How Do You Put a Ram 1500 in Neutral?
Neutral is an important gear as it can help you if you need to push your truck somewhere.
So, how do you put your Ram 1500 into neutral gear?
In most newer Ram 1500s, you need to press the brake and then turn the gear selector dial to “N” to put the truck in neutral. In older Ram 1500s, you must press the brake and push the gear selector to “N.”
In this article, I will detail how to put your Ram 1500 into neutral with different gear selectors.
Then, I will discuss how to get a Ram 1500 into neutral if it is dead or you don’t have the key.
How to Shift Into Neutral in a Ram 1500 With a Dial Gear Selector?
If you’ve never used a dial gear selector before, you may wonder if you have to do anything extra to get your Ram into neutral.
But actually, using a dial selector isn’t much different than shifting with a standard selector.
All you need to do is press on the brake and then turn the dial to “N.”
Your Ram 1500 will then be in neutral gear.
How to Shift Into Neutral in a Ram 1500 With a Standard Gear Selector
To shift into neutral in a Ram 1500 with a standard console gear selector, you first need to press down on the brake.
Then, hold down the button on the gear selector and move it towards the back of the car until it reaches the “N” position.
Or, if your gear selector is a lever on the side of the steering wheel, hold the brake pedal and then pull the lever down until the “N” lights up on the dashboard.
Your Ram 1500 should now be in neutral gear.
How to Put a Dead Ram 1500 Into Neutral?
If the battery in your Ram 1500 dies, but you need to put it into neutral, you can do so pretty easily.
However, the method you’ll need to use differs depending on what type of gear selector your truck has.
Rams With a Dial Gear Selector
If your Ram 1500 has a dial gear selector, Ram has made it super easy to put your dead truck into neutral.
But, before you do so, you must first engage the parking brake.
If you do not, your Ram will start to roll as soon as you put it in neutral.
Next, look near the bottom left side of your steering wheel, and you will find a panel that is above another panel with a “P” on it.
With a knife or a flathead screwdriver, pop off this top panel.
Inside you will find an orange strap.
There will be a tab either underneath this orange strap or above it, and you will need to push it to the side and pull on the orange strap at the same time.
Once you do this, the truck will be in neutral gear.
Rams With a Steering Wheel Gear Selector
For Rams with a gear selector next to the steering wheel, you need to disengage the shift lock to get your truck to shift to neutral.
To do so, you first need to put your key in the ignition and turn it to the “on” position.
Then, you should engage your truck’s parking brake.
Next, pull off the piece of rubber at the base of your gear selector.
After removing the rubber, you should find a tiny lever.
Normally, this lever has a white plastic piece on the end that will help you distinguish it.
Push this tiny lever upward, and you should now be able to press the brake and shift into neutral.
Rams With a Console Gear Selector
If your Ram has a console gear selector, your first step should be to put the key in the ignition and turn it to the “on” position.
Then, engage the parking brake so that your truck doesn’t roll when you put it in neutral.
Next, look around near your gear selector until you find a small, removable panel.
Typically, you will find this panel near the bottom right of your gear selector.
Once you’ve found it, use a knife or flathead screwdriver to remove it.
Now, look down into the spot where you just took off the panel.
You should see either a small button or a lever.
If there is a button, push it down while pressing on the brake and shifting into neutral at the same time.
If there is a lever, you will need to push it to the side while simultaneously pressing on the brake and shifting into neutral.
How to Put a Ram 1500 Into Neutral Without the Key?
If your Ram 1500 does not have a dial gear selector, you will need the key to put it into neutral using the above steps.
Yet luckily, if you don’t have the key, there is still a way to get the truck into neutral.
However, this method is a bit more complicated.
To get your truck into neutral without the key, you first need to put wheel chocks on the front and back of your wheels.
Doing so will ensure the car does not move while you are under it.
Then, you should engage your parking brake for added safety.
Afterward, you must grab a flashlight and crawl underneath your Ram.
In most cases, you will have enough room to get underneath the truck.
But, if you do not, you will have to jack your truck and put it on axle stands.
And remember always to use the utmost caution when jacking your truck because if the jack fails, you can be seriously injured.
Once you are under the truck, use your flashlight to locate your transmission.
You can distinguish the transmission as it is a space shuttle-shaped piece of metal near the engine.
After finding the transmission, search around it until you find a thick cable with a loop on one end.
This piece is your transmission cable, and it will be connected to your truck’s gear lever.
You will need to disconnect the transmission cable from the gear lever to put your truck in neutral.
Most of the time, you can just pull the cable off with yout fingers, but you may need needle-nosed pliers to work the cable off.
When you’ve got the cable disconnected, grab the gear lever and push it towards the back of your Ram until you hear two clicks.
Your Ram should now be in neutral, and you can move it wherever you want.
Conclusion
If your Ram 1500 has a dial gear selector, you can put it in neutral by pressing the brake and turning the dial to “N.”
For Rams with a steering wheel gear selector, you need to press the brake and then pull the selector lever downwards until you see the “N” light up on the dashboard.
And finally, you can put Rams with a console gear selector in neutral by pressing the brake, pushing the button on the selector, and then pulling it back until you reach the “N.”
