2020 Ram 2500 service

STARTING AND OPERATING251
Air Suspension Modes
The air suspension system has multiple modes
to protect the system in unique situations:
Tire/Jack Mode
To assist with changing a tire, the air suspen -
sion system has a feature which allows the
automatic leveling to be disabled. This mode is
intended to be enabled with the engine running.
Refer to “Instrument Cluster Display” in
“Getting To Know Your Instrument Panel” or
“Uconnect Settings” in “Multimedia” (if
equipped with a touch screen radio) for further
information.
NOTE:
This mode is intended to be enabled with the
engine running.
Transport Mode
For towing your vehicle with four wheels off the
road, the air suspension system has a feature
which will put the vehicle below Normal Ride
Height (NRH) and disable the automatic load
leveling system. This mode is intended to be
enabled with engine running. Refer to “Instru -
ment Cluster Display” in “Getting To Know Your
Instrument Panel” or “Uconnect Settings” in
“Understanding Your Instrument Panel” if equipped with a touch screen radio for further
information.
NOTE:
This mode is intended to be enabled with the
engine running.
Wheel Alignment Mode
Before performing a wheel alignment this mode
must be enabled. Refer to “Instrument Cluster
Display” in “Getting To Know Your Instrument
Panel” or “Uconnect Settings” in “Multimedia”
(if equipped with a touch screen radio) for
further information.
NOTE:
This mode is intended to be enabled with the
engine running.
Bed Lowering Mode
This setting is used to lower the rear suspension
to the lowest possible height and disable the air
suspension system. It enables easier loading/
unloading of the truck and makes it easier to
hook up trailers. Refer to “Instrument Cluster
Display” in “Getting To Know Your Instrument
Panel” or “Uconnect Settings” in “Under
-
standing Your Instrument Panel” if equipped with a touch screen radio for further informa
-
tion.
Protection Strategy
In order to “protect” the air suspension system,
the vehicle will disable load leveling as required
(suspension overloaded, battery charge low,
etc.). Load leveling will automatically resume as
soon as system operation requirements are
met. See your authorized dealer if system does
not resume.
Instrument Cluster Display Messages
When the appropriate conditions exist, a
message will appear in the instrument cluster
display. Refer to “Instrument Cluster Display” in
“Getting To Know Your Instrument Panel” for
further information.
An audible chime will be heard whenever a
system error has been detected.
See your authorized dealer for system service if
normal operation does not resume.
Operation
Pushing the Alternate Trailer Height (ATH)
button once while at Normal Ride Height (NRH),
will lower the vehicle to Alternate Trailer Height
(ATH) and will illuminate the LED.
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254STARTING AND OPERATING
advantage to increasing ride height is the posi -
tive effect it has on approach/departure and
break over angles.
This system is controlled by the electronic
control sway bar switch located below the
instrument panel.

Sway Bar Disconnect Button

Push the SWAY BAR switch to activate the
system. Push the switch again to deactivate the
system. The “Sway Bar Indicator Light” (located
in the instrument cluster) will illuminate when
the bar is disconnected. The “Sway Bar Indi -
cator Light” will flash during activation transi -
tion, or when activation conditions are not met.
The stabilizer/sway bar should remain in
on-road mode during normal driving conditions. To disconnect the stabilizer/sway bar, shift to
either 4WD HIGH or 4WD LOW and push the
SWAY BAR button to obtain the Off-Road posi
-
tion. Refer to “Four Wheel Drive Operation” in
“Starting And Operating” for further informa -
tion. The “Sway Bar Indicator Light” will flash
until the stabilizer/sway bar has been fully
disconnected. NOTE:
The stabilizer/sway bar may be torque locked
due to left and right suspension height differ
-
ences. This condition is due to driving surface
differences or vehicle loading. In order for the
stabilizer/sway bar to disconnect/reconnect,
the right and left halves of the bar must be
aligned. This alignment may require that the
vehicle be driven onto level ground or rocked
from side to side.
To return to the On-Road mode, push the SWAY
BAR button again.WARNING!
Do not disconnect the stabilizer bar and drive
on hard surfaced roads or at speeds above
18 mph (29 km/h), you may lose control of
the vehicle, which could result in serious
injury or death. The front stabilizer bar
enhances vehicle stability and assists in
maintaining control of the vehicle. The system
monitors vehicle speed and will attempt to
reconnect the stabilizer bar at speeds over
18 mph (29 km/h). This is indicated by a
flashing off road light and solid on road light.
Once vehicle speed is reduced below 14 mph
(22 km/h), the system will attempt to return
to the Off-Road mode.
WARNING!
If the stabilizer/sway bar will not return to
On-Road mode, vehicle stability is reduced.
Do not attempt to drive the vehicle over
18 mph (29 km/h). Driving faster than
18 mph (29 km/h) may cause loss of control
of the vehicle, which could result in serious
injury or death. Contact your local service
center for assistance.

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STARTING AND OPERATING255
SAFE OFF-ROAD DRIVING — POWER
WAGON ONLY
Off-Road Driving Tips And Vehicle
Characteristics
Your vehicle has excellent on and off-road capa-
bilities. These off-road capabilities will allow you
to explore those wilderness trails where few
travel, providing a source of exciting and satis -
fying recreation. Before you venture out, you
should contact your local governmental agency
to determine the designated Off-Road Vehicle
(ORV) trails or recreation areas. You should
always tread lightly and only use established
roads, trails or ORV recreational areas.
The National Forest Service, Bureau of Land
Management, or local Department of Natural
Resources are a wealth of information and
usually have maps with marked trails.
Skid Plates And Underbody Protection
Steel skid plates protect the major driveline
components of the truck including the fuel tank,
transfer case and steering damper. In addition,
this vehicle is equipped with boxed cross
members and fore/aft rails. This additional
protection allows the vehicle to be utilized in severe off-road situations that would be consid
-
ered impassable by a normal truck.
Ramp Travel Index (RTI)
The RTI is the distance, in inches, that you can
drive your vehicle with one wheel on a
20-degree ramp without lifting any other wheel
off the ground. This distance up the ramp
divided by the wheelbase of the vehicle and
multiplied by 1,000 is the RTI. This vehicle has
an RTI of 429 (connected sway bar) or an RTI of
538 (disconnected sway bar), which means you
can articulate one front wheel 22 inches
(56 cm) or 27.5 inches (70cm) in the air while
the other three wheels remain in contact with
the ground.
Water Fording Characteristics
Water fording characteristic is the vehicle's
ability to cross a body of still water, where the
powertrain and drivetrain are safe from water
ingestion. This vehicle has high water fording
characteristics with the ability to cross a pool of
water, without stopping, 24 inches (60 cm) deep
at a maximum speed of 10 mph (16 km/h) and a
pool of water 30 inches (76 cm) deep at a maximum speed of 5 mph (8 km/h), both with an
entrance ramp angle of 1.3 degrees.
Simultaneous Brake And Throttle Operation
Many off-road driving conditions require the
simultaneous use of the brake and throttle (two
footed driving). When climbing rocks, logs, or
other stepped objects, using light brake pres
-
sure with light throttle will keep the vehicle from
jerking or lurching. This technique is also used
when you need to stop and restart a vehicle on
a steep incline.
The Basics Of Off-Road Driving
You will encounter many types of terrain driving
off-road. You should be familiar with the terrain
and area before proceeding. There are many
types of surface conditions: hard packed dirt,
gravel, rocks, grass, sand, mud, snow and ice.
Every surface has a different effect on your
vehicle's steering, handling and traction.
Controlling your vehicle is one of the keys to
successful off-road driving, so always keep a
CAUTION!
The door sill height is 25 inches (63.5 cm).
Water may intrude into the interior of the
vehicle at greater depths.
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264STARTING AND OPERATING
Check threaded fasteners for looseness,
particularly on the chassis, drivetrain compo -
nents, steering, and suspension. Retighten
them, if required, and torque to the values
specified in the Service Manual.
Check for accumulations of plants or brush.
These things could be a fire hazard. They
might hide damage to fuel lines, brake hoses,
axle pinion seals, and propeller shafts.
After extended operation in mud, sand,
water, or similar dirty conditions, have the
radiator, fan, brake rotors, wheels, brake
linings, and axle yokes inspected and
cleaned as soon as possible.
If you experience unusual vibration after
driving in mud, slush or similar conditions,
check the wheels for impacted material.
Impacted material can cause a wheel imbal-
ance and freeing the wheels of it will correct
the situation.
LIMITED-SLIP DIFFERENTIAL
The limited-slip differential provides additional
traction on snow, ice, mud, sand and gravel,
particularly when there is a difference between
the traction characteristics of the surface under
the right and left rear wheels. During normal
driving and cornering, the limited-slip unit
performs similarly to a conventional differential.
On slippery surfaces, however, the differential
delivers more of the driving effort to the rear
wheel having the better traction.
The limited-slip differential is especially helpful
during slippery driving conditions. With both
rear wheels on a slippery surface, a slight appli -
cation of the accelerator will supply maximum
traction. When starting with only one rear wheel
on an excessively slippery surface, slight
momentary application of the parking brake
may be necessary to gain maximum traction. Care should be taken to avoid sudden accelera-
tions when both rear wheels are on a slippery
surface. This could cause both rear wheels to
spin, and allow the vehicle to slide sideways on
the crowned surface of a road or in a turn.
WINCH USAGE — POWER WAGON ONLY (IF
EQUIPPED)
Things To Know Before Using Your Winch
General Winch Information
Your vehicle is equipped with an electric vehicle
recovery winch. This winch uses the electrical
power from the vehicle charging system to
power a motor that winds the winch rope onto
the winch drum via planetary gear reduction. By
nature, a winch is capable of generating very
high forces and should be used with care. Do
WARNING!
Abrasive material in any part of the brakes
may cause excessive wear or unpredictable
braking. You might not have full braking
power when you need it to prevent a collision.
If you have been operating your vehicle in
dirty conditions, get your brakes checked and
cleaned as necessary.
WARNING!
On vehicles equipped with a limited-slip
differential never run the engine with one rear
wheel off the ground since the vehicle may
drive through the rear wheel remaining on the
ground. You could lose control of the vehicle.

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284STARTING AND OPERATING
malfunction or failure and require a sensor
realignment.
Do not attach or install any accessories near
the sensor, including transparent material or
aftermarket grilles. Doing so could cause an
ACC system failure or malfunction.
When the condition that deactivated the system
is no longer present, the system will return to
the “Adaptive Cruise Control Off” state and will
resume function by simply reactivating it.
NOTE:
If the “ACC/FCW Unavailable Wipe Front
Radar Sensor” message occurs frequently
(e.g. more than once on every trip) without
any snow, rain, mud, or other obstruction,
have the radar sensor realigned at your
authorized dealer.
Installing a snow plow, front-end protector,
an aftermarket grille or modifying the grille is
not recommended. Doing so may block the
sensor and inhibit ACC/FCW operation.
“Clean Front Windshield” Warning
The “ACC/FCW Limited Functionality Clean
Front Windshield” warning will display and also
a chime will indicate when conditions tempo -rarily limit system performance. This most often
occurs at times of poor visibility, such as in
snow or heavy rain and fog. The ACC system
may also become temporarily blinded due to
obstructions, such as mud, dirt, or ice on wind
-
shield, driving directly into the sun and fog on
the inside of glass. In these cases, the instru -
ment cluster display will show “ACC/FCW
Limited Functionality Clean Front Windshield”
and the system will have degraded perfor -
mance.
The “ACC/FCW Limited Functionality Clean
Front Windshield” message can sometimes be
displayed while driving in adverse weather
conditions. The ACC/FCW system will recover
after the vehicle has left these areas. Under
rare conditions, when the camera is not
tracking any vehicles or objects in its path this
warning may temporarily occur.
If weather conditions are not a factor, the driver
should examine the windshield and the camera
located on the back side of the inside rearview
mirror. They may require cleaning or removal of
an obstruction.
When the condition that created limited func -
tionality is no longer present, the system will
return to full functionality. NOTE:
If the “ACC/FCW Limited Functionality Clean
Front Windshield” message occurs frequently
(e.g. more than once on every trip) without any
snow, rain, mud, or other obstruction, have the
windshield and forward facing camera
inspected at your authorized dealer.
Service ACC/FCW Warning
If the system turns off, and the instrument
cluster displays “ACC/FCW Unavailable Service
Required” or “Cruise/FCW Unavailable Service
Required”, there may be an internal system
fault or a temporary malfunction that limits ACC
functionality. Although the vehicle is still driv
-
able under normal conditions, ACC will be
temporarily unavailable. If this occurs, try acti -
vating ACC again later, following an ignition
cycle. If the problem persists, see your autho -
rized dealer.
Precautions While Driving With ACC
In certain driving situations, ACC may have
detection issues. In these cases, ACC may
brake late or unexpectedly. The driver needs to
stay alert and may need to intervene.

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292STARTING AND OPERATING
Adjustable Chime Volume Settings
The rear chime volume settings are program -
mable through the Uconnect system. Refer to
“Uconnect Settings” in “Multimedia” for further
information.
The chime volume settings include low,
medium, and high. The factory default volume is
medium.
Enabling And Disabling ParkSense
ParkSense can be enabled and disabled with
the ParkSense switch.
When the gear selector is moved to
REVERSE and the system is disabled,
the instrument cluster display will
show the vehicle graphic with “Off”
over the arcs for as long as the vehicle is in
REVERSE.
NOTE:
The ParkSense system will automatically
disable when the system detects that a trailer
with trailer brakes has been connected to the
Integrated Trailer Brake Module. The instru -
ment cluster display will show an “Off” message over the arcs if the ParkSense system is off, or
a “Trailer” message if the system is on, for as
long as the vehicle is in REVERSE.
The ParkSense switch LED will be on when Park-
Sense is disabled or defective. The ParkSense
switch LED will be off when the system is
enabled.
If the ParkSense switch is pushed, and the
system is disabled or requires service, the Park-
Sense switch LED will blink momentarily, and
then the LED will be on.
Service The ParkSense Rear Park Assist
System
During vehicle start up, when the Rear Park
-
Sense System has detected a faulted condition,
the instrument cluster display will show the
"Rear ParkSense Unavailable Service Required"
or the "Rear ParkSense Unavailable Wipe
Sensors" message.
When the gear selector is moved into REVERSE,
a vehicle graphic will show in the instrument
cluster display, along with the display overlay
“Rear ParkSense Unavailable Wipe Sensors.” If
the system needs service, the display overlay
will read “Rear ParkSense Unavailable Service Required” Under this condition, ParkSense will
not operate.
If "Rear ParkSense Unavailable Wipe Sensors"
appears in the instrument cluster display 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 ignition. If the message continues to
appear, see an authorized dealer.
If "Rear ParkSense Unavailable Service
Required" appears in the instrument cluster
display, see an 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 damage the sensors.
ParkSense System Usage Precautions
NOTE:
Ensure that the rear bumper is free of snow,
ice, mud, dirt and debris to keep the Park
-
Sense system operating properly.
Jackhammers, large trucks, and other vibra -
tions could affect the performance of Park -
Sense.

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STARTING AND OPERATING293
(Continued)
(Continued)
When you move the gear selector into
REVERSE with ParkSense turned off, the
instrument cluster display will show "Off" on
the vehicle graphic arcs for as long as the
vehicle is in REVERSE.
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 prop
-
erly. 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.
Ensure the ParkSense system is off if objects
such as bicycle carriers, trailer hitches, etc.,
are placed within 18 inches (45 cm) of the
rear fascia/bumper while driving the vehicle.
Failure to do so can result in the system
misinterpreting a close obstacle as a sensor
problem, causing the "Rear ParkSense
Unavailable Service Required" message to
appear in the instrument cluster display.
On vehicles equipped with a tailgate, Park -
Sense 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.
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.
Before using ParkSense, it is strongly
recommended that the ball mount and
hitch ball assembly 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 assembly, depending
on its size and shape, giving a false indica -
tion 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.
WARNING! (Continued)
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STARTING AND OPERATING297
NOTE:
ParkSense will reduce the volume of the radio,
if on, when the system is sounding an audio
tone.
Front Park Assist Audible Alerts
ParkSense will turn off the Front Park Assist
audible alert (chime) after approximately three
seconds when an obstacle has been detected,
the vehicle is stationary, and brake pedal is
applied.
Adjustable Chime Volume Settings
The Front and Rear chime volume settings are
programmable through the Uconnect system.
Refer to “Uconnect Settings” in “Multimedia”
for further information. The chime volume settings include low,
medium, and high. The factory default volume is
medium.
Enabling And Disabling Front And/Or Rear
ParkSense
Front ParkSense can be enabled and disabled
with the Front ParkSense switch.
Rear ParkSense can be enabled and disabled
with the Rear ParkSense switch.
When the gear selector is moved to
REVERSE and the Front or Rear
system is disabled, the instrument
cluster display will show a vehicle
graphic with an “Off” message overlay over the
system that is off (Front or Rear system). This
vehicle graphic will be displayed for as long as
the vehicle is in REVERSE. The Front or Rear ParkSense switch LED will be
on when Front or Rear ParkSense is disabled or
requires service. The Front or Rear ParkSense
switch LED will be off when the Front or Rear
system is enabled. If the Front or Rear Park
-
Sense switch is pushed, and the system
requires service, the Front or Rear ParkSense
switch LED will blink momentarily, and then the
LED will be on.
Service The ParkSense Front/Rear Park
Assist System
During vehicle start up, when the Front/Rear
ParkSense System has detected a faulted
condition, the instrument cluster display will
show the "Front/Rear ParkSense Unavailable
Audible Alert Chime
NoneNoneNone FastContinuous
Arcs-Left NoneNoneNone2nd Flashing 1st Flashing
Arcs-Center None4th Solid 3rd Flashing 2nd Flashing 1st Flashing
Arcs-Right NoneNoneNone2nd Flashing 1st Flashing
Radio Volume Reduced No
NoNo Yes Yes
WARNING ALERTS FOR FRONT
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