2011 Ram 3500 sensor

▫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

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
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 55

•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.
(Continued)
56 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

The system includes side impact sensors adjacent to both
front and rear seat occupants that are calibrated to deploy
the SABIC airbags during impacts that require airbag
occupant protection.
WARNING!
•If your vehicle is equipped with left and right
Supplemental Side Airbag Inflatable Curtain
(SABIC), do not stack luggage or other cargo up
high enough to block the location of the SABIC.
The area where the SABIC is located should re-
main free from any obstructions.
•Do not use accessory seat covers or place objects
between you and the side airbags; the performance
could be adversely affected and/or objects could
be pushed into you, causing serious injury.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•If your vehicle is equipped with SABIC airbags,
do not have any accessory items installed which
will alter the roof, including adding a sunroof to
your vehicle. Do not add roof racks that require
permanent attachments (bolts or screws) for instal-
lation on the vehicle roof. Do not drill into the roof
of the vehicle for any reason.
Knee Impact Bolsters
The Knee Impact Bolsters help protect the knees of the
driver and the front passenger, and position front occu-
pants for the best interaction with the Advanced Front
Airbags.
Along with seat belts and pretensioners, Advanced Front
Airbags work with the knee bolsters to provide improved
protection for the driver and front passenger. Side airbags
also work with seat belts to improve occupant protection.
58 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Airbag Deployment Sensors and Controls
Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
TheORCis 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.
Based on the impact sensors signals, a central electronic
ORC deploys the Advanced Front Airbags, SABIC air-
bags — if equipped, and front seat belt pretensioners —
if equipped, as required, depending on the severity and
type of impact.
Advanced Front Airbags are designed to provide addi-
tional protection by supplementing the seat belts in
certain frontal collisions depending on the severity and
type of collision. Advanced Front Airbags are not ex-
pected to reduce the risk of injury in rear, rollover, or side
collisions.The Advanced Front Airbags will not deploy in all frontal
collisions, including some that may produce substantial
vehicle damage — for example, some pole collisions,
truck underrides, and angle offset collisions. On the other
hand, depending on the type and location of impact,
Advanced Front Airbags may deploy in crashes with
little vehicle front-end damage but that produce a severe
initial deceleration.
The side airbags will not deploy in all side collisions. Side
airbag deployment will depend on the severity and type
of collision.
Because airbag sensors measure vehicle deceleration over
time, vehicle speed and damage by themselves are not
good indicators of whether or not an airbag should have
deployed.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 61

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.
Enhanced Accident Response System
In the event of an impact causing airbag deployment, if
the communication network remains intact, and the
power remains intact, depending on the nature of the
event the ORC will determine whether to have the
Enhanced Accident Response System perform the follow-
ing functions:
•Cut off fuel to the engine.
•Flash hazard lights as long as the battery has power or
until the ignition key is turned off.
•Turn on the interior lights, which remain on as long as
the battery has power or until the ignition key is
removed.
•Unlock the doors automatically.
If a Deployment Occurs
The Advanced Front Airbags are designed to deflate
immediately after deployment.
NOTE:Front and/or side airbags will not deploy in all
collisions. This does not mean something is wrong with
the airbag system.
64 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

▫Daytime Running Lights (DRL) (Canada
Only And Fleet Vehicles)............... 127
▫Multifunction Lever.................. 127
Windshield Wipers And Washers.......... 129
▫Windshield Wipers................... 129
▫Windshield Washers.................. 130
▫Mist Feature........................ 131
Tilt Steering Column................... 131
Heated Steering Wheel — If Equipped...... 132
Driver Adjustable Pedals — If Equipped..... 133
▫Adjustment........................ 134
Electronic Speed Control — If Equipped..... 135
▫To Activate......................... 135▫To Set a Desired Speed................ 136
▫Deactivating Electronic Speed Control...... 136
▫To Resume Speed.................... 136
▫Varying The Speed Setting.............. 136
▫To Accelerate For Passing.............. 137
ParksenseRear Park Assist — If Equipped . . . 138
▫ParksenseSensors................... 138
▫ParksenseWarning Display............ 138
▫ParksenseDisplay................... 139
▫Enabling And Disabling Park Sense...... 143
▫Service The ParksenseRear Park Assist
System............................ 143
▫Cleaning The ParksenseSystem......... 144
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 89

PARKSENSEREAR PARK ASSIST — IF
EQUIPPED
The ParkSenseRear Park Assist system provides visual
and audible indications of the distance between the rear
fascia and a detected obstacle when backing up, e.g.
during a parking maneuver. Refer to ParkSenseSystem
Usage Precautions for limitations of this system and
recommendations.
ParkSensewill retain the last system state (enabled or
disabled) from the last ignition cycle when the ignition is
changed to the ON/RUN position.
ParkSensecan be active only when the shift lever is in
REVERSE. If ParkSenseis enabled at this shift lever
position, the system will remain active until the vehicle
speed is increased to approximately 11 mph (18 km/h) or
above. The system will become active again if the vehicle
speed is decreased to speeds less than approximately
10 mph (16 km/h).
ParkSenseSensors
The four ParkSensesensors, located in the rear fascia/
bumper, monitor the area behind the vehicle that is
within the sensors’ field of view. The sensors can detect
obstacles from approximately 12 in (30 cm) up to 79 in
(200 cm) from the rear fascia/bumper in the horizontal
direction, depending on the location, type and orienta-
tion of the obstacle.
ParkSenseWarning Display
The ParkSenseWarning screen will only be displayed if
Sound and Display is selected from the Customer- Pro-
grammable Features section of the Electronic Vehicle
Information Center (EVIC). Refer to “Electronic Vehicle
Information Center (EVIC)/Personal Settings (Customer-
Programmable Features)” in “Understanding Your In-
strument Panel” for further information.
138 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE