2020 Ram 3500 brake

146SAFETY
(Continued)
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 required. If the “Brake
System Warning Light” does not come on when
the ignition is placed in the ON/RUN mode,
have the light repaired as soon as possible.
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 Anti-Lock
Brake System (ABS) before the front axle.
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
This system enhances directional control and
stability of the vehicle under various driving
conditions. Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
corrects for oversteering or understeering of the
vehicle by applying the brake of the appropriate
wheel(s) 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 match the
intended path, ESC applies the brake of the
appropriate wheel to assist in counteracting the
oversteer or understeer condition.

Oversteer — when the vehicle is turning
more than appropriate for the steering
wheel position.
Understeer — when the vehicle is turning
less than appropriate for the steering wheel
position.

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 conditions. Only a safe, atten -
tive, and skillful driver can prevent acci -
dents. The capabilities of an ESC equipped
vehicle must never be exploited in a reck -
less or dangerous manner which could
jeopardize the user’s safety or the safety of
others.

20_DJD2_OM_EN_USC_t.book Page 146

SAFETY149
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
is placed in the ON position.
Each time the ignition is placed in the ON
position, 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.
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
Electronic Roll Mitigation (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.
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 situations. HDC controls
vehicle speed by actively controlling the brakes.
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
vehicles. 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.
4

20_DJD2_OM_EN_USC_t.book Page 149

150SAFETY
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)
Parking brake is released
Driver door is closed
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 Equipped
NOTE:
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 transmission 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 any time.
Deactivating HDC
HDC will be deactivated but remain available if
any of the following conditions occur:
Driver overrides HDC set speed with throttle
or brake application.
Vehicle speed exceeds 20 mph (32 km/h)
but remains below 40 mph (64 km/h).
Vehicle is on a downhill grade of insufficient
magnitude, is on level ground, or is on an
uphill grade.
Vehicle is shifted to PARK.

20_DJD2_OM_EN_USC_t.book Page 150

SAFETY151
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 4L Range.
The parking brake is applied.
The driver door opens.
The vehicle is driven greater than 20 mph
(32 km/h) for greater 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 illumi -
nate and remain on solid when HDC is
enabled or activated. This is the normal oper -
ating 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.
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 gear and all
forward gears. The system will not activate if
the transmission is in PARK or NEUTRAL (N).
For vehicles equipped with a manual trans
-
mission, if the clutch is pressed, HSA will
remain active.
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

20_DJD2_OM_EN_USC_t.book Page 151

152SAFETY
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 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.
3. Apply the parking brake.
4. Start the engine.
5. Rotate the steering wheel slightly more than one-half turn to the left.
6. Push the “ESC OFF” button located in the lower switch bank below 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 additional slightly more than
one-half turn to the right.
8. Place the ignition in 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.
Towing With HSA
HSA will also provide assistance to mitigate roll
back while towing a trailer.
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.
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 trans -
mission in PARK.
Failure to follow these warnings can result
in a collision or serious personal injury.

20_DJD2_OM_EN_USC_t.book Page 152

SAFETY153
Traction Control System (TCS)
This system monitors the amount of wheel spin
of each of the driven wheels. If wheel spin is
detected, the Traction Control System (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 power to be applied to the wheel that is
not spinning. BLD may remain enabled even if
TCS and Electronic Stability Control (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 recommenda
-
tions. 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.
AUXILIARY DRIVING SYSTEMS
BLIND SPOT MONITORING (BSM) — IF
E
QUIPPED
The Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) system uses
two radar-based sensors, located inside the
taillights, to detect highway licensable vehicles
(automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, etc.) that
enter the blind spot zones from the rear/front/
side of the vehicle.

Rear Detection Zones

When the vehicle is started, the BSM warning
light will momentarily illuminate in both outside
rearview mirrors to let the driver know that the
system is operational. The BSM system sensors
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.
4

20_DJD2_OM_EN_USC_t.book Page 153

158SAFETY
NOTE:
When a trailer with an electric brake is
connected to the vehicle, the instrument cluster
display will provide a menu to allow a selection
of the trailer type. There will be two options
provided: Conventional and Goose/Fifth Wheel.
Goose/Fifth Wheel Trailer is incompatible and
when selected, the BSM system will disable
until the trailer is disconnected. If the wrong
option is selected, the system can be reset by
either disconnecting and reconnecting the
trailer harness connector or disabling then
re-enabling the Blind Spot Monitoring System in
the customer settings in the Uconnect. This will
prompt the trailer selection menu again to allow
for the correct selection.
Trailer Merge Assist is a function of the Blind
Spot Monitoring (BSM) system that extends the
blind spot zone to work while pulling a trailer.
Trailer Merge Assist consists of three sub
functions:
Automatic Trailer Detection
Trailer Length Detection
Trailer Merge Warning
Blind Spot Zones With Trailer Merge Assist

Automatic Trailer Detection
There are two modes of operation for the
detection of the trailer length:
Automatic Mode — When “Auto Mode” is
selected, the system will use the blind spot
sensors to automatically determine the pres -
ence and length of a trailer. The presence of
a trailer will be detected using the blind spot
radar within 90 seconds of forward move -
ment of the vehicle. The vehicle must be
moving above 6 mph (10 km/h) to activate the feature. Once the trailer has been
detected, the system will default to the maximum blind spot zone until the length has
been verified. You will see “Auto” in the
instrument panel cluster .
Max Mode
— When “Max Mode” is selected,
the system will default to the maximum blind
spot zone regardless of what size trailer is
attached .
NOTE:
Selected setting is stored when the ignition is
placed in the OFF position. To change this
setting, it must be selected through the Ucon -
nect Settings. Refer to “Uconnect Settings” in
“Multimedia” for further information.
Trailer Length Detection
Once the trailer presence has been established,
the trailer length will be established (by making
a 90 degree turn) and then the trailer length
category (e.g. 10-20 ft (3 m to 6 m)) will be
displayed. This can take up to 30 seconds after
completing the turn.
NOTE:
During the same ignition cycle, if the vehicle is
at a standstill for a minimum of 90 seconds, a
new “trailer detection request” is enabled by
the system once the vehicle resumes motion.
1 — Vehicle
2 — Trailer

20_DJD2_OM_EN_USC_t.book Page 158

160SAFETY
General Information
The following regulatory statement applies to all
Radio Frequency (RF) devices equipped in this
vehicle:
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC
Rules and with Innovation, Science and
Economic Development Canada license-exempt
RSS standard(s). Operation is subject to the
following two conditions:

1. This device may not cause harmful
interference, and

2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation. Le présent appareil est conforme aux CNR
d`Innovation, Science and Economic
Development applicables aux appareils radio
exempts de licence. L'exploitation est autorisée
aux deux conditions suivantes:

1. l'appareil ne doit pas produire de
brouillage, et

2. l'utilisateur de l'appareil doit accepter tout brouillage radioélectrique subi, même si le
brouillage est susceptible d'en compro -
mettre le fonctionnement.
La operación de este equipo está sujeta a las
siguientes dos condiciones:

1. es posible que este equipo o dispositivo no cause interferencia perjudicial y

2. este equipo o dispositivo debe aceptar cualquier interferencia, incluyendo la que
pueda causar su operación no deseada.
NOTE:
Changes or modifications not expressly
approved by the party responsible for compli -
ance could void the user’s authority to operate
the equipment.
FORWARD COLLISION WARNING (FCW)
W
ITH MITIGATION — IF EQUIPPED
The Forward Collision Warning (FCW) system
provides the driver with audible, visual warnings
(within the instrument cluster display), and may
apply a haptic warning in the form of a brake
jerk, to warn the driver when it detects a
potential frontal collision. The warnings 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 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 warn-
ings as well as a possible haptic warning in the
form of a brake jerk.
If the driver does not take action based upon
these progressive 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
WARNING!
The Blind Spot Monitoring system is only an
aid to help detect objects in the blind spot
zones. The BSM system is not designed to
detect pedestrians, bicyclists, or animals.
Even if your vehicle is equipped with the BSM
system, always check your vehicle’s mirrors,
glance over your shoulder, and use your turn
signal before changing lanes. Failure to do so
can result in serious injury or death.

20_DJD2_OM_EN_USC_t.book Page 160