manual transmission Ram 1500 2016 Owner's Manual

•For vehicles equipped with a touchscreen radio, refer
to “Uconnect Settings” in “Understanding Your Instru-
ment Panel” for further information.
CAUTION!
•If your vehicle battery becomes low or dead, your
Key Fob will become locked in the ignition.
•Do not attempt to remove the Key Fob while in this
condition, damage could occur to the Key Fob or
ignition module. Only remove the emergency key
for locking and unlocking the doors.
•Leave the Key Fob in the ignition and either:
•Jump Start the vehicle.
•Charge the battery.
WARNING!
•Before exiting a vehicle, shift the automatic trans-
mission into PARK or the manual transmission
into REVERSE, apply the parking brake, turn the
vehicle OFF, remove the key fob from the ignition
and lock your vehicle. If equipped with Keyless
Enter-N-Go, always make sure the keyless ignition
node is in “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 unattended is
dangerous for a number of reasons. A child or
others could be seriously or fatally injured. Chil-
dren should be warned not to touch the parking
brake, brake pedal or the gear selector.
(Continued)
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 17

Front doors may be opened with the inside door handle
without lifting the lock knob.
Doors locked before closing will remain locked when
closed.
The emergency key will unlock the driver door lock on
your vehicle.
WARNING!
•Do not leave children or animals inside parked
vehicles in hot weather. Interior heat build-up may
cause serious injury or death.
•For personal security and safety in the event of an
collision, lock the vehicle doors as you drive as
well as when you park and leave the vehicle.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•Before exiting a vehicle, always shift the automatic
transmission into PARK or the manual transmis-
sion into REVERSE, apply the parking brake, turn
the vehicle OFF, remove the key fob from the
ignition and lock your vehicle. If equipped with
Keyless Enter-N-Go, always make sure the keyless
ignition node is in “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 unattended is
dangerous for a number of reasons. A child or
others could be seriously or fatally injured. Chil-
dren should be warned not to touch the parking
brake, brake pedal or the gear selector.
(Continued)
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 39

Memory Position Recall
NOTE:
•For vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission,
the vehicle must be in PARK to recall memory posi-
tions. If a recall is attempted when the vehicle is not in
PARK, a message will be displayed in the Electronic
Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) or Driver Informa-
tion Display (DID).
•For vehicles equipped with a manual transmission, the
vehicle speed must be at 0 mph (0 km/h) to recall
memory positions. If a recall is attempted with the
vehicle speed above 0 mph (0 km/h), a message will
display in the EVIC/DID.
Driver One Memory Position Recall
•To recall the memory settings for driver one using the
memory switch, push MEMORY button number 1 on
the memory switch.•To recall the memory settings for driver one using the
RKE transmitter, push the UNLOCK button on the
RKE transmitter linked to memory position 1.
Driver Two Memory Position Recall
•To recall the memory setting for driver two using the
memory switch, push MEMORY button number 2 on
the memory switch.
•To recall the memory settings for driver two using the
RKE transmitter, push the UNLOCK button on the
RKE transmitter linked to memory position 2.
A recall can be cancelled by pushing any of the MEMORY
buttons during a recall (S, 1, or 2). When a recall is
cancelled, the driver’s seat, and the power pedals (if
equipped) stop moving. A delay of one second will occur
before another recall can be selected.
168 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

STARTING AND OPERATING
CONTENTS
STARTING PROCEDURES................477
▫Normal Starting.......................477
▫Automatic Transmission................478
▫Keyless Enter-N-Go...................478
▫Normal Starting.......................478
▫Extreme Cold Weather
(Below –22°F Or 30°C)................480
▫If Engine Fails To Start.................480
▫After Starting........................481
STOP/START SYSTEM — IF EQUIPPED......481▫Automatic Mode......................482
▫Possible Reasons The Engine Does Not
Autostop...........................482
▫To Start The Engine While In Autostop Mode . .483
▫To Manually Turn Off The Stop Start System . .485
▫To Manually Turn On The Stop Start System . .485
▫System Malfunction....................486
ENGINE BLOCK HEATER — IF EQUIPPED . . .486
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION............487
▫Key Ignition Park Interlock...............489
5

▫Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock System . . .489
▫Eight-Speed Automatic Transmission — If
Equipped...........................490
▫Six-Speed Automatic Transmission — 1500 Models
Only (If Equipped)....................499
▫Six-Speed Automatic Transmission — 2500/3500
Models Only........................511
FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE OPERATION — IF
EQUIPPED...........................522
▫Manually Shifted Transfer Case — If
Equipped...........................522
▫Electronically Shifted Transfer Case (Four-Position
Switch) — If Equipped.................526
▫Electronically Shifted Transfer Case (Five-Position
Switch) — If Equipped.................533▫Electronically Shifted Transfer Case (Five-Position
Switch) — If Equipped.................538
AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM (1500 MODELS) — IF
EQUIPPED...........................545
▫Description..........................545
▫Air Suspension Modes..................549
▫Electronic Vehicle Information Center
(EVIC)/Driver Information Display (DID) Display
Messages...........................551
▫Operation...........................551
AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM (2500/3500 MODELS)
— IF EQUIPPED.......................553
▫Description..........................553
▫Air Suspension Modes..................554
470 STARTING AND OPERATING

Automatic Transmission
Start the engine with the transmission in PARK position.
Apply the brake before shifting into any driving range.
NOTE:
•This vehicle is equipped with a transmission shift
interlocking system. The brake pedal must be pressed
to shift out of PARK.
•If equipped with an 8 speed transmission starting the
vehicle in NEUTRAL is not possible unless the Manual
Park Release has been activated. For the Manual Park
Release operation refer to Manual Park Release in
“What To Do In Emergencies”.
Tip Start Feature
Do notpress the accelerator. Cycle the ignition switch
briefly to the START position and release it. The starter
motor will continue to run but will automatically disen-
gage when the engine is running.
Keyless Enter-N-Go
This feature allows the driver to oper-
ate the ignition switch with the push
of a button, as long as the Remote
Start/Keyless Enter-N-Go Key Fob is
in the passenger compartment.
Normal Starting
Using The ENGINE START/STOP Button
1. The transmission must be in PARK or NEUTRAL.
2. Press and hold the brake pedal while pushing the
ENGINE START/STOP button once.
3. The system takes over and attempts to start the
vehicle. If the vehicle fails to start, the starter will
disengage automatically after 10 seconds.
478 STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING!(Continued)
in PARK, securing the vehicle against unwanted
movement.
•Before exiting a vehicle, always apply the parking
brake, shift the automatic transmission into PARK
or the manual transmission into REVERSE, turn
the vehicle OFF, remove the key fob from the
ignition and lock your vehicle. If equipped with
Keyless Enter-N-Go, always make sure the keyless
ignition node is in “OFF” mode, remove the Key
Fob from the vehicle and lock the vehicle.
•When leaving the vehicle, always remove the key
fob from the ignition and lock your vehicle. If
equipped with Keyless Enter-N-Go, always make
sure the keyless ignition node is in “OFF” mode,
remove the Key Fob from the vehicle and lock the
vehicle.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•Never use the PARK position as a substitute for the
parking brake. Always apply the parking brake
fully when parked to guard against vehicle move-
ment and possible injury or damage.
•Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Allowing children to
be in a vehicle unattended 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.
•Do not leave the Key Fob in or near the vehicle (or
in a location accessible to children), and do not
leave the ignition (in a vehicle equipped with
Keyless Enter-N-Go) in the ACC or ON/RUN posi-
tion. A child could operate power windows, other
controls, or move the vehicle.
(Continued)
488 STARTING AND OPERATING

Eight-Speed Automatic Transmission — If
Equipped
The transmission is controlled using a rotary electronic
gear selector located on the instrument panel. The trans-
mission gear range (PRND) is displayed both above the
gear selector and in the Electronic Vehicle Information
Center (EVIC)/Driver Information Display (DID). To
select a gear range, simply rotate the gear selector. You
must press the brake pedal to shift the transmission out
of PARK, or to shift from NEUTRAL into DRIVE or
REVERSE, when the vehicle is stopped or moving at low
speeds (refer to “Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock Sys-
tem” in this section). 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.
The electronically-controlled transmission provides a
precise shift schedule. The transmission electronics are
self-calibrating; therefore, the first few shifts on a newvehicle 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, RE-
VERSE, NEUTRAL, and DRIVE positions. Manual down-
shifts can be made using the Electronic Range Select
(ERS) shift control (refer toElectronic Range Select (ERS)
Operationin this section for further information). Press-
ing 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. Models with
the Driver Information Display (DID) will display both
the selected gear limit, and the actual current gear, while
in ERS mode.
490 STARTING AND OPERATING

NOTE:On four-wheel drive vehicles be sure that the
transfer case is in a drive position.
WARNING!
•Never use the PARK position as a substitute for the
parking brake. Always apply the parking brake
fully when parked to guard against vehicle move-
ment and possible injury or damage.
•Your vehicle could move and injure you and others
if it is not in PARK. Make sure the transmission is
in PARK before leaving 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 accelerate quickly forward or in re-
verse. You could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear when
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
the engine is idling normally and your foot is
firmly pressing the brake pedal.
•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. When the ignition is in the LOCK/OFF
(key removal) position, the transmission is locked
in PARK, securing the vehicle against unwanted
movement.
•Before exiting a vehicle, always apply the parking
brake, shift the automatic transmission into PARK
or the manual transmission into REVERSE, turn
the vehicle OFF, remove the key fob from the
ignition and lock your vehicle. If equipped with
Keyless Enter-N-Go, always make sure the keyless
ignition node is in “OFF” mode, remove the Key
Fob from the vehicle and lock the vehicle.
(Continued)
492 STARTING AND OPERATING

the default at engine start-up. If TOW/HAUL mode is
desired, the switch must be pushed each time the engine
is started.
Six-Speed Automatic Transmission — 1500
Models Only (If Equipped)
The transmission gear position display (located in the
instrument cluster) indicates the transmission gear range.
The shift lever is mounted either on the right side of the
steering column (if equipped) or on the console (if
equipped). You must press the brake pedal to move the
shift lever out of PARK (refer to “Brake/Transmission
Shift Interlock System” in this section). To drive, move
the shift lever from PARK or NEUTRAL to the DRIVE
position. Pull the shift lever toward you when shifting
into REVERSE or PARK, or when shifting out of PARK
(column shift only).
The electronically-controlled transmission provides a
precise shift schedule. The transmission electronics areself-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 shift lever has only PARK, REVERSE,
NEUTRAL, and DRIVE shift positions. Manual down-
shifts can be made using the Electronic Range Select
(ERS) shift control (refer to “Electronic Range Select (ERS)
Operation” in this section for further information). Press-
ing the ERS (-/+) switches (column shift) or moving the
shift lever to the left or right (-/+) (console shift) 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. Models with the Driver
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 499