2021 RAM 1500 child seat

152STARTING AND OPERATING
(Continued)
NOTE:
The EPB fault light will illuminate if the EPB
switch is held for longer than 20 seconds in
either the released or applied position. The light
will extinguish upon releasing the switch.
If the Auto Park Brake feature is enabled, the
parking brake will automatically engage
whenever the transmission is placed into PARK.
If your foot is on the brake pedal, you may notice
a small amount of brake pedal movement while
the parking brake is engaging.
The parking brake will release automatically
when the ignition is ON, the transmission is in
DRIVE or REVERSE, the driver seat belt is
buckled, and an attempt is made to drive away.
To release the parking brake manually, the
ignition switch must be in the ON/RUN mode.
Put your foot on the brake pedal, then push the
parking brake switch down momentarily. You
may hear a slight whirring sound from the back
of the vehicle while the parking brake
disengages. You may also notice a small
amount of movement in the brake pedal. Once
the parking brake is fully disengaged, The
BRAKE telltale light in the instrument cluster
and the LED indicator on the switch will
extinguish.NOTE:
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.
WARNING!
Never use the PARK position as a substi
-
tute for the parking brake. Always apply the
parking brake fully when parked to guard
against vehicle movement and possible
injury or damage.
When exiting the vehicle, always remove
the key fob from the ignition and lock your
vehicle.
Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or
with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Allowing children to be in a vehicle unat -
tended is dangerous for a number of
reasons. A child or others could be seriously
or fatally injured. Children should be
warned not to touch the parking brake,
brake pedal or the gear selector.
Do not leave the key fob in or near the
vehicle, or in a location accessible to chil -
dren, and do not leave a vehicle equipped
with Keyless Enter-N-Go in the ACC or ON/
RUN mode. A child could operate power
windows, other controls, or move the
vehicle.
Be sure the parking brake is fully disen -
gaged before driving; failure to do so can
lead to brake failure and a collision.
Always fully apply the parking brake when
leaving your vehicle, or it may roll and
cause damage or injury. Also be certain to
leave the transmission in PARK. Failure to
do so may allow the vehicle to roll and
cause damage or injury.
CAUTION!
If the Brake System Warning Light remains on
with the parking brake released, a brake
system malfunction is indicated. Have the
brake system serviced by an authorized
dealer immediately.
WARNING! (Continued)

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334SAFETY
Trailer Tire Pres sure System Not Configured
A “Trailer Tire Pressure System Not Configured”
message will be displayed in the instrument
cluster on the TTPMS instrument cluster
graphic when a trailer number is selected that
has not had trailer tire pressure sensors paired.
To correct this condition, see Ú page 237.
Trailer Sensors Detected Do Not Match Active
Trailer
The “Trailer Sensors Detected Do Not Match
Active Trailer” message will be displayed in the
instrument cluster when the trailer sensors
being received by the TTPMS module do not
match the trailer sensors paired to the current
trailer number selected. This message will be
displayed when the sensors being received
completely match the sensors paired to another
trailer number configured in the TTPMS module.
To correct this condition, the correct trailer
number must be selected in the radio
Ú page 237.OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
Some of the most important safety features in
your vehicle are the restraint systems:
OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
F
EATURES
Seat Belt Systems
Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) Air
Bags
Child Restraints
Some of the safety features described in this
section may be standard equipment on some
models, or may be optional equipment on
others. If you are not sure, ask an authorized
dealer.
IMPORTANT SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
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.
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 the rear seat of a
vehicle with a rear seat.

2. A child who is not big enough to wear the vehicle seat belt properly must be secured
in the appropriate child restraint or
belt-positioning booster seat in a rear
seating position Ú page 355.
3. If a child from 2 to 12 years old (not in a rear-facing child restraint) must ride in the
front passenger seat, move the seat as far
back as possible and use the proper child
restraint Ú page 355.
4. Never allow children to slide the shoulder belt behind them or under their arm.
5. You should read the instructions provided with your child restraint to make sure that
you are using it properly.
6. All occupants should always wear their lap and shoulder belts properly.
7. The driver and front passenger seats should be moved back as far as practical to allow
the front air bags room to inflate.

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SAFETY335
8. Do not lean against the door or window. If
your vehicle has side air bags, and
deployment occurs, the side air bags will
inflate forcefully into the space between
occupants and the door and occupants
could be injured.
9. If the air bag system in this vehicle needs to be modified to accommodate a disabled
person, see Ú page 479 for customer
service contact information.SEAT BELT SYSTEMS
Buckle up even though you are an excellent
driver, even on short trips. Someone on the road
may be a poor driver and could cause a collision
that includes you. This can happen far away
from home or on your own street.
Research has shown that seat belts save lives,
and they can reduce the seriousness of injuries
in a collision. Some of the worst injuries happen
when people are thrown from the vehicle. Seat
belts reduce the possibility of ejection and the
risk of injury caused by striking the inside of the
vehicle. Everyone in a motor vehicle should be
belted at all times.
Enhanced Seat Belt Use Reminder System
(BeltAlert)
Driver And Passenger BeltAlert — If Equipped
BeltAlert is a feature intended to remind the
driver and outboard front seat passenger (if
equipped with outboard front passenger seat
BeltAlert) to buckle their seat belts. The
BeltAlert feature is active whenever the ignition
switch is in the START or ON/RUN position. Initial Indication
If the driver is unbuckled when the ignition
switch is first in the START or ON/RUN position,
a chime will signal for a few seconds. If the
driver or outboard front seat passenger (if
equipped with outboard front passenger seat
BeltAlert) is unbuckled when the ignition switch
is first in the START or ON/RUN position the
Seat Belt Reminder Light will turn on and
remain on until both outboard front seat belts
are buckled. The outboard front passenger seat
BeltAlert is not active when an outboard front
passenger seat is unoccupied.
BeltAlert Warning Sequence
The BeltAlert warning sequence is activated
when the vehicle is moving above a specified
vehicle speed range and the driver or outboard
front seat passenger is unbuckled (if equipped
with outboard front passenger seat BeltAlert)
(the outboard front passenger seat BeltAlert is
not active when the outboard front passenger
seat is unoccupied). The BeltAlert warning
sequence starts by blinking the Seat Belt
Reminder Light and sounding an intermittent
chime. Once the BeltAlert warning sequence
has completed, the Seat Belt Reminder Light
will remain on until the seat belts are buckled.
WARNING!
Never place a rear-facing child restraint in
front of an air bag. A deploying passenger
front air bag can cause death or serious
injury to a child 12 years or younger,
including a child in a rear-facing child
restraint.
Never install a rear-facing child restraint in
the front seat of a vehicle. Only use a
rear-facing child restraint in the rear seat. If
the vehicle does not have a rear seat, do
not transport a rear-facing child restraint in
that vehicle.
6

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340SAFETY
Seat Belt Extender
If a seat belt is not long enough to fit properly,
even when the webbing is fully extended and the
adjustable upper shoulder belt anchorage (if
equipped) is in its lowest position, an authorized
dealer can provide you with a Seat Belt Extender.
The Seat Belt Extender should be used only if the
existing seat belt is not long enough. When the
Seat Belt Extender is not required for a different
occupant, it must be removed.
Seat Belts And Pregnant Women

Seat Belts and Pregnant Women

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
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.
Pretensioners 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
Occupant 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
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.
WARNING!
ONLY use a Seat Belt Extender if it is physi
-
cally required in order to properly fit the
original seat belt system. DO NOT USE the
Seat Belt Extender if, when worn, the
distance between the front edge of the
Seat Belt Extender buckle and the center of
the occupant’s body is LESS than 6 inches.
Using a Seat Belt Extender when not
needed can increase the risk of serious
injury or death in a collision. Only use the
Seat Belt Extender when the lap belt is not
long enough and only use in the recom -
mended seating positions. Remove and
store the Seat Belt Extender when not
needed.

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SAFETY341
(Continued)
Switchable Automatic Locking Retractors
(ALR)
The seat belts in the passenger seating
positions are equipped with a Switchable
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) which is
used to secure a child restraint system
Ú page 364. The figure below illustrates the
locking feature for each seating position.

Automatic Locking Retractor — (ALR) Locations

If the passenger seating position is equipped
with an ALR and is being used for normal usage,
only pull the seat 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 clicking sound
as the seat belt retracts. Allow the webbing to
retract completely in this case and then
carefully pull out only the amount of webbing necessary to comfortably wrap around the
occupant’s mid-section. Slide the latch plate
into the buckle until you hear a "click."
In Automatic Locking Mode, the shoulder belt is
automatically pre-locked. The seat belt will still
retract to remove any slack in the shoulder belt.
Use the Automatic Locking Mode anytime a
child restraint is installed in a seating position
that has a seat belt with this feature. Children
12 years old and under should always be
properly restrained in the rear seat of a vehicle
with a rear seat.
How To Engage The Automatic Locking Mode

1. Buckle the combination lap and shoulder
belt.

2. Grab the shoulder portion and pull downward until the entire seat belt is
extracted.
3. Allow the seat belt to retract. As the seat belt retracts, you will hear a clicking sound.
This indicates the seat belt is now in the
Automatic Locking Mode.
How To Disengage The Automatic Locking Mode
Unbuckle the combination lap/shoulder belt
and allow it to retract completely to disengage
the Automatic Locking Mode and activate the
vehicle sensitive (emergency) locking mode.
WARNING!
Never place a rear-facing child restraint in
front of an air bag. A deploying passenger
front air bag can cause death or serious
injury to a child 12 years or younger,
including a child in a rear-facing child
restraint.
Never install a rear-facing child restraint in
the front seat of a vehicle. Only use a
rear-facing child restraint in the rear seat. If
the vehicle does not have a rear seat, do
not transport a rear-facing child restraint in
that vehicle.
WARNING!
The seat belt assembly must be replaced if
the switchable Automatic Locking Retractor
(ALR) feature or any other seat belt function
is not working properly when checked
according to the procedures in the Service
Manual.
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342SAFETY
SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
(SRS)
Some of the safety features described in this
section may be standard equipment on some
models, or may be optional equipment on
others. If you are not sure, ask an authorized
dealer.
The air bag system must be ready to protect you
in a collision. The Occupant Restraint Controller
(ORC) monitors the internal circuits and
interconnecting wiring associated with the
electrical Air Bag System Components. Your
vehicle may be equipped with the following Air
Bag System Components:
Air Bag System Components
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
Seat Belt Pretensioners
Seat Track Position Sensors
Occupant Classification System
Air Bag Warning Light
The Occupant Restraint Controller
(ORC) monitors the readiness of the
electronic parts of the air bag system
whenever the ignition switch is in the
START or ON/RUN position. If the ignition switch
is in the OFF position or in the ACC position, the
air bag system is not on and the air bags will not
inflate. The ORC contains a backup power supply
system that may deploy the air bag system even
if the battery loses power or it becomes
disconnected prior to deployment.
The ORC turns on the Air Bag Warning Light in
the instrument panel for approximately four to
eight seconds for a self-check when the ignition
switch is first in the ON/RUN position. After the
self-check, the Air Bag Warning Light will turn
off. If the ORC detects a malfunction in any part
of the system, it turns on the Air Bag Warning
Light, either momentarily or continuously. A
single chime will sound to alert you if the light
comes on again after initial startup.
The ORC also includes diagnostics that will
illuminate the instrument panel Air Bag Warning
Light if a malfunction is detected that could
affect the air bag system. The diagnostics also
record the nature of the malfunction. While the
air bag system is designed to be maintenance
free, if any of the following occurs, have an
authorized dealer service the air bag system
immediately.
Failure to replace the seat belt assembly
could increase the risk of injury in colli
-
sions.
Do not use the Automatic Locking Mode to
restrain occupants who are wearing the
seat belt or children who are using booster
seats. The locked mode is only used to
install rear-facing or forward-facing child
restraints that have a harness for
restraining the child.
WARNING! (Continued)

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344SAFETY
(Continued)
Driver And Passenger 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.
This vehicle may be equipped with driver and/or
front passenger seat track position sensors that
may adjust the inflation rate of the Advanced
Front Air Bags based upon seat position.
This vehicle is equipped with a right front
passenger Occupant Classification System
(“OCS”) that is designed to provide Passenger
Advanced Front Air Bag output appropriate to
the occupant’s seated weight input, as
determined by the OCS.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.
Never place a rear-facing child restraint in
front of an air bag. A deploying passenger
front air bag can cause death or serious
injury to a child 12 years or younger,
including a child in a rear-facing child
restraint.
Never install a rear-facing child restraint in
the front seat of a vehicle. Only use a
rear-facing child restraint in the rear seat. If
the vehicle does not have a rear seat, do
not transport a rear-facing child restraint in
that vehicle.
WARNING!
(Continued)
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 colli -
sion 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 manu -
ally. 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 some collisions, air bags won’t
deploy at all. Always wear your seat belts
even though you have air bags.
WARNING! (Continued)

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SAFETY345
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 Occupant Restraint Controller (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.Occupant Classification System (OCS) —
Front Passenger Seat
The OCS is part of a Federally regulated safety
system for this vehicle. It is designed to provide
Passenger Advanced Front Air Bag output
appropriate to the occupant’s seated weight, as
determined by the OCS.
The Occupant Classification System (OCS)
consists of the following:
Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
Occupant Classification Module (OCM) and
Sensor located in the front passenger seat
Air Bag Warning Light
Occupant Classification Module (OCM) And
Sensor
The Occupant Classification Module (OCM) is
located underneath the front passenger seat.
The Sensor is located beneath the passenger
seat cushion foam. Any weight on the seat will
be sensed by the Sensor. The OCM uses input
from the Sensor to determine the front
passenger’s most probable classification. The
OCM communicates this information to the ORC. The ORC may reduce the inflation rate of
the Passenger Advanced Front Air Bag
deployment based on occupant classification.
In order for the OCS to operate as designed, it is
important for the front passenger to be seated
properly and properly wearing the seat belt.
The OCS will NOT prevent deployment of the
Passenger Advanced Front Air Bag. The OCS
may reduce the inflation rate of the Passenger
Advanced Front Air Bag if the OCS estimates
that:
The front passenger seat is unoccupied or
has very light objects on it; or
The front passenger seat is occupied by a
small passenger, including a child; or
The front passenger seat is occupied by a
rear-facing child restraint; or
The front passenger is not properly seated or
his or her weight is taken off of the seat for a
period of time.
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