screen. Most of
the messages of this type are then stored (as long as the
condition that activated it remains active) and can bereviewed from the “Messages” main menu item. As long
as there is a stored message, an “i” will be displayed in
the DID’s compass/outside temp line. Examples of this
message type are “Right Front Turn Signal Lamp Out”
and “Low Tire Pressure.”
•Unstored Messages
This message type is displayed indefinitely or until the
condition that activated the message is cleared. Examples
of this message type are “Turn Signal On” (if a turn signal
is left on) and “Lights On” (if driver leaves the vehicle).
•Unstored Messages Until RUN
These messages deal primarily with the Remote Start
feature. This message type is displayed until the ignition
is in the RUN state. Examples of this message type are
“Remote Start Aborted - Door Ajar” and “Press Brake
Pedal and Push Button to Start.”
358 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

•Stop/Start Not Ready Hood Open – If Equipped
•Stop/Start Not Ready Battery Charging – If Equipped
•Stop/Start Not Ready Trailer Tow/Haul Selected – If
Equipped
•Stop/Start Not Ready 4WD/Low Range Selected – If
Equipped
•Stop/Start Not Ready Fuel Level Low – If Equipped
•Stop/Start Not Ready Steep Incline – If Equipped
•Stop/Start Not Ready Extreme Outside Temperature –
If Equipped
•Stop/Start Not Ready Engine Temperature Too High –
If Equipped
•Stop/Start Not Ready Engine Temperature Too Low –
If Equipped•Stop/Start Not Ready Driver Seatbelt Unbuckled – If
Equipped
•Stop/Start Not Ready Driver Door Open – If Equipped
•Stop/Start Not Ready Cabin Cooling Or Heating – If
Equipped
•Stop/Start Not Ready Not Ready Max Cooling Or
Heating – If Equipped
•Stop/Start Not Ready Max Cooling Or Heating Se-
lected – If Equipped
•Stop/Start Not Ready Front Defrost Selected – If
Equipped
•Stop/Start Not Ready Steering Wheel Turned – If
Equipped
•Stop/Start Autostop Active – If Equipped
364 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

•To maintain cabin temperature near the HVAC settings
•HVAC is set to full defrost mode
•Autostop time exceeds 5 minutes
•Battery voltage drops too low
•Low brake vacuum (e.g. after several brake pedal
applications)
•STOP/START OFF switch is pushed
•4WD system is put into 4LO mode
•The emissions system requires it
•A STOP/START system error occurs
Conditions That Force An Automatic Shift To Park
While In Autostop Mode
The engine will not start automatically and the transmis-
sion will be placed in PARK if:•The driver door is open and brake pedal released
•The driver door is open and the driver seat belt is
unbuckled
•The engine hood has been opened
•A STOP/START system error occurs
The engine may then be restarted by moving the trans-
mission shift selector out of PARK (e.g. to DRIVE) or, in
some cases, only by a KEY START. The Electronic Vehicle
Information Center (EVIC)/Driver Information Display
(DID) will display a SHIFT OUT OF PARK message, or a
STOP/START KEY START REQUIRED message, to indi-
cate which action is required. Refer to “Electronic Vehicle
Information Center (EVIC) or Driver Information Display
(DID)” in “Understanding Your Instrument Panel” for
further information.
484 STARTING AND OPERATING

•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 shift completion to occur. The preferred
method is with the vehicle rolling 2 to 3 mph (3 to
5 km/h). Avoid attempting to engage or disengage 4L
with the vehicle moving faster than 2 to 3 mph (3 to
5 km/h).
•Do not attempt to shift into or from 4L while the
transmission is in gear.
Transfer Case Position Indicator Light
The “Transfer Case Position Indicator Light” in the
instrument cluster is used to alert the driver that the front
axle is fully engaged and all four wheels are driving.
Electronically Shifted Transfer Case
(Four-Position Switch) — If Equipped
This is an electronic shift transfer case and is operated by
the 4WD Control Switch (Transfer Case Switch), which is
located on the instrument panel.
Transfer Case Switch (Four-Position)
526 STARTING AND OPERATING

This electronically shifted transfer case provides four
mode positions:
•Two-wheel drive high range (2WD)
•Four-wheel drive lock range (4WD LOCK)
•Four-wheel drive low range (4WD LOW)
•Neutral (NEUTRAL)
This electronically shifted transfer case is designed to be
driven in the two-wheel drive position (2WD) for normal
street and highway conditions on dry, hard surfaced
roads.
When additional traction is required, the transfer case
4WD LOCK and 4WD LOW positions can be used to
maximize torque to the front driveshaft, forcing the front
and rear wheels to rotate at the same speed. This isaccomplished by rotating the 4WD Control Switch to the
desired position. Refer to “Shifting Procedure” in this
section for specific shifting instructions. The 4WD LOCK
and 4WD LOW positions are designed for loose, slippery
road surfaces only. Driving in the 4WD LOCK and 4WD
LOW positions on dry hard surfaced roads may cause
increased tire wear and damage to the driveline compo-
nents.
NOTE:The transfer case NEUTRAL position is selected
by pushing the button located on the lower left hand
corner of the 4WD Control Switch. The transfer case
NEUTRAL position is to be used for recreational towing
only. Refer to “Recreational Towing” in “Starting And
Operating” for further information.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 527

Transfer Case Position Indicator Lights
The Transfer Case Position Indicator Lights (4WD and
4LOW) are located in the instrument cluster and indicate
the current and desired transfer case selection. When you
select a different transfer case position, the indicator
lights will do the following:
If All Shift Conditions Are Met:
1. The current position indicator light will turn OFF.
2. The selected position indicator light will flash until the
transfer case completes the shift.
3. When the shift is complete, the indicator light for the
selected position will stop flashing and remain ON.
If One Or More Shift Conditions Are Not Met:
1. The indicator light for the current position will remain
ON.2. The newly selected position indicator light will con-
tinue to flash.
3. The transfer casewill notshift.
NOTE:Before retrying a selection, make certain that all
the necessary requirements for selecting a new transfer
case position have been met. To retry the selection, turn
the control knob back to the current position, wait five
seconds, and retry selection. To find the shift require-
ments, refer to theShifting Procedurefor your transfer
case, located in this section.
The “SVC 4WD Warning Light” monitors the electronic
shift four-wheel drive system. If this light remains on
after engine start up or illuminates during driving, it
means that the four-wheel drive system is not function-
ing properly and that service is required.
528 STARTING AND OPERATING