2013 Ram C/V ECU

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
infant and child restraint systems. For more information
on LATCH, refer to Lower Anchors and Tether for
CHildren (LATCH).
NOTE:The Advanced Front Air Bags have a multistage
inflator design. This allows the air bag to have different
rates of inflation based on several factors, including the
severity and type of collision.
Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize the
risk of harm from a deploying air bag:
1. Children 12 years old and under should always ride
buckled up in a rear seat.WARNING!
Infants in rear facing child restraints should never
ride in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger
Advanced Front Air Bag. An air bag deployment can
cause severe injury or death to infants in that posi-
tion.
Children that are not big enough to wear the vehicle seat
belt properly (see section on Child Restraints) should be
secured in the rear seat in child restraints or belt-
positioning booster seats. Older children who do not use
child restraints or belt-positioning booster seats should
ride properly buckled up in the rear seat. Never allow
children to slide the shoulder belt behind them or under
their arm.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 57

Pull the strap down and secure the small latch plate of
the lap belt into the small buckle until you hear a “click”.
Position the shoulder belt on your chest so that it is
comfortable and not resting on your neck. When the belt
is long enough to fit , insert the large latch plate into the
buckle until you hear a “click.” The retractor should
withdraw any slack in the belt.
To release the small latch plate, position the end of the
large latch plate against the red button on the small latch
plate and push upward. Reinstall the latch plates into the
headliner.
Adjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage
In the front seats and the second row outboard seats, the
shoulder belt anchorage can be adjusted upward or
downward to help position the belt away from your
neck. The upper anchorage can be adjusted upward bypushing anywhere on the anchorage. To move the an-
chorage downward, squeeze the actuation buttons while
simultaneously pushing down on the anchorage
assembly.
As a guide, if you are shorter than average you will
prefer a lower position, and if you are taller than average
Adjustable Anchorage
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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.
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.
Driver Center Passenger
First Row N/A N/A ALR
Second Row ALR N/A ALR Third 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 occupant’s 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 occupant’s 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. The belt will still retract to remove any slack in
the shoulder belt. The Automatic Locking Mode is avail-
able on all passenger-seating positions with a combina-
tion lap/shoulder belt. Use the Automatic Locking Mode
anytime a child safety seat is installed in a seating
66 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Enhanced Seat Belt Use Reminder System
(BeltAlert®)
BeltAlert® is a feature intended to remind the driver and
front passenger (if equipped with front passenger
BeltAlert®) to fasten their seat belts. The feature is active
whenever the ignition is on. If the driver or front seat
passenger is unbelted, the Seat Belt Reminder Light will
turn on and remain on until both front seat belts are
fastened.
The BeltAlert® warning sequence begins after the vehicle
speed is over 5 mph (8 km/h), by blinking the Seat Belt
Reminder Light and sounding an intermittent chime.
Once the sequence starts, it will continue for the entire
duration or until the respective seatbelts are fastened.After the sequence completes, the Seat Belt Reminder
Light remains illuminated until the respective seat belts
are fastened. The driver should instruct all other occu-
pants to fasten their seat belts. If a front seat belt is
unbuckled while traveling at speeds greater than 5 mph
(8 km/h), BeltAlert® will provide both audio and visual
notification.
The front passenger seat BeltAlert® is not active when
the front passenger seat is unoccupied. BeltAlert® may
be triggered when an animal or heavy object is on the
front passenger seat or when the seat is folded flat (if
equipped). It is recommended that pets be restrained in
the rear seat in pet harnesses or pet carriers that are
secured by seat belts, and cargo is properly stowed.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 73

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.
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 at all
times, including babies and children. Every state in the
United States, and every Canadian province, requires
that small children ride in proper restraint systems. This
is the law, and you can be prosecuted for ignoring it.
Children 12 years or 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.
There are different sizes and types of restraints for
children from newborn size to the child almost large
enough for an adult safety belt. Always check the child
seat Owner ’s Manual to make sure you have the correct
seat for your child.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 91

have outgrown the rear-facing weight or height limit of
their rear-facing convertible child seat. Children should
remain in a forward-facing child seat with a harness for
as long as possible, up to the highest weight or height
allowed by the child seat.
All children whose weight or height is above the
forward-facing limit for the child seat should use a
belt-positioning booster seat until the vehicle’s seat belts
fit properly. If the child cannot sit with knees bent over
the vehicle’s seat cushion while the child’s back is against
the seatback, they should use a belt-positioning booster
seat. The child and belt-positioning booster seat are held
in the vehicle by the seat belt.WARNING!
•Improper installation can lead to failure of an
infant or child restraint. It could come loose in a
collision. The child could be badly injured or
killed. Follow the child restraint manufacturer ’s
directions exactly when installing an infant or
child restraint.
• When your child restraint is not in use, secure it in
the vehicle with the seat belt or LATCH anchor-
ages, 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 seatbacks and cause
serious personal injury.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 95

4. Attach the lower hooks or connectors of the childrestraint to the lower anchorages in the selected seat-
ing position.
5. If the child restraint has a tether strap, connect it to the top tether anchorage. See the section “Installing Child
Restraints Using the Top Tether Anchorage” for direc-
tions to attach a tether anchor.
6. Tighten all of the straps as you push the child restraint rearward and downward into the seat. Remove slack
in the straps according to the child restraint manufac-
turer ’s instructions.
7. Test that the child restraint is installed tightly by pulling back and forth on the child seat at the belt
path. It should not move more than 1 inch (25.4 mm)
in any direction.How To Stow An Unused ALR Seatbelt
When using the LATCH attaching system to install a
child restraint, stow all ALR seat belts that are not being
used by other occupants or being used to secure child
restraints. An unused belt could injure a child if they play
with it and accidentally lock the seatbelt retractor. Before
installing a child restraint using the LATCH system,
buckle the seat belt behind the child restraint and out of
the child’s reach. If the buckled seat belt interferes with
the child restraint installation, instead of buckling it
behind the child restraint, route the seat belt through the
child restraint belt path and then buckle it. Do not lock
the seatbelt. Remind all children in the vehicle that the
seat belts are not toys and that they should not play with
them.
106 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

4. Remove slack in the tether strap according to the childrestraint manufacturer ’s instructions.
WARNING!
•An incorrectly anchored tether strap could lead to
increased head motion and possible injury to the
child. Use only the anchorage position directly
behind the child seat to secure a child restraint top
tether strap.
• If your vehicle is equipped with a split rear seat,
make sure the tether strap does not slip into the
opening between the seatbacks as you remove
slack in the strap.
Transporting Pets
Air Bags deploying in the front seat could harm your pet.
An unrestrained pet could be thrown about and possibly
injured, or injure a passenger during panic braking or in
a collision.
Pets should be restrained in the rear seat in pet harnesses
or pet carriers that are secured by seat belts.
LATCH Anchorages (Third Row 60/40 Anchorage
Shown)
114 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE