These vehicles won't let you leave the transmission in neutral. As soon as you open the door it puts itself back in Park. There are some services where I need it left in neutral. Can this be overridden, at least temporarily?

There's a bypass for the electrical shifter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVQRaBuj_co

The dude in that video uses a small screwdriver, but I think the manual says you can use the manual key.

The Rams have a knob shifter? Hmmm.

I absolutely love my dial shifter knob. I wish I could get every car I buy with one.

It saves so much space over other gear shifters.

The dial is a nice touch. I thought it was cool when my Dad came home with a 1960 Chrysler 300 and you pushed a button to change gears.

I'm learning the Dial shifter on my 2019 Ram. So far so good but I will point out I do sometimes worry about its proximity to the audio controls and the temp controls. I havent reversed to turn my music down yet but I have turned the temp down instead of making it quieter.

A dial shifter, eh? Well, that's just about the most appalling thing I've read today.

quote:

Originally posted by Anubismp:
I'm learning the Dial shifter on my 2019 Ram. So far so good but I will point out I do sometimes worry about its proximity to the audio controls and the temp controls. I havent reversed to turn my music down yet but I have turned the temp down instead of making it quieter.

If it's anything like the dial in my mom's 200C, you can't just accidently dial in R. You have to depress the shifter to get it to rotate that way.

I haven't seen one, but it sounds like the "rocking" technique to free your truck in the snow would be hard to do.

My son, at 6'9" (that he'll admit to), would like it... his knee is a frequent visitor to the shifter on the steering column.

quote:

Originally posted by whanson_wi:
I haven't seen one, but it sounds like the "rocking" technique to free your truck in the snow would be hard to do.

What is this 'snow' to which you refer?

quote:

Originally posted by jmalb:

quote:

Originally posted by Anubismp:
I'm learning the Dial shifter on my 2019 Ram. So far so good but I will point out I do sometimes worry about its proximity to the audio controls and the temp controls. I havent reversed to turn my music down yet but I have turned the temp down instead of making it quieter.

If it's anything like the dial in my mom's 200C, you can't just accidently dial in R. You have to depress the shifter to get it to rotate that way.

No, you do not have to depress the knob, but if you try to shift into reverse while moving, it does not do anything. You just keep going ahead until you stop, then moving the knob to reverse will work.

I like mine, but i did have a learning curve. Hard to change decades of moving a lever of some sort!

The transmission really should be in neutral for hoisting wheels-free. Trucks, and these in particular, have long travel suspension. As the wheels come off the floor they need to be able to roll a little bit. Having the driveshaft locked puts everything in a bind; the tires will actually skid and try to spin (but can't) as they come up. Other services that need neutral include, but are not limited to, rear axle, drive shaft and rear brakes. For alignments, the targets mounted on the wheels are calibrated by rolling the vehicle forward onto the turn plates, which also needs neutral.

It seems to be just the dial that does this. I worked on an '18 Ram 2500 diesel with a column shifter (alignment after the owner installed a lift kit and giant tires) and it had no problem staying in neutral. It does have a dash message and a warning chime. This is no problem and could be useful.

quote:

Originally posted by dogmush:
There's a bypass for the electrical shifter.

Well, how do you like that.

I have one. I confused it with the radio volume control which is a few inches away when it was new a few times. And I did accidentally get out of my car with the shifter in neutral... I believe it set the parking break AND put itself in park.... Nice safety feature to overcome my stupidity.

quote:

Originally posted by Ozarkwoods:
The dial is a nice touch. I thought it was cool when my Dad came home with a 1960 Chrysler 300 and you pushed a button to change gears.

I miss those old 300 Letter Cars. I owned and drove 1956 B, 1957 C, and one time drove a 59 or 60. If you had a 1955 C300, and a girlfiend, keep her away from the mid dash shift lever.

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:
These vehicles won't let you leave the transmission in neutral. As soon as you open the door it puts itself back in Park.

The 2013 models will stay in neutral. I tried it this morning and mine stays in neutral with the door open. I can get out, close the door and the truck stays in neutral. It does not matter if the parking brake is engaged or not.

What year is your truck?

I really don't know about a dial shifter.

quote:

What year is your truck?

Not mine, clients'. I have only been seeing this on the dash-mounted knob/dial shifters, not floor or column, most recently a 2017 model.

Isn't that how Anton Yelchin died? He was pinned to a wall when he got out of his jeep and it wasn't put in park?

quote:

Originally posted by whanson_wi:
My son, at 6'9" (that he'll admit to), would like it...

I was thinking just the opposite, depending on just where the knob is located. I'm tall and have to keep the seat all the way back. Parts of the dash can be a long ways away.

quote:

Originally posted by egregore: Not mine, clients'. I have only been seeing this on the dash-mounted knob/dial shifters, not floor or column, most recently a 2017 model.

Ah, got it. Appears the Ram lawyers had the engineers solve a non-problem sometime after 2013.