Ram Trucks w/ 8SPD. No shift when door is open.

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Fordiesel69

Joined
Sep 10, 2005
Messages
2,537
Location
Erie, PA
We currently have 3 rams in the family with 8spds. This issue has not occured on any of ours but it has happened on a jeep with an 8spd where the door latch switch froze, and was not able to detect the door closure (which kept the interior lights on). This create a tow situation and an expensive repair and removal of the door panel, all which could have been resolved with a warm night in a garge.

After hearing what they had to go thru and wait hours in cold for their tow, I need to figure this out now for our vehicles.
 
It's called "Auto Park" if you open the door without the seatbelt fastened, it puts the vehicle in park. The owner's manual outlines it's operation. I believe fastening the seatbelt satisfies it's requirements.
 
I believe there were a few accidents where someone got out of the vehicle and it rolled away/over them. IIRC, one was a young actor and he was killed when this happened. Is what the OP is talking about related to a recall they did on some of these vehicles? My memory is foggy but sounds familiar.
 
How to defeat? Not looking to have my door open. Looking for an emergency workaround.

Im not sure about a recall but my fathers 2014 never did this when new. He took it in to get the heat fixed and a few months later could not back up with the door open. He took it back and they stated they reflahsed a new firmware.
 
Fordiesel69 said:
How to defeat? Not looking to have my door open. Looking for an emergency workaround.

Im not sure about a recall but my fathers 2014 never did this when new. He took it in to get the heat fixed and a few months later could not back up with the door open. He took it back and they stated they reflahsed a new firmware.
Click to expand...

Fasten the seat belt.
 
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The euro cars have something similar. Often I need to open the door to line the wheels up on my rack. When I open the door the thing goes into park. Can't wear the seatbelt and lean out enough to see where I'm going
 
Let me clarify:

If you buckle up your seatbelt, keep door closed, shift to reverse, you *CAN* open the door. That is not what I am talking about.

I am asking if the door is reported open (due to a switch / wire / electronics problem) how do you get it to shift? Seatbelt does not matter. Door must be reported closed first, then shift, then back open again.
 
Fordiesel69 said:
Let me clarify:

If you buckle up your seatbelt, keep door closed, shift to reverse, you *CAN* open the door. That is not what I am talking about.

I am asking if the door is reported open (due to a switch / wire / electronics problem) how do you get it to shift? Seatbelt does not matter. Door must be reported closed first, then shift, then back open again.
Click to expand...

I haven't tried shifting out of park with the door open already. I see the dilemma now.
 
After hearing this nightmare story I want to be proactive and learn now before it happens far from home like it did for these folks.
 
Fordiesel69 said:
Let me clarify:

If you buckle up your seatbelt, keep door closed, shift to reverse, you *CAN* open the door. That is not what I am talking about.

I am asking if the door is reported open (due to a switch / wire / electronics problem) how do you get it to shift? Seatbelt does not matter. Door must be reported closed first, then shift, then back open again.
Click to expand...
I believe in this case you would need manually lock the latch(door open, with a screw driver) and hope it triggers the sensor to think the door is closed. Then do the seatbelt thing, and pull the handle so the latch opens again to shut the door normally.

Bunch of guys I work with used to start these Mopars up, throw them in neutral, then climb out the window to tow them. My trick has always been to mess with the door latch. None of the safety overrides will trigger this way.

Assuming it’s a full electrical failure…FCA engineers didn’t think about this part. The whole shifter lockout programming was an afterthought on these vehicles so you are SOL and will need a tow. Atleast they give you a nice orange strap to pull for neutral.

Also - depending on which jeep you have some of them have overrides hidden under the shift boot. I vaguely remember doing a Regenade last week by popping the cover
 
turn off auto park in the settings?

The actor that died was the new guy playing Chekov(startrek) and got crushed to death against a driveway pillar
Jeep Grand Cherokee IIRC.

I'll have to try it out on the 2020 ram next week when I'm doing the oil change and tire rotation.
 
I’ve never had a problem with just leaving the seat belt buckled while I’m in and out of it. When I leave work tonight I’ll buckle first, leave the door open, then see if it’ll shift after starting.

But I also did the “seat belt trick” to disable the seatbelt chime, that may have something to do with it. A seatbelt extender would also work.

Rand said:
turn off auto park in the settings?

The actor that died was the new guy playing Chekov(startrek) and got crushed to death against a driveway pillar
Jeep Grand Cherokee IIRC.

I'll have to try it out on the 2020 ram next week when I'm doing the oil change and tire rotation.
Click to expand...
No option to disable it without reprogramming… I believe you can disable it with AlfaOBD on Windows or Android though.
 
Skippy722 said:
So I tested it. Buckled the seat belt, started the truck, put it in drive and reverse with the door still open and it didn’t auto park, just yelled “VEHICLE NOT IN PARK”
Click to expand...
I think the confusion comes with JLs that will ignore the door if the seat belt is buckled. I realize that doesn't help you.

I despise Auto Park but don't want an extender in my JL. I don't think it has pretensioners so I'm not sure if I can just hot wire the connection under the seat. Otherwise I'm willing to go as far as ordering a seat belt latch (they're all over ebay, I looked), plug that in and tie it under the seat and clip an extender in there. Voila, "dummy" seat belt which it thinks is always buckled.
 
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Oh also will low range disable in the Rams? This is what you have to do in the Jeeps if BSM decides to trap you.

I don't think my JL disables auto park in low range?.....
 
Well look at that, apparently I always ignored the warning but low range does disable in my JL
20250327_111604.webp


If you open the door it says, "dANgeR a DuMB systEM you DoN'T WanT anyWay is DiSaBLED!!! You WILL DIE!!!!:
20250327_111617.webp
 
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D60 said:
I think the confusion comes with JLs that will ignore the door if the seat belt is buckled. I realize that doesn't help you.

I despise Auto Park but don't want an extender in my JL. I don't think it has pretensioners so I'm not sure if I can just hot wire the connection under the seat. Otherwise I'm willing to go as far as ordering a seat belt latch (they're all over ebay, I looked), plug that in and tie it under the seat and clip an extender in there. Voila, "dummy" seat belt which it thinks is always buckled.
Click to expand...
I refused to get the recall done to my 300, but the Ram had it from the factory… I believe the Ram disables it in 4 low as well, I always just buckled the seatbelt and sat on it though.
 
My Jeep 8 speed is just as fun. In neutral at the car wash, and as I got to the end, it would not let me drop it down into drive. I had to put it in park, then Drive.

It was on a conveyor belt, not rolling. This, and the reverse lock out are ridiculous.
 
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