automatic transmission RAM CHASSIS CAB 2016 User Guide

Vehicle Info
Push and release the UP or DOWN ar-
row button until the Vehicle Info icon is
highlighted in the DID. Push and release the
RIGHT arrow button to enter the sub-
menus items of Vehicle Info. follow the directional
prompts to access or reset any of the following Vehicle
Info submenu items:
• Tire Pressure:
– Tire Pressure Information System (3500 Series
Heavy Duty Ram Trucks)
– A vehicle ICON is displayed with the tire pressure
values in each corner of the ICON.
– If the Tire Pressure system requires service, “Service
Tire Pressure System” is displayed.
– Tire Pressure is an information only function and
cannot be reset. – Refer to the  Tire Pressure Information System
(TPIS)” under  Starting and Operating  for further
information.
• Transmission Temperature – Automatic Transmission
Only
• Oil Temperature
• Oil Life
• Battery Voltage — If Equipped
• Gauge Summary:
– Coolant Temperature
– Transmission Temperature (automatic only)
– Oil Temperature
– Oil Pressure
• Engine Hours 4UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 297

or “Off.” Refer to ”Automatic High Beam — If
Equipped” in “Understanding The Features Of Your
Vehicle” for further information.
• Flash Lights With Lock
When this feature is selected, the exterior lights will flash
when the doors are locked or unlocked with the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter. This feature may be
selected with or without the sound horn on lock feature
selected. To make your selection, press the “Flash Lights
w/Lock” button on the touchscreen, and select from
“On” or “Off.”
Doors & Locks
After pressing the “Doors & Locks” button on the touch-
screen, the following settings will be available:
• Auto Door Locks
When this feature is selected, all doors will lock auto-
matically when the vehicle reaches a speed of 15 mph (24 km/h). To make your selection, press the “Auto Door
Locks” button on the touchscreen and select from “On”
or “Off.”
• Auto Unlock On Exit
When this feature is selected, all doors will unlock when
the vehicle is stopped, the transmission is in the PARK or
NEUTRAL position and the driver’s door is opened. To
make your selection, press the “Auto Unlock On Exit”
button on the touchscreen and select from “On” or “Off.”
• Sound Horn With Lock
When this feature is selected, the horn will sound when
the door locks are activated. To make your selection,
press the “Horn w/Lock” Button and choose “Off,” “1st
Press” or “2nd Press.” 4UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 321

STARTING AND OPERATINGCONTENTS  STARTING PROCEDURES ............... .402
▫ Normal Starting ...................... .402
▫ Automatic Transmission ............... .403
▫ Extreme Cold Weather (Below –20°F or 29°C) . . .403
▫ If Engine Fails To Start ................ .403
▫ After Starting ....................... .405
 ENGINE BLOCK HEATER — IF EQUIPPED . . . .405
 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ........... .405
▫ Key Ignition Park Interlock .............. .407
▫ Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock System . . .408 ▫ Six–Speed Automatic Transmission — If
Equipped .......................... .408
 POWER TAKE OFF OPERATION — IF EQUIPPED
(CHASSIS CAB ONLY) ................. .420
▫ Stationary Mode ..................... .420
▫ Mobile Mode ........................ .422
 FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE OPERATION — IF
EQUIPPED .......................... .423
▫ Manually Shifted Transfer Case — If Equipped.423
▫ Shifting Procedure — Manually Shifted Transfer
Case ............................. .4265

within 10 seconds, cycle the ignition to the OFF position,
wait five seconds, then repeat the “Normal Starting”
procedure.
Automatic Transmission
Start the engine with the gear selector in the NEUTRAL
or PARK. 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.
Tip Start Feature
Do not press 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. Extreme Cold Weather (Below –20°F or 29°C)
To ensure reliable starting at these temperatures, use of
an externally powered electric engine block heater (avail-
able from your authorized dealer) is recommended.
If Engine Fails To Start
If the engine fails to start after you have followed the
“Normal Starting” procedure, it may be flooded. Push
the accelerator pedal all the way to the floor and hold it
there while the engine is cranking. This should clear any
excess fuel in case the engine is flooded.
The starter motor will engage automatically, run for 10
seconds, and then disengage. Once this occurs, release
the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal, wait 10 to 15
seconds, then repeat the “Normal Starting” procedure. 5STARTING AND OPERATING 403

After Starting
The idle speed is automatically controlled and will de-
crease as the engine warms up.
ENGINE BLOCK HEATER — IF EQUIPPED
The engine block heater warms the engine, and permits
quicker starts in cold weather. Connect the cord to a
standard 110-115 Volt AC electrical outlet with a
grounded, three-wire extension cord.
Gasoline Engine Only
The engine block heater cord is routed through the grille
by the right front tow hook.
It includes a removable cap that is secured by a tethered
strap. It also has a c-clip that is used for storage when not
in use for the Winter months. During Winter months,
remove the heater cord wiring assembly from itself on
the c-clip. The engine block heater must be plugged in at least one
hour to have an adequate warming effect on the engine.
WARNING!Remember to disconnect the engine block heater
cord before driving. Damage to the 110-115 Volt
electrical cord could cause electrocution.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CAUTION!Damage to the transmission may occur if the follow-
ing precautions are not observed:
• Shift into or out of PARK or REVERSE only after
the vehicle has come to a complete stop. (Continued) 5STARTING AND OPERATING 405

CAUTION! (Continued)• Do not shift between PARK, REVERSE, NEU-
TRAL, or DRIVE when the engine is above idle
speed.
• Before shifting into any gear, make sure your foot
is firmly pressing the brake pedal.
NOTE: You must press and hold the brake pedal while
shifting out of PARK.
WARNING!• 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. Before exiting a vehicle, always shift an
automatic transmission into PARK, or a manual
transmission into FIRST gear or REVERSE, turn
the engine OFF, apply the parking brake, and
remove the ignition key. When the ignition is in the
LOCK/OFF (key removal) position, an automatic
transmission is locked in PARK, securing the ve-
hicle against unwanted movement.
• 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 (Continued)406 STARTING AND OPERATING

LOCK/OFF position, and the transmission is locked in
PARK whenever the ignition switch is in the LOCK/OFF
position.
NOTE: If a malfunction occurs, the system will trap the
Key Fob in the ignition switch to warn you that this
safety feature is inoperable. The engine can be started
and stopped but the Key Fob cannot be removed until
you obtain service.
Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock System
This vehicle is equipped with a Brake Transmission Shift
Interlock system (BTSI) that holds the gear selector in
PARK unless the brakes are applied. To shift the trans-
mission out of PARK, the ignition must be turned to the
ON/RUN position (engine running or not) and the brake
pedal must be pressed. Six–Speed Automatic Transmission — If
Equipped
Chassis Cab models (with automatic transmission) may
use either the AS66RC transmission (which is equipped
with a Power Take-Off (PTO) access cover on the side of
the transmission case), or the 66RFE transmission (which
has no PTO access cover).
The transmission gear position display (located in the
instrument cluster) indicates the transmission gear range.
The gear selector is mounted on the right side of the
steering column. You must press the brake pedal to move
the gear selector out of PARK (refer to “Brake/
Transmission Shift Interlock System” in this section). To
drive, move the gear selector from PARK or NEUTRAL to
the DRIVE position. Pull the gear selector toward you
when shifting into REVERSE or PARK, or when shifting
out of PARK.408 STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING!Do not coast in NEUTRAL and never turn off the
ignition to coast down a hill. These are unsafe
practices that limit your response to changing traffic
or road conditions. You might lose control of the
vehicle and have a collision.
CAUTION!Towing the vehicle, coasting, or driving for any other
reason with the transmission in NEUTRAL can cause
severe transmission damage. Refer to “Recreational
Towing” in “Starting And Operating” and “Towing A
Disabled Vehicle” in “What To Do In Emergencies”
for further information. DRIVE (D)
This range should be used for most city and highway
driving. It provides the smoothest upshifts and down-
shifts, and the best fuel economy. The transmission
automatically upshifts through underdrive first, second,
and third gears, direct fourth gear and overdrive fifth and
sixth gears. The DRIVE position provides optimum driv-
ing characteristics under all normal operating conditions.
When frequent transmission shifting occurs (such as
when operating the vehicle under heavy loading condi-
tions, in hilly terrain, traveling into strong head winds, or
while towing heavy trailers), use the Electronic Range
Select (ERS) shift control (refer to “Electronic Range
Select (ERS) Operation” in this section for further infor-
mation) to select a lower gear range. Under these condi-
tions, using a lower gear range will improve performance
and extend transmission life by reducing excessive shift-
ing and heat buildup. 5STARTING AND OPERATING 413

If the transmission cannot be reset, authorized dealer
service is required.
Electronic Range Select (ERS) Operation
The Electronic Range Select (ERS) shift control allows the
driver to limit the highest available gear when the
transmission is in DRIVE. For example, if you set the
transmission gear limit to 4 (fourth gear), the transmis-
sion will not shift above fourth gear, but will shift
through the lower gears normally.
You can switch between DRIVE and ERS mode at any
vehicle speed. When the gear selector is in the DRIVE
position, the transmission will operate automatically,
shifting between all available gears. Tapping the ERS (-)
switch will activate ERS mode, display the current gear in
the instrument cluster, and set that gear as the top
available gear. Once in ERS mode, tapping (-) or (+) will
change the top available gear. To exit ERS mode, simply push and hold the ERS (+)
switch until the gear limit display disappears from the
instrument cluster. Column Gear Selector416 STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING!Do not downshift for additional engine braking on a
slippery surface. The drive wheels could lose their
grip and the vehicle could skid, causing a collision or
personal injury.
NOTE: To select the proper gear position for maximum
deceleration (engine braking), simply push and hold the
ERS (-) switch. The transmission will shift to the range
from which the vehicle can best be slowed down.
CAUTION!When using ERS for engine braking while descend-
ing steep grades, be careful not to overspeed the
engine. Apply the brakes as needed to prevent en-
gine overspeed. Overdrive Operation
The automatic transmission includes an electronically
controlled Overdrive (fifth and sixth gears). The trans-
mission will automatically shift into Overdrive if the
following conditions are present:
• The gear selector is in the DRIVE position.
• The transmission fluid has reached an adequate tem-
perature.
• The engine coolant has reached an adequate tempera-
ture.
• Vehicle speed is sufficiently high.
• The TOW/HAUL switch has not been activated.
• The driver is not heavily pressing the accelerator. 5STARTING AND OPERATING 417