2016 Ram 3500 sensor

Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
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
• Knee Impact Bolsters
• Advanced Front Air Bags
• Supplemental Side Air Bags •
Front and Side Impact Sensors — If Equipped
• Seat Belt Pretensioners
• Seat Belt Buckle Switch
Advanced Front Air Bags
This vehicle has Advanced Front Air Bags for both the
driver and front passenger as a supplement to the seat
belt restraint systems. The driver ’s Advanced Front Air
Bag is mounted in the center of the steering wheel. The
passenger ’s Advanced Front Air Bag is mounted in the
instrument panel, above the glove compartment. The
words “SRS AIRBAG” or “AIRBAG” are embossed on
the air bag covers.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 71

Advanced Front Air Bag Features
The Advanced Front Air Bag system has multistage
driver and front passenger air bags. 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) or other system components.
The first stage inflator is triggered immediately during an
impact that requires air bag deployment. A low energy
output is used in less severe collisions. A higher energy
output is used for more severe collisions.
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 buckled. The seat
belt buckle switch may adjust the inflation rate of the
Advanced Front Air Bags.
WARNING!
•No objects should be placed over or near the air
bag on the instrument panel or steering wheel
because any such objects could cause harm if the
vehicle is in a collision severe enough to cause the
air bag to inflate.
• Do not put anything on or around the air bag
covers or attempt to open them manually. You may
damage the air bags and you could be injured
because the air bags may no longer be functional.
The protective covers for the air bag cushions are
designed to open only when the air bags are
inflating.
• Relying on the air bags alone could lead to more
severe injuries in a collision. The air bags work
with your seat belt to restrain you properly. In
(Continued)
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 73

WARNING!(Continued)
some collisions, air bags won’t deploy at all. Al-
ways wear your seat belts even though you have air
bags.
Advanced Front Air Bag Operation
Advanced Front Air Bags are designed to provide addi-
tional protection by supplementing the seat belts. Ad-
vanced Front Air Bags are not expected to reduce the risk
of injury in rear, side, or rollover collisions. The Ad-
vanced Front Air Bags 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 may deploy in crashes
with little vehicle front-end damage but that produce a
severe initial deceleration. 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.
Seat belts are necessary for your protection in all colli-
sions, and also are needed to help keep you in position,
away from an inflating air bag.
When the ORC detects a collision requiring the Ad-
vanced Front Air Bags, it signals the inflator units. A large
quantity of non-toxic gas is generated to inflate the
Advanced Front Air Bags.
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 Advanced
Front Air Bags fully inflate in less time than it takes to
blink your eyes. The air bags then quickly deflate while
helping to restrain the driver and front passenger.
74 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!(Continued)
properly. In some collisions, Side Air Bags won’t
deploy at all. Always wear your seat belt even
though you have Side Air Bags.
NOTE: Air bag covers may not be obvious in the interior
trim, but they will open during air bag deployment.
Side Impacts
In side impacts, the side impact sensors aid the ORC in
determining the appropriate response to impact events.
The system is calibrated to deploy the Side Air Bags on
the impact side of the vehicle during impacts that require
Side Air Bag occupant protection. In side impacts, the
Side Air Bags deploy independently; a left side impact
deploys the left Side Air Bags only and a right side
impact deploys the right Side Air Bags only. The Side Air Bags will not deploy in all side collisions,
including some collisions at certain angles, or some side
collisions that do not impact the area of the passenger
compartment. The Side Air Bags may deploy during
angled or offset frontal collisions where the Advanced
Front Air Bags deploy.
Rollover Events
Side Air Bags are designed to activate in certain rollover
events. The ORC determines whether the deployment of
the Side Air Bags in a particular rollover event is appro-
priate, based on the severity and type of collision. Vehicle
damage by itself is not a good indicator of whether or not
Side Air Bags should have deployed.
The Side Air Bags will not deploy in all rollover events.
The rollover sensing-system determines if a rollover
event may be in progress and whether deployment is
appropriate. A slower-developing event may deploy the
seat belt pretensioners on both sides of the vehicle. A2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 79

▫To Accelerate For Passing ...............193
 PARKSENSE REAR PARK ASSIST — IF
EQUIPPED .......................... .194
▫ ParkSense Sensors .....................194
▫ ParkSense Warning Display ..............194
▫ ParkSense Display .....................195
▫ Enabling And Disabling ParkSense .........199
▫ Service The ParkSense Rear Park Assist
System ............................ .200
▫ Cleaning The ParkSense System ...........201
▫ ParkSense System Usage Precautions ........201
 PARKSENSE FRONT AND REAR PARK ASSIST —
IF EQUIPPED ........................ .203
▫ ParkSense Sensors .....................204 ▫
ParkSense Warning Display ..............204
▫ ParkSense Display .....................205
▫ Enabling And Disabling Front And/Or Rear
ParkSense .......................... .207
▫ Service The ParkSense Park Assist System . . . .208
▫ Cleaning The ParkSense System ...........209
▫ ParkSense System Usage Precautions ........209
 PARKVIEW REAR BACK UP CAMERA — IF
EQUIPPED .......................... .212
 OVERHEAD CONSOLE — IF EQUIPPED .....215
▫ Courtesy/Reading Lights ...............215
 GARAGE DOOR OPENER — IF EQUIPPED . . .217
▫ Before You Begin Programming HomeLink . . .218
▫ Programming A Rolling Code ............219
126 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

PARKSENSE REAR PARK ASSIST — IF
EQUIPPED
The ParkSense Rear 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 ParkSense System
Usage Precautions for limitations of this system and
recommendations.
ParkSense will retain the last system state (enabled or
disabled) from the last ignition cycle when the ignition is
changed to the ON/RUN position.
ParkSense can be active only when the gear selector is in
REVERSE. If ParkSense is enabled at this gear selector
position, the system will remain active until the vehicle
speed is increased to approximately 7 mph (11 km/h) or
above. When in REVERSE and above the system’s oper-
ating speed, a warning will appear within the Electronic
Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) or Driver InformationDisplay (DID) indicating the vehicle speed is too fast. The
system will become active again if the vehicle speed is
decreased to speeds less than approximately 6 mph
(9 km/h).
ParkSense Sensors
The four ParkSense sensors, 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 18 in (45 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.
ParkSense Warning Display
The ParkSense Warning screen is located within the
Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) or Driver
Information Display (DID). It provides visual warnings
to indicate the distance between the rear fascia/bumper
and the detected obstacle. Refer to “Electronic Vehicle
194 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

The ParkSense switch LED will be ON when ParkSense is
disabled or defective. The ParkSense switch LED will be
OFF when the system is enabled.
If the ParkSense switch is pushed, and the system is
disabled or requires service, the ParkSense switch LED
will blink momentarily, and then the LED will be ON.
Service The ParkSense Rear Park Assist System
During vehicle start up, when the ParkSense Rear Park
Assist System has detected a faulted condition, the
instrument cluster will actuate a single chime, once per
ignition cycle, and it will display thePARKSENSE
UNAVAILABLE WIPE REAR SENSORS or the
PARKSENSE UNAVAILABLE SERVICE REQUIRED 
message. Refer to “Electronic Vehicle Information Center
(EVIC) or Driver Information Display (DID)” in “Under-
standing Your Instrument Panel” for further information. When the gear selector is moved to REVERSE and the
system has detected a faulted condition, the EVIC/DID
will display the
PARKSENSE UNAVAILABLE WIPE
REAR SENSORS or thePARKSENSE UNAVAILABLE
SERVICE REQUIRED message for as long as the vehicle
is in REVERSE. Under this condition, ParkSense will not
operate.
If PARKSENSE UNAVAILABLE WIPE REAR SENSORS
appears in the Electronic Vehicle Information Center
(EVIC) or Driver Information Display (DID) make sure
the outer surface and the underside of the rear fascia/
bumper is clean and clear of snow, ice, mud, dirt or other
obstruction, and then cycle the ignition. If the message
continues to appear, see an authorized dealer.
If PARKSENSE UNAVAILABLE SERVICE REQUIRED
appears in the EVIC/DID, see your authorized dealer.
200 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

Cleaning The ParkSense System
Clean the ParkSense sensors with water, car wash soap
and a soft cloth. Do not use rough or hard cloths. Do not
scratch or poke the sensors. Otherwise, you could dam-
age the sensors.
ParkSense System Usage Precautions
NOTE:
•Ensure that the rear bumper is free of snow, ice, mud,
dirt and debris to keep the ParkSense system operating
properly.
• Jackhammers, large trucks, and other vibrations could
affect the performance of ParkSense.
• When you turn ParkSense off, the instrument cluster
will display PARKSENSE OFF. Furthermore, once
you turn ParkSense off, it remains off until you turn it
on again, even if you cycle the ignition key. •
When you move the gear selector to the REVERSE
position and ParkSense is turned off, the instrument
cluster will display PARKSENSE OFF message for as
long as the vehicle is in REVERSE.
• ParkSense, when on, will reduce the volume of the
radio when it is sounding a tone.
• Clean the ParkSense sensors regularly, taking care not
to scratch or damage them. The sensors must not be
covered with ice, snow, slush, mud, dirt or debris.
Failure to do so can result in the system not working
properly. The ParkSense system might not detect an
obstacle behind the fascia/bumper, or it could provide
a false indication that an obstacle is behind the fascia/
bumper.
• Ensure the ParkSense system is OFF if objects such as
bicycle carriers, trailer hitches, etc., are placed within
18 in (45 cm) from the rear fascia/bumper while
driving the vehicle. Failure to do so can result in the
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 201