Ram 1500 2014 Owner's Manual

REVERSE and the system has detected a faulted condi-
tion, the EVIC will display thePARKSENSE UNAVAIL-
ABLE WIPE REAR SENSORS or thePARKSENSE UN-
AVAILABLE SERVICE REQUIRED message for as long
as the vehicle is in REVERSE. Under this condition,
ParkSense® will not operate.
If PARKSENSE UNAVAILABLE WIPE REAR SENSORS
appears in the Electronic Vehicle Information Center
(EVIC) make sure the outer surface and the underside of
the rear fascia/bumper is clean and clear of snow, ice,
mud, dirt or other obstruction, and then cycle the igni-
tion. If the message continues to appear, see an autho-
rized dealer.
If PARKSENSE UNAVAILABLE SERVICE REQUIRED
appears in the EVIC, see your authorized dealer.Cleaning The ParkSense® System
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 oper-
ating properly.
• Jackhammers, large trucks, and other vibrations could
affect the performance of ParkSense® .
• When you turn ParkSense® off, the instrument cluster
will display PARKSENSE OFF. Furthermore, once
you turn ParkSense® off, it remains off until you turn
it on again, even if you cycle the ignition key.
3
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 199

•When you move the shift lever to the REVERSE
position and ParkSense® is turned off, the instrument
cluster will display PARKSENSE OFF message for as
long as the vehicle is in REVERSE.
• ParkSense®, when on, will reduce the volume of 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.
• Ensure the ParkSense® system is OFF if objects such as
bicycle carriers, trailer hitches, etc., are placed within
18 in (45 cm) from the rear fascia/bumper while
driving the vehicle. Failure to do so can result in the system misinterpreting a close obstacle as a sensor
problem, causing the
PARKSENSE UNAVAILABLE
SERVICE REQUIRED 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 obstacles.
Parking curbs might be temporarily detected or not
detected at all. Obstacles located above or below
the sensors will not be detected when they are in
close proximity.
(Continued)
200 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

CAUTION!(Continued)
•The vehicle must be driven slowly when using
ParkSense® in 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®.
WARNING!
• Drivers must be careful when backing up even
when using ParkSense®. Always check carefully
behind your vehicle, look behind you, and be sure
to check for pedestrians, 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 ParkSense®, it is strongly recom-
mended that the ball mount and hitch ball assem-
bly 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 loudspeaker
sounds the continuous tone. Also, the sensors
could detect the ball mount and hitch ball assem-
bly, depending on its size and shape, giving a false
indication that an obstacle is behind the vehicle.
3
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 201

PARKSENSE® FRONT AND REAR PARK ASSIST
— IF EQUIPPED
The ParkSense® Park Assist system provides visual and
audible indications of the distance between the rear
and/or front fascia and a detected obstacle when backing
up or moving forward, e.g. during a parking maneuver.
Refer to ParkSense® System Usage Precautions for limi-
tations of this system and recommendations.
ParkSense® will retain the last system state (enabled or
disabled) from the last ignition cycle when the ignition is
changed to the ON/RUN position.
ParkSense® can be active only when the shift lever is in
REVERSE or DRIVE. If ParkSense® is enabled at one of
these shift lever positions, the system will remain active
until the vehicle speed is increased to approximately
7 mph (11 km/h) or above. A display warning will
appear in the EVIC indicating the vehicle is aboveParkSense® operating speed. The system will become
active again if the vehicle speed is decreased to speeds
less than approximately 6 mph (9 km/h).
ParkSense® Sensors
The four ParkSense® sensors, located in the rear fascia/
bumper, monitor the area behind the vehicle that is
within the sensors’ field of view. The sensors can detect
obstacles from approximately 18 in (45 cm) up to 79 in
(200 cm) from the rear fascia/bumper in the horizontal
direction, depending on the location, type and orienta-
tion of the obstacle.
The six ParkSense® sensors, located in the front fascia/
bumper, monitor the area in front of the vehicle that is
within the sensors’ field of view. The sensors can detect
obstacles from approximately 12 in (30 cm) up to 47 in
(120 cm) from the front fascia/bumper in the horizontal
direction, depending on the location, type and orienta-
tion of the obstacle.
202 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

ParkSense® Warning Display
The ParkSense® Warning screen is located within the
Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC). It provides
visual warnings to indicate the distance between the rear
fascia/bumper and/or front fascia/bumper and the de-
tected obstacle. Refer to “Electronic Vehicle Information
Center (EVIC)/Settings” in Understanding Your Instru-
ment Panel” for further information.
The ParkSense® Warning screen will only be displayed if
Sound and Display is selected.
NOTE:If your vehicle is equipped with a touchscreen,
this feature can be programmed through the Uconnect®
system. Refer to “Uconnect® Settings” in “Understand-
ing Your Instrument Panel” for further information.
If your vehicle is not equipped with a touchscreen, this
feature can be programmed through the Electronic Ve-
hicle Information Center (EVIC). Refer to “Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC)” in “Understanding
Your Instrument Panel” for further information.
ParkSense® Display
The warning display will turn ON indicating the system
status when the vehicle is in REVERSE or when the
vehicle is in DRIVE and an obstacle has been detected.
The system will indicate a detected obstacle by showing
a single arc in the left and/or right rear regions based on
the obstacle’s distance and location relative to the vehicle.
If an obstacle is detected in the left and/or right rear
region, the display will show a single arc in the left
and/or right rear region and the system will produce a
tone. As the vehicle moves closer to the obstacle, the
display will show the single arc moving closer to the
vehicle and the tone will change from a single 1/2 second
tone to slow, to fast, to continuous.
3
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 203

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:
WARNING ALERTS
Rear Distance (in/cm) Greater than 79
in (200 cm) 79-45 in
(200-115 cm) 45-31 in
(115-80 cm) 31-18 in
(80-45 cm) Less than 18 in
(45 cm)
Front Distance (in/cm) Greater than 47
in (120 cm) 47-39 in
(120-100 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
(for rear only) Slow (for rear
only) Fast
Continuous
Arcs None4th Solid 3rd Solid 2nd Flashing 1st Flashing
Radio Volume Reduced No
Yes YesYes Yes
NOTE: ParkSense® will reduce the volume of the radio,
if on, when the system is sounding an audio tone.
204 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

Front Park Assist Audible Alerts
ParkSense® will turn off the Front Park Assist audible
alert (chime) after approximately three seconds when an
obstacle has been detected, the vehicle is stationary, and
brake pedal is applied.
Adjustable Chime Volume Settings
Front and Rear chime volume settings can be selected
from the EVIC or Uconnect® System — if equipped.
If Uconnect® System is equipped, chime volume settings
will not be accessible from the EVIC.
The chime volume settings include LOW, MEDIUM, and
HIGH. The factory default volume setting is MEDIUM.
ParkSense® will retain its last known configuration state
through ignition cycles.Enabling And Disabling Front And/Or Rear
ParkSense®
Front ParkSense® can be enabled and disabled with the
Front ParkSense® switch.
Rear ParkSense® can be enabled and disabled with the
Rear ParkSense® switch.When the Front or Rear ParkSense® switch is
pressed to disable the system, the instrument
cluster will display the “PARKSENSE OFF”
message for approximately five seconds. Refer
to “Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC)” in
“Understanding Your Instrument Panel” for further
information.
3
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 205

When the shift lever is moved to REVERSE and the Front
or Rear system is disabled, the EVIC will display the
FRONT PARKSENSE OFForREAR PARKSENSE OFF
message for five seconds, followed by a car graphic with
OFF in the corresponding side. This car graphic will be
displayed for as long as the vehicle is in REVERSE.
NOTE: Arc alerts from the enabled ParkSense® system,
will interrupt the five second messages, and the EVIC
will display the car graphic with the corresponding arcs
and OFF message.
The Front or Rear ParkSense® switch LED will be ON
when Front or Rear ParkSense® is disabled or requires
service. The Front or Rear ParkSense® switch LED will
be OFF when the Front or Rear system is enabled. If the
Front or Rear ParkSense® switch is pressed, and the
system requires service, the Front or Rear ParkSense®
switch LED will blink momentarily, and then the LED
will be ON.Service The ParkSense® Park Assist System
During vehicle start up, when the ParkSense® System
has detected a faulted condition, the instrument cluster
will actuate a single chime, once per ignition cycle, and it
will display the PARKSENSE UNAVAILABLE WIPE
REAR SENSORS, PARKSENSE UNAVAILABLE WIPE
FRONT SENSORS,orthePARKSENSE UNAVAIL-
ABLE SERVICE REQUIRED message for five seconds.
When the shift lever is moved to Reverse and the system
has detected a faulted condition, the EVIC will display a
PARKSENSE UNAVAILABLE WIPE REAR SENSORS ,
PARKSENSE UNAVAILABLE WIPE FRONT SENSORS 
or PARKSENSE UNAVAILABLE SERVICE REQUIRED
pop up message for five seconds. After five seconds, a car
graphic will be displayed with UNAVAILABLEat ei-
ther the front or rear sensor location depending on where
the fault is detected. The system will continue to provide
arc alerts for the side that is functioning properly. These
206 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

arc alerts will interrupt thePARKSENSE UNAVAIL-
ABLE WIPE REAR SENSORS, PARKSENSE UNAVAIL-
ABLE WIPE FRONT SENSORS,orPARKSENSE UN-
AVAILABLE SERVICE REQUIRED messages if an object
is detected within the five second pop-up duration. The
car graphic will remain displayed for as long as the
vehicle is in REVERSE. Refer to “Electronic Vehicle
Information Center (EVIC)” in “Understanding Your
Instrument Panel” for further information.
If PARKSENSE UNAVAILABLE WIPE REAR SENSORS
or PARKSENSE UNAVAILABLE WIPE FRONT SEN-
SORS appears in the Electronic Vehicle Information
Center (EVIC) make sure the outer surface and the
underside of the rear fascia/bumper and/or front fascia/
bumper is clean and clear of snow, ice, mud, dirt or other
obstruction and then cycle the ignition. If the message
continues to appear see an authorized dealer. If the
PARKSENSE UNAVAILABLE SERVICE RE-
QUIRED message appears in the EVIC, see an autho-
rized dealer.
Cleaning The ParkSense® System
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 front and rear bumper are free of snow,
ice, mud, dirt and debris to keep the ParkSense®
system operating properly.
• Jackhammers, large trucks, and other vibrations could
affect the performance of ParkSense®.
3
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 207

•When you turn Front or Rear ParkSense® off, the
instrument cluster will display “FRONT PARKSENSE
OFF” or “REAR PARKSENSE OFF.” Furthermore,
once you turn Front or Rear 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 Front or Rear ParkSense® is turned off,
the instrument cluster will display FRONT
PARKSENSE OFF orREAR PARKSENSE OFF mes-
sage for five seconds, followed by a car graphic with
OFF in the corresponding side. This car graphic will
be displayed for as long as the vehicle is in REVERSE.
• ParkSense®, when on, will reduce the volume of 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 or in front of the fascia/bumper, or it
could provide a false indication that an obstacle is
behind or in front of the fascia/bumper.
• Use the ParkSense® switch to turn the ParkSense®
system off if obstacles such as bicycle carriers, trailer
hitches, etc. are placed within 18 in (45 cm) from the
rear fascia/bumper. Failure to do so can result in the
system misinterpreting a close obstacle as a sensor
problem, causing the “PARKSENSE UNAVAILABLE
SERVICE REQUIRED” 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. A lowered tailgate could provide a
false indication that an obstacle is behind the vehicle.
208 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE