Hill descent control

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R.D.J.

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Have not had that issue.....

I had mine done on last Friday morning. HDC works now as it should. They also did the park lock solenoid recall as well.

Only differences I noticed from before the flash and after, was alot of the Uconnect settings reverted back to factory, and it definitely stays in 4 cylinder mode more now.
 

Ram Wagon

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I got this done today. When I got home, I noticed that the outside temp was no longer displaying on the 8.4” display. It just shows 3 dashes before “Out”. The outside temp still shows on the gauge cluster display.

Anybody else have this happen?




This forum is a great source of information, thank you to all the guys that post. The U61 cruise control recall fixed my HDC issues i was having of not being able to adjust the speed while hdc was engaged. My local service rep had not heard that there were issues with the HDC speed adjustment not working on some if not all of the rams/power wagons. i will be letting them know. I haven't had any other issues with the U61 fix that i see other guys are having. Even my TMPS correctly told me i had a tire with low air pressure (duratrack but that's for another post)
 

MJockey

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FYI, My outside temp display worked correctly the next time I drove it. All good now.
 

brad325is

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Here are the steps for HDC and the speeds you can expect from each gear.



There are 3 modes

  • Off
  • Enabled
  • Active
Off– The system is off

Enabled– System is ready but not active (ie. the driver has overridden the system by pressing brake or accelerator). Solid HDC dash light will appear.

Active– The system is on and the truck is actively controlling the speed downhill. Solid HDC dash light will be on.

Turn on Hill Descent Control
For the system to be enabled, these following conditions must be met.

  1. Push the Hill Descent Control Button to turn on (usually on the lower part of the center console panel). Dash light will appear.
  2. Shift to 4WD LOW RANGE
  3. Parking brake released
  4. Driver door closed
  5. Vehicle speed below 5mph
If the conditions are not met, excessive speed or overheated brakes are detected, the dash light and switch lamp will flash, then turn off.

Activation
The system will start automatically when the truck is driven down a grade steep enough.



Using the +/- on the shifter, there are up to 9 different speeds the driver can choose from;

  • R = 0.6 mph (1 km/h)
  • 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
At any time, the driver can pause the system by braking or accelerating. The system will also deactivate (but remain engaged) if the grade of the hill becomes insufficent (ie. too flat), or is on an uphill grade. If the truck does more than 20mph but less than 40mph or shifted to park (P).

Turn Hill Descent Control Off
The system will turn off completely if;

  • The Hill Descent Control button is pressed to switch off.
  • Truck is no longer in 4WD LOW.
  • Driver door opens.
  • The parking brake is ON.
  • The Truck is driving at more than 20mph for over 1 min 10 seconds.
  • Speed goes over 40mph.
  • Excessive brake temperature is detected.
 

Grand Mesa

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Rifle, Colorado has some moderately steep 20% grades on several of their residential streets. The hill descent works great for even city use on icy and snow covered streets during winter conditions.

2019011895112159.jpg
 
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AzTrifecta

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Greetings all. New lady PW owner here. (2017 granite crystal -no mods yet) I’ve learned so much from reading posts on this forum. I Really appreciate all the great info available here, Thanks!
After reading this thread. I tried out my HDC. Everything seemed to engage & work as expected. My only concern was a loud low rub/grinding sound every few feet as it descended. That kind of sound that makes you “cringe” upon hearing it. Lol. Is that a normal? Caused by driver error?
Or do I need to worry & have it checked out? Thanks in advance [emoji4]


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Grand Mesa

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AzTrifecta, My personal observations...The hill descent control works in slowing down a vehicle by activating the ABS on and off to one or more of the brakes to keep the vehicle at the set speed and from sliding. The application of the ABS electric motor makes the noises that you described as it rapidly pumps hydraulic fluid pressure to the brakes. On an icy/snow/mud or gravel covered road you can activate the ABS by slamming on the brakes (safer to perform at low speed) to a stop.
 
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Low_Sky

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Greetings all. New lady PW owner here. (2017 granite crystal -no mods yet) I’ve learned so much from reading posts on this forum. I Really appreciate all the great info available here, Thanks!
After reading this thread. I tried out my HDC. Everything seemed to engage & work as expected. My only concern was a loud low rub/grinding sound every few feet as it descended. That kind of sound that makes you “cringe” upon hearing it. Lol. Is that a normal? Caused by driver error?
Or do I need to worry & have it checked out? Thanks in advance [emoji4]


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That’s normal. The system works by pumping the brakes with the ABS pump.


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Grand Mesa

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Oh yeah, it's quite normal for the ABS to make those noises.
 
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AzTrifecta

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Appreciate the stress relief....lol thanks [emoji6]


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