2011 Ram 1500 seat control

▫Enhanced Seat Belt Use Reminder System
(BeltAlert) ......................... 51
▫ Seat Belts And Pregnant Women .......... 52
▫ Seat Belt Extender ..................... 52
▫ Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) –
Airbags ............................ 53
▫ Airbag System Components .............. 54
▫ Advanced Front Airbag Features .......... 55
▫ Airbag Deployment Sensors And Controls . . . 59
▫ Event Data Recorder (EDR) .............. 66▫
Child Restraints ...................... 67
 Engine Break-In Recommendations .......... 81
 Safety Tips ........................... 82
▫ Transporting Passengers ................ 82
▫ Exhaust Gas ......................... 82
▫ Safety Checks You Should Make Inside The
Vehicle ............................. 83
▫ Periodic Safety Checks You Should Make
Outside The Vehicle ................... 85
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 11

Child-Protection Door Lock
To provide a safer environment for children riding in the
rear seat, the rear doors (if equipped) of your vehicle
have the Child-Protection Door Lock system.
To use the system, open each rear door, use a flat blade
screwdriver (or emergency key) and rotate the dial toengage and disengage the Child-Protection locks. When
the system on a door is engaged, that door can only be
opened by using the outside door handle even if the
inside door lock is in the unlocked position.
Child-Protection Door Lock LocationChild Lock Control
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 33

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.
Center Lap Belts
The center seating position for the Quad Cab, Mega
Caband Crew Cab front 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.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•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.
Energy Management Feature
This vehicle has a safety belt system with an energy
management feature in the front seating positions to help
further reduce the risk of injury in the event of a head-on
accident.
This safety belt system has a retractor assembly that is
designed to release webbing in a controlled manner. This
feature is designed to help reduce the belt force acting on
the occupant’s chest.
48 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

accident. These devices may improve the performance of
the seat belt by assuring that the belt is tight around 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 Occupant Re-
straint Controller (ORC). Like the airbags, the pretension-
ers are single use items. A deployed pretensioner or a
deployed airbag must be replaced immediately.
Enhanced Seat Belt Use Reminder System
(BeltAlert)
BeltAlert is a feature intended to remind the driver to
fasten their seatbelt. This feature is active whenever the
ignition is on. If the driver is unbelted, the Seat Belt
Reminder Light will turn on and remain on until the
driver seatbelt is fastened. BeltAlert triggers within60 seconds of vehicle speed over 5 mph (8 km/h). The
reminder sequence lasts for 96 seconds or until the driver
seatbelt is fastened. After the sequence completes, the
Seat Belt Reminder Light remains illuminated until the
driver front belt is fastened. The driver should instruct all
other occupants to fasten their seatbelts. If the driver
seatbelt is unbuckled while traveling at speeds greater
than 5 mph (8 km/h), BeltAlert
will chime as a single
notification and illuminate the Seat Belt Reminder Light,
then will proceed to the 96 second reminder sequence.
BeltAlert can be enabled or disabled by your authorized
dealer or by performing the following procedure:
NOTE: The following steps must occur within the first
60 seconds of the ignition switch being turned to the
ON/RUN or START position. Chrysler Group LLC does
not recommend deactivating the BeltAlert.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 51

The Advanced Front Airbags have a multistage inflator
design. This allows the airbag to have different rates of
inflation based on the severity and type of collision.
This vehicle may be equipped with driver and/or front
passenger seat track position sensors that may adjust the
inflation rate of the Advanced Front Airbags based upon
seat position.
This vehicle may be equipped with a driver and/or front
passenger seat belt buckle switch that detects whether
the driver or front passenger seat belt is fastened. The
seat belt buckle switch may adjust the inflation rate of the
Advanced Front Airbags.
This vehicle may also be equipped with Supplemental
Side Airbag Inflatable Curtains (SABIC) to protect the
driver, front, and rear passengers sitting next to a win-
dow. If the vehicle is equipped with SABIC airbags, they
are located above the side windows and their covers are
also labeled: SRS AIRBAG.NOTE:
•Airbag covers may not be obvious in the interior trim,
but they will open during airbag deployment.
•After any accident, the vehicle should be taken to an
authorized dealer immediately.
Airbag System Components
Your vehicle may be equipped with the following airbag
system components:
•Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
•Airbag Warning Light
•Steering Wheel and Column
•Instrument Panel
•Knee Impact Bolster
•Driver Advanced Front Airbag
•Passenger Advanced Front Airbag
54 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

•Supplemental Side Airbag Inflatable Curtains (SABIC)
•Front and Side Impact Sensors
•Front Seat Belt Pretensioners, Seat Belt Buckle Switch,
and Seat Track Position Sensors
Advanced Front Airbag Features
The Advanced Front Airbag system has multistage driver
and front passenger airbags. This system provides output
appropriate to the severity and type of collision as
determined by the Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC),
which may receive information from the front impact
sensors (if equipped).
The first stage inflator is triggered immediately during an
impact that requires airbag deployment. This low output
is used in less severe collisions. A higher energy output is
used for more severe collisions.
WARNING!
•No objects should be placed over or near the
airbag on the instrument panel, because any such
objects could cause harm if the vehicle is in a
collision severe enough to cause the airbag to
inflate.
•Do not put anything on or around the airbag
covers or attempt to open them manually. You may
damage the airbags and you could be injured
because the airbags may no longer be functional.
The protective covers for the airbag cushions are
designed to open only when the airbags are inflat-
ing.
•Do not drill, cut or tamper with the knee bolster in
any way.
•Do not mount any accessories to the knee bolster
such as alarm lights, stereos, citizen band radios, etc.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 55

Do not lean against the door or window. If your vehicle
has side airbags, and deployment occurs, the side airbags
will inflate forcefully into the space between you and the
door.
If the airbag system in this vehicle needs to be modified
to accommodate a disabled person, contact the Customer
Center. Phone numbers are provided underIf You Need
Assistance.
WARNING!
•Relying on the airbags alone could lead to more
severe injuries in a collision. The airbags work
with your seat belt to restrain you properly. In
some collisions, the airbags won’t deploy at all.
Always wear your seat belts even though you have
airbags.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Being too close to the steering wheel or instrument
panel during Advanced Front Airbag deployment
could cause serious injury, including death. Air-
bags need room to inflate. Sit back, comfortably
extending your arms to reach the steering wheel or
instrument panel.
•Supplemental Side Airbag Inflatable Curtains
(SABIC) also need room to inflate. Do not lean
against the door or window. Sit upright in the
center of the seat.
Airbag Deployment Sensors And Controls
Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
TheORC is part of a Federally regulated safety system
required for this vehicle.
The ORC determines if deployment of the front and/or
side airbags in a frontal or side collision is required.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 59

based on the collision type and severity. The steering
wheel hub trim cover and the upper right side of the
instrument panel separate and fold out of the way as the
airbags inflate to their full size. The airbags fully inflate in
about 50 to 70 milliseconds. This is about half of the time
it takes to blink your eyes. The airbags then quickly
deflate while helping to restrain the driver and front
passenger.
The Advanced Front Airbag gas is vented through the
vent holes in the sides of the airbag. In this way, the
airbags do not interfere with your control of the vehicle.
Supplemental Side Airbag Inflatable Curtain
(SABIC) Inflator Units — If Equipped
During collisions where the impact is confined to a
particular area of the side of the vehicle, the ORC may
deploy the SABIC airbags, depending on the severity and
type of collision. In these events, the ORC will deploy the
SABIC only on the impact side of the vehicle.A quantity of non-toxic gas is generated to inflate the side
curtain airbag. The inflating side curtain airbag pushes
the outside edge of the headliner out of the way and
covers the window. The airbag inflates in about 30
milliseconds (about one-quarter of the time that it takes
to blink your eyes) with enough force to injure you if you
are not belted and seated properly, or if items are
positioned in the area where the side curtain airbag
inflates. This especially applies to children. The side
curtain airbag is only about 3-1/2 in (9 cm) thick when it
is inflated.
Because airbag sensors estimate deceleration over time,
vehicle speed and damage are not good indicators of
whether or not an airbag should have deployed.
Front And Side Impact Sensors — If Equipped
In front and side impacts, impact sensors can aid the
ORC in determining appropriate response to impact
events.
62 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE