2011 Ram 1500 brake light

•Gear selection matches vehicle uphill direction (i.e.,
vehicle facing uphill is in forward gear; vehicle back-
ing uphill is in REVERSE gear).
WARNING!
There may be situations on minor hills (i.e., less than
7%), with a loaded vehicle or while pulling a trailer
where the system will not activate and slight rolling
may occur, which could cause a collision with an-
other vehicle or object. Always remember the driver
is responsible for braking the vehicle.
The system will only work if the intended direction of the
vehicle and vehicle gear match. For example, if the
intended direction is forward up a hill and the vehicle is
in DRIVE and the activation criteria are met, HSA will
activate. The system will work in REVERSE and all forward gears,
and will not activate if the vehicle is placed in
NEUTRAL.
Towing And Hauling With HSA
The HSA system does not know if your vehicle is loaded
or towing a trailer unless the TOW/HAUL switch, lo-
cated on the center stack, is selected. When activated, the
“TOW/HAUL Indicator Light” will illuminate in the
instrument cluster. Refer to “Automatic Transmission” in
“Starting and Operating” for further information. In
order to accommodate the extra weight entailed under
towing and hauling conditions and to increase driver
comfort while launching on a hill, the system recognizes
when the TOW/HAUL switch is activated and compen-
sates by releasing brake pressure at a slower rate while
throttle is applied in order to prevent the vehicle from
rolling down the hill.
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3. With the engine running and the brake applied, rotate
the steering wheel 180° counterclockwise from center.
4. Press the “ESC Off” switch four times within 20 sec-
onds. The “ESC Off Indicator Light” should appear and
disappear four times.
5. Rotate the steering wheel 360° clockwise (180° clock-
wise from center).
6. Cycle ignition switch OFF then ON.
7. If the sequence was completed properly, the “ESC Off
Indicator Light” will blink several times to confirm HSA
is off.
Steps 1 through 7 must be completed within 90 seconds
to turn off HSA. Repeat steps 1 through 7 to re-enable
HSA functionality.EVIC Equipped Vehicles
HSA is a Customer Programmable Feature on a EVIC
equipped vehicle. If you wish to turn off the HSA feature,
refer to “Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC)/
Customer Programmable Features” in “Understanding
Your Instrument Panel” for further information.
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) – If Equipped
The ESC system enhances directional control and stabil-
ity of the vehicle under various driving conditions. ESC
corrects for oversteering or understeering of the vehicle
by applying the brake of the appropriate wheel to assist
in counteracting the oversteer or understeer condition.
Engine power may also be reduced to help the vehicle
maintain the desired path.
ESC uses sensors in the vehicle to determine the vehicle
path intended by the driver and compares it to the actual
path of the vehicle. When the actual path does not match
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the intended path, ESC applies the brake of the appro-
priate wheel to assist in counteracting the oversteer or
understeer condition.
•Oversteer - when the vehicle is turning more than
appropriate for the steering wheel position.
•Understeer - when the vehicle is turning less than
appropriate for the steering wheel position.
All Two-Wheel Drive Vehicles And Four-Wheel
Drive Vehicles In 2WD, 4WD AUTO, Or 4WD
LOCK Modes Can Choose The Following ESC
Operating Modes:
ESC On
This is the normal operating mode for ESC in 2WD/4WD
AUTO/4WD LOCK modes and in 2WD vehicles. When-
ever the vehicle is started or the transfer case (if
equipped) is shifted from 4WD LOW or Neutral, back to
4WD LOCK or 4WD AUTO, the ESC system will be inthis mode. This mode should be used for almost all
driving situations. ESC should only be turned to “Partial
Off” or “ESP Off” for specific reasons as noted below.
ESC Partial Off
This mode is entered by momentarily pressing the “ESC
Off” switch. When in
Partial Offmode, the TCS portion
of ESC, except for the “limited slip” feature described in
the TCS section, has been disabled and the ESC Off
Indicator Light will be illuminated. All other stability
features of ESC function normally. This mode is intended
to be used if the vehicle is in deep snow, sand, or gravel
conditions and more wheel spin than ESC would nor-
mally allow is required to gain traction. To turn ESC on
again, momentarily press the “ESC Off” switch. This will
restore the normal “ESC On” mode of operation.
NOTE: To improve the vehicle’s traction when driving
with snow chains or starting off in deep snow, sand or
gravel, it may be desirable to switch to the “Partial Off”
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Trailer Sway Control (TSC) – If Equipped
The TSC system uses sensors in the vehicle to recognize
an excessively swaying trailer and will take the appro-
priate actions to attempt to stop the sway. The system
may reduce engine power and apply the brake of the
appropriate wheel(s) to counteract the sway of the trailer.
TSC will become active automatically once an excessively
swaying trailer is recognized. No driver action is re-
quired. Note that TSC cannot stop all trailers from
swaying. Always use caution when towing a trailer and
follow the trailer tongue weight recommendations. Refer
to “Trailer Towing” in “Starting and Operating” for
further information. When TSC is functioning, the “ESP
Off Indicator Light” will flash, the engine power may be
reduced and you may feel the brakes being applied to
individual wheels to attempt to stop the trailer from
swaying. TSC is disabled when the ESC system is in the
“Partial Off” or “Full Off” modes.TSC is only active in the default “ESC On” mode. TSC
can be disabled by pressing the “ESC Off” switch and
entering “ESC Partial Off” mode. It is not active in the
“ESC Partial Off” or “ESC Off” modes. Refer to the ESC
portion of this section for an explanation of the different
ESC operating modes.
WARNING!
If TSC activates while driving, slow the vehicle
down, stop at the nearest safe location, and adjust the
trailer load to eliminate trailer sway.5
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NOTE:This module has been designed and verified for
electric trailer brakes. To determine the type of brakes on
your trailer, check with your trailer manufacturer or
dealer. The user interface consists of the following:
GAIN/ Brake Output Power Display
Shows the current GAIN setting.
This display may also be used to display diagnostic
information, if needed.
•SC — Short Circuit to Ground
•Sb — Short to Battery
•CF — Controller Fault – If this message appears on the
display, see your authorized dealer.
When the vehicle brakes are applied, the display will no
longer show GAIN and will change to the output to the
trailer brakes.
Manual Brake Control Lever
Slide the manual brake control lever to the right to
activate power to the trailer’s electric brakes independent
of the tow vehicle’s brakes. If the manual brake control
1 — GAIN/Brake Output Power Display
2 — Manual Brake Control Lever
3 — Trailer Brake Status Indicator Light
4 — GAIN Adjustment Buttons
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lever is activated while the brake is also applied, the
greater of the two inputs determines the power sent to
the trailer brakes.
The trailer and the vehicle’s brake lamps will come on
when either vehicle braking or manual trailer brakes are
applied.
Trailer Brake Status Indicator Light
This light indicates the trailer electrical connection status.
If no electrical connection is detected after the ignition is
turned on, pressing the GAIN adjustment button or
sliding the manual brake control lever will display the
GAIN setting for 10 seconds and the “Trailer Brake Status
Indicator Light” will not be displayed.
If a fault is detected in the trailer wiring or the Integrated
Trailer Brake Module (ITBM), the “Trailer Brake Status
Indicator Light” will flash.GAIN Adjustment Buttons (+/-)
Pressing these buttons will adjust the brake control
power output to the trailer brakes in 0.5 increments. The
GAIN setting can be increased to a maximum of 10 or
decreased to a minimum of 0 (no trailer braking).
GAIN
The GAIN setting is used to set the trailer brake control
for the specific towing condition and should be changed
as towing conditions change. Changes to towing condi-
tions include trailer load, vehicle load, road conditions
and weather.
Adjusting GAIN
NOTE:
This should only be performed in a traffic free
environment at speeds of approximately 20–25 mph
(30–40 km/h).
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CAUTION!
The ITBM module has been designed and verified
for electric trailer brakes. Connecting a trailer that is
not compatible with the ITBM system may result in
reduced or complete loss of trailer braking. There
may be a increase in stopping distance or trailer
instability which could result in damage to your
vehicle, trailer, or other property.
WARNING!
The ITBM module has been designed and verified
for electric trailer brakes. Connecting a trailer that is
not compatible with the ITBM system may result in
reduced or complete loss of trailer braking. There
may be a increase in stopping distance or trailer
instability which could result in personal injury.NOTE:
•An aftermarket controller may be available for use
with trailers with air or electric-over-hydraulic trailer
brake systems. To determine the type of brakes on
your trailer and the availability of controllers, check
with your trailer manufacturer or dealer.
•Removal of the ITBM will cause errors and it may
cause damage to the electrical system and electronic
modules of the vehicle. See your authorized dealer if
an aftermarket module is to be installed.
Towing Requirements – Trailer Lights And Wiring
Whenever you pull a trailer, regardless of the trailer size,
stop lights and turn signals on the trailer are required for
motoring safety.
The Trailer Tow Package will include a four and seven-
pin wiring harness. Use a factory approved trailer har-
ness and connector.
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CAUTION!
It is necessary to follow these steps to be certain that
the transfer case is fully in NEUTRAL before recre-
ational towing to prevent damage to internal parts.
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop. Shift automatic
transmission into PARK.
2. Turn OFF the engine.
3. Turn the ignition switch to the ON/RUN position, but
do not start the engine.
4. Press and hold the brake pedal.
5. Shift the automatic transmission into NEUTRAL or
press the clutch pedal on a manual transmission.
6. Press and hold the transfer case NEUTRAL button
(located by the selector switch). The NEUTRAL indicator light will blink while the shift is in progress. The light
will stop blinking (stay on solid) when the shift to
NEUTRAL is complete.
7. After the shift is completed and the NEUTRAL light
stays on, release the NEUTRAL button.
8. Start the engine.
9. Shift the transmission into REVERSE.
10. Release the brake pedal (and clutch pedal on manual
transmissions) for five seconds and ensure that there is
no vehicle movement.
11. Repeat steps 9 and 10 with automatic transmission in
DRIVE or manual transmission in first gear.
12. Turn OFF the engine.
13. Firmly apply the parking brake.
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