2011 RAM CHASSIS CAB Owners Manual

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.
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 front airbags are designed to deflate immediately
after deployment.
NOTE: Front airbags will not deploy in all collisions.
This does not mean something is wrong with the airbag
system.56 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

If you do have a collision which deploys the airbags, any
or all of the following may occur:
• The nylon airbag material may sometimes cause abra-
sions and/or skin reddening to the driver and front
passenger as the airbags deploy and unfold. The
abrasions are similar to friction rope burns or those
you might get sliding along a carpet or gymnasium
floor. They are not caused by contact with chemicals.
They are not permanent and normally heal quickly.
However, if you haven’t healed significantly within a
few days, or if you have any blistering, see your doctor
immediately.
• As the airbags deflate, you may see some smoke-like
particles. The particles are a normal by-product of the
process that generates the non-toxic gas used for
airbag inflation. These airborne particles may irritate the skin, eyes, nose, or throat. If you have skin or eye
irritation, rinse the area with cool water. For nose or
throat irritation, move to fresh air. If the irritation
continues, see your doctor. If these particles settle on
your clothing, follow the garment manufacturer’s in-
structions for cleaning.
Do not drive your vehicle after the airbags have de-
ployed. If you are involved in another collision, the
airbags will not be in place to protect you.
WARNING!Deployed airbags cannot protect you in another col-
lision. Have the airbags replaced by an authorized
dealer as soon as possible. Also, have the Occupant
Restraint Controller (ORC) system serviced as well. 2 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 57

Maintaining Your Airbag System
WARNING!• Modifications to any part of the airbag system
could cause it to fail when you need it. You could
be injured if the airbag system is not there to
protect you. Do not modify the components or
wiring, including adding any kind of badges or
stickers to the steering wheel hub trim cover or the
upper right side of the instrument panel. Do not
modify the front bumper, vehicle body structure,
or add aftermarket side steps or running boards.
• It is dangerous to try to repair any part of the
airbag system yourself. Be sure to tell anyone who
works on your vehicle that it has an airbag system.
(Continued) WARNING! (Continued)• Do not attempt to modify any part of your ad-
vanced airbag system. The airbag may inflate
accidentally or may not function properly if modi-
fications are made. Take your vehicle to an autho-
rized dealer for any advanced airbag system ser-
vice. If your seat, including your trim cover and
cushion, needs to be serviced in any way (includ-
ing removal or loosening/tightening of seat attach-
ment bolts), take the vehicle to your authorized
dealer. Only manufacturer approved seat accesso-
ries may be used. If it is necessary to modify the
airbag system for persons with disabilities, contact
your authorized dealer.58 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Airbag Warning Light
You will want to have the airbags ready to
inflate for your protection in a collision. The
Airbag Warning Light monitors the internal
circuits and interconnecting wiring associated
with airbag system electrical components. While the
airbag system is designed to be maintenance free, if any
of the following occurs, have an authorized dealer ser-
vice the airbag system immediately.
• The Airbag Warning Light does not come on during
the four to eight seconds when the ignition switch is
first turned to the ON/RUN position.
• The Airbag Warning Light remains on after the four to
eight-second interval.
• The Airbag Warning Light comes on intermittently or
remains on while driving.
NOTE: If the speedometer, tachometer, or any engine
related gauges are not working, the Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) may also be disabled. The airbags may
not be ready to inflate for your protection. Promptly
check the fuse block for blown fuses. Refer to the label
located on the inside of the fuse block cover for the
proper airbag fuses. See your authorized dealer if the
fuse is good.
Event Data Recorder (EDR)
This vehicle is equipped with an event data recorder
(EDR). The main purpose of an EDR is to record, in
certain crash or near crash-like situations, such as an air
bag deployment or hitting a road obstacle, data that will
assist in understanding how a vehicle’s systems per-
formed. The EDR is designed to record data related to
vehicle dynamics and safety systems for a short period of
time, typically 30 seconds or less. The EDR in this vehicle
is designed to record such data as:
• How various systems in your vehicle were operating; 2 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 59

• Whether or not the driver and passenger safety belts
were buckled/fastened;
• How far (if at all) the driver was depressing the
accelerator and/or brake pedal; and,
• How fast the vehicle was traveling.
These data can help provide a better understanding of
the circumstances in which crashes and injuries occur.
NOTE: EDR data are recorded by your vehicle only if a
non-trivial crash situation occurs; no data are recorded by
the EDR under normal driving conditions and no per-
sonal data (e.g. name, gender, age, and crash location) are
recorded. However, other parties, such as law enforce-
ment, could combine the EDR data with the type of
personally identifying data routinely acquired during a
crash investigation. To read data recorded by an EDR, special equipment is
required, and access to the vehicle or the EDR is needed.
In addition to the vehicle manufacturer, other parties
such as law enforcement, that have the special equip-
ment, can read the information if they have access to the
vehicle or the EDR.
Child Restraints
Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled up all the
time, including babies and children. Every state in the
United States and all Canadian provinces require that
small children ride in proper restraint systems. This is the
law, and you can be prosecuted for ignoring it.
Children 12 years and younger should ride properly
buckled up in a rear seat, if available. According to crash
statistics, children are safer when properly restrained in
the rear seats rather than in the front.60 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!In an accident, an unrestrained child, even a tiny
baby, can become a projectile inside the vehicle. The
force required to hold even an infant on your lap can
become so great that you could not hold the child, no
matter how strong you are. The child and others
could be badly injured. Any child riding in your
vehicle should be in a proper restraint for the child’s
size.
Infants and Small Children
There are different sizes and types of restraints for
children from newborn size to the child almost large
enough for an adult safety belt. Use the restraint that is
correct for your child.
• Safety experts recommend that children ride
rearward-facing in the vehicle until they are at least
one year old and weigh at least 20 lbs (9 kg). Two types of child restraints can be used rearward-facing: infant
carriers and  convertible  child seats. Both types of
child restraints are held in the vehicle by the lap/
shoulder belt.
• The infant carrier is only used rearward-facing in the
vehicle. It is recommended for children who weigh up
to about 20 lbs (9 kg).  Convertible  child seats can be
used either rearward-facing or forward-facing in the
vehicle. Convertible child seats often have a higher
weight limit in the rearward-facing direction than
infant carriers do, so they can be used rearward-facing
by children who weigh more than 20 lbs (9 kg) but are
less than one year old.
• Children who weigh more than 20 lbs (9 kg) and who
are older than one year can ride forward-facing in the
vehicle. Forward-facing child seats and convertible
child seats used in the forward-facing direction are for 2 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 61

children who weigh 20 to 40 lbs (9 to 18 kg) and who
are older than one year. These child seats are also held
in the vehicle by the lap/shoulder belt.
• The belt-positioning booster seat is for children weigh-
ing more than 40 lbs (18 kg), but who are still too small
to fit the vehicle’s seat belts properly. If the child
cannot sit with knees bent over the vehicle’s seat
cushion while the child’s back is against the seat back,
they should use a belt-positioning booster seat. The
child and booster seat are held in the vehicle by the
lap/shoulder belt.
NOTE: For additional information, refer to
www.seatcheck.org or call 1–866–SEATCHECK. Cana-
dian residents, should refer to Transport Canada’s web-
site for additional information. http://www.tc.gc.ca/
roadsafety/safedrivers/childsafety/index.htm WARNING!• Rearward-facing child seats must never be used in
the front seat of a vehicle with a front passenger
airbag. An airbag deployment could cause severe
injury or death to infants in this position.
• Improper installation can lead to failure of an
infant or child restraint. It could come loose in an
accident. The child could be badly injured or
killed. Follow the manufacturer’s directions ex-
actly when installing an infant or child restraint.
• A rearward-facing child restraint should only be
used in a rear seat.62 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Here are some tips for getting the most out of your child
restraint:
• Before buying any restraint system, make sure that it
has a label certifying that it meets all applicable Safety
Standards. Chrysler Group LLC also recommends that
you make sure that you can install the child restraint in
the vehicle where you will use it before you buy it.
• The restraint must be appropriate for your child’s
weight and height. Check the label on the restraint for
weight and height limits.
• Carefully follow the instructions that come with the
restraint. If you install the restraint improperly, it may
not work when you need it.
• In the rear seat, you may have trouble tightening the
lap/shoulder belt on the child restraint because the
buckle or latch plate is too close to the belt path
opening on the restraint. Disconnect the latch plate from the buckle and twist the short buckle-end belt
several times to shorten it. Insert the latch plate into
the buckle with the release button facing out.
• If the belt still can’t be tightened, or if pulling and
pushing on the restraint loosens the belt, disconnect
the latch plate from the buckle, turn the latch plate
around, and insert the latch plate into the buckle
again. If you still can’t make the child restraint secure,
try a different seating position.
• Buckle the child into the seat according to the child
restraint manufacturer’s directions.
• When your child restraint is not in use, secure it in the
vehicle with the seat belt or remove it from the vehicle.
Do not leave it loose in the vehicle. In a sudden stop or
accident, it could strike the occupants or seat backs
and cause serious personal injury. 2 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 63