Ram 1500 2011 Owner's Manual

audible warnings to indicate the distance between the
rear fascia/bumper and the detected obstacle.ParkSenseDisplay
When the vehicle is in REVERSE, the warning display
will turn ON indicating the system status.
Rear ParkSense Display
Park Assist System On
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 139

The system will indicate a detected obstacle by showing
three solid arcs and will produce a one-half second tone.
As the vehicle moves closer to the object the EVIC
display will show fewer arcs and the sound tone will
change from slow, to fast, to continuous.
Park Assist System OffSlow Tone
140 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

The vehicle is close to the obstacle when the EVIC display
shows one flashing arc and sounds a continuous tone.
The following chart shows the warning alert operation
when the system is detecting an obstacle:
Fast ToneContinuous Tone
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 141

WARNING ALERTS
Rear Distance (in/cm) Greater than
79 in (200 cm) 79-39 in
(200-100 cm) 39-25 in
(100-65 cm) 25-12 in
(65-30 cm) Less than
12 in (30 cm)
Audible Alert Chime None
Single 1/2
Second Tone Slow
FastContinuous
Display Message Park Assist ON Warning Object DetectedWarning Object
Detected Warning Object
Detected Warning Object
Detected
Arcs None3 Solid
(Continuous) 3 Slow
Flashing 2 Slow
Flashing 1 Slow
Flashing
Radio Mute NoYes YesYesYes
NOTE: ParkSense will MUTE the radio, if on, when
the system is sounding an audio tone.
Enabling And Disabling ParkSense 
ParkSensecan be enabled and disabled with a switch
located in the switch bank of the instrument panel or
through the Customer-Programmable Features section of
the EVIC. The available choices are: OFF, Sound Only, or Sound and Display. Refer to “Electronic Vehicle Informa-
tion Center (EVIC)/Personal Settings (Customer-
Programmable Features)” in “Understanding Your In-
strument Panel” for further information.
When the ParkSense switch is pressed to
disable the system, the instrument cluster will
display the “PARK ASSIST OFF” message for
142 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

approximately five seconds. Refer to “Electronic Vehicle
Information Center (EVIC)” in “Understanding Your
Instrument Panel” for further information. When the
shift lever is moved to REVERSE and the system is
disabled, the EVIC will display the “PARK ASSIST OFF”
message for as long as the vehicle is in REVERSE.
The ParkSenseswitch LED will be ON when Park-
Sense is disabled or defective. The ParkSense switch
LED will be OFF when the system is enabled.
The ParkSense system uses four sensors located in the
rear bumper fascia to scan for obstacles up to 79 in
(200 cm) away from the rear bumper fascia. The warning
display located above in the Instrument Cluster ’s EVIC
provides both visual and audible warnings to indicate
the range of the object.
Service The ParkSense Rear Park Assist System
When the ParkSenseRear Park Assist System is mal-
functioning, the instrument cluster will actuate a single chime, once per ignition cycle, and it will display the
“CLEAN PARK ASSIST SENSORS” or the “SERVICE
PARK ASSIST SYSTEM” message. Refer to “Electronic
Vehicle Information Center (EVIC)” in “Understanding
Your Instrument Panel” for further information. When
the shift lever is moved to REVERSE and the system has
detected a faulted condition, the EVIC will display the
“CLEAN PARK ASSIST SENSORS” or the “SERVICE
PARK ASSIST SYSTEM” message for as long as the
vehicle is in REVERSE. Under this condition, ParkSense
will not operate.
If “CLEAN PARK ASSIST SENSORS” appears in the
Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) and the
rear fascia/bumper is clean and clear of snow, ice, mud,
dirt or other obstruction, see your authorized dealer.
If “SERVICE PARK ASSIST SYSTEM” appears in the
EVIC, see your authorized dealer.
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 143

Cleaning The ParkSenseSystem
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 dam-
age the sensors.
ParkSense System Usage Precautions
NOTE:
•Ensure that the rear bumper is free of snow, ice, mud,
dirt and debris to keep the ParkSense system operat-
ing properly.
•Jackhammers, large trucks, and other vibrations could
affect the performance of ParkSense.
•When you turn ParkSense off, the instrument cluster
will display “PARK ASSIST OFF.” Furthermore, once
you turn ParkSense off, it remains off until you turn
it on again, even if you cycle the ignition key.
•When you move the shift lever to the REVERSE
position and ParkSense is turned off, the instrument
cluster will display “PARK ASSIST OFF” message for
as long as the vehicle is in REVERSE.
•ParkSense, when on, will MUTE 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
properly. 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.
•Objects such as bicycle carriers, trailer hitches, etc.,
must not be placed within 12 in (30 cm) from the rear
fascia/bumper while driving the vehicle. Failure to do
so can result in the system misinterpreting a close
144 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

object as a sensor problem, causing the “SERVICE
PARK ASSIST SYSTEM” message to be displayed in
the instrument cluster.
•On vehicles equipped with a tailgate, ParkSense
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.
CAUTION!
•ParkSense is only a parking aid and it is unable
to recognize every obstacle, including small ob-
stacles. Parking curbs might be temporarily de-
tected or not detected at all. Obstacles located
above or below the sensors will not be detected
when they are in close proximity.
(Continued)
CAUTION! (Continued)
•The vehicle must be driven slowly when using
ParkSensein order to be able to stop in time
when an obstacle is detected. It is recommended
that the driver looks over his/her shoulder when
using ParkSense.
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 145

WARNING!
•Drivers must be careful when backing up even
when using the ParkSenseRear Park Assist Sys-
tem. Always check carefully behind your vehicle,
look behind you, and be sure to check for pedes-
trians, 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.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Before using the ParkSenseRear Park Assist
System, 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 warning display turns on the
single flashing arc and 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 indication that an obstacle is
behind the vehicle.
146 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

PARKVIEWREAR BACK UP CAMERA — IF
EQUIPPED
Your vehicle may be equipped with the ParkView Rear
Back Up Camera that allows you to see an on-screen
image of the rear surroundings of your vehicle whenever
the shift lever is put into REVERSE. The image will be
displayed on the Navigation/Multimedia radio display
screen along with a caution note to “check entire sur-
roundings” across the top of the screen. After five sec-
onds this note will disappear. The ParkView camera is
located to the left of the tailgate handle.
When the vehicle is shifted out of REVERSE, the rear
camera mode is exited and the navigation or audio screen
appears again. When displayed, static grid lines will illustrate the width
of the vehicle while a dashed center-line will indicate the
center of the vehicle to assist with aligning to a hitch/
receiver. The static grid lines will show separate zones
that will help indicate the distance to the rear of the
vehicle. The following table shows the approximate
distances for each zone:
Zones
Distance to the rear of
the vehicle
Red 0 - 1 ft (0 - 30 cm)
Yellow 1 ft - 3 ft (30 cm - 1 m)
Green 3 ft or greater (1 m or
greater)
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 147

WARNING!
Drivers must be careful when backing up even when
using the ParkViewRear Back Up Camera. Always
check carefully behind your vehicle, and be sure to
check for pedestrians, animals, other vehicles, ob-
structions, or blind spots before backing up. You are
responsible for the safety of your surroundings and
must continue to pay attention while backing up.
Failure to do so can result in serious injury or death.
CAUTION!
•To avoid vehicle damage, ParkView should only
be used as a parking aid. The ParkView camera is
unable to view every obstacle or object in your
drive path.
•To avoid vehicle damage, the vehicle must be
driven slowly when using ParkView to be able to
stop in time when an obstacle is seen. It is recom-
mended that the driver look frequently over his/
her shoulder when using ParkView.
NOTE: If snow, ice, mud, or any foreign substance
builds up on the camera lens, clean the lens, rinse with
water, and dry with a soft cloth. Do not cover the lens.
148 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE