warning light RAM CHASSIS CAB 2012 Owner's Manual

27. Transmission Temperature Warning Light
This light indicates that there is excessive trans-
mission fluid temperature that might occur
with severe usage such as trailer towing. It may
also occur when operating the vehicle in a high
torque converter slip condition, such as 4-wheel-drive
operation (e.g., snow plowing, off-road operation). If this
light comes on, stop the vehicle and run the engine at idle
or faster with the transmission in NEUTRAL until the
light goes off.
CAUTION!Continuous driving with the Transmission Tempera-
ture Warning Light illuminated will eventually cause
severe transmission damage or transmission failure. WARNING!If the Transmission Temperature Warning Light is
illuminated and you continue operating the vehicle,
in some circumstances you could cause the fluid to
boil over, come in contact with hot engine or exhaust
components and cause a fire.
For vehicles equipped with a premium cluster this warn-
ing light will display in the Electronic Vehicle Informa-
tion Center (EVIC). Refer to ”Electronic Vehicle Informa-
tion Center (EVIC) — If Equipped” for further
information.
4 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 201

Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC)
Displays
When the appropriate conditions exist, the EVIC displays
the following messages:
• Left front turn signal lamp out
• Right front turn signal lamp out
• Left rear turn signal lamp out
• Right rear turn signal lamp out
• Service air filter
• Perform service
• ESC Off
• Coolant Low
• Check Trailer Brake Wiring
• Service Trailer Brake System • Trailer Brake Connected
• Trailer Brake Disconnected
• Lights On
• Keyfob Battery Low
• Wrong Key
• Damaged Key
• Key not programmed
• Key In Ignition
• Turn Signal On
• Oil Change Due > Dealer Info
• System Setup Unavailable
• Warning Object Detected
• System Setup Unavailable - Vehicle in Motion 4 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 205

• Remote start aborted — Hood ajar
• Remote start aborted — Fuel low
• Remote start disabled — System fault
• Remote start active — Key to Run
• Memory 1 Profile Set
• Memory 2 Profile Set
• Memory System Unavailable — Not in Park
• Memory 1 Profile Recall
• Memory 2 Profile Recall
• Adjustable Pedals Unavail — Veh in Reverse
• Adjustable Pedals Unavail — Cruise Engaged EVIC Warning Lights
• Door Ajar
This light will turn on to indicate that one or
more doors may be ajar.
• Oil Pressure Warning Light
This light indicates low engine oil pressure. The
light should turn on momentarily when the engine
is started. If the light turns on while driving, stop the
vehicle and shut off the engine as soon as possible. A
chime will sound for four minutes when this light turns
on.
Do not operate the vehicle until the cause is corrected.
This light does not show how much oil is in the engine.
The engine oil level must be checked under the hood.
4 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 207

• Engine Temperature Warning Light
This light warns of an overheated engine condi-
tion. As temperatures rise and the gauge ap-
proaches H, this indicator will illuminate and a
single chime will sound after reaching a set threshold.
Further overheating will cause the temperature gauge to
pass H, the indicator will continuously flash and a
continuous chime will occur until the engine is allowed
to cool.
If the light turns on while driving, safely pull over and
stop the vehicle. If the A/C system is on, turn it off. Also,
shift the transmission into NEUTRAL and idle the ve-
hicle. If the temperature reading does not return to
normal, turn the engine off immediately and call for
service. Refer to “If Your Engine Overheats” in “What To
Do In Emergencies” for more information. • SERV 4WD
The SERV 4WD light monitors the electric shift
4WD system. If the SERV 4WD light stays on or
comes on during driving, it means that the
4WD system is not functioning properly and
that service is required.
• Electronic Stability Control (ESC) OFF Indicator
Light — If Equipped
This light indicates the Electronic Stability Con-
trol (ESC) is off.
• Transmission Temperature Light
This light indicates that there is excessive trans-
mission fluid temperature that might occur
with severe usage such as trailer towing. It may
also occur when operating the vehicle in a high
torque converter slip condition, such as 4-wheel-drive
operation (e.g., snow plowing, off- road operation). If this 4 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 209

light comes on, stop the vehicle and run the engine at idle
or faster, with the transmission in NEUTRAL until the
light goes off.
CAUTION!Continuous driving with the Transmission Tempera-
ture Indicator illuminated will eventually cause se-
vere transmission damage or transmission failure.
WARNING!If the Transmission Temperature Warning Light is
illuminated and you continue operating the vehicle,
in some circumstances you could cause the fluid to
boil over, come in contact with hot engine or exhaust
components and cause a fire. • Loose Gascap Message
If the vehicle diagnostic system determines
that the fuel filler cap is loose, improperly
installed, or damaged, a loose gascap icon will
display in the telltale display area. Tighten the
fuel filler cap properly and press the SELECT button to
turn off the message. If the problem continues, the
message will appear the next time the vehicle is started.
A loose, improperly installed, or damaged fuel filler cap
may also turn on the Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL).
Oil Change Due
Your vehicle is equipped with an engine oil change
indicator system. The Oil Change Due message will
flash in the EVIC display for approximately 10 seconds
after a single chime has sounded to indicate the next
scheduled oil change interval. The engine oil change210 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

If the transmission operating temperature exceeds normal
operating limits, the powertrain controller will modify the
transmission shift schedule and expand the range of
torque converter clutch engagement. This is done to
prevent transmission damage due to overheating.
If the transmission becomes extremely hot, the “Trans-
mission Temperature Warning Light” may illuminate and
the transmission may downshift out of Overdrive until
the transmission cools down.
NOTE: Use caution when operating a heavily loaded
vehicle at low speeds (such as towing a trailer up a steep
grade, or in stop-and-go traffic) during hot weather. In
these conditions, torque converter slip can impose a
significant additional heat load on the cooling system.
Downshifting the transmission to the lowest possible
gear (when climbing a grade), or shifting to NEUTRAL
(when stopped in heavy traffic) can help to reduce this
excess heat generation. During cold temperatures, transmission operation may
be modified depending on engine and transmission
temperature as well as vehicle speed. This feature im-
proves warm up time of the engine and transmission to
achieve maximum efficiency. Engagement of both the
torque converter clutch and the top overdrive gear are
inhibited until the transmission fluid is warm (refer to the
“Note” under “Torque Converter Clutch” in this section).
During extremely cold temperatures (-16°F [-27°C] or
below), operation may briefly be limited to first and
direct gears only. Normal operation will resume once the
transmission temperature has risen to a suitable level.
Transmission Limp Home Mode
Transmission function is monitored electronically for
abnormal conditions. If a condition is detected that could
result in transmission damage, Transmission Limp Home
Mode is activated. In this mode, the transmission remains
in fourth gear regardless of which forward gear is
selected. PARK, REVERSE, and NEUTRAL will continue 5 STARTING AND OPERATING 283

2. The newly selected position indicator light will con-
tinue to flash.
3. The transfer case will not shift.
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 the  Shifting Procedure  in this section for
further information.
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. WARNING!Always engage the parking brake when powering
down the vehicle if the “SVC 4WD Warning Light” is
illuminated. Not engaging the parking brake may
allow the vehicle to roll, which may cause personal
injury.
NOTE: Do not attempt to make a shift while only the
front or rear wheels are spinning, as this can cause
damage to driveline components.
When operating your vehicle in 4WD LOW, the engine
speed is approximately three times that of the 2WD or
4WD LOCK positions at a given road speed. Take care
not to overspeed the engine and do not exceed 25 mph
(40 km/h).294 STARTING AND OPERATING

NOTE:
• If Steps 1 or 2 of either the Preferred or Alternate
Procedure are not satisfied prior to attempting the
shift, then the desired position indicator light will flash
continuously while the original position indicator light
is ON, until all requirements have been met.
• The ignition switch must be in the ON position for a
shift to take place and for the position indicator lights
to be operable. If the ignition switch is not in the ON
position, the shift will not take place and no position
indicator lights will be on or flashing.
LIMITED-SLIP DIFFERENTIAL
The limited-slip differential provides additional traction
on snow, ice, mud, sand and gravel, particularly when
there is a difference between the traction characteristics of
the surface under the right and left rear wheels. During
normal driving and cornering, the limited-slip unit per-
forms similarly to a conventional differential. On slippery surfaces, however, the differential delivers more of the
driving effort to the rear wheel having the better traction.
The limited-slip differential is especially helpful during
slippery driving conditions. With both rear wheels on a
slippery surface, a slight application of the accelerator
will supply maximum traction. When starting with only
one rear wheel on an excessively slippery surface, slight
momentary application of the parking brake may be
necessary to gain maximum traction.
WARNING!On vehicles equipped with a limited-slip differential
never run the engine with one rear wheel off the
ground since the vehicle may drive through the rear
wheel remaining on the ground. You could lose
control of the vehicle.298 STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING!• Driving through standing water limits your vehi-
cle’s traction capabilities. Do not exceed 5 mph
(8 km/h) when driving through standing water.
• Driving through standing water limits your vehi-
cle’s braking capabilities, which increases stop-
ping distances. Therefore, after driving through
standing water, drive slowly and lightly press on
the brake pedal several times to dry the brakes.
• Getting water inside your vehicle’s engine can
cause it to lock up and stall out, and leave you
stranded.
• Failure to follow these warnings may result in
injuries that are serious or fatal to you, your
passengers, and others around you. POWER STEERING
The standard power steering system will give you good
vehicle response and increased ease of maneuverability
in tight spaces. The system will provide mechanical
steering capability if power assist is lost.
If for some reason the power assist is interrupted, it will
still be possible to steer your vehicle. Under these condi-
tions, you will observe a substantial increase in steering
effort, especially at very low vehicle speeds and during
parking maneuvers.
NOTE:
• Increased noise levels at the end of the steering wheel
travel are considered normal and do not indicate that
there is a problem with the power steering system.
• Upon initial start-up in cold weather, the power steer-
ing pump may make noise for a short amount of time.
This is due to the cold, thick fluid in the steering302 STARTING AND OPERATING

If necessary, add fluid to restore to the proper indicated
level. With a clean cloth, wipe any spilled fluid from all
surfaces. Refer to “Fluids, Lubricants, and Genuine
Parts” in “Maintaining Your Vehicle” for further
information.
PARKING BRAKE
Before leaving the vehicle, make sure that the parking
brake is fully applied, the engine is off and the key fob is
removed from the ignition switch. Also, be certain to
leave an automatic transmission in PARK, or manual
transmission in REVERSE or first gear.
The foot operated parking brake is located below the
lower left corner of the instrument panel. To apply the
park brake, firmly push the park brake pedal fully. To
release the parking brake, pull the parking brake release
handle. When the parking brake is applied with the ignition
switch ON, the “Brake Warning Light” in the instrument
cluster will illuminate. Parking Brake Release304 STARTING AND OPERATING