[djh3]

So I may not be in the rite spot, but I thought it was a good one. So When I use the manual shift in the wife's Durango it shifts when I move the handle. On my 2500 it has a + - button on shift lever. But it doesn't always shift when I press the button. Sometimes takes a couple presses to make shift. If this normal or might my switch be faulty connection.

 

[RaceHillFarms]

Like the steering wheel buttons you sometimes have to press them two or three times on some steering wheels to get the signal to recognize, sometimes the shifter lever buttons has to be pressed more than once if the button did not make good contact when pressed. My 2016 Ram 2500 6.4 Hemi was like that, every now and then if I did not press the shift + or - button enough for the contact to complete the circuit. Some trucks are better than others in this regard.

 

[djh3]

You think maybe dirty contacts in button? Maybe from just plain ole dirty hands etc being it is where it is? Thats kinda what my suspecion was but wanted to see if others had same experience

 

[PowerJrod]

So I may not be in the rite spot, but I thought it was a good one. So When I use the manual shift in the wife's Durango it shifts when I move the handle. On my 2500 it has a + - button on shift lever. But it doesn't always shift when I press the button. Sometimes takes a couple presses to make shift. If this normal or might my switch be faulty connection.

If it's like the 1500...its actually not a manual shift option...it's a gear limiter. It's used to set the max gear while towing, etc so that it doesn't keep shifting all the way to 8th or 7th or 6th...

 

[RaceHillFarms]

You think maybe dirty contacts in button? Maybe from just plain ole dirty hands etc being it is where it is? Thats kinda what my suspecion was but wanted to see if others had same experience

I think it is just not the best design and you have a good point about dirty hands, maybe try spraying some electrical contact cleaner from CRC into the slots of the buttons and work both buttons to clean the contacts. I always found the shift buttons on the gear selector handle too easy to push a button when shifting out of park.

 

[humblerb]

If it's like the 1500...its actually not a manual shift option...it's a gear limiter. It's used to set the max gear while towing, etc so that it doesn't keep shifting all the way to 8th or 7th or 6th...

On my 2500, I have to press once just to get it to display. The second press changes it.

 

[WGlover911]

As indicated above it is not an instant shift. It simply limits the highest gear that it is allowed to shift to. It will upshift only when the RPM calls for it and only downshift when it is safe to do so without damaging the transmission.

 

[PowerJrod]

On my 2500, I have to press once just to get it to display. The second press changes it.

Yes! It's the gear limiter then, not manual shift.

 

[humblerb]

Yes! It's the gear limiter then, not manual shift.

Yes. I was just offering this description to the OP to explain how the button works and why he has to press it twice "sometimes".

 

[PowerJrod]

Yes. I was just offering this description to the OP to explain how the button works and why he has to press it twice "sometimes".

Got it. At first ..I missed having a manual shift option...until I installed a quality throttle controller lol

 

[topgun]

On my 2500, I have to press once just to get it to display. The second press changes it.

This is correct. Once you have it dropped out of auto mode (gear number is on the screen) you should not have to press more than once, the number will change with every push. I use this feature all the time when towing. We have a lot of hills here so I generally limit the tranny to 4th. When approaching a big hill, drop it down early and the tranny will immediately shift into the next lower gear to make things run a lot smoother rather than waiting for it to shift on it's own when your foot is deep into it downshifting and getting a big jerk.

Just a note, if you have not used this feature for a long time and there was any condensation in the truck, you may have to work the switch a few times to get the contacts cleaned off and working as it is supposed to. A lot of people don't even know they have this feature so the button never gets used.

 

[PowerJrod]

Personally for hills, driving up mountains I just use the tow/haul mode.

 

[topgun]

I do as well but if you don't use the + - button, it will still hunt gears. By limiting the highest gear it can shift into, the hunting will be greatly reduced.