2020 Ram 3500 Chassis Cab ECU

SAFETY143
(Continued)
Change Of Status
If the driver or outboard front seat passenger (if
equipped with outboard front passenger seat
BeltAlert) unbuckles their seat belt while the
vehicle is traveling, the BeltAlert warning
sequence will begin until the seat belts are
buckled again.
The outboard front passenger seat BeltAlert is
not active when the outboard front passenger
seat is unoccupied. BeltAlert may be triggered
when an animal or other items are placed on
the outboard front passenger seat or when the
seat is folded flat (if equipped). It is recom -
mended that pets be restrained in the rear seat
(if equipped) in pet harnesses or pet carriers
that are secured by seat belts, and cargo is
properly stowed.
BeltAlert can be activated or deactivated by an
authorized dealer. FCA US LLC does not recom -
mend deactivating BeltAlert. NOTE:
If BeltAlert has been deactivated and the driver
or outboard front seat passenger (if equipped
with outboard front passenger seat BeltAlert) is
unbuckled the Seat Belt Reminder Light will
turn on and remain on until the driver and
outboard front seat passenger seat belts are
buckled.
Lap/Shoulder Belts
All seating positions except the Crew Cab front
center seating position have combination lap/
shoulder belts.
The seat belt webbing retractor will lock only
during very sudden stops or collisions. This
feature allows the shoulder part of the seat belt
to move freely with you under normal condi
-
tions. However, in a collision the seat belt will
lock and reduce your risk of striking the inside
of the vehicle or being thrown out of the vehicle.
WARNING!
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 some collisions, the air bags
won’t deploy at all. Always wear your seat
belt even though you have air bags.
In a collision, you and your passengers can
suffer much greater injuries if you are not
properly buckled up. You can strike the inte -
rior of your vehicle or other passengers, or
you can be thrown out of the vehicle. Always
be sure you and others in your vehicle are
buckled up properly.
It is dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision,
people riding in these areas are more likely
to be seriously injured or killed.
Do not allow people to ride in any area of
your vehicle that is not equipped with seats
and seat belts.
4

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SAFETY149
Seat Belts And Pregnant Women

Pregnant Women And Seat Belts

Seat belts must be worn by all occupants
including pregnant women: the risk of injury in
the event of an accident is reduced for the
mother and the unborn child if they are wearing
a seat belt.
Position the lap belt snug and low below the
abdomen and across the strong bones of the
hips. Place the shoulder belt across the chest
and away from the neck. Never place the
shoulder belt behind the back or under the arm.
Seat Belt Pretensioner — If Equipped
3500 Models Only
The front outboard seat belt system is equipped
with pretensioning devices that are designed to
remove slack from the seat belt in the event of a collision. These devices may improve the
performance of the seat belt by removing slack
from the seat belt early in a collision. Preten
-
sioners work for all size occupants, including
those in child restraints.
NOTE:
These devices are not a substitute for proper
seat belt placement by the occupant. The seat
belt still must be worn snugly and positioned
properly.
The pretensioners are triggered by the Occu -
pant Restraint Controller (ORC). Like the air
bags, the pretensioners are single use items. A
deployed pretensioner or a deployed air bag
must be replaced immediately.
Energy Management Feature — If Equipped
3500 Models Only
The front outboard seat belt system is equipped
with an Energy Management feature that may
help further reduce the risk of injury in the event
of a collision. The seat belt system has a
retractor assembly that is designed to release
webbing in a controlled manner.
Switchable Automatic Locking Retractors
(ALR) — If Equipped
The seat belts in the passenger seating posi -
tions may be equipped with a Switchable Auto -
matic Locking Retractor (ALR) which is used to
secure a child restraint system. For additional
information, refer to “Installing Child Restraints
Using The Vehicle Seat Belt” under the “Child
Restraints” section of this manual. The figure
below illustrates the locking feature for each
seating position.

Regular Cab Au tomatic Locking Retractor (A LR) Locations

ALR — Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor
4

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160SAFETY
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 prop -
erly 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. Carefully read and follow all the instruc
-
tions and warnings in the child restraint Owner’s
Manual and on all the labels attached to the
child restraint.
Before buying any restraint system, make sure
that it has a label certifying that it meets all
applicable Safety Standards. You should also
make sure that you can install it in the vehicle
where you will use it. NOTE:For additional information, refer to
http://
www.nhtsa.gov/parents-and-caregivers or
call: 1–888–327–4236
Canadian residents should refer to Transport
Canada’s website for additional information:
http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/motorvehicle -
safety/safedrivers-childsafety-index-53.htm
WARNING!
In a collision, an unrestrained child can
become a projectile inside the vehicle. The
force required to hold even an infant on your
lap could become so great that you could not
hold the child, no matter how strong you are.
The child and others could be badly injured or
killed. Any child riding in your vehicle should
be in a proper restraint for the child’s size.

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SAFETY163
Older Children And Child Restraints
Children who are two years old or who have
outgrown their rear-facing convertible child seat
can ride forward-facing in the vehicle.
Forward-facing child seats and convertible child
seats used in the forward-facing direction are
for children who are over two years old or who
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.
After a child restraint is installed in the
vehicle, do not move the vehicle seat
forward or rearward because it can loosen
the child restraint attachments. Remove
the child restraint before adjusting the
vehicle seat position. When the vehicle seat
has been adjusted, reinstall the child
restraint.
When your child restraint is not in use,
secure it in the vehicle with the seat belt or
LATCH anchorages, 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.
4

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SAFETY171
(Continued)
3. Attach the lower hooks or connectors of the child restraint to the lower anchorages in
the selected seating position.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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 direc -
tion.How To Stow An Unused Switchable-ALR
(ALR) Seat Belt:
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 seat belt 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 seat belt. Remind all
children in the vehicle that the seat belts are not
toys and that they should not play with them.
Installing Child Restraints Using The Vehicle
Seat Belt
Child restraint systems are designed to be
secured in vehicle seats by lap belts or the lap
belt portion of a lap/shoulder belt.
WARNING!
Improper installation of a child restraint to
the LATCH anchorages can lead to failure of
the restraint. The child could be badly
injured or killed. Follow the child restraint
manufacturer’s directions exactly when
installing an infant or child restraint.
Child restraint anchorages are designed to
withstand only those loads imposed by
correctly-fitted child restraints. Under no
circumstances are they to be used for adult
seat belts, harnesses, or for attaching other
items or equipment to the vehicle.
WARNING!
Improper installation or failure to properly
secure a child restraint can lead to failure
of the restraint. The child could be badly
injured or killed.
Follow the child restraint manufacturer’s
directions exactly when installing an infant
or child restraint.
WARNING! (Continued)
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174SAFETY
Installing A Child Restraint With A Switchable
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR):
Child restraint systems are designed to be
secured in vehicle seats by lap belts or the lap
belt portion of a lap/shoulder belt.

1.For Crew Cab Models

Place the child seat in the center of the
seating position. For some second row
seats, you may need to recline the seat
and/or raise the head restraint (if adjust -
able) to get a better fit. If the rear seat can
be moved forward and rearward in the vehi -
cle, you may wish to move it to its rear-most
position to make room for the child seat.
You may also move the front seat forward to
allow more room for the child seat. For Regular Cab Models
Place the child seat in the center of the
seating position. Move the vehicle seat as
far rearward as possible to keep the child as
far from the passenger air bag as possible.
2. Pull enough of the seat belt webbing from the retractor to pass it through the belt path
of the child restraint. Do not twist the belt
webbing in the belt path.
3. Slide the latch plate into the buckle until you hear a “click.”
4. Pull on the webbing to make the lap portion tight against the child seat.
5. To lock the seat belt, pull down on the shoulder part of the belt until you have
pulled all the seat belt webbing out of the
retractor. Then, allow the webbing to retract
back into the retractor. As the webbing
retracts, you will hear a clicking sound. This
means the seat belt is now in the Automatic
Locking mode.
6. Try to pull the webbing out of the retractor. If it is locked, you should not be able to pull
out any webbing. If the retractor is not

locked, repeat step 5. 7. Finally, pull up on any excess webbing to
tighten the lap portion around the child
restraint while you push the child restraint
rearward and downward into the vehicle
seat.
8. If the child restraint has a top tether strap and the seating position has a top tether
anchorage, connect the tether strap to the
anchorage and tighten the tether strap. See
the section “Installing Child Restraints
Using the Top Tether Anchorage” for direc -
tions to attach a tether anchor.
9. 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 direc -
tion.
Any seat belt system will loosen with time, so
check the belt occasionally, and pull it tight if
necessary.
WARNING!
Improper installation or failure to properly
secure a child restraint can lead to failure
of the restraint. The child could be badly
injured or killed.
Follow the child restraint manufacturer’s
directions exactly when installing an infant
or child restraint.

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SAFETY175
Installing A Child Restraint With A Cinching
Latch Plate (CINCH) — If Equipped:
Child restraint systems are designed to be
secured in vehicle seats by lap belts or the lap
belt portion of a lap/shoulder belt.

1. Place the child seat in the center of the
seating position. For some second row seats,
you may need to recline the seat and / or
raise the head restraint (if adjustable) to get
a better fit. If the rear seat can be moved
forward and rearward in the vehicle, you may
wish to move it to its rear-most position to
make room for the child seat. You may also
move the front seat forward to allow more
room for the child seat.
2. Next, pull enough of the seat belt webbing
from the retractor to pass it through the belt
path of the child restraint. Do not twist the
belt webbing in the belt path.
3. Slide the latch plate into the buckle until you hear a “click.”
4. Finally, pull up on any excess webbing to tighten the lap portion around the child
restraint while you push the child restraint
rearward and downward into the vehicle
seat.
5. If the child restraint has a top tether strap and the seating position has a top tether
anchorage, connect the tether strap to the
anchorage and tighten the tether strap. See
the section “Installing Child Restraints
Using the Top Tether Anchorage” for direc -
tions to attach a tether anchor.
6. 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 direc -
tion. Any seat belt system will loosen with time, so
check the belt occasionally, and pull it tight if
necessary.
If the buckle or the cinching latch plate is too
close to the belt path opening of the child
restraint, you may have trouble tightening the
seat belt. If this happens, disconnect the latch
plate from the buckle and twist the short
buckle-end belt up to three full turns to shorten
it. Insert the latch plate into the buckle with the
release button facing out, away from the child
restraint. Repeat steps 4 to 6, above, to
complete the installation of the child restraint.
If the belt still cannot be tightened after you
shorten the buckle, disconnect the latch plate
from the buckle, turn the buckle around one
half turn, and insert the latch plate into the
buckle again. If you still cannot make the child
restraint installation tight, try a different seating
position.
WARNING!
Improper installation or failure to properly
secure a child restraint can lead to failure
of the restraint. The child could be badly
injured or killed.
Follow the child restraint manufacturer’s
directions exactly when installing an infant
or child restraint.
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SAFETY179
Installing Three Child Restraints:

1. Place a child restraint on each outboard
rear seat. Route the tether straps following
the directions for right and left seating
positions, above.

2. Attach both hooks to the center tether strap loop, but do not tighten the straps yet.
3. Place a child restraint on the center rear seat. Route the tether strap following the
directions for the center seating position,
above.
4. Attach the hook to the outboard tether strap loop.
5. Tighten the tether straps according to the child seat manufacturer’s instructions,
tightening the right and left tether straps
before the center tether strap.
Outboard And Center Seating Positions Shown
Transporting Pets
Air Bags deploying in the front seat could harm
your pet. An unrestrained pet will 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 (if
equipped) in pet harnesses or pet carriers that
are secured by seat belts.
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 seat
-
backs as you remove slack in the strap.
4

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