ECU Ram 3500 2019 Owner's Guide

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 181
Vehicles equipped with the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
are also equipped with Electronic Brake Force Distribution
(EBD). In the event of an EBD failure, the Brake Warning
Light will turn on along with the ABS Light. Immediate
repair to the ABS system is required.
Operation of the Brake Warning Light can be checked by
turning the ignition switch from the OFF position to the ON/
RUN position. The light should illuminate for approximately
two seconds. The light should then turn off unless the
parking brake is applied or a brake fault is detected. If the
light does not illuminate, have the light inspected by an
authorized dealer.
The light also will turn on when the parking brake is applied
with the ignition switch in the ON/RUN position.
NOTE:
This light shows only that the parking brake is applied. It
does not show the degree of brake application. — Hood Open Warning Light
This warning light will illuminate when the hood is ajar/
open and not fully closed.
NOTE:
If the vehicle is moving, there will also be a single chime. — Vehicle Security Warning Light — If Equipped

This light will flash at a fast rate for approximately 15 seconds
when the vehicle security alarm is arming, and then will flash
slowly until the vehicle is disarmed.

— Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light
This warning light warns of an overheated engine condition.
If the engine coolant temperature is too high, this indicator
will illuminate and a single chime will sound. If the tempera -
ture reaches the upper limit, a continuous chime will sound
for four minutes or until the engine is able to cool: whichever
comes first.
If the light turns on while driving, safely pull over and stop
the vehicle. If the A/C system is on, turn it off. Also, shift the
transmission into NEUTRAL and idle the vehicle. If the
temperature reading does not return to normal, turn the
engine off immediately and call for service.
Refer to “If Your Engine Overheats” in “In Case Of Emer -
gency” for further information.
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GETTING TO KNOW YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 193
Onboard Diagnostic System (OBD II) Cybersecurity
Your vehicle is required to have an Onboard Diagnostic
system (OBD II) and a connection port to allow access to
information related to the performance of your emissions
controls. Authorized service technicians may need to access
this information to assist with the diagnosis and service of
your vehicle and emissions system.

For further information, refer to “Cybersecurity” in “Multimedia”.

EMISSIONS INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE
PROGRAMS
In some localities, it may be a legal requirement to pass an
inspection of your vehicle's emissions control system. Failure
to pass could prevent vehicle registration.For states that require an Inspection and Mainte -
nance (I/M), this check verifies the “Malfunction
Indicator Light (MIL)” is functioning and is not on
when the engine is running, and that the OBD II system is
ready for testing.
Normally, the OBD II system will be ready. The OBD II
system may not be ready if your vehicle was recently
serviced, recently had a dead battery or a battery replace -
ment. If the OBD II system should be determined not ready
for the I/M test, your vehicle may fail the test.
Your vehicle has a simple ignition actuated test, which you
can use prior to going to the test station. To check if your
vehicle's OBD II system is ready, you must do the following:
1. Cycle the ignition switch to the ON position, but do not crank or start the engine.
WARNING!
• ONLY an authorized service technician should connect equipment to the OBD II connection port in order to
read the VIN, diagnose, or service your vehicle.
• If unauthorized equipment is connected to the OBD II connection port, such as a driver-behavior tracking
device, it may:
• Be possible that vehicle systems, including safety related systems, could be impaired or a loss of
vehicle control could occur that may result in an
accident involving serious injury or death.
• Access, or allow others to access, information stored in your vehicle systems, including personal infor -
mation.
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230 SAFETY
General Information
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules and RSS
210 of Industry Canada. Operation is subject to the following
conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful interference.
2. This device must accept any interference received,including interference that may cause undesired opera -
tion.
NOTE:
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the
party responsible for compliance could void the user’s
authority to operate the equipment.
OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
Some of the most important safety features in your vehicle
are the restraint systems:
Occupant Restraint Systems Features
• 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 (Refer to “Child Restraints” in this section for
further information) must be secured in the appropriate
child restraint or belt-positioning booster seat in a rear
seating position.
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 (Refer to “Child Restraints” in this section for
further information).

SAFETY 233
(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 recommended 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 prop-
erly stowed.
BeltAlert can be activated or deactivated by an authorized
dealer. FCA US LLC does not recommend 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 Mega Cab and 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
conditions. 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 interior of your vehicle or other passen -
gers, or you can be thrown out of the vehicle. Always be
sure you and others in your vehicle are buckled up
properly.
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SAFETY 243
Switchable Automatic Locking Retractors (ALR) — If
Equipped
The seat belts in the passenger seating positions may be
equipped with a Switchable Automatic 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 Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) LocationsMega Cab/Crew Cab 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."
ALR = Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor
ALR = Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor
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258 SAFETY
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 properly 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 instructions 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/motorvehiclesafety/safedrivers-child -
safety-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.

SAFETY 261
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-posi-
tioning 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 posi -
tion. 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.
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SAFETY 273
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 acci-
dentally 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 installa -
tion, 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.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.
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274 SAFETY
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.The seat belts in the passenger seating positions are
equipped with either a Switchable Automatic Locking
Retractor (ALR) or a cinching latch plate or both. Both types
of seat belts are designed to keep the lap portion of the seat
belt tight around the child restraint so that it is not necessary
to use a locking clip. The ALR retractor can be “switched”
into a locked mode by pulling all of the webbing out of the
retractor and then letting the webbing retract back into the
retractor. If it is locked, the ALR will make a clicking noise
while the webbing is pulled back into the retractor. Refer to
the “Automatic Locking Mode” description in “Switchable
Automatic Locking Retractors (ALR)” under “Occupant
Restraint Systems” for additional information on ALR. The
cinching latch plate is designed to hold the lap portion of the
seat belt tight when webbing is pulled tight and straight
through a child restraint’s belt path.
Please see the table below and the following sections for
more information.
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.

SAFETY 277
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 Mega and 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 adjustable) to get a
better fit. If the rear seat can be moved forward and rear -
ward 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. 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.
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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