2018 Ram 3500 Chassis Cab warning

WARNING!(Continued)
•The capabilities of an ABS equipped vehicle must
never be exploited in a reckless or dangerous manner
that could jeopardize the user ’s safety or the safety of
others.
ABS is designed to function with the OEM tires. Modifica-
tion may result in degraded ABS performance.
Anti-Lock Brake Warning Light
The yellow “Anti-Lock Brake Warning Light” will turn on
when the ignition is turned to the ON/RUN mode and
may stay on for as long as four seconds.
If the “Anti-Lock Brake Warning Light” remains on or
comes on while driving, it indicates that the anti-lock
portion of the brake system is not functioning and that
service is required. However, the conventional brake sys-
tem will continue to operate normally if the “Brake System
Warning Light” is not on.
If the “Anti-Lock Brake Warning Light” is on, the brake
system should be serviced as soon as possible to restore the benefits of anti-lock brakes. If the “Anti-Lock Brake Warn-
ing Light” does not come on when the ignition is turned to
the ON/RUN mode, have the light repaired as soon as
possible.
Electronic Brake Control System
Your vehicle is equipped with an advanced Electronic
Brake Control system (EBC). This system includes Elec-
tronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), Anti-Lock Brake
System (ABS), Brake Assist System (BAS), Hill Start Assist
(HSA), Traction Control System (TCS), Electronic Stability
Control (ESC), and Electronic Roll Mitigation (ERM). These
systems work together to enhance both vehicle stability
and control in various driving conditions.
Your vehicle may also be equipped with Trailer Sway
Control (TSC) and Hill Descent Control (HDC).
Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD)
This function manages the distribution of the braking
torque between the front and rear axles by limiting braking
pressure to the rear axle. This is done to prevent overslip of
the rear wheels to avoid vehicle instability, and to prevent
the rear axle from entering ABS before the front axle.
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SAFETY 161

Brake System Warning Light
The red “Brake System Warning Light” will turn on when
the ignition is turned to the ON/RUN mode and may stay
on for as long as four seconds.
If the “Brake System Warning Light” remains on or comes
on while driving, it indicates that the brake system is not
functioning properly and that immediate service is re-
quired. If the “Brake System Warning Light” does not come
on when the ignition is turned to the ON/RUN mode, have
the light repaired as soon as possible.
Brake Assist System (BAS)
The BAS is designed to optimize the vehicle’s braking
capability during emergency braking maneuvers. The sys-
tem detects an emergency braking situation by sensing the
rate and amount of brake application and then applies
optimum pressure to the brakes. This can help reduce
braking distances. The BAS complements the anti-lock
brake system (ABS). Applying the brakes very quickly
results in the best BAS assistance. To receive the benefit of
the system, you must apply continuous braking pressure
during the stopping sequence, (do not “pump” the brakes).
Do not reduce brake pedal pressure unless braking is no
longer desired. Once the brake pedal is released, the BAS is
deactivated.
WARNING!
The Brake Assist System (BAS) cannot prevent the
natural laws of physics from acting on the vehicle, nor
can it increase the traction afforded by prevailing road
conditions. BAS cannot prevent collisions, including
those resulting from excessive speed in turns, driving
on very slippery surfaces, or hydroplaning. The capa-
bilities of a BAS-equipped vehicle must never be
exploited in a reckless or dangerous manner, which
could jeopardize the user’s safety or the safety of
others.
Hill Start Assist (HSA)
The HSA system is designed to mitigate roll back from a
complete stop while on an incline. If the driver releases the
brake while stopped on an incline, HSA will continue to
hold the brake pressure for a short period. If the driver
does not apply the throttle before this time expires, the
system will release brake pressure and the vehicle will roll
down the hill as normal.
162 SAFETY

The following conditions must be met in order for HSA to
activate:
•The feature must be enabled.
• The vehicle must be stopped.
• Park brake must be off.
• Driver door must be closed.
• The vehicle must be on a sufficient grade.
• The gear selection must match vehicle uphill direction
(i.e., vehicle facing uphill is in forward gear; vehicle
backing uphill is in REVERSE gear).
• HSA will work in REVERSE gear and all forward gears.
The system will not activate if the transmission is in
PARK or NEUTRAL. For vehicles equipped with a
manual transmission, if the clutch is pressed, HSA will
remain active.WARNING!
There may be situations where the Hill Start Assist
(HSA) will not activate and slight rolling may occur,
such as on minor hills or with a loaded vehicle, or
while pulling a trailer. HSA is not a substitute for
active driving involvement. It is always the driver ’s
responsibility to be attentive to distance to other ve-
hicles, people, and objects, and most importantly brake
operation to ensure safe operation of the vehicle under
all road conditions. Your complete attention is always
required while driving to maintain safe control of your
vehicle. Failure to follow these warnings can result in
a collision or serious personal injury.
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SAFETY 163

Towing With HSA
HSA will also provide assistance to mitigate roll back while
towing a trailer.
WARNING!
•If you use a trailer brake controller with your trailer,
the trailer brakes may be activated and deactivated
with the brake switch. If so, there may not be enough
brake pressure to hold both the vehicle and the
trailer on a hill when the brake pedal is released. In
order to avoid rolling down an incline while resum-
ing acceleration, manually activate the trailer brake
or apply more vehicle brake pressure prior to releas-
ing the brake pedal.
• HSA is not a parking brake. Always apply the
parking brake fully when exiting your vehicle. Also,
be certain to place the transmission in PARK.
• Failure to follow these warnings can result in a
collision or serious personal injury.
Disabling And Enabling HSA
This feature can be turned on or turned off. To change the
current setting, proceed as follows:
• If disabling HSA using your instrument cluster display,
refer to “Instrument Cluster Display” in “Getting To
Know Your Instrument Panel” for further information.
• If disabling HSA using Uconnect Settings, refer to
“Uconnect Settings” in “Multimedia” for further infor-
mation.
For vehicles not equipped with an instrument cluster
display, perform the following steps:
1. Center the steering wheel (front wheels pointing straight forward).
2. Shift the transmission into PARK.
3. Apply the parking brake.
4. Start the engine.
5. Rotate the steering wheel slightly more than one-half turn to the left.
164 SAFETY

The “ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light” located
in the instrument cluster will start to flash as soon as the ESC
system becomes active. The “ESC Activation/Malfunction
Indicator Light” also flashes when the TCS is active. If the
“ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light” begins to
flash during acceleration, ease up on the accelerator and
apply as little throttle as possible. Be sure to adapt your
speed and driving to the prevailing road conditions.
WARNING!
•Electronic Stability Control (ESC) cannot prevent the
natural laws of physics from acting on the vehicle, nor
can it increase the traction afforded by prevailing road
conditions. ESC cannot prevent accidents, including
those resulting from excessive speed in turns, driving
on very slippery surfaces, or hydroplaning. ESC also
cannot prevent accidents resulting from loss of vehicle
control due to inappropriate driver input for the con-
ditions. Only a safe, attentive, and skillful driver can
prevent accidents. The capabilities of an ESC
equipped vehicle must never be exploited in a reckless
or dangerous manner which could jeopardize the us-
er ’s safety or the safety of others.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Vehicle modifications, or failure to properly main-
tain your vehicle, may change the handling charac-
teristics of your vehicle, and may negatively affect
the performance of the ESC system. Changes to the
steering system, suspension, braking system, tire
type and size or wheel size may adversely affect ESC
performance. Improperly inflated and unevenly
worn tires may also degrade ESC performance. Any
vehicle modification or poor vehicle maintenance
that reduces the effectiveness of the ESC system can
increase the risk of loss of vehicle control, vehicle
rollover, personal injury and death.
ESC Operating Modes
NOTE: Depending upon model and mode of operation, the
ESC system may have multiple operating modes.
ESC On
This is the normal operating mode for the ESC. Whenever
the vehicle is started, the ESC system will be in this mode.
This mode should be used for most driving conditions.
Alternate ESC modes should only be used for specific
reasons as noted in the following paragraphs.
166 SAFETY

Partial Off
The “Partial Off” mode is intended for times when a more
spirited driving experience is desired. This mode may
modify TCS and ESC thresholds for activation, which
allows for more wheel spin than normally allowed. This
mode may be useful if the vehicle becomes stuck.
To enter the “Partial Off” mode, momentarily push the
“ESC Off” switch and the “ESC Off Indicator Light” will
illuminate. To turn the ESC on again, momentarily push
the “ESC Off” switch and the “ESC Off Indicator Light”
will turn off.
NOTE:For vehicles with multiple partial ESC modes a
momentary button push will toggle the ESC mode. Mul-
tiple momentary button pushed may be required to return
to ESC On.
WARNING!
• When in “Partial Off” mode, the TCS functionality
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. When in
“Partial Off” mode, the engine power reduction
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
feature of TCS is disabled, and the enhanced vehicle
stability offered by the ESC system is reduced.
• Trailer Sway control (TSC) is disabled when the ESC
system is in the “Partial Off” mode.
Full Off — If Equipped
This mode is intended for off-highway or off-road use only
and should not be used on any public roadways. In this
mode, TCS and ESC features are turned OFF. To enter the
“Full Off” mode, push and hold the “ESC Off” switch for
five seconds while the vehicle is stopped with the engine
running. After five seconds, a chime will sound, the “ESC
Off Indicator Light” will illuminate, and the “ESC OFF”
message will display in the instrument cluster. To turn ESC
ON again, momentarily push the “ESC Off” switch.
NOTE: System may switch from ESC “Full Off” to “Partial
Off” mode when vehicle exceeds a predetermined speed.
When the vehicle speed slows below the predetermined
speed the system will return to ESC “Full Off”.
ESC modes may also be affected by drive modes if so
equipped.
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SAFETY 167

WARNING!
•In the ESC “Full Off” mode, the engine torque
reduction and stability features are disabled. There-
fore, enhanced vehicle stability offered by the ESC
system is unavailable. In an emergency evasive ma-
neuver, the ESC system will not engage to assist in
maintaining stability. ESC “Full Off” mode is in-
tended for off-highway or off-road use only.
• With the ESC switched off, the enhanced vehicle
stability offered by ESC is unavailable. In an emer-
gency evasive maneuver, the ESC system will not
engage to assist in maintaining stability. ESC “Full
Off” mode is only intended for off-highway or
off-road use.
• The Electronic Stability Control (ESC) cannot pre-
vent the natural laws of physics from acting on the
vehicle, nor can it increase the traction afforded by
prevailing road conditions. ESC cannot prevent all
accidents, including those resulting from excessive
speed in turns, driving on very slippery surfaces, or
hydroplaning. ESC also cannot prevent collisions.
(Continued)
ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light And
ESC OFF Indicator Light
The “ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator
Light” in the instrument cluster will come on
when the ignition is turned to the ON mode. It
should go out with the engine running. If the
“ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light” comes on
continuously with the engine running, a malfunction has
been detected in the ESC system. If this light remains on
after several ignition cycles, and the vehicle has been
driven several miles (kilometers) at speeds greater than
30 mph (48 km/h), see your authorized dealer as soon as
possible to have the problem diagnosed and corrected.
The “ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light” (lo-
cated in the instrument cluster) starts to flash as soon as the
tires lose traction and the ESC system becomes active. The
“ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light” also flashes
when TCS is active. If the “ESC Activation/Malfunction
Indicator Light” begins to flash during acceleration, ease
up on the accelerator and apply as little throttle as possible.
Be sure to adapt your speed and driving to the prevailing
road conditions.
168 SAFETY

NOTE:
•The “ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light” and
the “ESC OFF Indicator Light” come on momentarily
each time the ignition is turned ON.
• Each time the ignition is turned ON, the ESC system will
be on even if it was turned off previously.
• The ESC system will make buzzing or clicking sounds
when it is active. This is normal; the sounds will stop
when ESC becomes inactive following the maneuver
that caused the ESC activation.
The “ESC OFF Indicator Light” indicates the
customer has elected to have the Electronic Sta-
bility Control (ESC) in a reduced mode.
Electronic Roll Mitigation (ERM)
This system anticipates the potential for wheel lift by
monitoring the driver ’s steering wheel input and the speed
of the vehicle. When ERM determines that the rate of
change of the steering wheel angle and vehicle’s speed are
sufficient to potentially cause wheel lift, it then applies the
appropriate brake and may also reduce engine power to
lessen the chance that wheel lift will occur. ERM can only
reduce the chance of wheel lift occurring during severe or evasive driving maneuvers; it cannot prevent wheel lift
due to other factors, such as road conditions, leaving the
roadway, or striking objects or other vehicles.
NOTE:
ERM is disabled anytime the ESC is in “Full Off”
mode (if equipped). Refer to “Electronic Stability Control
(ESC)” in this section for a complete explanation of the
available ESC modes.
WARNING!
Many factors, such as vehicle loading, road conditions
and driving conditions, influence the chance that
wheel lift or rollover may occur. ERM cannot prevent
all wheel lift or roll overs, especially those that involve
leaving the roadway or striking objects or other ve-
hicles. The capabilities of an ERM-equipped vehicle
must never be exploited in a reckless or dangerous
manner which could jeopardize the user’s safety or the
safety of others.
Trailer Sway Control (TSC)
TSC uses sensors in the vehicle to recognize an excessively
swaying trailer and will take the appropriate actions to
attempt to stop the sway. TSC will become active automati-
cally once an excessively swaying trailer is recognized.
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SAFETY 169