Automatic Brake Engaging on Reverse

[IceyTys]

Anyone had an issue with the automatic brake engaging when going into reverse? I am new to this 2020 Ram, but when I hooked up my boat last week several times the automatic braking system would engage whil I was trying to back up my boat. Its quite annoying. Is there a setting or something I need to turn off so it wont do this? I'd hate to be heading down the boat ramp this summer and my brakes keep locking up on the way down.

TIA.

 

[ibike]

New to my 2020 ram too. Did you have your seatbelt on? I think it requires you to wear it when you put it in gear. Shame on you if you didn’t have it buckled

 

[Dean2]

Turn your rear park sensors off, it will backup fine after that.

 

[IceyTys]

Thanks, Ill give it a try.....assume thats a setting in the UConnect system yes? Assume Ill have to turn them back on when done, or is that a tow setting? Ill take a look around in Uconnect later this week. Thanks much

 

[crash68]

assume thats a setting in the UConnect system yes? Assume Ill have to turn them back on when done, or is that a tow setting?

There's a physical button below the radio to turn the park sensors off.
If the trailer has electric brakes and the truck has the OEM trailer brake controller should turn the reverse sensors off automatically when the trailer is plugged in.

 

[IceyTys]

No electric brakes unfortunately, hydraulic only......but yes, I had assumed once I connected the trailer receiver and turned on tow mode, it would just know there is a trailer there and to turn off the system at the rear, but guess not. Ill just hit the button and should be good to go.

 

[chopperman1]

It's your park sense engaging. Simply turn it off via the button on your dash when towing.

 

[PolarisCobra]

Try it when there is nothing (no trailer or anything else) close to the back of the truck. Then you don't need to be concerned about Park Sense. I think you will find that you need to have the door closed to back up. I think you can back up with the seat belt off, if the door is closed. My truck is a 2017, so things might be a bit different.

The manual can also be your friend, it will describe what will kick in Auto Brake/Park.

 

[Dean2]

Like I said earlier, turn off the park sensors but also, other thing to check is the hydraulic brakes on the trailer. Most of them have a button that must be moved into backup mode or the trailer brakes get applied as you back up due to the pressure on the coupler, which is what activates hydraulic brakes in the first place.

 

[dsherman26]

No electric brakes unfortunately, hydraulic only......but yes, I had assumed once I connected the trailer receiver and turned on tow mode, it would just know there is a trailer there and to turn off the system at the rear, but guess not. Ill just hit the button and should be good to go.

If you have hydraulic surge brakes, as many boat trailers do, then there is zero involvement with any setting on the truck. Surge brakes usually have a mechanical control in the hitch that locks out the surge brake so you can reverse without having them lock up. Don't forget to unlock them when you go forward again.

Edit: It occurred to me that some surge brakes use a reverse signal to lock them out automatically, but there is still no setting involved on the truck. If you just have the standard 4-pin trailer harness then you would need to lock it manually.