2009 DODGE RAM 3500 DIESEL Owners Manual

WARNING!
•
A lap belt worn too high can increase the risk of
internal injury in a collision. The belt forces won’t
be at the strong hip and pelvic bones, but across
your abdomen. Always wear the lap belt as low as
possible and keep it snug.
•
A twisted belt can’t do its job as well. In a
collision, it could even cut into you. Be sure the
belt is straight. If you can’t straighten a belt in
your vehicle, take it to your authorized dealer and
have it fixed.
5. Position the shoulder belt on your chest so that it is
comfortable and not resting on your neck. The retractor
will withdraw any slack in the belt. 6. To release the belt, push the red button on the buckle.
The belt will automatically retract to its stowed position.
If necessary, slide the latch plate down the webbing to
allow the belt to retract fully.
WARNING!
•
A frayed or torn belt could rip apart in a collision
and leave you with no protection. Inspect the belt
system periodically, checking for cuts, frays, or
loose parts.
•
Damaged parts must be replaced immediately. Do
not disassemble or modify the system.
•
Seat belt assemblies must be replaced after a
collision if they have been damaged (i.e., bent
retractor, torn webbing, etc.) or if the airbag
deployed.THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 39
2

Regular Cab Front Center Three-Point Belt1. The front center seat belt on the Regular Cab may be
disconnected to open up utilization of the storage areas
behind the front seats. The black latch plate can be
detached from the black keyed seat belt buckle located on
the inboard side of the passenger seat. Insert the vehicle
ignition key into the center white slot on the black buckle.
The black buckle latch plate can be removed when the
key is pressed into the buckle. Allow the retractor to take
up the surplus webbing, and the buckles will hang
vertically from the cab back exit bezel, thus freeing up all
the area behind the front seats.2. To reattach the seat belt to the front center seat, pull
the black buckle latch plate forward from the cab back
panel and insert it into the black keyed buckle until there
is an audible click. Refer to the previous section for the
proper seat belt usage.
Detaching Buckle with Key
40 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
•
If the black latch and black buckle are not prop-
erly connected when the seat belt is used by an
occupant, the seat belt will not be able to provide
proper restraint and will increase the risk of injury
in a collision.
•
When reattaching the black latch and black
buckle, ensure the seat belt webbing is not
twisted. If the webbing is twisted, follow the
preceding procedure to detach the black latch and
black buckle, untwist the webbing, and reattach
the black latch and black buckle.
Inserting Latch Plate
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 41
2

WARNING!
If the black latch and buckle are not connected when
the seat belt is used by an occupant, the seat belt will
not restrain you properly.
Adjustable Upper Shoulder Belt AnchorageIn the front row outboard seats, the shoulder belt can be
adjusted upward or downward to help position the belt
away from your neck. Press the button located on the
upper belt guide, and then move it up or down to the
position that fits you best.
In-Use Position
Shoulder Belt Adjustment
42 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

As a guide, if you are shorter than average, you will
prefer a lower position, and if you are taller than average,
you will prefer a higher position. When you release the
anchorage, try to move it up or down to make sure that
it is locked in position.Automatic Locking Retractors (ALR) Mode – If
EquippedIn this mode, the shoulder belt is automatically pre-
locked. The belt will still retract to remove any slack in
the shoulder belt. The Automatic Locking Mode is avail-
able on all passenger seating positions with a combina-
tion lap/shoulder belt.When to Use the Automatic Locking ModeUse this mode anytime a child safety seat is installed in a
passenger seating position. Children 12 years old and
younger should be properly restrained in the rear seat
whenever possible.
How to Use the Automatic Locking Mode1. Buckle the combination lap/shoulder belt.
2. Grasp the shoulder portion and pull downward until
the entire belt is extracted.
3. Allow the belt to retract. As the belt retracts, you will
hear a “clicking” sound. This indicates the safety belt is
now in the Automatic Locking Mode.How to Disengage the Automatic Locking ModeDisconnect the combination lap/shoulder belt and allow
it to retract completely to disengage the Automatic
Locking Mode and activate the Vehicle Sensitive (Emer-
gency) Locking Mode.THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 43
2

Center Lap BeltsThe center seating position for the Quad Cabfront seat
has a lap belt only. To fasten the lap belt, slide the latch
plate into the buckle until you hear a click.To lengthen
the lap belt, tilt the latch plate and pull. To remove slack,
pull the loose end of the webbing. Wear the lap belt snug
against the hips. Sit back and erect in the seat, then adjust
the belt as tightly as is comfortable.
WARNING!
•
A lap belt worn too loose or too high is dangerous.
•
A belt worn too loose can allow you to slip down
and under the belt in a collision.
•
A belt that is too loose or too high will apply crash
forces to the abdomen, not to the stronger hip
bones. In either case, the risk of internal injuries is
greater. Wear a lap belt low and snug.
Seat Belt Pretensioners — If EquippedThe seat belts for both front seating positions are
equipped with pretensioning devices that are designed to
remove slack from the seat belt system in the event of a
collision. These devices improve the performance of the
seat belt by assuring that the belt is tight about the
occupant early in a collision. Pretensioners work for all
size occupants, including those in child restraints.
NOTE: These devices are not a substitute for proper seat
belt placement by the occupant. The seat belt still must be
worn snugly and positioned properly.
The pretensioners are triggered by the airbag control
module. Like the airbags, the pretensioners are single-use
items. After a collision that is severe enough to deploy
the airbags and pretensioners, both must be replaced.
44 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Enhanced Seat Belt Use Reminder System
(BeltAlert)If the driver’s seat belt has not been buckled within
60 seconds of starting the vehicle and if the vehicle speed
is greater than 5 mph (8 km/h), the Enhanced Seat Belt
Use Reminder System (BeltAlert) will alert the driver to
buckle the seat belt. The driver should also instruct all
other occupants to buckle their seat belts. If the driver
unbuckles the seat belt while the vehicle is in motion an
immediate chime will be heard, and BeltAlertwill
continue to chime and flash the Seat Belt Reminder Light
for 96 seconds or until the driver’s seat belt is buckled.
BeltAlert will be reactivated if the ignition is cycled,
driver’s seat belt is unbuckled for more than 10 seconds
and the vehicle speed is greater than 5 mph (8 km/h). BeltAlert
can be enabled or disabled by your authorized
dealer or by following these steps:
NOTE: The following steps must occur within the first
60 seconds of the ignition switch being turned to the ON
or START position. Chrysler LLC does not recommend
deactivating BeltAlert.
1. With all doors closed and the ignition switch in any
position except ON or START, buckle the driver’s seat
belt.
2. Turn the ignition switch to the ON position and wait
for the Seat Belt Reminder Light to turn off.
3. Within 60 seconds of turning the ignition switch to the
ON position, unbuckle and then re-buckle the driver’s
seat belt at least three times within 10 seconds, ending
with the seat belt buckled.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 45
2

4. Turn the ignition switch to the LOCK position. A
single chime will sound to signify that you have success-
fully completed the programming.
BeltAlertcan be reactivated by repeating this procedure.
NOTE: Although BeltAlert has been deactivated, the
Seat Belt Reminder Light will continue to illuminate
while the driver’s seat belt remains unbuckled.Seat Belts and Pregnant WomenWe recommend that pregnant women use seat belts
throughout their pregnancies. Keeping the mother safe is
the best way to keep the baby safe.
Pregnant women should wear the lap part of the belt
across the thighs and as snug against the hips as possible.
Keep the belt low so that it does not come across the
abdomen. That way the strong bones of the hips will take
the force if there is a collision.
Seat Belt ExtenderIf a seat belt is too short, even when fully extended, your
authorized dealer can provide you with a seat belt
extender. This extender should be used only if the
existing belt is not long enough. When it is not required,
remove the extender and store it.
WARNING!
Using a seat belt extender when not needed can
increase the risk of injury in a collision. Only use the
seat belt extender when the lap belt is not long
enough when it is worn low and snug, and in the
recommended seating positions. Remove and store
the extender when not needed.
46 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE