2019 Ram ProMaster Trailer

When you are in a severe braking condition involving the
use of the ABS, you will experience some pedal drop as the
vehicle comes to a stop. This is the result of the system
reverting to the base brake system.
Engagement of the ABS may be accompanied by a pulsing
sensation. You may also hear a clicking noise. These
occurrences are normal and indicate that the system is
functioning properly.
Electronic Brake Control System
Your vehicle is equipped with an advanced electronic
brake control system that includes the Traction Control
System (TCS), Brake Assist System (BAS) and Electronic
Stability Control (ESC), Trailer Sway Control (TSC), and
Hill Start Assist (HSA). These systems complement the
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) by optimizing the vehicle
braking capability during emergency braking maneuvers.
Traction Control System (TCS)
The Traction Control System (TCS) monitors the amount of
wheel spin of each of the driven wheels. If wheel spin is
detected, brake pressure is applied to the slipping wheel(s)
and engine power is reduced, to provide enhanced accel-
eration and stability. A feature of the TCS system, Brake
Limited Differential (BLD), functions similar to a limitedslip differential and controls the wheel spin across a driven
axle. If one wheel on a driven axle is spinning faster than
the other, the system will apply the brake of the spinning
wheel. This will allow more engine torque to be applied to
the wheel that is not spinning. This feature remains active
even if the ESC is in the “Partial Off” mode.
The “ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light” (in the
instrument cluster) will start to flash as soon as the tires
lose traction and the wheels begin to spin. This indicates
that the TCS is active. If the indicator light flashes 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, and do not
switch off the ESC or TCS.
WARNING!
•
The TCS cannot prevent the natural laws of physics
from acting on the vehicle, nor can it increase the
traction afforded.
• The TCS cannot prevent collisions, including those
resulting from excessive speed in turns, or hydro-
planing.
(Continued)
5
SAFETY 89

ESC Operating Modes
The “ESC Off” switch is located in the center
switch bank, next to the hazard flasher switch.
ESC On
This mode is the normal operating mode for ESC equipped
vehicles. Whenever the vehicle is started, the ESC system
will be in this mode. This mode should be used for most
driving situations. ESC should only be turned off for
specific reasons as noted below.
ESC Partial Off
This mode is entered by momentarily pushing the “ESC
Off” switch.
When in the “Partial Off” mode, 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. When in the “Partial Off” mode,
ESC will operate without engine torque management. 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 normally allow is required to gain traction. To turn ESC on again, momentarily push the “ESC Off” switch.
This will restore the normal “ESC On” mode of operation.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
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.
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”
mode by pushing the “ESC Off” switch. Once the situation
requiring ESC to be switched to the “Partial Off” mode is
overcome, turn ESC back on by momentarily pushing the
“ESC Off” switch. This may be done while the vehicle is in
motion.
92 SAFETY

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 continu-
ously 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 (located
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. NOTE:
•
The ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light and
the ESC OFF Indicator Light come on momentarily each
time the ignition switch 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 Elec-
tronic Stability Control (ESC) is off.
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) — If Equipped
TSC uses sensors in the vehicle to recognize an excessively
swaying trailer and will take the appropriate 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 recog-
nized.
5
SAFETY 93

NOTE:TSC cannot stop all trailers from swaying. Always
use caution when towing a trailer and follow the trailer
tongue weight recommendations. Refer to “Trailer Tow-
ing” in “Starting And Operating” for further information.
When TSC is functioning, the “ESC Activation/
Malfunction 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” mode.
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.
Hill Start Assist (HSA)
The HSA system is designed to assist the driver when
starting a vehicle from a stop on a hill. HSA will maintain
the level of brake pressure the driver applied for a short
period of time after the driver takes their foot off of the
brake pedal. If the driver does not apply the throttle during
this short period of time, the system will release brake
pressure and the vehicle will roll down the hill. The system will release brake pressure in proportion to the amount of
throttle applied as the vehicle starts to move in the
intended direction of travel.
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.
94 SAFETY

HSA Activation Criteria
The following criteria must be met in order for HSA to
activate:
•Vehicle must be stopped.
• Vehicle must be on a 6% (approximate) grade or greater
hill.
• Gear selection matches vehicle uphill direction (i.e.,
vehicle facing uphill is in forward gear; vehicle backing
uphill is in REVERSE gear).
HSA will work in REVERSE and all forward gears when
the activation criteria have been met. The system will not
activate if the vehicle is placed in NEUTRAL or PARK.
WARNING!
There may be situations on minor hills with a loaded
vehicle, or while pulling a trailer, when the system will
not activate and slight rolling may occur. This could
cause a collision with another vehicle or object. Always
remember the driver is responsible for braking the
vehicle.
AUXILIARY DRIVING SYSTEMS
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
The Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS) will warn the
driver of a low tire pressure based on the vehicle recom-
mended cold placard pressure.
The tire pressure will vary with temperature by about 1 psi
(7 kPa) for every 12°F (6.5°C). This means that when the
outside temperature decreases, the tire pressure will de-
crease. Tire pressure should always be set based on cold
inflation tire pressure. This is defined as the tire pressure
after the vehicle has not been driven for at least three
hours, or driven less than 1 mile (1.6 km) after a three hour
period. The cold tire inflation pressure must not exceed the
maximum inflation pressure molded into the tire sidewall.
Refer to “Tires” in “Servicing And Maintenance” for infor-
mation on how to properly inflate the vehicle’s tires. The
tire pressure will also increase as the vehicle is driven - this
is normal and there should be no adjustment for this
increased pressure.
The TPMS will warn the driver of a low tire pressure if the
tire pressure falls below the low-pressure warning limit for
any reason, including low temperature effects and natural
pressure loss through the tire.
5
SAFETY 95

▫Cleaning The ParkSense System .............156
▫ ParkSense Rear Park Assist System Usage
Precautions .......................... .156
 PARKVIEW REAR BACK UP CAMERA ........158
 REFUELING THE VEHICLE ................160
▫ Loose Fuel Filler Cap Message .............161
 VEHICLE LOADING .....................161
▫ Vehicle Certification Label ................161
▫ Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) ........162
▫ Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) ..........162
▫ Tire Size ............................ .162
▫ Rim Size ............................ .162
▫ Inflation Pressure ...................... .162
▫ Curb Weight ......................... .162
▫ Overloading ......................... .162
▫ Loading ............................ .163
TRAILER TOWING ..................... .163
▫ Common Towing Definitions ...............163
▫ Trailer Hitch Classification ................166
▫ Trailer Towing Weights (Maximum Trailer Weight
Ratings) ............................ .166
▫ Trailer And Tongue Weight ...............167
▫ Towing Requirements ...................168
▫ Towing Tips ......................... .171
 RECREATIONAL TOWING (BEHIND
MOTORHOME, ETC.) ....................173
▫ Towing This Vehicle Behind Another Vehicle . . .173
▫ Recreational Towing .....................173
 DRIVING
TIPS......................... .174
▫ Driving On Slippery Surfaces ..............174
▫ Driving Through Water ..................175
136 STARTING AND OPERATING

started in this range. Apply the parking brake and shift the
transmission into PARK if you must exit the vehicle.
WARNING!
Do not coast in NEUTRAL and never turn off the
ignition to coast down a hill. These are unsafe practices
that limit your response to changing traffic or road
conditions. You might lose control of the vehicle and
have a collision.
CAUTION!
Towing the vehicle, coasting, or driving for any other
reason with the transmission in NEUTRAL can cause
severe transmission damage.
Refer to “Recreational Towing” in “Starting And Op-
erating” and “Towing A Disabled Vehicle” in “In Case
Of Emergency” for further information.
DRIVE (D)
This range should be used for most city and highway
driving. It provides the smoothest upshifts and downshifts,
and the best fuel economy. The transmission automatically upshifts through all forward gears. The DRIVE position
provides optimum driving characteristics under all normal
operating conditions.
When frequent transmission shifting occurs (such as when
operating the vehicle under heavy loading conditions, in
hilly terrain, traveling into strong head winds, or while
towing a heavy trailer), select Tow/Haul mode or use the
Electronic Range Select (ERS) shift control (refer to
Elec-
tronic Range Select (ERS) Operation in this section for
further information) to select a lower gear range. Under
these conditions, using a lower gear range will improve
performance and extend transmission life by reducing
excessive shifting and heat buildup.
During cold temperatures, transmission operation may be
modified depending on engine and transmission tempera-
ture as well as vehicle speed. This feature improves warm
up time of the engine and transmission to achieve maxi-
mum efficiency. Engagement of the torque converter clutch
is inhibited until the transmission fluid is warm (refer to
the “Note” under “Torque Converter Clutch” in this sec-
tion). During extremely cold temperatures (-16°F [-27°C] or
below), operation may briefly be limited to third gear only.
Normal operation will resume once the transmission tem-
perature has risen to a suitable level.
146 STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING!
Do not downshift for additional engine braking on a
slippery surface. The drive wheels could lose their grip
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
and the vehicle could skid, causing a collision or
personal injury.
Instrument
Cluster Dis-
play 123456D
Actual
Gear(s) Al- lowed 1
1–2 1–31–41–51–6 1–6
NOTE: To select the proper gear position for maximum
deceleration (engine braking), move the gear selector into
the ERS position, then tap it forward (-) repeatedly as the
vehicle slows. The transmission will shift to the range from
which the vehicle can best be slowed down.
Overdrive Operation
The automatic transmission includes an electronically con-
trolled Overdrive (sixth gear). The transmission will auto-
matically shift into Overdrive if the following conditions
are present:
• The gear selector is in the DRIVE position. •
The transmission fluid has reached an adequate tem-
perature.
• The engine coolant has reached an adequate tempera-
ture.
• The vehicle speed is sufficiently high.
• The driver is not heavily pressing the accelerator.When To Use TOW/HAUL Mode
When driving in hilly areas, towing a trailer, carrying a
heavy load, etc., and frequent transmission shifting occurs,
push the TOW/HAUL switch to activate TOW/HAUL
148 STARTING AND OPERATING