2020 Ram 4500 Chassis Cab Trailer

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL111
If the light continues to flash when the vehicle is
running, immediate service is required and you
may experience reduced performance, an
elevated/rough idle, or engine stall and your
vehicle may require towing. The light will come
on when the ignition is placed in the ON/RUN or
ACC/ON/RUN position and remain on briefly as
a bulb check. If the light does not come on
during starting, have the system checked by an
authorized dealer.
Electric Power Steering Fault Warning Light
This warning light will turn on when
there's a fault with the Electric Power
Steering (EPS) system. Refer to
“Power Steering” in “Starting And
Operating” for further information.
Trailer Brake Disconnected Warning Light
This warning light will illuminate when
the Trailer Brake has been discon -
nected.
Refer to “Trailer Towing” in “Starting And Oper -
ating” for further information.
Transmission Temperature Warning Light — If
Equipped
This warning light will illuminate to
warn of a high transmission fluid
temperature. This may occur with
strenuous usage such as trailer
towing. If this light turns on, stop the vehicle and
run the engine at idle or slightly faster, with the
transmission in PARK or NEUTRAL, until the
light turns off. Once the light turns off, you may
continue to drive normally.
Door Open Warning Light
This indicator will illuminate when a
door is ajar/open and not fully closed.
NOTE:
If the vehicle is moving there will also be a single
chime.
Yellow Warning Lights
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) Fault Warning
Light — If Equipped
This warning light will illuminate to
indicate a fault in the ACC system.
Contact a local authorized dealer for
service.
For further information, refer to “Adaptive
Cruise Control (ACC)” in “Starting And Oper -
ating.”
WARNING!
Continued operation with reduced assist
could pose a safety risk to yourself and
others. Service should be obtained as soon
as possible.WARNING!
If you continue operating the vehicle when
the Transmission Temperature Warning Light
is illuminated you could cause the fluid to boil
over, come in contact with hot engine or
exhaust components and cause a fire.
CAUTION!
Continuous driving with the Transmission
Temperature Warning Light illuminated will
eventually cause severe transmission
damage or transmission failure.
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GETTING TO KNOW YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL115
Speed Control Fault Warning Light
This warning light will illuminate to
indicate the Speed Control System
is not functioning properly and
service is required. Contact an
authorized dealer.
Yellow Indicator Lights
Forward Collision Warning Off Indicator Light
— If Equipped
This indicator light illuminates to indi -
cate that Forward Collision Warning is
off.
Refer to “Auxiliary Driving Systems” in “Safety”
for further information.
TOW/HAUL Indicator Light
This indicator light will illuminate
when TOW/HAUL mode is selected.
Refer to “Automatic Transmission” in “Starting
And Operating” for further information.
Trailer Merge Assist Indicator Light — If
Equipped
This indicator light will illuminate to
indicate when Trailer Merge Assist
has been activated.
Cargo Light — If Equipped
This indicator light will illuminate
when the cargo light is activated by
pushing the cargo light button on the
headlight switch.
Snowplow Mode Indicator Light — If Equipped
This indicator light will illuminate
when Snowplow Mode has been acti -
vated.
Refer to “Snowplow” in “Starting And Oper -
ating” for further information.
4WD Lock Indicator Light
This light alerts the driver that the
vehicle is in the four-wheel drive LOCK
mode. The front and rear driveshafts
are mechanically locked together, forcing the front and rear wheels to rotate at the
same speed.
Refer to “Four-Wheel Drive Operation” in
“Starting And Operating” for further information
on four-wheel drive operation and proper use.
4WD Low Indicator Light — If Equipped
This light alerts the driver that the
vehicle is in the four-wheel drive LOW
mode. The front and rear driveshafts
are mechanically locked together
forcing the front and rear wheels to rotate at the
same speed. Low range provides a greater gear
reduction ratio to provide increased torque at
the wheels.
Refer to “Four-Wheel Drive Operation — If
Equipped” in “Starting And Operating” for
further information on four-wheel drive opera -
tion and proper use.
4WD High Indicator Light — If Equipped
This light alerts the driver that the
vehicle is in the four-wheel drive HIGH
mode. The front and rear driveshafts
are mechanically locked together
forcing the front and rear wheels to rotate at the
same speed.
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SAFETY121
ABS is designed to function with the Original
Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) tires. Modifica -
tion may result in degraded ABS performance.
Anti-Lock Brake Warning Light
The yellow “Anti-Lock Brake Warning Light” will
turn on when the ignition is placed in the ON/
RUN mode and may stay on for as long as four
seconds.
If the “Anti-Lock Brake Warning Light” remains
on or comes on while driving, it indicates that
the anti-lock portion of the brake system is not
functioning and that service is required.
However, the conventional brake system will
continue to operate normally if the “Anti-Lock
Brake Warning Light” is on.
If the “Anti-Lock Brake Warning Light” is on, the
brake system should be serviced as soon as
possible to restore the benefits of anti-lock
brakes. If the “Anti-Lock Brake 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 Control (EBC) System
Your vehicle is equipped with an advanced Elec -
tronic Brake Control (EBC) system. This system
includes Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), Brake
Assist System (BAS), Hill Start Assist (HSA),
Traction Control System (TCS), Electronic
Stability Control (ESC), and Electronic Roll Miti
-
gation (ERM). These systems work together to
enhance both vehicle stability and control in
various driving conditions.
Your vehicle may also be equipped with Trailer
Sway Control (TSC) and Hill Descent Control
(HDC).
Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD)
Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD)
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 ABS before the front axle.
Brake System Warning Light
The red “Brake System Warning Light” will turn
on when the ignition is placed in the ON/RUN
mode and may stay on for as long as four
seconds. 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.
Brake Assist System (BAS)
The Brake Assist System (BAS) is designed to
optimize the vehicle’s braking capability during
emergency braking maneuvers. The system
detects an emergency braking situation by
sensing the rate and amount of brake applica
-
tion and then applies optimum pressure to the
brakes. This can help reduce braking distances.
The BAS complements the Anti-Lock Brake
System (ABS). Applying the brakes very quickly
results in the best BAS assistance. To receive
the benefit of the system, you must apply
continuous braking pressure during the stop-
ping sequence, (do not “pump” the brakes). Do
not reduce brake pedal pressure unless braking
is no longer desired. Once the brake pedal is
released, the BAS is deactivated.4

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122SAFETY
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 pres -
sure 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 gear).
HSA will work in REVERSE gear and all
forward gears. The system will not activate if
the transmission is in PARK or NEUTRAL. For
vehicles equipped with a manual transmis
-
sion, if the clutch is pressed, HSA will remain
active.
WARNING!
The Brake Assist System (BAS) cannot
prevent the natural laws of physics from
acting on the vehicle, nor can it increase the
traction afforded by prevailing road
conditions. BAS cannot prevent collisions,
including those resulting from excessive
speed in turns, driving on very slippery
surfaces, or hydroplaning. The capabilities of
a BAS-equipped vehicle must never be
exploited in a reckless or dangerous manner,
which could jeopardize the user's safety or
the safety of others.
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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SAFETY123
Towing With HSA
HSA will also provide assistance to mitigate 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 “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 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.
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 pres -
sure 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 acti -
vate 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.
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SAFETY125
ESC Operating Modes
NOTE:
Depending upon model and mode of operation,
the ESC system may have multiple operating
modes.
ESC On
This is the normal operating mode for the ESC.
Whenever the vehicle is started, the ESC system
will be in this mode. This mode should be used
for most driving conditions. Alternate ESC
modes should only be used for specific reasons
as noted in the following paragraphs.
Partial Off
The “Partial Off” mode is intended for times
when a more spirited driving experience is
desired. This mode may modify TCS and ESC
thresholds for activation, which allows for more
wheel spin than normally allowed. This mode
may be useful if the vehicle becomes stuck.
To enter the “Partial Off” mode, momentarily
push the “ESC OFF” switch and the “ESC OFF
Indicator Light” will illuminate. To turn the ESC
on again, momentarily push the “ESC OFF”
switch and the “ESC OFF Indicator Light” will
turn off. NOTE:
For vehicles with multiple partial ESC modes a
momentary button push will toggle the ESC
mode. Multiple momentary button pushes may
be required to return to ESC On.Vehicle modifications, or failure to properly
maintain your vehicle, may change the
handling characteristics of your vehicle,
and may negatively affect the performance
of the ESC system. Changes to the steering
system, suspension, braking system, tire
type and size or wheel size may adversely
affect ESC performance. Improperly
inflated and unevenly worn tires may also
degrade ESC performance. Any vehicle
modification or poor vehicle maintenance
that reduces the effectiveness of the ESC
system can increase the risk of loss of
vehicle control, vehicle rollover, personal
injury and death.
WARNING!
(Continued)
WARNING!
When in “Partial Off” mode, the TCS func -
tionality 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.
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SAFETY127
NOTE:
The “ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator
Light” and the “ESC OFF Indicator Light”
come on momentarily each time the ignition
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” indi -
cates the customer has elected to
have the Electronic Stability Control
(ESC) in a reduced mode.
Electronic Roll Mitigation (ERM)
Electronic Roll Mitigation (ERM) anticipates the
potential for wheel lift by monitoring the driver’s
steering wheel input and the speed of the
vehicle. When 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 occur
-
ring during severe or evasive driving maneu -
vers; 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.
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.
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.
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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136SAFETY
Vehicles With Non Matching Full Size Spare Or
Compact Spare
The non matching full size spare or compact
spare tire does not have a TPM sensor.
Therefore, the TPMS will not monitor the
pressure in the non matching full size spare
or compact spare tire.
If you install the non matching full size spare
or compact spare tire in place of a road tire
that has a pressure below the low-pressure
warning limit, upon the next ignition switch
cycle, the TPMS Warning Light and a “LOW
TIRE” message will remain on and a chime
will sound. In addition, the graphic in the
instrument cluster will still display a pressure
value in a different color and an “Inflate to
XX” message.
After driving the vehicle for up to 20 minutes
above 15 mph (24 km/h), the TPMS Warning
Light will flash on and off for 75 seconds and
then remain on solid. In addition, the instru -
ment cluster will display a "SERVICE TPM
SYSTEM" message for a minimum of five
seconds and then display dashes (- -) in place
of the pressure value.
For each subsequent ignition switch cycle, a
chime will sound, the TPMS Warning Light will
flash on and off for 75 seconds and then
remain on solid, and the instrument cluster
will display a "SERVICE TPM SYSTEM"
message for a minimum of five seconds and
then display dashes (- -) in place of the pres -
sure value.
Once you repair or replace the original road
tire and reinstall it on the vehicle in place of
the non matching full size spare or compact
spare, the TPMS will update automatically. In
addition, the TPMS Warning Light will turn off
and the graphic in the instrument cluster will
display a new pressure value instead of
dashes (- -), as long as no tire pressure is
below the low-pressure warning limit in any of
the four active road tires. The vehicle may
need to be driven for up to 20 minutes above
15 mph (24 km/h) in order for the TPMS to
receive this information.
Trailer Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TTPMS)
The Trailer Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TTPMS) is a feature that will display the trailer
tire pressure values and warn the driver of a low
trailer tire pressure, based on the drivers set target tire pressure value, through TTPMS
settings found in the radio.
The TTPMS monitors the pressure of each tire
and warns the driver, through the instrument
cluster, when either a low tire pressure condi
-
tion or system malfunction condition exists. The
instrument cluster will display the actual tire
pressure or dashes for each of the trailer tires in
the correct trailer position, based on trailer
configuration. The TTPMS system can support
up to 12 trailer tires per configured trailer on up
to four configurable trailers. Refer to “Uconnect
Settings” in “Multimedia” for further informa -
tion.

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