2019 Ram 3500 wheel

SAFETY 249
Front Air Bag Operation
Front Air Bags are designed to provide additional protection
by supplementing the seat belts. Front air bags are not
expected to reduce the risk of injury in rear, side, or rollover
collisions. The 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, 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 collisions,
and also are needed to help keep you in position, away from
an inflating air bag.When the ORC detects a collision requiring the front air bags,
it signals the inflator units. A large quantity of non-toxic gas
is generated to inflate the front air bags.
The steering wheel hub trim cover and the upper passenger
side of the instrument panel separate and fold out of the way
as the air bags inflate to their full size. The front air bags fully
inflate in less time than it takes to blink your eyes. The front
air bags then quickly deflate while helping to restrain the
driver and front passenger.
Knee Impact Bolsters
The Knee Impact Bolsters help protect the knees of the driver
and front passenger, and position the front occupants for
improved interaction with the front air bags.
WARNING!
• Do not drill, cut, or tamper with the knee impact bolsters in any way.
• Do not mount any accessories to the knee impact bolsters such as alarm lights, stereos, citizen band
radios, etc.
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254 SAFETY
Air Bag System Components
NOTE:
The Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) monitors the
internal circuits and interconnecting wiring associated with
electrical Air Bag System Components listed below:
• Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
• Air Bag Warning Light
• Steering Wheel and Column
• Instrument Panel
• Knee Impact Bolsters
• Driver and Front Passenger Air Bags
• Seat Belt Buckle Switch
• Supplemental Side Air Bags
• Front and Side Impact Sensors — If Equipped
• Seat Belt Pretensioners
• Seat Track Position SensorsIf A Deployment Occurs
The front air bags are designed to deflate immediately after
deployment.
NOTE:
Front and/or side air bags will not deploy in all collisions.
This does not mean something is wrong with the air bag
system.
If you do have a collision which deploys the air bags, any or
all of the following may occur:
• The air bag material may sometimes cause abrasions and/
or skin reddening to the occupants as the air bags deploy
and unfold. The abrasions are similar to friction rope burns
or those you might get sliding along a carpet or gymna -
sium 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 imme -
diately.
• As the air bags deflate, you may see some smoke-like parti -
cles. The particles are a normal by-product of the process
that generates the non-toxic gas used for air bag inflation.
These airborne particles may irritate the skin, eyes, nose, or
throat. If you have skin or eye irritation, rinse the area with

256 SAFETY
(Continued)
• Cut off battery power to the:•Engine
•Electric Motor (if equipped)
•Electric power steering
•Brake booster
•Electric park brake
•Automatic transmission gear selector
•Horn
•Front wiper
•Headlamp washer pump
NOTE:
After an accident, remember to cycle the ignition to the STOP
(OFF/LOCK) position and remove the key from the ignition
switch to avoid draining the battery. Carefully check the
vehicle for fuel leaks in the engine compartment and on the
ground near the engine compartment and fuel tank before
resetting the system and starting the engine. If there are no
fuel leaks or damage to the vehicle electrical devices (e.g.
headlights) after an accident, reset the system by following
the procedure described below. If you have any doubt,
contact an authorized dealer. Enhanced Accident Response System Reset Procedure
In order to reset the Enhanced Accident Response System
functions after an event, the ignition switch must be changed
from ignition START or ON/RUN to ignition OFF. Carefully
check the vehicle for fuel leaks in the engine compartment
and on the ground near the engine compartment and fuel
tank before resetting the system and starting the engine.
Maintaining Your Air Bag System
WARNING!
• Modifications to any part of the air bag system could cause it to fail when you need it. You could be injured
if the air bag 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 passenger side of the instru -
ment 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 air bag system yourself. Be sure to tell anyone who works on
your vehicle that it has an air bag system.

SAFETY 289
Periodic Safety Checks You Should Make Outside
The Vehicle
Tires
Examine tires for excessive tread wear and uneven wear
patterns. Check for stones, nails, glass, or other objects
lodged in the tread or sidewall. Inspect the tread for cuts and
cracks. Inspect sidewalls for cuts, cracks, and bulges. Check
the wheel bolts for tightness. Check the tires (including
spare) for proper cold inflation pressure.
Lights
Have someone observe the operation of brake lights and
exterior lights while you work the controls. Check turn
signal and high beam indicator lights on the instrument
panel.
Door Latches
Check for proper closing, latching, and locking.
Fluid Leaks
Check area under the vehicle after overnight parking for
fuel, coolant, oil, or other fluid leaks. Also, if gasoline fumes
are detected or if fuel, or brake fluid leaks are suspected. The
cause should be located and corrected immediately.
• ALWAYS make sure objects cannot fall or slide into the
driver’s side floor area when the vehicle is moving.
Objects can become trapped under accelerator, brake,
or clutch pedals and could cause a loss of vehicle
control.
• NEVER place any objects under the floor mat (e.g., towels, keys, etc.). These objects could change the posi -
tion of the floor mat and may cause interference with
the accelerator, brake, or clutch pedals.
• If the vehicle carpet has been removed and re-installed, always properly attach carpet to the floor and check the
floor mat fasteners are secure to the vehicle carpet.
Fully depress each pedal to check for interference with
the accelerator, brake, or clutch pedals then re-install
the floor mats.
• It is recommended to only use mild soap and water to clean your floor mats. After cleaning, always check
your floor mat has been properly installed and is
secured to your vehicle using the floor mat fasteners by
lightly pulling mat.
WARNING! (Continued)
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298 STARTING AND OPERATING
PARKING BRAKE
Before leaving the vehicle, make sure that the parking brake
is fully applied. Also, be certain to leave the transmission in
PARK.
The foot operated parking brake is located below the lower
left corner of the instrument panel. To apply the park brake,
firmly push the park brake pedal fully. To release the
parking brake, pull the parking brake release handle.Parking Brake Release When the parking brake is applied with the ignition switch
ON, the “Brake Warning Light” in the instrument cluster
will illuminate.
NOTE:
• When the parking brake is applied and the transmission is
placed in gear, the “Brake Warning Light” will flash. If
vehicle speed is detected, a chime will sound to alert the
driver. Fully release the parking brake before attempting
to move the vehicle.
• This light only shows that the parking brake is applied. It does not show the degree of brake application.
When parking on a hill, it is important to turn the front
wheels toward the curb on a downhill grade and away from
the curb on an uphill grade. Apply the parking brake before
placing the gear selector in PARK, otherwise the load on the
transmission locking mechanism may make it difficult to
move the gear selector out of PARK. The parking brake
should always be applied whenever the driver is not in the
vehicle.

302 STARTING AND OPERATING
NOTE:
In the event of a mismatch between the gear selector position
and the actual transmission gear (for example, driver selects
PARK while driving), the position indicator will blink
continuously until the selector is returned to the proper posi-
tion, or the requested shift can be completed.
The electronically-controlled transmission adapts its shift
schedule based on driver inputs, along with environmental
and road conditions. The transmission electronics are
self-calibrating; therefore, the first few shifts on a new
vehicle may be somewhat abrupt. This is a normal condition,
and precision shifts will develop within a few hundred miles
(kilometers).
Only shift from DRIVE to PARK or REVERSE when the
accelerator pedal is released and the vehicle is stopped. Be
sure to keep your foot on the brake pedal when shifting
between these gears.
The transmission gear selector has only PARK, REVERSE,
NEUTRAL, and DRIVE positions. Manual downshifts can be
made using the Electronic Range Select (ERS) shift control.
Pressing the GEAR-/GEAR+ switches (on the steering
wheel) while in the DRIVE position will select the highest
available transmission gear, and will display that gear limit
in the instrument cluster as 1, 2, 3, etc. Refer to “Electronic Range Select (ERS) Operation” in this section for further
information. Some models will display both the selected gear
limit, and the actual current gear, while in ERS mode.
Electronic Transmission Gear Selector
Gear Ranges
Do not depress the accelerator pedal when shifting from
PARK or NEUTRAL into another gear range.
NOTE:
After selecting any gear range, wait a moment to allow the
selected gear to engage before accelerating. This is especially
important when the engine is cold.

STARTING AND OPERATING 303
(Continued)
PARK (P)
This range supplements the parking brake by locking the
transmission. The engine can be started in this range. Never
attempt to use PARK while the vehicle is in motion. Apply
the parking brake when exiting the vehicle in this range.
When parking on a level surface, you may shift the transmis-
sion into PARK first, and then apply the parking brake.
When parking on a hill, apply the parking brake before
shifting the transmission to PARK. As an added precaution,
turn the front wheels toward the curb on a downhill grade
and away from the curb on an uphill grade.
NOTE:
On four-wheel drive vehicles be sure that the transfer case is
in a drive position.
When exiting the vehicle, always:
• Apply the parking brake.
• Shift the transmission into PARK.
• Turn the engine OFF.
• Remove the key fob.WARNING!
• Never use the PARK position as a substitute for the parking brake. Always apply the parking brake fully
when exiting the vehicle to guard against vehicle move -
ment and possible injury or damage.
• Your vehicle could move and injure you and others if it is not in PARK. Check by trying to move the transmis -
sion gear selector out of PARK with the brake pedal
released. Make sure the transmission is in PARK before
exiting the vehicle.
• The transmission may not engage PARK if the vehicle is moving. Always bring the vehicle to a complete stop
before shifting to PARK, and verify that the transmis -
sion gear position indicator solidly indicates PARK (P)
without blinking. Ensure that the vehicle is completely
stopped, and the PARK position is properly indicated,
before exiting the vehicle.
• It is dangerous to shift out of PARK or NEUTRAL if the engine speed is higher than idle speed. If your foot is
not firmly pressing the brake pedal, the vehicle could
accelerate quickly forward or in reverse. You could lose
control of the vehicle and hit someone or something.
Only shift into gear when the engine is idling normally
and your foot is firmly pressing the brake pedal.
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STARTING AND OPERATING 307
Electronic Range Select (ERS) Operation — Eight-Speed
Transmission
The Electronic Range Select (ERS) shift control allows the
driver to limit the highest available gear when the transmis-
sion is in DRIVE. For example, if you set the transmission
gear limit to 4 (fourth gear), the transmission will not shift
above fourth gear (except to prevent engine overspeed), but
will shift through the lower gears normally.
You can switch between DRIVE and ERS mode at any
vehicle speed. When the transmission gear selector is in
DRIVE, the transmission will operate automatically, shifting
between all available gears. Tapping the GEAR- switch (on
the steering wheel) will activate ERS mode, display the
current gear in the instrument cluster, and set that gear as the
top available gear. Once in ERS mode, tapping the GEAR- or
GEAR+ switch will change the top available gear. To exit ERS mode, simply push and hold the GEAR+ switch
until the gear limit display disappears from the instrument
cluster.
1 — GEAR + Switch
2 — GEAR – Switch
WARNING!
Do not downshift for additional engine braking on a
slippery surface. The drive wheels could lose their grip
and the vehicle could skid, causing a collision or
personal injury.
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