2020 Ram 1500 brake

SAFETY 205
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 condi-
tions.
NOTE:
• The “ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light” and the “ESC OFF Indicator Light” come on momentarily each
time the ignition is placed in the ON/RUN mode.
• Each time the ignition is placed in the ON/RUN mode, 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 Stability
Control (ESC) in a reduced mode. Hill Descent Control (HDC) — If Equipped
Hill Descent Control (HDC) is intended for low speed
off-road driving while in 4L Range. HDC maintains vehicle
speed while descending hills during various driving situa
-
tions. HDC controls vehicle speed by actively controlling the
brakes.
HDC Has Three States:
1. Off (feature is not enabled and will not activate).
2. Enabled (feature is enabled and ready but activation conditions are not met, or driver is actively overriding
with brake or throttle application).
3. Active (feature is enabled and actively controlling vehicle speed).
Enabling HDC
HDC is enabled by pushing the HDC switch, but the
following conditions must also be met to enable HDC:
• Driveline is in 4L Range
• Vehicle speed is below 5 mph (8 km/h)
• Park brake is released
• Driver door is closed
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206 SAFETY
Activating HDC
Once HDC is enabled it will activate automatically if driven
down a grade of sufficient magnitude. The set speed for
HDC is selectable by the driver, and can be adjusted by using
the gear shift +/-. The following summarizes the HDC set
speeds:
HDC Target Set Speeds

• P = No set speed. HDC may be enabled but will not activate.

• R = 0.6 mph (1 km/h)
• N = 1.2 mph (2 km/h)
• D = 0.6 mph (1 km/h)
• 1st = 0.6 mph (1 km/h)
• 2nd = 1.2 mph (2 km/h)
• 3rd = 1.8 mph (3 km/h)
• 4th = 2.5 mph (4 km/h)
• 5th = 3.1 mph (5 km/h)
• 6th = 3.7 mph (6 km/h)
• 7th = 4.3 mph (7 km/h)
• 8th = 5.0 mph (8 km/h)
• 9th = 5.6 mph (9 km/h) – If EquippedNOTE:
During HDC the +/- shifter input is used for HDC target
speed selection, but will not affect the gear chosen by the
transmission. When actively controlling HDC the transmis
-
sion will shift appropriately for the driver-selected set speed
and corresponding driving conditions.
Driver Override
The driver may override HDC activation with throttle or
brake application at anytime.
Deactivating HDC
HDC will be deactivated but remain available if any of the
following conditions occur:
• The driver overrides HDC set speed with throttle or brake application.
• The vehicle speed exceeds 20 mph (32 km/h) but remains below 40 mph (64 km/h).
• The vehicle is on a downhill grade of insufficient magni -
tude, is on level ground, or is on an uphill grade.
• The vehicle is shifted to park.
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SAFETY 207
Disabling HDC
HDC will be deactivated and disabled if any of the following
conditions occur:
• The driver pushes the HDC switch.
• The driveline is shifted out of the 4L Range.
• The park brake is applied.
• The driver door opens.
• The vehicle is driven greater than 20 mph (32 km/h) forgreater than 70 seconds.
• The vehicle is driven greater than 40 mph (64 km/h) (HDC exits immediately).
• HDC detects excessive brake temperature.
Feedback To The Driver
The instrument cluster has an HDC icon and the HDC switch
has an LED icon, which offers feedback to the driver about
the state HDC is in.
• The cluster icon and switch lamp will illuminate and remain on solid when HDC is enabled or activated. This is
the normal operating condition for HDC.
• The cluster icon and switch lamp will flash for several seconds, then extinguish when the driver pushes the HDC
switch but enable conditions are not met. • The cluster icon and switch lamp will flash for several
seconds, then extinguish when HDC disables due to excess
speed.
• The cluster icon and switch lamp will flash when HDC deactivates due to overheated brakes. The flashing will
stop and HDC will activate again once the brakes have
cooled sufficiently.
Hill Start Assist (HSA)
The Hill Start Assist (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.
WARNING!
HDC is only intended to assist the driver in controlling
vehicle speed when descending hills. The driver must
remain attentive to the driving conditions and is
responsible for maintaining a safe vehicle speed.4
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208 SAFETY
The following conditions must be met in order for HSA to
activate:
• The feature must be enabled.
• The vehicle must be stopped.
• The park brake must be off.
• The 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 (R) gear).
• HSA will work in REVERSE (R) gear and all forward gears. The system will not activate if the transmission is in PARK
(P) or NEUTRAL (N). 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
vehicles, 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 209
Towing With HSA
Hill Start Assist (HSA) will also provide assistance to miti-
gate roll back while towing a trailer. 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 “Ucon -
nect Settings” in “Multimedia” for further information.
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 (P).
3. Apply the park brake.
4. Start the engine.
5. Rotate the steering wheel slightly more than one-half turn to the left.
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 resuming acceleration,
manually activate the trailer brake or apply more
vehicle brake pressure prior to releasing 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 colli -
sion or serious personal injury.
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210 SAFETY

6. Push the “ESC Off” button located in the lower switch bankbelow the climate control four times within 20 seconds. The
“ESC Off Indicator Light” should turn on and turn off two
times.

7. Rotate the steering wheel back to center and then an addi -
tional slightly more than one-half turn to the right.
8. Turn the ignition to the OFF mode and then back to ON. If the sequence was completed properly, the “ESC Off
Indicator Light” will blink several times to confirm HSA
is disabled.
9. Repeat these steps if you want to return this feature to its previous setting.
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, the TCS may apply brake pressure to the spinning
wheel(s) and/or reduce engine power to provide enhanced
acceleration and stability. A feature of the TCS, Brake
Limited Differential (BLD), functions similar to a limited slip
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. BLD may remain enabled even if TCS and
ESC are in a reduced mode.
Trailer Sway Control (TSC)
Trailer Sway Control (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 automatically once an excessively swaying
trailer is recognized.
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 Towing” 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” or “Full
Off” 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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222 SAFETY
La operación de este equipo está sujeta a las siguientes dos
condiciones:
1. es posible que este equipo o dispositivo no cause interfer-
encia perjudicial y
2. este equipo o dispositivo debe aceptar cualquier interfer- encia, incluyendo la que pueda causar su operación no
deseada.
NOTE:
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the
party responsible for compliance could void the user’s
authority to operate the equipment.
Forward Collision Warning (FCW) With Mitigation — If
Equipped
The Forward Collision Warning (FCW) with Mitigation
system provides the driver with audible warnings, visual
warnings (within the instrument cluster display), and may
apply a brake jerk to warn the driver when it detects a poten -
tial frontal collision. The warnings and limited braking are
intended to provide the driver with enough time to react,
avoid or mitigate the potential collision. NOTE:
FCW monitors the information from the forward looking
sensors as well as the Electronic Brake Controller (EBC), to
calculate the probability of a forward collision. When the
system determines that a forward collision is probable, the
driver will be provided with audible and visual warnings as
well as a possible brake jerk warning.
If the driver does not take action based upon these progres
-
sive warnings, then the system will provide a limited level of
active braking to help slow the vehicle and mitigate the
potential forward collision. If the driver reacts to the warn -
ings by braking and the system determines that the driver
intends to avoid the collision by braking but has not applied
sufficient brake force, the system will compensate and
provide additional brake force as required.
If a FCW with Mitigation event begins at a speed below
32 mph (52 km/h), the system may provide the maximum braking possible to mitigate the potential forward collision.
If the Forward Collision Warning with Mitigation event
stops the vehicle completely, the system will hold the vehicle
at standstill for two seconds and then release the brakes.
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224 SAFETY
Turning FCW On or Off
The FCW button is located in the Uconnect display in the
control settings. Refer to “Uconnect Settings” in “Multi-
media” for further information.
• To turn the FCW system on, press the forward collision button once to turn the system on.
• To turn the FCW system off, press the forward collision button once to turn the system off.
NOTE:
• When the FCW is “on”, this allows the system to warn the driver of a possible collision with the vehicle in front.
• When the FCW is “off”, this prevents the system from warning the driver of a possible collision with the vehicle
in front. If the FCW is set to “off”, “FCW OFF" will be
displayed in the instrument cluster display.
• When FCW status is set to “Only Warning”, this prevents the system from providing limited active braking, or addi -
tional brake support if the driver is not braking adequately
in the event of a potential frontal collision. • When FCW status is set to “Warning and Braking”, this
allows the system to warn the driver of a possible collision
with the vehicle in front using audible/visual warnings
and it applies autonomous braking.
• The system will retain the last setting selected by the driver after ignition shutdown.
FCW Braking Status And Sensitivity
The FCW Sensitivity and Active Braking status are program -
mable through the Uconnect System. Refer to “Uconnect
Settings” in “Multimedia” for further information.
• Far
• When the sensitivity of FCW is set to the “Far” settingand the system status is “Only Warning “, this allows
the system to warn the driver of a possible more distant
collisions with the vehicle in front using audible/visual
warnings.
• More cautious drivers that do not mind frequent warn -
ings may prefer this setting.
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