Ram 5500 Chassis Cab 2012 Workshop Manual

Adjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage
In the front row outboard seats, the shoulder belt can be
adjusted upward or downward to help position the belt
away from your neck. Press the button located on the
upper belt guide, and then move it up or down to the
position that fits you best.As a guide, if you are shorter than average you will
prefer a lower position, and if you are taller than average
you will prefer a higher position. When you release the
anchorage, try to move it up or down to make sure that
it is locked in position.
Center Lap Belts
The center seating position for the Crew Cab front seat
has a lap belt only. To fasten the lap belt, slide the latch
plate into the buckle until you hear aclick.To lengthen
the lap belt, tilt the latch plate and pull. To remove slack,
pull the loose end of the webbing. Wear the lap belt snug
against the hips. Sit back and erect in the seat, then adjust
the belt as tightly as is comfortable.
Adjusting Upper Shoulder Belt
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 49

WARNING!
•A lap belt worn too loose or too high is dangerous.
•A belt worn too loose can allow you to slip down
and under the belt in a collision.
•A belt that is too loose or too high will apply crash
forces to the abdomen, not to the stronger hip
bones. In either case, the risk of internal injuries is
greater. Wear a lap belt low and snug.
Seat Belts In Passenger Seating Positions
The seat belts in the passenger seating positions are
equipped with an Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) or
a cinching latch plate which are used to secure a child
restraint system. For additional information refer to
“Installing Child Restraints Using the Vehicle Seat Belt”
under the “Child Restraint” section. The chart below
defines the type of feature for each seating position.Regular Cab
Left Center Right
First Row N/A ALR ALR
•N/A — Not Applicable
•ALR — Automatic Locking Retractor
Crew Cab
Left Center Right
First Row N/A N/A ALR
Second Row ALR Cinch ALR
•N/A — Not Applicable
•ALR — Automatic Locking Retractor
If the passenger seating position is equipped with an
ALR and is being used for normal usage:
Only pull the belt webbing out far enough to comfortably
wrap around the occupants mid-section so as to not
50 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

activate the ALR. If the ALR is activated you will hear a
ratcheting sound as the belt retracts. Allow the webbing
to retract completely in this case and then carefully pull
out only the amount of webbing necessary to comfort-
ably wrap around the occupants mid-section. Slide the
latch plate into the buckle until you hear aclick.
Automatic Locking Retractor Mode (ALR) — If
Equipped
In this mode, the shoulder belt is automatically pre-
locked. However, the belt will still retract to remove slack
in the shoulder belt. Use the Automatic Locking Mode
any time a child safety seat is installed in a seating
position that has a seat belt with this feature. Children
12 years old and younger should be properly restrained
in the rear seat whenever possible.
How To Engage The Automatic Locking Mode
1. Buckle the combination lap and shoulder belt.2. Grasp the shoulder portion and pull downward until
the entire belt is extracted.
3. Allow the belt to retract. As the belt retracts, you will
hear a ratcheting sound. This indicates the safety belt is
now in the Automatic Locking mode.
How To Disengage The Automatic Locking Mode
Unbuckle the combination lap and shoulder belt and
allow it to retract completely to disengage the Automatic
Locking mode and activate the vehicle sensitive (emer-
gency) locking mode.
Center Lap Belts — Crew CabOnly
The front center seating position has a lap belt only. To
fasten the lap belt, slide the latch plate into the buckle
until you hear a “click.” To lengthen the lap belt, tilt the
latch plate and pull. To remove slack, pull the loose end
of the webbing. Wear the lap belt snug against the hips.
Sit back and erect in the seat, then adjust the belt as
tightly as is comfortable.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 51

Enhanced Seat Belt Use Reminder System
(BeltAlert)
BeltAlertis a feature intended to remind the driver to
fasten their seatbelt. This feature is active whenever the
ignition is on. If the driver is unbelted, the Seat Belt
Reminder Light will turn on and remain on until the
driver seatbelt is fastened.
The BeltAlertwarning sequence begins within 60 sec-
onds of the vehicle speed over 5 mph (8 km/h), by
blinking the Seat Belt Reminder Light and sounding an
intermittent chime. Once the sequence starts, it will
continue for 96 seconds or until the driver seatbelt is
fastened. After the sequence completes, the Seatbelt
Reminder Light remains illuminated until the driver
seatbelt is fastened. The driver should instruct all other
occupants to fasten their seatbelts. If the driver seatbelt is
unbuckled while traveling at speeds greater than 5 mph(8 km/h), BeltAlertwill chime once and illuminate the
Seat Belt Reminder Light, then will proceed to the
96 second warning sequence.
BeltAlertProgramming
NOTE:Chrysler Group LLC does not recommend de-
activating BeltAlert.
BeltAlertcan be enabled or disabled by your authorized
dealer or by performing the following steps:
NOTE:The following steps must occur within the first
60 seconds of the ignition switch being turned to the
ON/RUN position. Chrysler Group LLC does not recom-
mend deactivating BeltAlert.
1. With the ignition in the OFF position, buckle the
driver ’s seat belt.
52 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

2. Turn the ignition switch to the ON/RUN position (do
not start the engine), and wait for the Seat Belt Reminder
Light to turn off.
3. Unbuckle and then re-buckle the driver ’s seat belt
three times, ending with the seat belt buckled. This must
be completed within 60 seconds of turning the ignition
switch to the ON/RUN position.
4. Turn the ignition key to the OFF position. A single
chime will sound to signify that you have successfully
completed the programming.
NOTE:Watch for the Seat Belt Reminder Light to turn
on while the seat belt retracts and turn off while rebuck-
ling the seat belt.
BeltAlertcan be reactivated by repeating this procedure.
NOTE:Although BeltAlertis deactivated, the Seat Belt
Reminder Light will continue to illuminate as long as the
driver’s seat belt is unbuckled.Seat Belts And Pregnant Women
We recommend that pregnant women use seat belts
throughout their pregnancies. Keeping the mother safe is
the best way to keep the baby safe.
Pregnant women should wear the lap part of the belt
across the thighs and as snug against the hips as possible.
Keep the belt low so that it does not come across the
abdomen. That way the strong bones of the hips will take
the force if there is an accident.
Seat Belt Extender
If a seat belt is too short even when fully extended, your
authorized dealer can provide you with a seat belt
extender. This extender should be used only if the
existing belt is not long enough. When it is not required,
remove the extender and store it.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 53

WARNING!
Using a seat belt extender when not needed can
increase the risk of injury in an accident. Only use
the seat belt extender when the lap belt is not long
enough when it is worn low and snug, and in the
recommended seating positions. Remove and store
the extender when not needed.
Driver and Right Front Passenger Supplemental
Restraint System (SRS) — Air Bag
This vehicle has Advanced Front Air Bags for both the
driver and front passenger (if equipped) as a supplement
to the seat belt restraint systems. The driver’s Advanced
Front Air Bag is mounted in the center of the steering
wheel. The passenger’s Advanced Front Air Bag is
mounted in the instrument panel, above the glove com-
partment. The words SRS AIRBAG are embossed on the
air bag covers.NOTE:These air bags are certified to the new Federal
regulations for Advanced Air Bags.
Advanced Front Air Bag And Knee Bolster Locations
1 — Driver And Passenger
Advanced Front Air Bags (if
equipped)2 — Knee Bolster 54 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

The Advanced Front Air Bags have a multistage inflator
design. This allows the air bag to have different rates of
inflation based on the severity and type of collision.
This vehicle may be equipped with driver and/or front
passenger seat track position sensors that may adjust the
inflation rate of the Advanced Front Air Bags based upon
seat position.
This vehicle may be equipped with a driver and/or front
passenger seat belt buckle switch that detects whether
the driver or front passenger seat belt is fastened. The
seat belt buckle switch may adjust the inflation rate of the
Advanced Front Air Bags.
NOTE:
•Air Bag covers may not be obvious in the interior trim,
but they will open during air bag deployment.
•After any accident, the vehicle should be taken to an
authorized dealer immediately.
Air Bag System Components
Your vehicle may be equipped with the following air bag
system components:
•Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
•Air Bag Warning Light
•Steering Wheel and Column
•Instrument Panel
•Knee Impact Bolster
•Driver Advanced Front Air Bag
•Passenger Advanced Front Air Bag
•Front Seat Belt Pretensioners, Seat Belt Buckle Switch,
and Seat Track Position Sensors
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 55

Advanced Front Air Bag Features
The Advanced Front Air Bag system has multistage
driver and front passenger (if equipped) air bags. This
system provides output appropriate to the severity and
type of collision as determined by the Occupant Restraint
Controller (ORC).
The first stage inflator is triggered immediately during an
impact that requires air bag deployment. This low output
is used in less severe collisions. A higher energy output is
used for more severe collisions.
WARNING!
•No objects should be placed over or near the air
bag on the instrument panel, because any such
objects could cause harm if the vehicle is in a
collision severe enough to cause the air bag to
inflate.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Do not put anything on or around the air bag
covers or attempt to open them manually. You may
damage the air bags and you could be injured
because the air bags may no longer be functional.
The protective covers for the air bag cushions are
designed to open only when the air bags are
inflating.
•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 front occu-
pants for the best interaction with the Advanced Front
Air Bags.
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Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize the
risk of harm from a deploying air bag:
Children 12 years old and under 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
Advanced Front Air Bag. An air bag deployment can
cause severe injury or death to infants in that posi-
tion.
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 shouldride 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 shoulder
belts properly.
The driver and front passenger seats should be moved
back as far as practical to allow the Advanced Front Air
Bags room to inflate.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 57

If the air bag 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.
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 belts even though you have
air bags.
•Being too close to the steering wheel or instrument
panel during Advanced Front Air Bag deployment
could cause serious injury, including death. Air
Bags need room to inflate. Sit back, comfortably
extending your arms to reach the steering wheel or
instrument panel.
Air Bag Deployment Sensors And Controls
Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
TheORCis part of a Federally regulated safety system
required for this vehicle.
The ORC determines if deployment of the front air bags
in a frontal or side collision is required. Based on the
impact sensor’s signals, a central electronic ORC deploys
the Advanced Front Air Bags, and front seat belt preten-
sioners — if equipped, as required, depending on the
severity and type of impact.
Advanced Front Air Bags 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 Air Bags are not
expected to reduce the risk of injury in rear, side or
rollover collisions.
58 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE