2011 Ram 2500 child seat

▫Remote Open Window Feature — If
Equipped........................... 23
▫Using The Panic Alarm................. 24
▫Programming Additional Transmitters...... 24
▫Transmitter Battery Replacement.......... 24
▫General Information................... 25
Remote Starting System — If Equipped....... 25
▫How To Use Remote Start............... 26
Door Locks........................... 29
▫Manual Door Locks................... 29
▫Power Door Locks — If Equipped......... 30
▫Child-Protection Door Lock.............. 33Windows............................ 34
▫Power Windows – If Equipped............ 34
▫Wind Buffeting....................... 38
Occupant Restraints..................... 38
▫Lap/Shoulder Belts.................... 40
▫Lap/Shoulder Belt Untwisting Procedure.... 47
▫Adjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage . . . 48
▫Center Lap Belts...................... 48
▫Energy Management Feature............. 49
▫Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) Mode –
If Equipped......................... 49
▫Seat Belts In Passenger Seating Positions..... 50
10 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

▫Seat Belt Pretensioners — If Equipped...... 51
▫Enhanced Seat Belt Use Reminder System
(BeltAlert) ......................... 51
▫Seat Belts And Pregnant Women.......... 53
▫Seat Belt Extender..................... 53
▫Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) –
Airbags............................ 54
▫Airbag System Components.............. 55
▫Advanced Front Airbag Features.......... 56
▫Airbag Deployment Sensors And Controls . . . 61▫Event Data Recorder (EDR).............. 67
▫Child Restraints...................... 68
Engine Break-In Recommendations.......... 81
Safety Tips........................... 82
▫Transporting Passengers................ 82
▫Exhaust Gas......................... 83
▫Safety Checks You Should Make Inside The
Vehicle............................. 84
▫Periodic Safety Checks You Should Make
Outside The Vehicle................... 86
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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 to
engage 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 Location
Child Lock Control
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 33

Wind Buffeting
Wind buffeting can be described as the perception of
pressure on the ears or a helicopter-type sound in the
ears. Your vehicle may exhibit wind buffeting with the
windows down or in partially open positions. This is a
normal occurrence and can be minimized. If the buffeting
occurs with the rear windows open, open the front and
rear windows together to minimize the buffeting.
OCCUPANT RESTRAINTS
Some of the most important safety features in your
vehicle are the restraint systems:
•Three-point lap and shoulder belts for the driver and
all passengers
•Front seat belts incorporate pretensioners to enhance
occupant protection by managing occupant energy
during an impact event
•Advanced Front Airbags for driver and front passen-
ger
•Supplemental Side Airbag Inflatable Curtains (SABIC)
— if equipped
•An energy-absorbing steering column and steering
wheel
•Knee bolsters/blockers for front seat occupants
•All seat belt systems (except driver’s and second row
center position) include Automatic Locking Retractors
(ALRs), which lock the seat belt webbing into position
by extending the belt all the way out and then adjust-
ing the belt to the desired length to restrain a child seat
or secure a large item in a seat — if equipped
If you will be carrying children too small for adult-sized
seat belts, the seat belts or the Lower Anchors and Tether
for CHildren (LATCH) feature also can be used to hold
38 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

infant and child restraint systems. For more information
on LATCH, see Lower Anchors and Tether for CHildren
(LATCH).
NOTE: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.
Please pay close attention to the information in this
section. It tells you how to use your restraint system
properly, to keep you and your passengers as safe as
possible.WARNING!
In an accident, you and your passengers can suffer
much greater injuries if you are not properly buckled
up. You can strike the interior of your vehicle or other
passengers, or you can be thrown out of the vehicle.
Always be sure you and others in your vehicle are
buckled up properly.
Buckle up even though you are an excellent driver, even
on short trips. Someone on the road may be a poor driver
and cause an accident that includes you. This can happen
far away from home or on your own street.
Research has shown that seat belts save lives, and they
can reduce the seriousness of injuries in an accident.
Some of the worst injuries happen when people are
thrown from the vehicle. Seat belts reduce the possibility
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 39

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.
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.
WARNING!
•The belt and retractor assembly must be replaced
if the seat belt assembly “Automatic Locking Re-
tractor (ALR)” feature or any other seat belt func-
tion is not working properly when checked ac-
cording to the procedures in the Service Manual.
•Failure to replace the belt and retractor assembly
could increase the risk of injury in accidents.
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) Mode – If
Equipped
In this mode, the shoulder belt is automatically pre-
locked. The belt will still retract to remove any slack in
the shoulder belt.
When To Use The Automatic Locking Mode
Use the Automatic Locking Mode anytime a child safety
seat is installed in a seating position that has a belt with
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 49

this feature. Children 12 years old and under should
always be properly restrained in the rear seat.
How To Engage The Automatic Locking Mode
1. Buckle the combination lap and 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 Mode
Unbuckle the combination lap/shoulder belt and allow it
to retract completely to disengage the Automatic Locking
Mode and activate the vehicle sensitive (emergency)
locking mode.
Seat Belts In Passenger Seating Positions
The seat belts in the passenger seating positions are
equipped with Automatic Locking Retractors (ALR)
which are used to secure a child restraint system. For
additional information refer to “Installing Child Re-
straints Using the Vehicle Seat Belt” under the “Child
Restraints” section. The chart below defines the type of
feature for each seating position.
Driver Center Passenger
First Row N/A N/A ALR
Second Row ALR N/A ALR
Third Row N/A N/A N/A
•N/A — Not Applicable
•ALR — Automatic Locking Retractor
50 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

If the passenger seating position is equipped with an
ALR and is being used for normal usage:
Only pull the belt webbing out far enough to comfortably
wrap around the occupants mid-section so as to not
activate the ALR. If the ALR is activated you will hear a
ratcheting sound as the belt retracts. Allow the webbing
to retract completely in this case and then carefully pull
out only the amount of webbing necessary to comfort-
ably wrap around the occupants mid-section. Slide the
latch plate into the buckle until you hear aclick.
Seat Belt Pretensioners — If Equipped
The seat belts for both front seating positions are
equipped with pretensioning devices that are designed to
remove slack from the seat belt in the event of an
accident. These devices 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)
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 BeltAlertwill alert
the driver to buckle the seat belt. The driver should also
instruct all other occupants to buckle their seat belts.
Once the warning is triggered, the BeltAlertwill con-
tinue to chime and flash the Seat Belt Reminder Light for
96 seconds or until the driver’s seat belt is buckled. The
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 51