Upshift Light

[RMHanes]

Have a '98. 5 24V 5 speed manual and have yet to see the upshift light/arrow come on other than when starting. This is for the bulb check feature.

Have had the rpm up to about 2400-2500 or so and it just does not come on.

When should this light come on? Checked the service manual put could not find anything. Course it may be in there but buried in some unrelated area from where I was looking.

 

[Tilesetter Too]

I've got a 98. 5 too and have never had the shift light come on either and I've shifted as late as 3grand.

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

Mine doesn't work either - THANK GOD! On every vehicle I've bought that has a shift light the very first thing I do is remove the bulb. I drove a 6 sp Camaro once that at 25 mph was telling me to upshift into 6th gear when I was at 1100 rpm in 5th!!

 

[Bad340fish]

Gassers

I think that light is for the gasser equiped trucks. My 99 doesn't even have a shift light. I noticed the upshift light come on on other vehicles when you needed to downshift also. Steve I take it that camaro had the skipshift disabled?? lol Not sure what years but some of them would block out 2nd gear if you didn't run first hard enough, causing you to have to shift to third. . for fuel economy reasons.

Clark

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

No, it still had the stupid skip shift enabled - that made you shift from 1st to 4th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I shifted it from first and it dropped into fourth (like it should from the factory), then it told me to upshift - I shifted into 5th - then it told me to upshift AGAIN! I had the car for a weekend and I just put a piece of tape over the area of the dash with the shift light because it ALWAYS said to upshift unless you were accelerating or in 6th gear - no matter the speed!



-Steve

 

[John]

I believe Clark (aka Bad340... ) is correct. The upshift light is only applicable to the gas equipped Rams. I also believe that I read that in my owners manual.

 

[Bumble]

Come on Ralph, you don't need no stink'in shift light!

 

[Doc Tinker]

I believe those lights are for the gassers. I've never fiddled with them, but I think they are triggered by manifold vacuum to provide maximum mpg when you shift upon signal. Diesels have no manifold vacuum, so this option wouldn't be functional.



Doc

 

[Michael Hughes]

I have a 97 2500 gas and it didn't work on it. I was told that it only works on 1500's, plus if you look in a gas owners manual, it tells you this in a round about way.

 

[MikeR]

Correct,the light is only functional for the 1500 gas pigs. My first Ram was a '96 1500 with a V8/5spd and it had the annoying shift light (which I removed the bulb). A V8 with a 5spd is a very rare truck to buy in California. The light came on really early too.



I asked the dealer why Dodge had a shift light that came on so early(1400rpm),and he said in this day and age of emissions restrictions,one of the only ways Dodge can emission certify a V8/stick for sale in California and New York was to have a shift light. The 2500 and 3500 gas pigs don't fall under the same emissions restrictions,that's why they don't have a working light.



I'm glad Dodge still offered a 1/2 ton V8 5spd because Ford didn't. At that time I really wanted an F150 V8 5spd which was something you can't get in CA. I had an F250/460 5spd on order,but then ran across the '96 5spd. Been with Dodge since.



-Mike