ECU DODGE RAM 3500 DIESEL 2009 4.G User Guide

The seat belts are designed to protect you in many types
of collisions. The front airbags deploy in moderate-to-
severe frontal collisions.
If your vehicle is so equipped, the window bag on the
crash side of the vehicle is triggered in moderate-to-
severe side collisions. But even in collisions where the
airbags work, you need the seat belts to keep you in the
right position for the airbags to protect you properly.
Here are some simple steps you can follow to minimize
the risk of harm from a deploying airbag:
1. Children 12 years and younger should always ride
buckled up in a rear seat in an appropriate child restraint.
WARNING!
Infants in rear-facing child restraints should NEVER
ride in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger
front airbag, unless the airbag is turned off (2500/
3500 Regular Cab Vehicles Only). An airbag deploy-
ment can cause severe injury or death to infants in
that position. See the Passenger Airbag ON/OFF
Switch section.
You should read the instructions provided with your
child restraint to make sure that you are using it properly.
2. If your vehicle does not have a rear seat, see the
Passenger Airbag ON/OFF Switch section.
3. Children that are not big enough to properly wear the
vehicle seat belt (see section on Child Restraints) should
be secured in the rear seat in child restraints or belt-
positioning booster seats. Older children who do not useTHINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 49
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2. Used in defense of litigation involving a Chrysler LLC
product.
3. Requested by police under a legal warrant.
4. Otherwise required by law.
Data parameters that may be recorded:•
Diagnostic trouble code(s) and warning light status for
electronically-controlled safety systems, including the
airbag system
•
Airbag disable light status (if equipped)
•
Timeof airbag deployment (in terms of ignition
cycles and vehicle mileage)
•
Airbag deployment level (if applicable)
•
Impact acceleration and angle
•
Seat belt status
•
Brake status (service and parking brakes)
•
Accelerator status (including vehicle speed)
•
Engine control status (including engine speed)
•
Transmission gear selection
•
Cruise control status
•
Traction/stability control status
•
Tire Pressure Monitoring System status
Child RestraintsEveryone in your vehicle needs to be buckled up at all
times, including babies and children. Every state in the
United States and all Canadian provinces require that
small children ride in proper restraint systems. This is the
law, and you can be prosecuted for ignoring it.
60 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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

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

Transporting PetsAirbags 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 in
pet harnesses or pet carriers that are secured by seat belts.ENGINE BREAK-IN RECOMMENDATIONSA long break-in period is not required for the engine in
your vehicle.
Drive moderately during the first 300 miles (500 km).
After the initial 60 miles (100 km), speeds up to 50 or
55 mph (80 or 90 km/h) are desirable.
While cruising, brief full-throttle acceleration within the
limits of local traffic laws, contributes to a good break-in.
Wide-open throttle acceleration in low gear can be detri-
mental and should be avoided.The engine oil installed in the engine at the factory is a
high-quality energy conserving type lubricant. Oil
changes should be consistent with anticipated climate
conditions under which vehicle operations will occur.
The recommended viscosity and quality grades are
shown in “Engine Oil”, under “Maintenance Procedures”
in section 7 of this manual. NON-DETERGENT OR
STRAIGHT MINERAL OILS MUST NEVER BE USED.
A new engine may consume some oil during its first few
thousand miles (kilometers) of operation. This should be
considered a normal part of the break-in and not inter-
preted as an indication of difficulty.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 73
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▫Automatic Compass Calibration ......... 151
▫ Manual Compass Calibration ........... 151
▫ Recalibrating The Compass ............ 151
▫ Outside Temperature ................ 153
 Garage Door Opener — If Equipped ....... 153
▫ Programming HomeLink ............. 154
▫ Gate Operator/Canadian Programming . . . 157
▫ Using HomeLink .................. 158
▫ Reprogramming A Single HomeLink
Button ............................ 158
▫ Security .......................... 158
▫ Troubleshooting Tips ................. 158
▫ General Information ................. 159 
Power Sunroof — If Equipped ........... 159
▫ Open Sunroof — Express Mode ......... 160
▫ Closing Sunroof — Express ............ 160
▫ Pinch Protect Feature ................ 160
▫ Pinch Protect Override ............... 161
▫ Venting Sunroof — Express ............ 161
▫ Sunshade Operation ................. 161
▫ Wind Buffeting ..................... 161
▫ Sunroof Maintenance ................ 162
▫ Sunroof Fully Closed ................ 162
 Electrical Power Outlets ................ 162
 Cigar Lighter And Ash Receiver .......... 164
 Cupholders ......................... 165
80 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

Folding Rear Seat (Kneel Mode) — If EquippedBoth the left and right rear seats can be folded flat (kneel
mode) and used for carrying cargo. Each of the rear
seatbacks provide two D-rings and rear storage bin lids
with two slotted cutouts. Use a cargo tie-downs to secure
cargo.
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.
•
Cargo must be securely tied down before driving
your vehicle. Improperly secured cargo can fly
around in a sudden stop and strike someone in the
vehicle, causing serious injury or possible death.
Secure cargo with a cargo tie-down using the
D-rings provided on the back of the seats and the
slotted cutouts in the rear storage bin lid.
Securing Cargo
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 127
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WARNING!
Be certain that the seatback is securely locked into
position. If the seatback in not securely locked into
position the seat will not provide the proper stability
for child seats and/or passengers. An improperly
latched seat could cause serious injury.Heated Seats — If EquippedThis feature heats the front driver and passenger seats.
The controls for front heated seats are located in the
instrument panel under the climate controls.After turning the ignition ON, you can choose from High,
Low, or Off heat settings. Amber indicator lights in each
switch indicate the level of heat in use. Two indicator
lights will illuminate for High, one for Low, and none for
Off.
Heated Seat Switches
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 129
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RESET button approximately five seconds. The last vari-
ance zone number will be displayed. Press the STEP
button to select the new variance zone and press the
RESET button to resume normal operation.Outside TemperatureBecause the ambient temperature sensor is located under
the hood, engine temperature can influence the displayed
temperature, therefore, temperature readings are slowly
updated when the vehicle speed is below 20 mph
(30 km/h) or during stop and go driving.GARAGE DOOR OPENER — IF EQUIPPEDHomeLinkreplaces up to three remote controls (hand-
held transmitters) that operate devices such as garage
door openers, motorized gates, lighting, or home security
systems. The HomeLink unit operates off of your vehi-
cle’s battery. The HomeLink
buttons are located in the overhead
console, and contain one, two, or three dots/lines desig-
nating the different HomeLink channels.
NOTE: HomeLink is disabled when the Vehicle Theft
Alarm is active.
HomeLink Buttons
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 153
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Using HomeLinkTo operate, simply press and release the programmed
HomeLinkbutton. Activation will now occur for the
trained device (i.e., garage door opener, gate operator,
security system, entry door lock, home/office lighting,
etc.) The hand-held transmitter of the device may also be
used at any time.Reprogramming A Single HomeLink ButtonTo reprogram a channel that has been previously trained,
follow these steps:
1. Turn the ignition switch to the ON/RUN position.
2. Press and hold the desired HomeLink button for
20 seconds until the indicator(s) starts to flash. Do not
release the button.
3. Without releasing the button, proceed with Program-
ming Homelink, Step #2, and follow all remaining steps.
SecurityIt is advised to erase all channels before you sell or turn
in your vehicle.
To do this, press and hold the two outside buttons for
20 seconds until the indicators begin to flash. Note that
all channels will be erased. Individual channels cannot be
erased.
The HomeLink Universal Transceiver is disabled when
the Vehicle Theft Alarm is active.Troubleshooting TipsIf you are having trouble programming HomeLink, here
are some of the most common solutions:•
Replace the battery in the original transmitter.
•
Press the “Learn” button on the garage door opener to
complete the training for Rolling Code.
158 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE