2013 Ram 1500 sensor

Enabling And Disabling ParkSense®
ParkSense® can be enabled and disabled with the
ParkSense® switch.When the ParkSense switch is pressed to dis-
able the system, the instrument cluster will
display the “PARKSENSE OFF” message for
approximately five seconds. Refer to “Elec-
tronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC)” in “Under-
standing Your Instrument Panel” for further information.
When the shift lever is moved to REVERSE and the
system is disabled, the EVIC will display the
“PARKSENSE OFF” message for as long as the vehicle is
in REVERSE.
NOTE: The ParkSense® system will automatically dis-
able when the system detects that a trailer with trailer
brakes has been connected to the Integrated Trailer Brake
Module. The EVIC will display “PARKSENSE OFF”
message for as long as the vehicle is in reverse. The ParkSense® switch LED will be ON when
ParkSense® is disabled or defective. The ParkSense®
switch LED will be OFF when the system is enabled.
Service The ParkSense® Rear Park Assist
System
When the ParkSense® Rear Park Assist System is mal-
functioning, the instrument cluster will actuate a single
chime, once per ignition cycle, and it will display the
PARKSENSE UNAVAILABLE WIPE REAR SENSORS

or the PARKSENSE UNAVAILABLE SERVICE RE-
QUIRED message. Refer to “Electronic Vehicle Informa-
tion Center (EVIC)” in “Understanding Your Instrument
Panel” for further information. When the shift lever is
moved to REVERSE and the system has detected a
faulted condition, the EVIC will display the
PARKSENSE UNAVAILABLE WIPE REAR SENSORS 3
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 189

or thePARKSENSE UNAVAILABLE SERVICE RE-
QUIRED message for as long as the vehicle is in RE-
VERSE. Under this condition, ParkSense® will not oper-
ate.
If PARKSENSE UNAVAILABLE WIPE REAR SENSORS
appears in the Electronic Vehicle Information Center
(EVIC) make sure the outer surface and the underside of
the rear fascia/bumper is clean and clear of snow, ice,
mud, dirt or other obstruction, and then cycle the igni-
tion. If the message continues to appear, see an autho-
rized dealer.
If PARKSENSE UNAVAILABLE SERVICE REQUIRED
appears in the EVIC, see your authorized dealer.
Cleaning The ParkSense® System
Clean the ParkSense® sensors with water, car wash soap
and a soft cloth. Do not use rough or hard cloths. Do not
scratch or poke the sensors. Otherwise, you could dam-
age the sensors.
ParkSense® System Usage Precautions
NOTE:
• Ensure that the rear bumper is free of snow, ice, mud,
dirt and debris to keep the ParkSense® system oper-
ating properly.
• Jackhammers, large trucks, and other vibrations could
affect the performance of ParkSense®.
• When you turn ParkSense® off, the instrument cluster
will display PARKSENSE OFF. Furthermore, once
you turn ParkSense® off, it remains off until you turn
it on again, even if you cycle the ignition key.
• When you move the shift lever to the REVERSE
position and ParkSense® is turned off, the instrument
cluster will display PARKSENSE OFF message for as
long as the vehicle is in REVERSE.
190 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

•ParkSense®, when on, will reduce the volume of the
radio when it is sounding a tone.
• Clean the ParkSense® sensors regularly, taking care
not to scratch or damage them. The sensors must not
be covered with ice, snow, slush, mud, dirt or debris.
Failure to do so can result in the system not working
properly. The ParkSense® system might not detect an
obstacle behind the fascia/bumper, or it could provide
a false indication that an obstacle is behind the
fascia/bumper.
• Objects such as bicycle carriers, trailer hitches, etc.,
must not be placed within 12 in (30 cm) from the rear
fascia/bumper while driving the vehicle. Failure to do
so can result in the system misinterpreting a close
object as a sensor problem, causing the PARKSENSE
UNAVAILABLE SERVICE REQUIRED message to be
displayed in the instrument cluster. •
On vehicles equipped with a tailgate, ParkSense®
should be disabled when the tailgate is in the lowered
or open position and the vehicle is in REVERSE. A
lowered tailgate could provide a false indication that
an obstacle is behind the vehicle.
CAUTION!
• ParkSense® is only a parking aid and it is unable to
recognize every obstacle, including small obstacles.
Parking curbs might be temporarily detected or not
detected at all. Obstacles located above or below
the sensors will not be detected when they are in
close proximity.
• The vehicle must be driven slowly when using
ParkSense® in order to be able to stop in time
when an obstacle is detected. It is recommended
that the driver looks over his/her shoulder when
using ParkSense®.
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 191

WARNING!
•Drivers must be careful when backing up even
when using ParkSense®. Always check carefully
behind your vehicle, look behind you, and be sure
to check for pedestrians, animals, other vehicles,
obstructions, and blind spots before backing up.
You are responsible for safety and must continue to
pay attention to your surroundings. Failure to do so
can result in serious injury or death.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Before using ParkSense®, it is strongly recom-
mended that the ball mount and hitch ball assem-
bly is disconnected from the vehicle when the
vehicle is not used for towing. Failure to do so can
result in injury or damage to vehicles or obstacles
because the hitch ball will be much closer to the
obstacle than the rear fascia when the loudspeaker
sounds the continuous tone. Also, the sensors
could detect the ball mount and hitch ball assem-
bly, depending on its size and shape, giving a false
indication that an obstacle is behind the vehicle.
192 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

replacement or alternate tires and wheels allow the TPMS
to continue to function properly.
CAUTION!
The TPMS has been optimized for the original
equipment tires and wheels. TPMS pressures and
warning have been established for the tire size
equipped on your vehicle. Undesirable system opera-
tion or sensor damage may result when using re-
placement equipment that is not of the same size,
type, and/or style. Aftermarket wheels can cause
sensor damage. Do not use tire sealant from a can or
balance beads if your vehicle is equipped with a
TPMS, as damage to the sensors may result.
NOTE: The TPMS telltale is also accompanied by a “Low
Tire” message in the odometer (Base Cluster), or in the
Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) screen in-
dicating “Low Tire” for EVIC enabled clusters. 17. Front Fog Light Indicator — If Equipped
This indicator will illuminate when the front fog
lights are on.
18. Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC)
The Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) fea-
tures a driver-interactive display that is located in the
instrument cluster. For further information, refer to
“Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC)”.
19. Shift Lever Indicator
The Shift Lever Indicator is self-contained within the
instrument cluster. It displays the gear position of the
automatic transmission.
264 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

equipped), and power outlets will remain active for up to
10 minutes after the ignition is cycled to OFF. Opening
either front door will cancel this feature. To change the
Engine Off Power Delay status touch the 0 seconds, 45
seconds, 5 minutes or 10 minutes soft-key. Then touch the
arrow back soft-key.
•Headlight Off Delay
When this feature is selected, the driver can choose to
have the headlights remain on for 0, 30, 60, or 90 seconds
when exiting the vehicle. To change the Headlight Off
Delay status touch the + or - soft-key to select your
desired time interval. Touch the back arrow soft-key to
return to the previous menu.
Compass Settings – If Equipped
After pressing the Compass Settings soft-key the follow-
ing settings will be available. •
Variance
Compass Variance is the difference between Magnetic
North and Geographic North. To compensate for the
differences the variance should be set for the zone where
the vehicle is driven, per the zone map. Once properly
set, the compass will automatically compensate for the
differences, and provide the most accurate compass
heading.
NOTE: Keep magnetic materials away from the top of
the instrument panel, such as iPod’s, Mobile Phones,
Laptops and Radar Detectors. This is where the compass
module is located, and it can cause interference with the
compass sensor, and it may give false readings.
4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 307

2. Start the engine.
3. With the engine running and the brake applied, rotatethe steering wheel 180° counterclockwise from center.
4. Press the “ESC Off” switch four times within 20 seconds. 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 match5
STARTING AND OPERATING 475

when ESC becomes inactive following the maneuver
that caused the ESC activation.The “ESC OFF Indicator Light” indicates the
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) is off.
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 “ESC
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.
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STARTING AND OPERATING 481