Eight-Speed Automatic Transmission - If Equipped - RAM 1500 Owner's Manual

Eight–Speed Automatic Transmission — If Equipped
Your vehicle is equipped with a state of the art, fuel
efficient eight-speed transmission. The electronic shifter
control is located on the instrument panel. The transmis-
sion gear (PRND) is displayed both above the shifter
control and in the Electronic Vehicle Information Center
(EVIC). To select a gear range, simply rotate the shifter
control. You must press the brake pedal to shift the
transmission out of PARK (see Brake/Transmission Shift
Interlock System). You must also press the brake pedal to
shift from NEUTRAL into DRIVE or REVERSE, 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 switch 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 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 should be
done only when the accelerator pedal is released and the
vehicle is stopped. Be sure to keep your foot on the brake
pedal when moving the shifting between these gears.
The transmission shifter switch has only PARK, RE-
VERSE, NEUTRAL, and DRIVE positions. Manual down-
shifts can be made using the Electronic Range Select
(ERS) shift control (described later in this section). Press-
ing the ERS (-/+) switches (column shift) or moving the
STARTING AND OPERATING 397
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