child restraint Ram 5500 Chassis Cab 2011 Owner's Manual

▫Remote Open Window Feature — If
Equipped ........................... 23
▫ Using The Panic Alarm ................. 24
▫ Programming Additional Transmitters ...... 24
▫ Transmitter Battery Replacement .......... 24
▫ General Information ................... 25
 Remote Starting System — If Equipped ....... 25
▫ How To Use Remote Start ............... 26
 Door Locks ........................... 28
▫ Manual Door Locks ................... 28
▫ Power Door Locks — If Equipped ......... 29
▫ Child Protection Door Lock .............. 32
Windows ............................ 34
▫ Power Windows – If Equipped ............ 34
▫ Wind Buffeting ....................... 37
 Occupant Restraints ..................... 37
▫ Lap/Shoulder Belts .................... 38
▫ Adjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage . . . 46
▫ Center Lap Belts ...................... 47
▫ Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) Mode –
If Equipped ......................... 47
▫ Enhanced Seat Belt Use Reminder System
(BeltAlert) ......................... 48
▫ Seat Belts And Pregnant Women .......... 49
▫ Seat Belt Extender ..................... 49
10 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

▫Driver And Right Front Passenger
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) –
Airbag ............................. 50
▫ Airbag System Components .............. 51
▫ Advanced Front Airbag Features .......... 51
▫ Airbag Deployment Sensors And Controls . . . 54
▫ Event Data Recorder (EDR) .............. 59
▫ Child Restraint ....................... 61 
Engine Break-In Recommendations .......... 72
 Safety Tips ........................... 73
▫ Transporting Passengers ................ 73
▫ Exhaust Gas ......................... 74
▫ Safety Checks You Should Make Inside The
Vehicle ............................. 74
▫ Periodic Safety Checks You Should Make
Outside The Vehicle ................... 75
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 11

Wind Buffeting
Wind buffeting can be described as the perception of
pressure on the ears or a helicopter-type sound in the
ears. Your vehicle may exhibit wind buffeting with the
windows down or in partially open positions. This is a
normal occurrence and can be minimized. If the buffeting
occurs with the rear windows open, open the front and
rear windows together to minimize the buffeting.
OCCUPANT RESTRAINTS
Some of the most important safety features in your
vehicle are the restraint systems:
•Three-point lap and shoulder belts for the driver and
all passengers
•Advanced Front Airbags for driver and front passen-
ger — if equipped
•An energy-absorbing steering column and steering
wheel
•Knee bolsters/blockers for front seat occupants
•All seat belt systems (except driver’s, first and second
row center position) include Automatic Locking Re-
tractors (ALR)
If you will be carrying children too small for adult-sized
seat belts, the seat belts or the Lower Anchors and Tether
for CHildren (LATCH) feature also can be used to hold
infant and child restraint systems.
NOTE: The Advanced Front Airbags have a multistage
inflator design. This allows the airbag to have different
rates of inflation based on severity and type of collision.
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.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 37

WARNING! (Continued)
•Do not put anything on or around the airbag
covers or attempt to open them manually. You may
damage the airbags and you could be injured
because the airbags may no longer be functional.
The protective covers for the airbag cushions are
designed to open only when the airbags are inflat-
ing.
•Do not drill, cut or tamper with the knee bolster in
any way.
•Do not mount any accessories to the knee bolster
such as alarm lights, stereos, citizen band radios,
etc.
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
52 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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 “Child Restraints”)
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.If the airbag system in this vehicle needs to be modified
to accommodate a disabled person, contact the Customer
Center. Phone numbers are provided under
If You Need
Assistance.
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.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 53

3. Requested by police under a legal warrant.
4. Otherwise required by law.
Data parameters that are recorded:
•Diagnostic trouble code(s) and warning light status for
electronically-controlled safety systems, including the
airbag system
•Vehicle speed
•Engine RPM
•Brake switch status
•Pedal position
•And other parameters depending on vehicle
configuration
Child Restraint
Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled up all the
time, including babies and children. Every state in theUnited 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.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 61

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
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
62 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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.
NOTE: For additional information, refer to
www.seatcheck.org or call 1–866–SEATCHECK. Cana-
dian residents, should refer to Transport Canada’s web-
site for additional information. http://www.tc.gc.ca/
roadsafety/safedrivers/childsafety/index.htm
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
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 63

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 seat backs
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 Lower
Anchors and Tether for CHildren. LATCH child restraint
anchorage systems are installed in the Crew Cab rear 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 seat back (refer to “Child Restraint Tether Anchor”).
64 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Child restraint systems having attachments designed to
connect to the lower anchorages are now available. Child
restraints having tether straps and hooks for connection
to the seat back tether anchorage have been available forsome time. In fact, many child restraint manufacturers
will provide add-on tether strap kits for some of their
older products.
Because the lower anchorages are to be introduced to
passenger carrying vehicles over a period of years, child
restraint systems having attachments for those anchor-
ages will continue to have features for installation in
vehicles using the lap or lap/shoulder belt. They will also
have tether straps, and you are urged to take advantage
of all of the available attachments provided with your
child restraint in any vehicle.
NOTE:•When using the LATCH attaching system to install a
child restraint, please ensure that all seat belts not
being used for occupant restraints are stowed and out
of reach of children. It is recommended that before
installing the child restraint, buckle the seat belt so the
seat belt is tucked behind the child restraint and out of
Crew Cab Rear Outboard Seats Driver Side
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