warning DODGE RAM 2500 DIESEL 2009 4.G Owner's Guide

infant carriers do, so they can be used rearward-facing
by children who weigh more than 20 lbs (9 kg) but are
less than one year old.
WARNING!
Rearward-facing child seats must NEVER be used in
the front seat of a vehicle with a front passenger
airbag unless the airbag is turned off. An airbag
deployment could cause severe injury or death to
infants in this position.•
Children who weigh more than 20 lbs (9 kg) and who
are older than one year 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 weigh 20 to 40 lbs (9 to 18 kg) and who
are older than one year. These child seats are also held
in the vehicle by the lap/shoulder belt.
•
The belt-positioning booster seat is for children weigh-
ing more than 40 lbs (18 kg), but who are still too small
to fit the vehicle’s seat belts properly. If the child
cannot sit with knees bent over the vehicle’s seat
cushion while the child’s back is against the seat back,
they should use a belt-positioning-booster seat. The
child and booster seat are held in the vehicle by the
lap/shoulder belt. (Some booster seats are equipped
with a front shield and are held in the vehicle by the
lap portion.) For further information refer to
www.seatcheck.org.
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 manufacturer’s directions ex-
actly when installing an infant or child restraint.(Continued)
62 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING! (Continued)
•
A rearward-facing child restraint should only be
used in a rear seat, or in the front seat if the
passenger’s front airbag is OFF. If the airbag is left
ON, a rearward-facing child restraint in the front
seat may be struck by a deploying passenger
airbag which may cause severe or fatal injury to
the infant.
Here are some tips for getting the most out of your child
restraint:
•
Before buying any restraint system, make sure that it
has a label certifying that it meets all applicable Safety
Standards. We also recommend that you make sure
that you can install the child restraint in the vehicle
where you will use it before you buy it.
•
The restraint must be appropriate for your child’s
weight and height. Check the label on the restraint for
weight and height limits.
•
Carefully follow the instructions that come with the
restraint. If you install the restraint improperly, it may
not work when you need it.
•
The passenger seat belts are equipped with Automatic
Locking Retractors (ALR), which are designed to keep
the lap portion tight around the child restraint so that
it is not necessary to use a locking clip.
Pull the belt from the retractor until there is enough to
allow you to pass through the child restraint and slide
the latch plate into the buckle. Then pull on the belt
until it is fully extended from the retractor. Allow the
belt to return to the retractor, pulling on the excess
webbing to tighten the lap portion around the child
restraint. Refer to Automatic Locking Retractors
(ALR) Mode, earlier in this section.
•
In the rear seat, you may have trouble tightening the
lap/shoulder belt on the child restraint because the
buckle or latch plate is too close to the belt pathTHINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 63
2

opening on the restraint. Disconnect the latch plate
from the buckle and twist the short buckle-end belt
several times to shorten it. Insert the latch plate into
the buckle with the release button facing out.
•
If the belt still can’t be tightened, or if pulling and
pushing on the restraint loosens the belt, disconnect
the latch plate from the buckle, turn the latch plate
around, and insert the latch plate into the buckle
again. If you still can’t make the child restraint secure,
try a different seating position.
•
Buckle the child into the seat according to the child
restraint manufacturer’s directions.
•
When your child restraint is not in use, secure it in the
vehicle with the seat belt or remove it from the vehicle.
Do not leave it loose in the vehicle. In a sudden stop or
collision, it could strike the occupants or seatbacks and
cause serious personal injury.
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 manufacturer’s directions exactly when installing
an infant or child restraint.Lower Anchors and Tether for CHildren (LATCH)Each vehicle is equipped with the child restraint anchor-
age system called LATCH, which stands for LowerAnchors and Tether for CHildren. LATCH child restraintanchorage systems are installed in the 2500/3500 Regular
Cab passenger seat position and the Quad Cabrear seat
outboard positions. LATCH-equipped seating positions
feature both lower anchor bars, located at the back of the
seat cushion, and tether strap anchorages, located behind
the seatback. (Refer to Child Restraint Tether Anchor
later in this section.)
64 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

inquisitive child. Remind all children in the vehicle
that the seat belts are not toys and should not be
played with, and never leave your child unattended in
the vehicle.
•
If your child restraint seat is not LATCH-compatible,
install the restraint using the vehicle seat belt.
Installing the Child Restraint System
WARNING!
Do not install child restraint systems equipped with
LATCH attachments in the center position of a Quad
Cabmodel rear seat. The LATCH anchorages in this
seat are designed for the two outboard seating posi-
tions only. A child may be placed in the rear center
seating position of a Quad Cab model using the seat
belt and child tether anchorage. Failure to follow this
may result in serious or fatal injury. We urge you to carefully follow the directions of the
manufacturer when installing your child restraint. Many,
but not all, restraint systems will be equipped with
separate straps on each side, with each having a hook or
connector, and a means for adjusting the tension in the
strap. Forward-facing toddler restraints and some
rearward-facing infant restraints will also be equipped
with a tether strap, a hook and means for adjusting the
tension in the strap.
In general, you will first loosen the adjusters on the lower
straps and tether straps so that you can more easily attach
the hook or connector to the lower anchorages and tether
anchorages. Then tighten all three straps as you push the
child restraint rearward and downward into the seat.
Not all child restraint systems will be installed as we
have described here. Again, carefully follow the instruc-
tions that come with the child restraint system.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 67
2

WARNING!
Improper installation of a child restraint to the
LATCH anchorages can lead to failure of an infant or
child restraint. The child could be badly injured or
killed. Follow the manufacturer’s directions exactly
when installing an infant or child restraint.Child Restraint Tether AnchorChild restraints having tether straps and hooks for con-
nection to tether anchors have been available for some
time. In fact, many child restraint manufacturers will
provide add-on tether strap kits for their older products.
Regular Cab models of Ram Pickups have two tether
anchorages, one each behind the front center and right
seats. Quad Cabmodels have three anchorages, one
behind each of the rear seats.
WARNING!
An incorrectly anchored tether strap could lead to
seat failure and injury to the child. In a collision, the
seat could come loose and allow the child to crash
into the inside of the vehicle or other passengers, or
even be thrown from the vehicle. Use only the anchor
positions directly behind the child seat to secure a
child restraint top tether strap. Follow the instruc-
tions below. See your authorized dealer for help, if
necessary.
68 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

SAFETY TIPS
Transporting PassengersNEVER TRANSPORT PASSENGERS IN THE CARGO
AREA.
WARNING!
•
It is extremely 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 seri-
ously injured or killed.
•
Do not allow people to ride in any area of your
vehicle that is not equipped with seats and seat
belts.
•
Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and
using a seat belt properly.
Exhaust Gas
WARNING!
Exhaust gases can injure or kill. They contain carbon
monoxide (CO), which is colorless and odorless.
Breathing it can make you unconscious and can
eventually poison you. To avoid breathing (CO)
follow these safety tips:
Do not run the engine in a closed garage or in confined
areas any longer than needed to move your vehicle in or
out of the area.
If it is necessary to sit in a parked vehicle with the engine
running, adjust your heating or cooling controls to force
outside air into the vehicle. Set the blower at high speed.
74 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

If you are required to drive with the trunk/liftgate open,
make sure that all windows are closed and the climate
control BLOWER switch is set at high speed. DO NOT
use the recirculation mode.
The best protection against carbon monoxide entry into
the vehicle body is a properly maintained engine exhaust
system.
Whenever a change is noticed in the sound of the exhaust
system, when exhaust fumes can be detected inside the
vehicle, or when the underside or rear of the vehicle is
damaged, have a competent mechanic inspect the com-
plete exhaust system and adjacent body areas for broken,
damaged, deteriorated, or mispositioned parts. Open
seams or loose connections could permit exhaust fumes
to seep into the passenger compartment. In addition,
inspect the exhaust system each time the vehicle is raised
for lubrication or oil change. Replace as required.
Safety Checks You Should Make Inside the
Vehicle
Seat BeltsInspect the belt system periodically, checking for cuts,
frays, and loose parts. Damaged parts must be replaced
immediately. Do not disassemble or modify the system.
Front seat belt assemblies must be replaced after a
collision. Rear seat belt assemblies must be replaced after
a collision if they have been damaged (i.e., bent retractor,
torn webbing, etc.). If there is any question regarding belt
or retractor condition, replace the belt.Airbag Warning LightThe light should come on and remain on for six to eight
seconds as a bulb check when the ignition switch is first
turned ON. If the light is not lit during starting, see your
authorized dealer. If the light stays on, flickers, or comes
on while driving, have the system checked by an autho-
rized dealer.THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 75
2

CAUTION!
To avoid damage to the mirror during cleaning, never
spray any cleaning solution directly onto the mirror.
Apply the solution onto a clean cloth and wipe the
mirror clean.
Outside MirrorsTo receive maximum benefit, adjust the outside mirror(s)
to center on the adjacent lane of traffic with a slight
overlap of the view obtained on the inside mirror.
WARNING!
Vehicles and other objects seen in a right side convex
mirror will look smaller and farther away than they
really are. Relying too much on your right side
convex mirror could cause you to collide with an-
other vehicle or other object. Use your inside mirror
when judging the size or distance of a vehicle seen in
the right side convex mirror. Some vehicles will not
have a convex right side mirror.
Automatic Dimming Mirror
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 83
3

Emergency AssistanceIf you are in an emergency and the cellular phone is
reachable:•
Pick up the phone and manually dial the emergency
number for your area.
If the phone is not reachable and the uconnect phone is
operational, you may reach the emergency number as
follows:
•
Press the PHONE button to begin.
•
After the Readyprompt and the following beep, say
Emergency and the uconnect phone will instruct
the paired cellular phone to call the emergency num-
ber. This feature is supported in the U.S., Canada, and
Mexico.
NOTE:
•
The emergency number dialed is based on the country
where the vehicle is purchased (911 for the U.S. and Canada and 060 for Mexico). The number dialed may
not be applicable with the available cellular service
and area.
•
If supported, this number may be programmable on
some systems. To do this, press the PHONE button
and say ‘Setup’, followed by ‘Emergency’.
•
The uconnect
phone does slightly lower your chances
of successfully making a phone call as to that for the
cellular phone directly.
WARNING!
Your phone must be turned on and paired to the
uconnect phone to allow use of this vehicle feature
in emergency situations, when the cellular phone has
network coverage and stays paired to the uconnect 
phone.
100 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

General InformationThis device complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules and
RSS 210 of Industry Canada. Operation is subject to the
following conditions:•
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by
the party responsible for compliance could void the
user’s authority to operate the equipment.
•
This device may not cause harmful interference.
•
This device must accept any interference received,
including interference that may cause undesired
operation.
VOICE RECOGNITION (VR) SYSTEM — IF
EQUIPPED
Voice Recognition (VR) System Operation
This Voice Recognition system allows you to
control your AM, FM radio, satellite radio, disc
player, and a memo recorder.
NOTE: Take care to speak into the Voice Interface
System as calmly and normally as possible. The ability of
the Voice Interface System to recognize user voice com-
mands may be negatively affected by rapid speaking or a
raised voice level.
WARNING!
Any voice commanded system should be used only
in safe driving conditions and all attention should be
kept on the roadway ahead. Failure to do so may
result in an accident causing serious injury or death.
114 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE