Transmission Ram 1500 2020 Owner's Guide

294 STARTING AND OPERATING
If the vehicle is not in PARK and the driver turns off the
engine, the vehicle may AutoPark.
AutoPark will engage when all of these conditions are met:
• Vehicle is equipped with a rotary shifter and an 8-speedtransmission
• Vehicle is not in PARK
• Vehicle Speed is 1.2 mph (1.9 km/h) or less
• Ignition switched from RUN to ACC
NOTE:
For Keyless Enter-N-Go equipped vehicles, The engine will
turn off and the ignition switch will change to ACC mode.
After 30 minutes the ignition switches to OFF automatically,
unless the driver turns the ignition switch OFF.
If the vehicle is not in PARK and the driver exits the
vehicle with the engine running, the vehicle may Auto -
Park.
AutoPark will engage when all of these conditions are met:
• Vehicle is equipped with a rotary shifter and an 8-speed transmission
• Vehicle is not in PARK
• Vehicle speed is 1.2 mph (1.9 km/h) or less
• Driver’s seat belt is unbuckled • Driver’s door is ajar
• Brake Pedal is not depressed
The MESSAGE “
AutoPark Engaged Shift to P then Shift to
Gear ” will display in the instrument cluster.
NOTE:
In some cases the ParkSense graphic will be displayed in the
instrument cluster, causing the “ AutoPark Engaged Shift to
P then Shift to Gear ” to not be seen. In these cases, the shifter
must be returned to “P” to select desired gear.
If the driver shifts into PARK while moving, the vehicle
may AutoPark.
AutoPark will engage ONLYwhen vehicle speed is 1.2 MPH
(1.9 km/h) or less.
The MESSAGE “ Vehicle Speed is Too High to Shift to
P ”will be displayed in the instrument cluster if vehicle speed
is above 1.2 mph (1.9 km/h).
WARNING!

If vehicle speed is above 1.2 mph (1.9 km/h), the transmission will default to NEUTRAL until the vehicle
speed drops below 1.2 mph (1.9 km). A vehicle left in the
NEUTRAL position can roll. As an added precaution,
always apply the parking brake when exiting the vehicle.

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ENGINE BREAK-IN RECOMMENDATIONS
A long break-in period is not required for the engine and
drivetrain (transmission and axle) in your vehicle.
Drive moderately during the first 300 miles (500 km). After
the initial 60 miles (100 km), speeds up to 50 or 55 mph (80 or
90 km/h) are desirable.
While cruising, brief full-throttle acceleration within the
limits of local traffic laws contributes to a good break-in.
Wide-open throttle acceleration in low gear can be detri-
mental and should be avoided.
The engine oil installed in the engine at the factory is a
high-quality energy conserving type lubricant. Oil changes
should be consistent with anticipated climate conditions
under which vehicle operations will occur. For the recom -
mended viscosity and quality grades, refer to “Fluids And
Lubricants” in “Technical Specifications”. NOTE:
A new engine may consume some oil during its first few
thousand miles (kilometers) of operation. This should be
considered a normal part of the break-in and not interpreted
as a problem. Please check your oil level with the engine oil
indicator often during the break in period. Add oil as
required.
PARKING BRAKE
Electric Park Brake (EPB)
Your vehicle is equipped with an Electric Park Brake System
(EPB) that offers simple operation, and some additional
features that make the parking brake more convenient and
useful.
The parking brake is primarily intended to prevent the
vehicle from rolling while parked. Before leaving the vehicle,
make sure that the park brake is applied. Also, be certain to
leave the transmission in PARK.
You can engage the park brake in two ways:
• Manually, by applying the park brake switch.
• Automatically, by enabling the Auto Park Brake feature in
the customer programmable features section of the Ucon -
nect settings.
CAUTION!
Never use Non-Detergent Oil or Straight Mineral Oil in
the engine or damage may result.5
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298 STARTING AND OPERATING
The park brake switch is located on the instrument panel to
the left of the steering wheel (below the headlamp switch).Electric Park Brake Switch
To apply the park brake manually, pull up on the switch
momentarily. You may hear a slight whirring sound from
the back of the vehicle while the park brake engages. Once
the park brake is fully engaged, the BRAKE telltale light in
the instrument cluster and an indicator on the switch will
illuminate. If your foot is on the brake pedal while you apply
the park brake, you may notice a small amount of brake
pedal movement. The park brake can be applied even when
the ignition switch is OFF but the BRAKE telltale light will
not illuminate, however, it can only be released when the
ignition is in the ON/RUN mode. NOTE:
The EPB fault light will illuminate if the EPB switch is held
for longer than 20 seconds in either the released or applied
position. The light will extinguish upon releasing the switch.
If the Auto Park Brake feature is enabled, the parking brake
will automatically engage whenever the transmission is
placed into PARK. If your foot is on the brake pedal, you may
notice a small amount of brake pedal movement while the
park brake is engaging.
The park brake will release automatically when the ignition
is ON, the transmission is in DRIVE or REVERSE, the driver
seat belt is buckled, and an attempt is made to drive away.
To release the park brake manually, the ignition switch must
be in the ON/RUN mode. Put your foot on the brake pedal,
then push the park brake switch down momentarily. You
may hear a slight whirring sound from the back of the
vehicle while the parking brake disengages. You may also
notice a small amount of movement in the brake pedal. Once
the park brake is fully disengaged, The BRAKE telltale light
in the instrument cluster and the LED indicator on the switch
will extinguish.
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(Continued)(Continued)
NOTE:
When parking on a hill, it is important to turn the front
wheels toward the curb on a downhill grade and away from
the curb on an uphill grade. Apply the park brake before
placing the gear selector in PARK, otherwise the load on the
transmission locking mechanism may make it difficult to
move the gear selector out of PARK. The parking brake
should always be applied whenever the driver is not in the
vehicle.
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 movement and
possible injury or damage.
• When exiting the vehicle, always remove the key fob from the ignition and lock your 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. Children should be warned not to touch the
parking brake, brake pedal or the gear selector.
• Do not leave the key fob in or near the vehicle, or in alocation accessible to children, and do not leave a
vehicle equipped with Keyless Enter-N-Go in the ACC
or ON/RUN mode. A child could operate power
windows, other controls, or move the vehicle.
• Be sure the parking brake is fully disengaged before driving; failure to do so can lead to brake failure and a
collision.
• Always fully apply the parking brake when leaving your vehicle, or it may roll and cause damage or injury.
Also be certain to leave the transmission in PARK.
Failure to do so may allow the vehicle to roll and cause
damage or injury.
WARNING!
• Do not rely on the parking brake to operate effectively if the rear brakes have been immersed in water or mud.
• Never use the PARK position as a substitute for the parking brake. Always apply the parking brake fully
when parked to guard against vehicle movement and
possible injury or damage.
WARNING! (Continued)
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300 STARTING AND OPERATING
If exceptional circumstances should make it necessary to
engage the park brake while the vehicle is in motion, main-
tain upward pressure on the electric park brake switch for as
long as engagement is desired. The BRAKE telltale light will
illuminate, and a continuous chime will sound. The rear stop
lamps will also be illuminated automatically while the
vehicle remains in motion.
To disengage the park brake while the vehicle is in motion,
release the switch. If the vehicle is brought to a complete stop
using the parking brake, when the vehicle reaches approxi -
mately 3 mph, (5 km/h) the parking brake will remain
engaged.
• When exiting the vehicle, always remove the key fob
from the ignition and lock your 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. Children should be warned not to touch the
parking brake, brake pedal or the 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 of a vehicle equipped with Keyless
Enter-N-Go in the ACC or ON/RUN mode. A child
could operate power windows, other controls, or move
the vehicle.
• Be sure the parking brake is fully disengaged before driving; failure to do so can lead to brake failure and a
collision.
• Always fully apply the parking brake when leaving your vehicle, or it may roll and cause damage or injury.
Also be certain to leave the transmission in PARK.
Failure to do so may allow the vehicle to roll and cause
damage or injury.
WARNING! (Continued)CAUTION!
If the Brake System Warning Light remains on with the
parking brake released, a brake system malfunction is
indicated. Have the brake system serviced by an
authorized dealer immediately.
WARNING!
Driving the vehicle with the parking brake engaged, or
repeated use of the parking brake to slow the vehicle
may cause serious damage to the brake system. Be sure
the parking brake is fully disengaged before driving;
failure to do so can lead to brake failure and a collision.
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STARTING AND OPERATING 301
In the unlikely event of a malfunction of the Electric Park
Brake system, a yellow EPB fault light will illuminate. This
may be accompanied by the BRAKE telltale light flashing. In
this event, urgent service of the electric park brake system is
required. Do not rely on the parking brake to hold the vehicle
stationary.
Auto Park Brake
The electric park brake can be programmed to be applied
automatically whenever the vehicle is at a standstill and the
automatic transmission is placed in PARK. Auto Park Brake
is enabled and disabled by customer selection through the
customer programmable features section of the Uconnect
Settings.
Any single auto park brake application can be bypassed by
pushing the EPB switch to the release position while the
transmission is placed in PARK.
SafeHold
SafeHold is a safety feature of the Electric Park Brake System
that will engage the park brake automatically if the vehicle is
left unsecured while the ignition is in ON/RUN.For automatic transmissions, the park brake will automati
-
cally engage if all of the following conditions are met:
• The vehicle is at a standstill.
• There is no attempt to depress the brake pedal or acceler -
ator pedal.
• The seat belt is unbuckled.
• The driver door is open.
SafeHold can be temporarily bypassed by pushing the Elec -
tric Park Brake Switch while the driver door is open. Once
manually bypassed, SafeHold will be enabled again once the
vehicle reaches 12 mph (20 km/h) or the ignition is turned to the OFF position and back to ON again.
Brake Service Mode
We recommend having your brakes serviced by your autho -
rized dealer. You should only make repairs for which you
have the knowledge and the right equipment. You should
only enter Brake Service Mode during brake service.
When servicing your rear brakes, it may be necessary for you
or your technician to push the rear piston into the rear caliper
bore. With the electric park brake system, this can only be
done after retracting the Electric Park Brake actuator. Fortu-
nately, actuator retraction can be done easily by entering the
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302 STARTING AND OPERATING
(Continued)
Brake Service Mode through the Uconnect Settings in your
vehicle. This menu based system will guide you through the
steps necessary to retract the EPB actuator in order to
perform rear brake service.
Service Mode has requirements that must be met in order to
be activated:
• The vehicle must be at a standstill.
• The park brake must be unapplied.
• The transmission must be in PARK or NEUTRAL.
While in service mode, the Electric Park Brake fault lamp will
flash continuously while the ignition is ON.

When brake service work is complete, the following steps must
be followed to reset the park brake system to normal operation:

• Ensure the vehicle is at a standstill.
• Press the brake pedal with moderate force.
• Apply the Electric Park Brake Switch.AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WARNING!
You can be badly injured working on or around a motor
vehicle. Do only that service work for which you have
the knowledge and the right equipment. If you have any
doubt about your ability to perform a service job, take
your vehicle to a competent mechanic.
WARNING!

• Never use the PARK position as a substitute for the parking brake. Always apply the parking brake fully
when exiting the vehicle 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. Check by trying to move the transmission gear
selector out of PARK with the brake pedal released. Make
sure the transmission is in PARK before exiting the vehicle.

• The transmission may not engage PARK if the vehicle is moving. Always bring the vehicle to a complete stop
before shifting to PARK, and verify that the transmission
gear position indicator solidly indicates PARK (P) without
blinking. Ensure that the vehicle is completely stopped,
and the PARK position is properly indicated, before
exiting 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 reverse. You could lose
control of the vehicle and hit someone or something.
Only shift into gear when the engine is idling normally
and your foot is firmly pressing the brake pedal.
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STARTING AND OPERATING 303
NOTE:
You must press and hold the brake pedal while shifting out
of PARK.
Ignition Park Interlock
This vehicle is equipped with an Ignition Park Interlock
which requires the transmission to be in PARK before the
ignition can be turned to the OFF mode. This helps the driver
avoid inadvertently leaving the vehicle without placing the
transmission in PARK. This system also locks the transmis-
sion in PARK whenever the ignition is in the OFF mode.
NOTE:
The transmission is NOT locked in PARK when the ignition
is in the ACC mode (even though the engine will be off).
Ensure that the transmission is in PARK, and the ignition is
OFF (not in ACC mode) before exiting the vehicle.
• 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. Before
exiting a vehicle, always come to a complete stop, then
apply the parking brake, shift the transmission into
PARK, and turn the ignition OFF. When the ignition is
in the OFF mode, the transmission is locked in PARK,
securing the vehicle against unwanted movement.
• When exiting the vehicle, always make sure the igni -
tion is in the 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. 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 the ACC or ON/RUN mode. A child could
operate power windows, other controls, or move the
vehicle.
WARNING! (Continued)CAUTION!
• Shift into or out of PARK or REVERSE only after the vehicle has come to a complete stop.
• Do not shift between PARK, REVERSE, NEUTRAL, or DRIVE when the engine is above idle speed.
• Before shifting into any gear, make sure your foot is firmly pressing the brake pedal.
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304 STARTING AND OPERATING
Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock System
This vehicle is equipped with a Brake Transmission Shift
Interlock System (BTSI) that holds the transmission gear
selector in PARK unless the brakes are applied. To shift the
transmission out of PARK, the engine must be running and
the brake pedal must be pressed.
The brake pedal must also be pressed to shift from
NEUTRAL into DRIVE or REVERSE when the vehicle is
stopped or moving at low speeds.
Eight-Speed Automatic Transmission
The transmission is controlled using a rotary electronic gear
selector located on the instrument panel. The transmission
gear range (PRND) is displayed both above the gear selector
and in the instrument cluster. To select a gear range, simply
rotate the gear selector. You must press the brake pedal to
shift the transmission out of PARK (or NEUTRAL, when the
vehicle is stopped or moving at low speeds). 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.NOTE:
In the event of a mismatch between the gear selector position
and the actual transmission gear (for example, driver selects
PARK while driving), the position indicator will blink
continuously until the selector is returned to the proper posi
-
tion, or the requested shift can be completed.
The electronically-controlled transmission adapts its shift
schedule based on driver inputs, along with environmental
and road conditions. The transmission electronics are
self-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 gear selector has only PARK, REVERSE,
NEUTRAL, and DRIVE positions. Manual downshifts can be
made using the Electronic Range Select (ERS) shift control.
Pressing 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
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STARTING AND OPERATING 305
in the instrument cluster as 1, 2, 3, etc. Refer to “Electronic
Range Select (ERS) Operation” in this section for further
information. Some models will display both the selected gear
limit, and the actual current gear, while in ERS mode.Electronic Transmission Gear Selector
Gear Ranges
Do not depress the accelerator pedal when shifting from
PARK or NEUTRAL into another gear range.
NOTE:
After selecting any gear range, wait a moment to allow the
selected gear to engage before accelerating. This is especially
important when the engine is cold. PARK (P)
This range supplements the parking brake by locking the
transmission. The engine can be started in this range. Never
attempt to use PARK while the vehicle is in motion. Apply
the parking brake when exiting the vehicle in this range.
When parking on a level surface, you may shift the transmis
-
sion into PARK first, and then apply the parking brake.
When parking on a hill, apply the parking brake before
shifting the transmission to PARK. As an added precaution,
turn the front wheels toward the curb on a downhill grade
and away from the curb on an uphill grade.
NOTE:
On four-wheel drive vehicles be sure that the transfer case is
in a drive position.
When exiting the vehicle, always:
• Apply the parking brake.
• Shift the transmission into PARK.
• Turn the engine OFF.
• Remove the key fob.
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