2012 RAM CHASSIS CAB lock

Adjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage
In 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. 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.
Center Lap Belts
The center seating position for the 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.
Adjusting Upper Shoulder Belt48 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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 Belts In Passenger Seating Positions
The seat belts in the passenger seating positions are
equipped with an Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) or
a cinching latch plate which are used to secure a child
restraint system. For additional information refer to
“Installing Child Restraints Using the Vehicle Seat Belt”
under the “Child Restraint” section. The chart below
defines the type of feature for each seating position. Regular Cab
Left Center Right
First Row N/A ALR ALR
• N/A — Not Applicable
• ALR — Automatic Locking Retractor
Crew Cab 
Left Center Right
First Row N/A N/A ALR
Second Row ALR Cinch ALR
• N/A — Not Applicable
• ALR — Automatic Locking Retractor
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 2 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 49

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 a  click. 
Automatic Locking Retractor Mode (ALR) — If
Equipped
In this mode, the shoulder belt is automatically pre-
locked. However, the belt will still retract to remove slack
in the shoulder belt. Use the Automatic Locking Mode
any time a child safety seat is installed in a seating
position that has a seat belt with this feature. Children
12 years old and younger should be properly restrained
in the rear seat whenever possible.
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 ratcheting sound. This indicates the safety belt is
now in the Automatic Locking mode.
How To Disengage The Automatic Locking Mode
Unbuckle the combination lap and shoulder belt and
allow it to retract completely to disengage the Automatic
Locking mode and activate the vehicle sensitive (emer-
gency) locking mode.
Center Lap Belts — Crew Cab  Only
The front center seating position 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.50 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

The ORC monitors the readiness of the electronic parts of
the air bag system whenever the ignition switch is in the
START or ON/RUN position. If the key is in the LOCK
position, in the ACC position, or not in the ignition, the
air bag system is not on and the air bags will not inflate.
The ORC contains a backup power supply system that
may deploy the air bags even if the battery loses power or
it becomes disconnected prior to deployment.
Also, the ORC turns on the Air Bag Warning
Light in the instrument panel for approxi-
mately four to eight seconds for a self-check
when the ignition is first turned on. After the
self-check, the Air Bag Warning Light will turn off. If the
ORC detects a malfunction in any part of the system, it
turns on the Air Bag Warning Light, either momentarily
or continuously. A single chime will sound if the light
comes on again after initial startup. It also includes diagnostics that will illuminate the instru-
ment cluster Air Bag Warning Light if a malfunction is
noted that could affect the air bag system. The diagnos-
tics also record the nature of the malfunction.
WARNING!Ignoring the Air Bag Warning Light in your instru-
ment panel could mean you won’t have the air bags
to protect you in a collision. If the light does not come
on as a bulb check when the ignition is first turned
on, stays on after you start the vehicle, or if it comes
on as you drive, have an authorized dealer service the
air bag system immediately.58 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Driver And Passenger Advanced Front Air Bag
Inflator Units
The Driver and Passenger Advanced Front Air Bag
Inflator Units are located in the center of the steering
wheel and on the right side of the instrument panel (if
equipped). When the ORC detects a collision requiring
the Advanced Front Air Bags, it signals the inflator units.
A large quantity of non-toxic gas is generated to inflate
the Advanced Front Air Bags. Different air bag inflation
rates are possible, based on the collision type and sever-
ity. The steering wheel hub trim cover and the upper
right side of the instrument panel separate and fold out
of the way as the air bags inflate to their full size. The air
bags fully inflate in about 50 to 70 milliseconds. This is
about half of the time it takes to blink your eyes. The air
bags then quickly deflate while helping to restrain the
driver and front passenger. The Advanced Front Air Bag gas is vented through the
vent holes in the sides of the air bag. In this way, the air
bags do not interfere with your control of the vehicle.
Enhanced Accident Response System
In the event of an impact causing air bag 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. 2 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 59

NOTE: If the speedometer, tachometer, or any engine
related gauges are not working, the Occupant Restraint
Controller (ORC) may also be disabled. The air bags 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 air bag 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; • 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 en-
forcement, could combine the EDR data with the type of
personally identifying data routinely acquired during a
crash investigation. 2 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 63

We urge you to carefully follow the directions of the
manufacturer when installing your child restraint. Many,
but not all, restraint systems will be equipped with
separate straps on each side, with each having a hook or
connector, and a means for adjusting the tension in the
strap. Forward-facing toddler restraints and some
rearward-facing infant restraints will also be equipped
with a tether strap, a hook and means for adjusting the
tension in the strap.
In general, you will first loosen the child seat adjusters on
the lower straps and tether straps so that you can more
easily attach the hook or connector to the lower anchor-
ages and tether anchorages. Then tighten all three straps
as you push the child restraint rearward and downward
into the seat.
Not all child restraint systems will be installed as we
have described here. Again, carefully follow the instruc-
tions that come with the child restraint system. WARNING!Improper installation of a child restraint to the
LATCH anchorages can lead to failure of an infant or
child restraint. The child could be badly injured or
killed. Follow the manufacturer’s directions exactly
when installing an infant or child restraint.
Installing Child Restraints Using The Vehicle Seat
Belt
The seat belts in the passenger seating positions are
equipped with either an Automatic Locking Retractor
(ALR) or a cinching latch plate or both. Both types of seat
belts are designed to keep the lap portion of the seat belt
tight around the child restraint so that it is not necessary
to use a locking clip. The ALR will make a ratcheting
noise if you extract the entire belt from the retractor and
then allow the belt to retract into the retractor. For
additional information on ALR, refer to “Automatic
Locking Mode”. 2 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 71

The chart below defines the seating positions with an
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) or a cinching latch
plate.
Regular Cab
Left Center Right
First Row N/A ALR ALR
• N/A — Not Applicable
• ALR — Automatic Locking Retractor
Crew Cab 
Left Center Right
First Row N/A N/A ALR
Second Row ALR Cinch ALR
• N/A — Not Applicable
• ALR — Automatic Locking Retractor Installing a Child Restraint with an ALR:
1. To install a child restraint with ALR, first, pull enough
of the seat belt webbing from the retractor to route it
through the belt path of the child restraint. Slide the latch
plate into the buckle until you hear a “click.” Next,
extract all the seat belt webbing out of the retractor and
then allow the belt to retract into the retractor. As the belt
retracts, you will hear a ratcheting sound. This indicates
the safety belt is now in the Automatic Locking mode.
2. Finally, pull on any excess webbing to tighten the lap
portion around the child restraint. Any seat belt system
will loosen with time, so check the belt occasionally, and
pull it tight if necessary.
Installing a Child Restraint with a Cinching Latch Plate:
1. To install a child restraint with a cinching latch plate,
first, pull enough of the seat belt webbing from the72 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE