belt Ram 1500 2009 Owner's Guide

Along with seat belts and pretensioners, Advanced Front
Airbags work with the knee bolsters to provide improved
protection for the driver and front passenger. Side airbags
also work with seat belts to improve occupant protection.
Knee Impact Bolsters
The Knee Impact Bolsters help protect the knees of the
driver and the front passenger, and position everyone for
the best interaction with the Advanced Front airbag.
Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize the
risk of harm from a deploying airbag:
Children 12 years old and younger should always ride
buckled up in a rear seat.
WARNING!
Infants in rear-facing child restraints should NEVER
ride in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger
front airbag. An airbag deployment can cause severe
injury or death to infants in that position.
Children that are not big enough to wear the vehicle seat
belt properly (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 use
child restraints or belt-positioning booster seats should
ride properly buckled up in the rear seat. Never allow
children to slide the shoulder belt behind them or under
their arm.
If a child from 1 to 12 years old (not in a rear facing child
seat) must ride in the front passenger seat, move the seat
as far back as possible and use the proper child restraint.
(Refer to information on Child Restraints in this section.)
58 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

You should read the instructions provided with your
child restraint to make sure that you are using it properly.
All occupants should ALWAYS wear their lap and shoul-
der belts properly.
The driver and front passenger seats should be moved
back as far as practical to allow the Advanced Front
Airbags room to inflate.
Do not lean against the door. If your vehicle has side
airbags, and deployment occurs, the side airbags will
inflate forcefully into the space between you and the
door.
If the airbag system in this vehicle needs to be modified
to accommodate a disabled person, contact the Customer
Center. Phone numbers are provided underIf You Need
Assistance in Section 9 of this manual.WARNING!
•Relying on the airbags alone could lead to more
severe injuries in a collision. The airbags work
with your seat belt to restrain you properly. In
some collisions, the airbags won’t deploy at all.
Always wear your seat belts even though you have
airbags.
•Being too close to the steering wheel or instrument
panel during front airbag deployment could cause
serious injury, including death. Airbags need
room to inflate. Sit back, comfortably extending
your arms to reach the steering wheel or instru-
ment panel.
•Side airbags also need room to inflate. Do not lean
against the door. Sit upright in the center of the
seat.
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 59

Airbag Deployment Sensors and Controls
Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
TheORC is part of a Federally regulated safety system
required for this vehicle.
The ORC determines if deployment of the front and/or
side airbags in a frontal or side collision is required.
Based on the impact sensors signals, a central electronic
ORC deploys the Advanced Front Airbags, SABIC air-
bags — if equipped, Supplemental Side Seat Airbags — if
equipped, and front seat belt pretensioners — if
equipped, as required, depending on severity and type of
impact.
Advanced Front Airbags are designed to provide addi-
tional protection by supplementing the seat belts in
certain frontal collisions depending on the severity and
type of collision. Advanced Front Airbags are not ex-
pected to reduce the risk of injury in rear, side, or rollover
collisions. The Advanced Front Airbags 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. On the other
hand, depending on the type and location of impact,
Advanced Front Airbags may deploy in crashes with
little vehicle front-end damage but that produce a severe
initial deceleration.
The side airbags will not deploy in all side collisions. Side
airbag deployment will depend on the severity and type
of collision. Side airbags are not expected to reduce the
risk of injury in rear, rollover, or frontal collisions.
Because airbag sensors measure vehicle deceleration over
time, vehicle speed and damage by themselves are not
good indicators of whether or not an airbag should have
deployed.
60 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Seat belts are necessary for your protection in all colli-
sions, and also are needed to help keep you in position,
away from an inflating airbag.
The ORC monitors the readiness of the electronic parts of
the system whenever the ignition switch is in the START
or ON position. If the key is in the LOCK position, in the
ACC position, or not in the ignition, the airbags are not
on and will not inflate.
The ORC contains a backup power supply system that
may deploy the airbags even if the battery loses power or
it becomes disconnected prior to deployment.Also, the ORC turns on the Airbag Warning
Light in the instrument panel for approxi-
mately six to eight seconds for a self-check
when the ignition is first turned on. After the
self-check, the Airbag Warning Light will turn off. If the
ORC detects a malfunction in any part of the system, it turns on the Airbag Warning Light, either momentarily
or continuously. A single chime will sound if the light
comes on again after initial startup.
It also includes diagnostics that will illuminate the instru-
ment cluster Airbag Warning Light if a malfunction is
noted. The diagnostics also record the nature of the
malfunction.
WARNING!
Ignoring the Airbag Warning Light in your instru-
ment panel could mean you won’t have the airbags to
protect you in a collision. If the light does not come
on, stays on after you start the vehicle, or if it comes
on as you drive, have the airbag system checked right
away.
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 61

airbag exits through the seat seam into the space between
the occupant and the door. The side airbags fully inflate in
about 10 milliseconds. The side airbag moves at a very high
speed and with such a high force, that it could injure you
if you are not seated properly, or if items are positioned
in the area where the side airbag inflates. This especially
applies to children.
Supplemental Side Airbag Inflatable Curtain
(SABIC) Inflator Units — If Equipped
During collisions where the impact is confined to a
particular area of the side of the vehicle, the ORC may
deploy the SABIC Airbags, depending on severity and
type of collision. In these events, the ORC will deploy the
SABIC only on the impact side of the vehicle.
A quantity of non-toxic gas is generated to inflate the side
curtain airbag. The inflating side curtain airbag pushes
the outside edge of the headliner out of the way and
covers the window. The airbag inflates in about 30 ms(about one-quarter of the time that it takes to blink your
eyes) with enough force to injure you if you are not belted
and seated properly, or if items are positioned in the area
where the side curtain airbag inflates. This especially
applies to children. The side curtain airbag is only about
3-1/2 in (9 cm) thick when it is inflated.
Because airbag sensors estimate deceleration over time,
vehicle speed and damage are not good indicators of
whether or not an airbag should have deployed.Front and Side Impact Sensors
In front and side impacts, impact sensors aid the ORC
in determining appropriate response to impact events.
Additional sensors in the ORC determine the level of
airbag deployment and provide verification.
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 63

airbag inflation. These airborne particles may irritate
the skin, eyes, nose, or throat. If you have skin or eye
irritation, rinse the area with cool water. For nose or
throat irritation, move to fresh air. If the irritation
continues, see your doctor. If these particles settle on
your clothing, follow the garment manufacturer’s in-
structions for cleaning.
Do not drive your vehicle after the airbags have de-
ployed. If you are involved in another collision, the
airbags will not be in place to protect you.
WARNING!
Deployed airbags and seat belt pretensioners cannot
protect you in another collision. Have the airbags,
seat belt pretensioners, and the front passenger seat
belt retractor assembly replaced by an authorized
dealer as soon as possible. Also, have the Occupant
Restraint Controller (ORC) system serviced as well.
Maintaining Your Airbag System
WARNING!
•Modifications to any part of the airbag system
could cause it to fail when you need it. You could
be injured if the airbag system is not there to
protect you. Do not modify the components or
wiring, including adding any kind of badges or
stickers to the steering wheel hub trim cover or the
upper right side of the instrument panel. Do not
modify the front bumper, vehicle body structure,
or add aftermarket side steps or running boards.
•It is dangerous to try to repair any part of the
airbag system yourself. Be sure to tell anyone who
works on your vehicle that it has an airbag system. (Continued)
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 65

court with legal jurisdiction (i.e., pursuant to a warrant).
A copy of the data will be provided to the custodial entity
upon request. General data that does not identify par-
ticular vehicles or crashes may be released for incorpo-
ration in aggregate crash databases, such as those main-
tained by the U.S. government and various states. Data of
a potentially sensitive nature, such as would identify a
particular driver, vehicle, or crash, will be treated confi-
dentially. Confidential data will not be disclosed by
Chrysler LLC to any third party except when:
1. Used for research purposes, such as to match data
with a particular crash record in an aggregate database,
provided confidentiality of personal data is thereafter
preserved
2. Used in defense of litigation involving a Chrysler LLC
product
3. Requested by police under a legal warrant4. 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)
•Time
of airbag deployment (in terms of ignition
cycles and vehicle mileage)
•Airbag deployment level (if applicable)
•Impact velocity and angle
•Seat belt status
•Brake status (service and parking brakes)
•Accelerator status (including vehicle speed)
•Engine control status (including engine speed)
68 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

•Transmission gear selection
•Cruise control status
•Traction/stability control status
•Tire Pressure Monitoring System status (if equipped)
Child Restraint
Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled up all the
time, 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.
Children 12 years and 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.
WARNING!
In a collision, an unrestrained child, even a tiny baby,
can become a projectile inside the vehicle. The force
required to hold even an infant on your lap can
become so great that you could not hold the child, no
matter how strong you are. The child and others
could be badly injured. Any child riding in your
vehicle should be in a proper restraint for the child’s
size.
Infants and Small Children
There are different sizes and types of restraints for
children from newborn size to the child almost large
enough for an adult safety belt. Use the restraint that is
correct for your child.
•Safety experts recommend that children ride
rearward-facing in the vehicle until they are at least
one year old and weigh at least 20 lbs (9 kg). Two types
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 69

of child restraints can be used rearward-facing: infant
carriers andconvertible child seats. Both types of
child restraints are held in the vehicle by the lap/
shoulder belt.
•The infant carrier is only used rearward-facing in the
vehicle. It is recommended for children who weigh up
to about 20 lbs (9 kg). Convertiblechild seats can be
used either rearward-facing or forward-facing in the
vehicle. Convertible child seats often have a higher
weight limit in the rearward-facing direction than
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.
•Rearward-facing child seats must NEVERbe used in
the front seat of a vehicle with a front passenger
airbag. 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. For further information, refer to
www.seatcheck.org.
70 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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.
•A rearward-facing child restraint should only be
used in a rear seat.
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.
•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 path
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.
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 71