Ram 3500 Chassis Cab 2019 Owner's Manual
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SAFETY 169
ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light And ESC 
OFF Indicator Light The  “ESC  Activation/Malfunction  Indicator  Light”
in the instrument cluster will come on when the igni -
tion is turned to the ON mode. It should go out with
the  engine  running.  If  the  “ESC  Activation/Malfunction
Indicator  Light”  comes  on  continuously  with  the  engine
running, a malfunction has been detected in the ESC system. If  this  light remains on  after  several  ignition  cycles, and  the
vehicle has been driven several miles (kilometers) at  speeds
greater than 30 mph (48 km/h), see  an  authorized  dealer as
soon  as  possible  to  have  the  problem  diagnosed  and
corrected.
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 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.
WARNING!
• In  the  ESC  “Full  Off”  mode,  the  engine  torque  reduc -
tion  and  stability  features  are  disabled.  Therefore,
enhanced vehicle stability offered by the ESC system is
unavailable.  In  an  emergency  evasive  maneuver,  the
ESC  system  will  not  engage  to  assist  in  maintaining
stability.  ESC  “Full  Off”  mode  is  intended  for
off-highway or off-road use only.
• The  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  all  accidents,
including  those  resulting  from  excessive  speed  in
turns,  driving  on  very  slippery  surfaces,  or  hydro -
planing. ESC also cannot prevent collisions.
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170 SAFETY
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 moni -
toring 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 occurring 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)  
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  automati
-
cally 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.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. 
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SAFETY 171
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.
Hill Descent Control (HDC) — If Equipped  
HDC  is  intended  for  low  speed  off  road  driving  while  in
4WD  Low  Range.  HDC  maintains  vehicle  speed  while
descending  hills  during  various  driving  situations.  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  activationconditions  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 4WD Low 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  acti -
vate.
• R = 0.6 mph (1 km/h)
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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172 SAFETY
• 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  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:
• 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. 
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SAFETY 173
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 4WD Low Range.
• The parking brake is applied.
• 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.
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.
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174 SAFETY
AUXILIARY DRIVING SYSTEMS
Forward Collision Warning (FCW) With Mitigation — If 
Equipped
The Forward Collision Warning (FCW) system with mitiga-
tion provides the driver with audible warnings, visual warn -
ings (within the instrument cluster display), and may apply
a  brake  jerk  to  warn  the  driver  when  it  detects  a  potential
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.
FCW Message 
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SAFETY 175
When  the  system  determines  a  collision  with  the  vehicle  in
front of you is no longer probable, the warning message will
be deactivated.
NOTE:
• The minimum speed for FCW activation is 3 mph (5 km/h).
• The  FCW  alerts  may  be  triggered  on  objects  other  thanvehicles  such  as  guard  rails  or  sign  posts  based  on  the
course prediction. This is expected and is a part of normal
FCW activation and functionality.
• It is unsafe to test the FCW system. To prevent such misuse of  the  system,  after  four  Active  Braking  events  within  a
key cycle, the Active Braking portion of FCW will be deac -
tivated until the next key cycle.
• The  FCW  system  is  intended  for  on-road  use  only.  If  the vehicle is taken off-road, the FCW system should be deac -
tivated to prevent unnecessary warnings to the surround -
ings. 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” in the Owner's Manual for further
information.
• Far
• When the sensitivity of FCW is set to the “Far” settingand  the  system  status  is  “Warning  and  Braking”,  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.WARNING!
Forward  Collision  Warning  (FCW)  is  not  intended  to
avoid  a  collision  on  its  own,  nor  can  FCW  detect  every
type  of  potential  collision.  The  driver  has  the
responsibility  to  avoid  a  collision  by  controlling  the
vehicle  via  braking  and  steering.  Failure  to  follow  this
warning could lead to serious injury or death.
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176 SAFETY
• Medium• When  the  sensitivity  of  FCW  is  set  to  the  “Medium”setting  and  the  system  status  is  “Warning  and
Braking”, this allows the system to warn the driver of a
possible  collision  with  the  vehicle  in  front  using
audible/visual warnings.
• Near • When the sensitivity of FCW is set to the “Near” settingand  the  system  status  is  “Warning  and  Braking”,  this
allows the system to warn the driver of a possible closer
collisions with the vehicle in front using audible/visual
warnings.
• This  setting  provides  less  reaction  time  than  the  “Far” and  “Medium”  settings,  which  allows  for  a  more
dynamic driving experience.
• More dynamic or aggressive drivers that want to avoid frequent warnings may prefer this setting. FCW Limited Warning
If the instrument cluster displays “ACC/FCW Limited Func
-
tionality” or “ACC/FCW Limited Functionality Clean Front
Windshield”  momentarily,  there  may  be  a  condition  that
limits  FCW  functionality.  Although  the  vehicle  is  still  driv -
able under normal conditions, the active braking may not be
fully  available.  Once  the  condition  that  limited  the  system
performance  is  no  longer  present,  the  system  will  return  to
its  full  performance  state.  If  the  problem  persists,  see  an
authorized dealer.
Service FCW Warning
If the system turns off, and the instrument cluster displays:
• ACC/FCW Unavailable Service Required
• Cruise/FCW Unavailable Service Required
This indicates there is an internal system fault. Although the
vehicle  is  still  drivable  under  normal  conditions,  have  the
system checked by an authorized dealer. 
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SAFETY 177
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
Industry Canada license-exempt RSS standard(s). Operation
is subject to the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful interference.
2. This  device  must  accept  any  interference  received,including  interference  that  may  cause  undesired  opera -
tion.
NOTE:
Changes  or  modifications  not  expressly  approved  by  the
party  responsible  for  compliance  could  void  the  user’s
authority to operate the equipment.
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)   
The  Tire  Pressure  Monitor  System  (TPMS)  will  warn  the
driver  of  a  low  tire  pressure  based  on  the  vehicle  recom -
mended cold placard pressure.
NOTE:
The  TPMS  Warning  Light  will  illuminate  in  the  instrument
cluster and  a chime  will  sound  when tire  pressure  is  low in one  or  more  of  the  four  active  road  tires.  In  addition,  the
instrument  cluster  will  display  a  graphic  showing  the  pres
-
sure values of each tire with the low tire pressure values in a
different  color,  or  the  Uconnect  radio  will  display  a  TPMS
message,  when  this  occurs  you  must  increase  the  tire  pres -
sure to the recommended cold placard pressure in order for
the TPMS Warning Light to turn off.
The  tire  pressure  will  vary with  temperature  by  about 1  psi
(7  kPa)  for  every  12°F  (6.5°C).  This  means  that  when  the
outside  temperature  decreases,  the  tire  pressure  will
decrease.  Tire  pressure  should  always  be  set  based  on  cold
inflation  tire  pressure.  This  is  defined  as  the  tire  pressure
after the vehicle has not been driven for at least three hours,
or driven less than 1 mile (1.6 km) after a three hour period.
The  cold  tire  inflation  pressure  must  not  exceed  the
maximum  inflation  pressure  molded  into  the  tire  sidewall.
Refer  to  “Tires”  in  “Servicing  And  Maintenance”  for  infor -
mation on how to properly inflate the vehicle’s tires. The tire
pressure  will  also  increase  as  the  vehicle  is  driven  -  this  is
normal and there should be no adjustment for this increased
pressure.
The  TPMS  will  warn  the  driver  of  a  low  tire  pressure  if  the
tire  pressure  falls  below  the  low-pressure  warning  limit  for
any  reason,  including  low  temperature  effects  and  natural
pressure loss through the tire.
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178 SAFETY
The TPMS will continue to warn the driver of low tire pres-
sure as long as the condition exists, and will not turn off until
the  tire  pressure  is  at  or  above  the  recommended  cold
placard pressure. Once the low TPMS Warning Light illumi -
nates,  you  must  increase  the  tire  pressure  to  the  recom -
mended  cold  placard  pressure  in  order  for  the  TPMS
Warning  Light  to  turn  off.  The  system  will  automatically
update  and  the  TPMS  Warning  Light  will  turn  off  once  the
system receives the updated tire pressures. 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.
NOTE:
When  filling  warm  tires,  the  tire  pressure  may  need  to  be
increased up to an additional 4 psi (28 kPa) above the recom -
mended  cold  placard  pressure  in  order  to  turn  the  TPMS
Warning Light off.
For  example,  your  vehicle  may  have  a  recommended  cold
(parked for more than three hours) placard pressure of 30 psi
(207 kPa). If the ambient temperature is 68°F (20°C) and the
measured  tire  pressure  is  27  psi  (186  kPa),  a  temperature
drop to 20°F (-7°C) will decrease the tire pressure to approx -
imately 23 psi (158 kPa). This tire pressure is sufficiently low
enough  to  turn  on  the  TPMS  Warning  Light.  Driving  the
vehicle  may  cause  the  tire  pressure to rise to approximately
27 psi (186 kPa), but the TPMS Warning Light will still be on. In this situation, the TPMS Warning Light will turn off only
after the tires are inflated to the vehicle’s recommended cold
placard pressure value.
CAUTION!
• The  TPMS  has  been  optimized  for  the  original  equip -
ment  tires  and  wheels.  TPMS  pressures  and  warning
have  been  established  for  the  tire  size  equipped  on
your  vehicle.  Undesirable  system  operation  or  sensor
damage may result when using replacement equipment
that  is  not  of  the  same  size,  type,  and/or  style.  After -
market wheels can cause sensor damage.
• Using aftermarket tire sealants may cause the Tire Pres -
sure  Monitoring  System  (TPMS)  sensor  to  become
inoperable. After using an aftermarket tire sealant it is
recommended  that  you  take  your  vehicle  to  an  autho -
rized dealership to have your sensor function checked.
• After  inspecting  or  adjusting  the  tire  pressure  always reinstall the valve stem cap. This will prevent moisture
and  dirt  from  entering  the  valve  stem,  which  could
damage the TPMS sensor.