2014 Ram Cargo Van ABS

•When the Vehicle Security Alarm is armed, the interior
power door lock switches will not unlock the doors.
The Vehicle Security Alarm is designed to protect your
vehicle; however, you can create conditions where the
system will give you a false alarm. If one of the previ-
ously described arming sequences has occurred, the
Vehicle Security Alarm will arm regardless of whether
you are in the vehicle or not. If you remain in the vehicle
and open a door, the alarm will sound. If this occurs,
disarm the Vehicle Security Alarm.
If the Vehicle Security Alarm is armed and the battery
becomes disconnected, the Vehicle Security Alarm will
remain armed when the battery is reconnected; the
exterior lights will flash, the horn will sound. If this
occurs, disarm the Vehicle Security Alarm.Tamper Alert
If something has triggered the Vehicle Security Alarm in
your absence, the horn will sound three times and the
exterior lights blink three times when you unlock the
doors. Check the vehicle for tampering.
Security System Manual Override
The Vehicle Security Alarm will not arm if you lock the
doors using the manual door lock plunger.
ILLUMINATED ENTRY
The courtesy lights will turn on when you use the
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter to unlock the
doors or open any door.
This feature also turns on the approach lighting in the
outside mirrors (if equipped). Refer to “Mirrors” in
“Understanding The Features Of Your Vehicle” for fur-
ther information.
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 19

Gas props support the liftgate in the open position.
However, because the gas pressure drops with tempera-
ture, it may be necessary to assist the props when
opening the liftgate in cold weather.
OCCUPANT RESTRAINTS
Some of the most important safety features in your
vehicle are the restraint systems:
•Three-point lap and shoulder belts for all seating
positions
• Advanced Front Air Bags for driver and front passen-
ger
• Supplemental Active Head Restraints (AHR) located
on top of the front seats (integrated into the head
restraint)
• Supplemental Driver Side Knee Air Bag
• Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags (SAB) •
An energy-absorbing steering column and steering
wheel
• Knee bolsters/blockers for front seat occupants
• Front seat belts incorporate pretensioners that may
enhance occupant protection by managing occupant
energy during an impact event
• The front passenger seat includes an Automatic Lock-
ing Retractor (ALR) which locks the seat belt webbing
into position by extending the belt all the way out and
then adjusting the belt to the desired length to restrain
a child seat or secure a large item in a seat
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.
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 55

protection for an occupant during a side impact. The
SABs are located in the outboard side of the front seats.
NOTE:
•Air Bag covers may not be obvious in the interior trim,
but they will open during air bag deployment.
• After any collision, the vehicle should be taken to an
authorized dealer immediately.
Air Bag System Components
Your vehicle may be equipped with the following air bag
system components:
• Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
• Air Bag Warning Light •
Steering Wheel and Column
• Instrument Panel
• Supplemental Driver Side Knee Air Bag
• Knee Impact Bolsters
• Driver Advanced Front Air Bag
• Passenger Advanced Front Air Bag
• Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags (SAB)
• Front and Side Impact Sensors
• Front Seat Belt Pretensioners, Seat Belt Buckle Switch,
and Seat Track Position Sensors
74 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Air Bag Deployment Sensors And Controls
Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
The ORC is part of a Federally regulated safety system
required for this vehicle.
The ORC determines if deployment of the front and/or
side air bags in a frontal or side collision is required.
Based on the impact sensor ’s signals, a central electronic
ORC deploys the Advanced Front Air Bags, SABs,
Supplemental Driver Side Knee Air Bag, and front seat
belt pretensioners, as required, depending on several
factors, including the severity and type of impact.
Advanced Front Air Bags and Supplemental Driver Side
Knee Air Bag are designed to provide additional protec-
tion by supplementing the seat belts in certain frontal
collisions depending on several factors, including the
severity and type of collision. Advanced Front Air Bags
are not expected to reduce the risk of injury in rear, side,
or rollover collisions.The Advanced Front Air Bags and Supplemental Driver
Side Knee Air Bag 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 Air Bags and Supplemental Driver Side
Knee Air Bag may deploy in crashes with little vehicle
front-end damage but that produce a severe initial decel-
eration.
The side air bags will not deploy in all side collisions.
Side air bag deployment will depend on the severity and
type of collision.
Because air bag sensors measure vehicle deceleration
over time, vehicle speed and damage by themselves are
not good indicators of whether or not an air bag should
have deployed.
78 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

The super console contains a pass through storage area
accessible for both the driver and front passenger.
The super console tambour doors are opened by pushing
down on the finger tabs and sliding the door. The front
tambour door slides forward, the rear tambour door
slides rearward.
Front Lower Pass Through
Super Console
1 — Front Sliding Tambour Door
2 — Cupholder Light Ring
3 — Rear Sliding Tambour Door
274 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

•To prevent excessive battery drain, use the rear win-
dow defroster only when the engine is operating.
CAUTION!
Failure to follow these cautions can cause damage to
the heating elements:
• Use care when washing the inside of the rear
window. Do not use abrasive window cleaners on
the interior surface of the window. Use a soft cloth
and a mild washing solution, wiping parallel to the
heating elements. Labels can be peeled off after
soaking with warm water.
• Do not use scrapers, sharp instruments, or abrasive
window cleaners on the interior surface of the
window.
• Keep all objects a safe distance from the window.
LOAD LEVELING SYSTEM — IF EQUIPPED
The automatic load leveling system will provide a level-
riding vehicle under most passenger and cargo loading
conditions.
A hydraulic pump contained within the shock absorbers
raises the rear of the vehicle to the correct height. It takes
approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) of driving for the leveling
to complete depending on road surface conditions.
If the leveled vehicle is not moved for approximately 15
hours, the leveling system will bleed itself down. The
vehicle must be driven to reset the system.
ROOF LUGGAGE RACK — IF EQUIPPED
The crossbars on your vehicle are delivered stowed
within the roof rack side rails. If adding cargo, deploy the
crossbars. Distribute cargo weight evenly on the roof rack
crossbars, to maximum of 150 lbs (68 kg). The roof rack
does not increase the total load carrying capacity of the
3
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 279

position. To turn off the message temporarily, press and
release the STEP button on the steering wheel. To reset
the oil change indicator system (after performing the
scheduled maintenance), perform the following steps.
1. Turn the ignition switch to the ON/RUN position (do
not start the engine).
2. Fully depress the accelerator pedal, slowly, three times
within 10 seconds.
3. Turn the ignition switch to the OFF/LOCK position.
NOTE:If the indicator message illuminates when you
start the engine, the oil change indicator system did not
reset. If necessary, repeat these steps.
Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) Display
— If Equipped
The Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) fea-
tures a driver-interactive display that is located in the instrument cluster. For further information, refer to
“Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC)”.
7. Anti-Lock Brake (ABS) Light
This light monitors the Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS). The light will turn on when the ignition
switch is turned to the ON/RUN position and
may stay on for as long as four seconds.
If the ABS light remains on or turns on while driving, it
indicates that the Anti-Lock portion of the brake system
is not functioning and that service is required. However,
the conventional brake system will continue to operate
normally if the BRAKE warning light is not on.
If the ABS light is on, the brake system should be serviced
as soon as possible to restore the benefits of Anti-Lock
brakes. If the ABS light does not turn on when the
ignition switch is turned to the ON/RUN position, have
the light inspected by an authorized dealer.
298 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

dealer as soon as possible. Refer to “Occupant Restraints”
in “Things To Know Before Starting Your Vehicle” for
further information.
16. Shift Lever Indicator
The Shift Lever Indicator is self-contained within the
instrument cluster. It displays the gear position of the
automatic transmission.
NOTE:•You must apply the brakes before shifting from
PARK.
• The highest available transmission gear is displayed
in the lower right corner of the Electronic Vehicle
Information Center (EVIC) whenever the Electronic
Range Select (ERS) feature is active. Use the +/-
selector on the shift lever to activate ERS. Refer to
“Automatic Transmission” in “Starting And Operat-
ing” for further information. 17. Vehicle Security Light — If Equipped
This light will flash at a fast rate for approxi-
mately 15 seconds, when the vehicle security
alarm is arming, and then will flash slowly
until the vehicle is disarmed.
18. Brake Warning Light
This light monitors various brake functions,
including brake fluid level and parking brake
application. If the brake light turns on it may
indicate that the parking brake is applied, that
the brake fluid level is low, or that there is a problem with
the anti-lock brake system reservoir.
If the light remains on when the parking brake has been
disengaged, and the fluid level is at the full mark on the
master cylinder reservoir, it indicates a possible brake
hydraulic system malfunction or that a problem with the
Brake Booster has been detected by the Anti-Lock Brake
System (ABS)/Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system.
4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 303