Key Ignition Park Interlock; Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock System; Eight-Speed Automatic Transmission - If Equipped - Dodge RAM 1500 2019 User Manual

CAUTION!
• 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.

Key Ignition Park Interlock

This vehicle is equipped with a Key Ignition
Park Interlock which requires the transmis-
sion to be in PARK before the ignition can be
turned to the LOCK/OFF (key removal) posi-
tion. The key fob can only be removed from
the ignition when the ignition is in the LOCK/
OFF position, and the transmission is locked
in PARK whenever the ignition is in the
LOCK/OFF position.
NOTE:
If a malfunction occurs, the system will trap
the key fob in the ignition 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.
134
Brake/Transmission Shift
Interlock System
This vehicle is equipped with a Brake Trans-
mission 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 ignition must
be turned to the ON/RUN mode (engine run-
ning, for vehicles with eight-speed transmis-
sion) and the brake pedal must be pressed.
In 8-speed vehicles, 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 — If Equipped
The transmission is controlled using a rotary
electronic gear selector located on the instru-
ment 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 NEU-
TRAL, 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 appro-
priate 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 con-
tinuously until the selector is returned to the
proper position, 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).