sensor Ram C/V 2013 User Guide

BLIND SPOT MONITORING (BSM) — IF
EQUIPPED
The Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) system uses two radar-
based sensors, located inside the rear bumper fascia, to
detect highway licensable vehicles (automobiles, trucks,
motorcycles, etc.) that enter the blind spot zones from the
rear/front/side of the vehicle.
Illuminated Mirror
136 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

When the vehicle is started, the BSM warning light will
momentarily illuminate in both outside rear view mirrors
to let the driver know that the system is operational.Automatic Transmission vehicles
The BSM system sensors operate when the vehicle is in
any forward gear or REVERSE and enters stand-by mode
when the vehicle is in PARK.
Manual Transmission vehicles
The BSM system sensors operate when the vehicle is in
any gear and enters stand-by mode when the Park Brake
is engaged, the vehicle is not in REVERSE, and the
vehicle is stationary.
The BSM detection zone covers approximately one lane
on both sides of the vehicle (12 ft or 3.8 m). The zone
starts at the outside rear view mirror and extends ap-
proximately 23 ft (7 m) to the rear of the vehicle. The BSM
system monitors the detection zones on both sides of the
vehicle when the vehicle speed reaches approximately
6 mph (10 km/h) or higher and will alert the driver of
vehicles in these areas.
Rear Detection Zones
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 137

NOTE:
•The BSM system does NOT alert the driver about
rapidly approaching vehicles that are outside the de-
tection zones.
• The BSM system detection zone DOES NOT change if
your vehicle is towing a trailer. Therefore, visually
verify the adjacent lane is clear for both your vehicle
and trailer before making a lane change. If the trailer or
other object (i.e., bicycle, sports equipment) extends
beyond the side of your vehicle, this may result in the
BSM warning light remaining illuminated the entire
time the vehicle is in a forward gear.
The area on the rear fascia where the radar sensors are
located must remain free of snow, ice, and dirt/road
contamination so that the BSM system can function
properly. Do not block the area of the rear fascia where
the radar sensors are located with foreign objects (bum-
per stickers, bicycle racks, etc.). The BSM system notifies the driver of objects in the
detection zones by illuminating the BSM warning light
located in the outside mirrors in addition to sounding an
audible (chime) alert and reducing the radio volume.
Refer to “Modes Of Operation” for further information.
Sensor Locations
138 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

RCP monitors the rear detection zones on both sides of
the vehicle, for objects that are moving toward the side of
the vehicle with a minimum speed of approximately
3 mph (5 km/h), to objects moving a maximum of
approximately 20 mph (32 km/h), such as in parking lot
situations.NOTE:
In a parking lot situation, oncoming vehicles can
be obscured by vehicles parked on either side. If the
sensors are blocked by other structures or vehicles, the
system will not be able to alert the driver.
When RCP is on and the vehicle is in REVERSE, the
driver is alerted using both the visual and audible
alarms, including reducing the radio volume.
WARNING!
RCP is not a Back Up Aid system. It is intended to be
used to help a driver detect an oncoming vehicle in a
parking lot situation. Drivers must be careful when
backing up, even when using RCP. Always check
carefully behind your vehicle, look behind you, and
be sure to check for pedestrians, animals, other
vehicles, obstructions, and blind spots before back-
ing up. Failure to do so can result in serious injury or
death.
RCP Detection Zones
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 143

Rear Wiper And Washer
Rotating the rotary ring to the first detent activates the
rear intermittent wipers. To activate the washers, rotate
the rotary ring fully forward and the washers will spray
until the ring is released, and then resume the intermit-
tent interval.
NOTE:Rear window wipers function in the intermittent
wiper speed only.
Rain Sensing Wipers — If Equipped
This feature senses moisture on the windshield and
automatically activates the wipers for the driver. This
feature is especially useful for road splash or overspray
from the windshield washers of the vehicle ahead. Rotate
the end of the multifunction lever to one of the five
intermittent wiper sensitivity settings to activate this
feature. The sensitivity of the system is adjustable from the
multifunction lever. Wiper sensitivity position 3 has been
calibrated for best overall wiping sensitivity. If the opera-
tor desires more wiping sensitivity, they may select
sensitivity positions 4 or 5. If the operator desires less
wiping sensitivity, they may select sensitivity positions 2
or 1. Place the multifunction lever in the OFF position
when not using the system.
NOTE:
•
The Rain Sensing feature will not operate when the
wiper speed is in the low or high position.
• The Rain Sensing feature may not function properly
when ice or dried saltwater is present on the wind-
shield.
• Use of Rain-X® or products containing wax or silicone
may reduce rain sensor performance.
230 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

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. If ParkSense® is enabled at this shift lever
position, the system will remain active until the vehicle
speed is increased to approximately 7 mph (11 km/h) or
above. 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 12 in (30 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.
ParkSense® Warning Display
The ParkSense® Warning screen will only be displayed if
Sound and Display is selected from the Customer- Pro-
grammable Features section of the Electronic Vehicle
Information Center (EVIC). Refer to “Electronic Vehicle
Information Center (EVIC)/Personal Settings (Customer-
Programmable Features)” in “Understanding Your In-
strument Panel” for further information.
The ParkSense® Warning Display is located in the Instru-
ment cluster ’s EVIC display. It provides both visual and
audible warnings to indicate the distance between the
rear fascia/bumper and the detected obstacle.
240 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

Enabling/Disabling ParkSense®
ParkSense® can be enabled and disabled through the
Customer-Programmable Features section of the EVIC.
The available choices are: OFF, Sound Only, or Sound and
Display. Refer to “Electronic Vehicle Information Center
(EVIC)/Personal Settings (Customer-Programmable Fea-
tures)” in “Understanding Your Instrument Panel” for
further information.
When ParkSense® is disabled, the instrument cluster will
display the “PARK ASSIST SYSTEM OFF” message for
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 SYS-
TEM OFF” message for as long as the vehicle is in
REVERSE.
Service The ParkSense® Rear Park Assist
System
During vehicle start up, when the ParkSense® Rear Park
Assist 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” or the
“PARKSENSE UNAVAILABLE SERVICE REQUIRED”
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 condi-
tion, the EVIC will display thePARKSENSE UNAVAIL-
ABLE WIPE REAR SENSORS orPARKSENSE UN-
AVAILABLE SERVICE REQUIRED message for as long
as the vehicle is in REVERSE. Under this condition,
ParkSense will not operate.
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 245

If “PARKSENSE UNAVAILABLE WIPE REAR SEN-
SORS” 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 ignition. If the message continues to appear, see an
authorized dealer.
If “PARKSENSE UNAVAILABLE SERVICE REQUIRED”
appears in the EVIC, see an 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 clus-
ter will display “PARK ASSIST SYSTEM OFF.” Fur-
thermore, 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 EVIC will
display “PARK ASSIST SYSTEM OFF” message for as
long as the vehicle is in REVERSE.
246 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

•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.
• Use the ParkSense® switch to turn the ParkSense®
system OFF if objects such as bicycle carriers, trailer
hitches, etc. are placed within 12 in (30 cm) from the
rear fascia/bumper. Failure to do so can result in the
system misinterpreting a close object as a sensor
problem, causing the “SERVICE PARK ASSIST SYS-
TEM” message to be displayed in the EVIC . •
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.
• 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®.
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 247

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.
248 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE