2020 Ram 3500 steering

STARTING AND OPERATING265
case into 4WD LOW and proceed with
caution. You should use first gear and 4WD
LOW for very steep hills.
Driving Uphill – Once you have determined
your ability to proceed and have shifted into
the appropriate gear, line your vehicle up for
the straightest possible run. Accelerate with
an easy constant throttle and apply more
power as you start up the hill. Do not race
forward into a steep grade, the abrupt
change of grade could cause you to lose
control. If the front end begins to bounce,
ease off the throttle slightly to bring all four
tires back on the ground. As you approach
the crest of the hill ease off the throttle and
slowly proceed over the top. If the wheels
start to slip as you approach the crest of a
hill, ease off the accelerator and maintain
headway by turning the steering wheel no
more than a quarter turn quickly back and
forth. This will provide a fresh "bite" into the
surface and will usually provide enough trac -
tion to complete the climb. If you do not make
it to the top, place the vehicle in REVERSE
and back straight down the grade using
engine resistance along with the vehicle
brakes.
Driving Downhill – Before driving down a
steep hill you need to determine if it is too
steep for a safe descent. What is the surface
traction? Is the grade too steep to maintain a
slow controlled descent? Are there obsta -
cles? Is it a straight descent? Is there plenty
of distance at the base of the hill to regain
control if the vehicle descends too fast? If
you feel confident in your ability to proceed
then make sure you are in 4WD LOW with the
transmission in FIRST gear (manually select
FIRST gear on automatic transmissions) and
proceed with caution. Allow engine braking to
control the descent and apply your brakes if
necessary, but do not allow the tires to lock.
Driving Across An Incline – If at all possible
avoid driving across an incline. If it is neces -
sary, know your vehicle's abilities. Driving
across an incline places more weight on the
downhill wheels, which increases the possi -
bilities of a downhill slide or rollover. Make
sure the surface has good traction with firm
and stable soils. If possible transverse the
incline at an angle heading slightly up or
down.
WARNING!
Never attempt to climb a hill at an angle or
turn around on a steep grade. Driving across
an incline increases the risk of a roll over,
which may result in severe injury or death.
WARNING!

Do not descend a steep grade in NEUTRAL. Use
vehicle brakes in conjunction with engine
braking. Descending a grade too fast could
cause you to lose control and be seriously
injured or killed.

WARNING!
Driving across an incline increases the risk of
a rollover, which may result in severe injury.
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268STARTING AND OPERATING
VEHICLE RECOVERY
If you drive off-road, you may encounter a
situation where you will need to recover your
vehicle. Vehicle recovery should always be
given consideration before attempting a
questionable obstacle. You should never go
off-road driving without the ability to recover
your vehicle from a situation. Having another
vehicle with you usually works best for most
situations. The first thing to do is assess the
situation. Why are you stuck? Are you hung up
on something? Would it be easier to go forward
or to go backward? Can you still move the
vehicle? Is there an anchor point to winch to?
Are you alone or do you have another vehicle to
help? Is there high risk of vehicle damage
during the recovery process? Answering these
questions will help you determine the best
method of recovery. If you can still move the
vehicle slightly and the only issue is slick
ground, then rock cycling your vehicle would be
the first choice. If you have ample room, an
additional vehicle and there is low risk of
vehicle impact on the surroundings, then using
a tow strap to the vehicle tow hooks would be
fast and easy. If the vehicle is severely hung up or in a situation where great care needs to be
taken during the recovery, then nothing can do
the job better than a winch. If you are severely
hung up on something you should jack the
vehicle up and stack something under the
wheels to allow the vehicle to roll off the object
without causing further damage. This should be
tried before attempting any recovery method.
Rock Cycling Your Vehicle – Rock cycling your
vehicle is one of the easiest, fastest and
most commonly used methods. This simply
involves shifting your vehicle from DRIVE to
REVERSE, while applying throttle after each
shift. During this process, for additional trac
-
tion, try turning your steering wheel quickly
left and right no more than a quarter turn. If
you are stuck in mud, sand, or snow try spin -
ning your tires during this process to clean
the debris from the tread and improve the
traction. You want to create a rocking motion
with the vehicle. This helps build vehicle momentum, which hopefully gets you out.
Remember to ease off and on the accelerator
before and after the shift. If after a few rock
cycles your vehicle is not free, stop and try
another method of recovery. Continuous rock
cycling will only cause unnecessary damage
to your vehicle and the environment.Using The Tow Hooks With A Tow Strap
– Tow
straps are a quick and easy way to recover
your vehicle from minor situations if you have
a secondary vehicle which is not stuck. The
tow hooks on your vehicle are designed to
take the abusive force generated during
vehicle recovery. Do not use the bumper or
any other vehicle component as an attach -
ment point. Using tow straps requires coordi -
nation between the two drivers. Good
communication and line of sight are required
for a safe recovery. First connect the tow
strap to the correct attachment points on
both vehicles. There should be a least 20 to
CAUTION!
Pulling the vehicle off an obstacle, without
first clearing the object, may result in
additional underbody damage.
CAUTION!
Damage can occur when spinning your tires
at an excessive high speed. Do not spin your
tires faster than an indicated 30 mph
(48 km/h).

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270STARTING AND OPERATING
AFTER DRIVING OFF-ROAD
Off-road operation puts more stress on your
vehicle than does most on-road driving. After
going off-road, it is always a good idea to check
for damage. That way you can get any problems
taken care of right away and have your vehicle
ready when you need it.
Completely inspect the underbody of your
vehicle. Check tires, body structure, steering,
suspension, and exhaust system for damage.
Inspect the radiator for mud and debris and
clean as required.
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 application
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.

WARNING!
Winch cables are under high tension when in
use and can become a projectile if they fail.
Never stand over or straddle the winch cable.
Never jerk or overload the winch cable. Never
stand in front of the vehicle while winching.
Failure to follow these instructions can result
in serious or fatal injury.
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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280STARTING AND OPERATING
SPEED CONTROL
When engaged, the Speed Control takes over
accelerator operations at speeds greater than
20 mph (32 km/h), or 25 mph (40 km/h),
depending on the powertrain used.
The Speed Control buttons are located on the
right side of the steering wheel.

Speed Control Buttons

NOTE:
In order to ensure proper operation, the Speed
Control system has been designed to shut down if multiple speed control functions are operated
at the same time. If this occurs, the Speed
Control system can be reactivated by pushing
the Speed Control on/off button and resetting
the desired vehicle set speed.
TO ACTIVATE
Push the on/off button to activate the Speed
Control. The cruise indicator light in the
instrument cluster display will illuminate. To
turn the system off, push the on/off button a
second time. The cruise indicator light will turn
off. The system should be turned off when not in
use.
TO SET A DESIRED SPEED
Turn the Speed Control on. When the vehicle
has reached the desired speed, push the SET (-)
button and release. Release the accelerator and the vehicle will operate at the selected
speed.
NOTE:
The vehicle should be traveling at a steady
speed and on level ground before pushing the
SET (-) button.
TO VARY THE SPEED SETTING
To Increase Speed
When the Speed Control is set, you can increase
speed by pushing the RES (+) button.

The driver’s preferred units can be selected
through the instrument panel settings (if
equipped). Refer to “Getting To Know Your
Instrument Panel” for more information. The
speed increment shown is dependent on the
chosen speed unit of U.S. (mph) or Metric (km/h):

U.S. Speed (mph)

Pushing the RES (+) button once will result in
a 1 mph increase in set speed. Each subse -
quent tap of the button results in an increase
of 1 mph.
If the button is continually pushed, the set
speed will continue to increase until the
button is released, then the new set speed
will be established.
1 — On/Off Button
2 — RES (+)
3 — SET (-)
4 — CANCEL
WARNING!
Leaving the Speed Control system on when
not in use is dangerous. You could
accidentally set the system or cause it to go
faster than you want. You could lose control
and have an accident. Always leave the
system off when you are not using it.

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STARTING AND OPERATING283
(Continued)
ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL (ACC)
O
PERATION
The speed control buttons (located on the right
side of the steering wheel) operate the ACC
system.

Adaptive Cruise Control ButtonsCannot take street, traffic, and weather
conditions into account, and may be
limited upon adverse sight distance
conditions.
Does not always fully recognize complex
driving conditions, which can result in
wrong or missing distance warnings.
Will bring the vehicle to a complete stop
while following a target vehicle and hold
the vehicle for approximately two
seconds in the stop position. At this
point, there will be an “ACC may cancel
soon” chime and warning to the driver.
When ACC is cancelled, the system will
release the brakes and the driver must
take over braking. The system can be
resumed when the target vehicle drives
off by releasing the brake and pushing
the resume button on the steering
wheel.

WARNING! (Continued)
You should switch off the ACC system:
When driving in fog, heavy rain, heavy
snow, sleet, heavy traffic, and complex
driving situations (i.e., in highway construc -
tion zones).
When entering a turn lane or highway off
ramp; when driving on roads that are
winding, icy, snow-covered, slippery, or
have steep uphill or downhill slopes.
When towing a trailer up or down steep
slopes.
When circumstances do not allow safe
driving at a constant speed.
WARNING! (Continued)
1 — Adaptive Cruise Control On/Off Button
2 — Distance Button
3 — RES (+)
4 — SET (-)
5 — CANCEL
6 — Normal (Fixed Speed) Cruise Control On/Off
Button
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288STARTING AND OPERATING
The system automatically defaults to the
longest distance setting. To decrease the
distance setting, push the Distance Button and
release. Each time the button is pushed, the
distance setting decreases by one bar. Once the
shortest setting is reached, if the button is
pushed again it will reset to the default setting
(longest).
If there is no vehicle ahead, the vehicle will
maintain the set speed. If a slower moving
vehicle is detected in the same lane, the
instrument cluster displays the ACC Set With
Target Indicator Light, and the system adjusts
vehicle speed automatically to maintain the
distance setting, regardless of the set speed.
The vehicle will then maintain the set distance
until:
The vehicle ahead accelerates to a speed
above the set speed.
The vehicle ahead moves out of your lane or
view of the sensor.
The distance setting is changed.
The system disengages. (Refer to “Activating
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)” in this
chapter. The maximum braking applied by ACC is limited;
however, the driver can always apply the brakes
manually, if necessary.
NOTE:
The brake lights will illuminate whenever the
ACC system applies the brakes.
A Proximity Warning will alert the driver if ACC
predicts that its maximum braking level is not
sufficient to maintain the set distance. If this
occurs, a visual alert “BRAKE” will flash in the
instrument cluster display and a chime will
sound while ACC continues to apply its
maximum braking capacity.

Brake Alert
NOTE:
The “BRAKE!” Screen in the instrument cluster
display is a warning for the driver to take action
and does not necessarily mean that the
Forward Collision Warning system is applying
the brakes autonomously.
Trailer Detect — If Equipped

When a trailer is detected, the ACC system
automatically defaults to the longest setting (four
bars). The setting can be overridden by pushing
the Distance Button on the steering wheel.

OVERTAKE AID
When driving with ACC engaged and following a
vehicle, the system will provide an additional
acceleration up to the ACC set speed to assist in
passing the vehicle. This additional acceleration
is triggered when the driver utilizes the left turn
signal and will only be active when passing on
the left hand side.

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STARTING AND OPERATING289
ACC OPERATION AT STOP
If your ACC system brings your vehicle to a
standstill while following a vehicle ahead, your
vehicle will resume motion, without any driver
interaction, if the vehicle ahead starts moving
within two seconds.
If the target vehicle does not start moving within
two seconds of your vehicle coming to a
standstill, then ACC will cancel and the driver
must take over braking. When the target vehicle
drives off, ACC can be resumed by releasing the
brake and pushing the RES (+) button.
NOTE:
After the ACC system holds your vehicle at a
standstill for approximately two seconds, a
chime will sound and an “ACC may cancel soon”
warning will display. The brakes will release
when ACC is canceled and the driver must take
over braking.
While ACC is holding your vehicle at a standstill,
if the driver seat belt is unbuckled or the driver
door is opened, the ACC system will cancel and
the brakes will release. Driver intervention will
be required at this moment.
ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL (ACC)
M
ENU
The instrument cluster display will show the
current ACC system settings. The instrument
cluster display is located in the center of the
instrument cluster. The information it displays
depends on ACC system status.
Push the Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) on/off
button (located on the steering wheel) until one
of the following appears in the instrument
cluster display:
Adaptive Cruise Control Off
When ACC is deactivated, the display will read
“Adaptive Cruise Control Off.” Adaptive Cruise Control Ready
When ACC is activated, but the vehicle speed
setting has not been selected, the display will
read “Adaptive Cruise Control Ready.”
Adaptive Cruise Control Set
When the RES (+) or the SET(-) button (located
on the steering wheel) is pushed, the display will
read “ACC SET.”
When ACC is set, the set speed will show in the
instrument cluster display.
The ACC screen may display once again if any of
the following ACC activity occurs:
System Cancel
Driver Override
System Off
ACC Proximity Warning
ACC Unavailable Warning
The instrument cluster display will return to
the last display selected after five seconds of
no ACC display activity.
WARNING!
When the ACC system is resumed, the driver
must ensure that there are no pedestrians,
vehicles or objects in the path of the vehicle.
Failure to follow these warnings can result in
a collision and death or serious personal
injury.
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STARTING AND OPERATING307
applied turn signal (if the left turn signal is
applied and the vehicle departs to the right), the
LaneSense system provides a haptic warning in
the form of torque applied to the steering wheel
to prompt the driver to remain within the lane
boundaries. The LaneSense system will also
provide a visual warning through the instrument
cluster display to prompt the driver to remain
within the lane boundaries.
The driver may manually override the haptic
warning by applying torque into the steering
wheel at any time.
When only a single lane marking is detected
and the driver unintentionally drifts across that
lane marking (no turn signal applied), the
LaneSense system provides a visual warning
through the instrument cluster display to
prompt the driver to remain within the lane.
When only a single lane marking is detected, a
haptic (torque) warning will not be provided.
NOTE:
When operating conditions have been met, the
LaneSense system will monitor if the driver’s
hands are on the steering wheel and provides
an audible and visual warning to the driver when the driver’s hands are not detected on the
steering wheel. The system will cancel if the
driver does not return their hands to the wheel.
TURNING LANESENSE ON OR OFF
The LaneSense button is located on
the switch panel below the Uconnect
display.
NOTE:
If your vehicle is equipped with a 12–inch Ucon -
nect Display screen, the LaneSense button is
located above the display.
To turn the LaneSense system on, push the
LaneSense button (LED turns off). A
“LaneSense On” message is shown in the
instrument cluster display.

Lane Sense On Message
To turn the LaneSense system off, push the
LaneSense button again (LED turns on).
NOTE:

The LaneSense system will retain the last system
state (on or off) from the last ignition cycle when
the ignition is placed in the ON/RUN position.

LANESENSE WARNING MESSAGE
The LaneSense system will indicate the current
lane drift condition through the instrument
cluster display.
When the LaneSense system is on, the lane
lines are gray when both of the lane boundaries
have not been detected and the LaneSense
telltale is solid white.

System ON (Gray Lines) With White Telltale

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