sensor Ram 5500 Chassis Cab 2014 Owner's Manual

▫Driver and Right Front Passenger Supplemental
Restraint System (SRS) — Air Bags .........64
▫ Air Bag System Components ..............65
▫ Advanced Front Air Bag Features ...........66
▫ Air Bag Deployment Sensors And Controls ....67
▫ Event Data Recorder (EDR) ...............73
▫ Child Restraints .......................74
 ENGINE BREAK-IN RECOMMENDATIONS . . .108
 DIESEL ENGINE BREAK-IN
RECOMMENDATIONS ..................109 
SAFETY TIPS .........................110
▫ Transporting Passengers .................110
▫ Exhaust Gas .........................110
▫ Safety Checks You Should Make Inside The
Vehicle .............................111
▫ Periodic Safety Checks You Should Make Outside
The Vehicle .........................113
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 11

The Advanced Front Air Bags have a multistage inflator
design. This allows the air bag to have different rates of
inflation based on several factors, including 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 collision, 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 Bolsters
• Driver Advanced Front Air Bag
• Passenger Advanced Front Air Bag
• Driver Seatbelt Buckle Switch
• Seat Track Sensing — If Equipped2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 65

Knee Impact Bolsters
The Knee Impact Bolsters help protect the knees of the
driver and front passenger, and position the front occu-
pants for the best interaction with the Advanced Front
Air Bags.
Along with seat belts and pretensioners, Advanced Front
Air Bags work with the knee impact bolsters to provide
improved protection for the driver and front passenger.
Air Bag Deployment Sensors And Controls
Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
The ORC is part of a Federally regulated safety system
required for this vehicle.
The ORC determines if deployment of the front air bags
in a frontal collision is required. A central electronic ORC
deploys the Driver and Passenger Advanced Front Air
Bags, as required, depending on several factors, includ-
ing 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 several factors,
including 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.
The Advanced Front Air Bags will not deploy in all
frontal collisions, including some that may produce sub-
stantial vehicle damage — for example, some pole colli-
sions, truck underrides, and angle offset collisions. On
the other hand, depending on the type and location of
impact, Advanced Front Air Bags may deploy in crashes
with little vehicle front-end damage but that produce a
severe initial deceleration.
Because air bag sensors measure vehicle deceleration
over time, vehicle speed and damage by themselves are
not good indicators of whether or not an air bag should
have deployed.
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 67

of reasons, including the installation of replacement or
alternate tires or wheels on the vehicle that prevent the
TPMS from functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing one or more
tires or wheels on your vehicle, to ensure that the
replacement or alternate tires and wheels allow the TPMS
to continue to function properly.
CAUTION!
The TPMS has been optimized for the original
equipment tires and wheels. TPMS pressures and
warning have been established for the tire size
equipped on your vehicle. Undesirable system opera-
tion or sensor damage may result when using re-
placement equipment that is not of the same size,
type, and/or style. Aftermarket wheels can cause
sensor damage. Do not use tire sealant from a can or
balance beads if your vehicle is equipped with a
TPMS, as damage to the sensors may result.NOTE:
The TPMS telltale is also accompanied by a “Low
Tire” message in the odometer (Base Cluster), or in the
Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) screen in-
dicating “Low Tire” for EVIC enabled clusters.
17. Front Fog Light Indicator — If Equipped
This indicator will illuminate when the front
fog lights are on.
18. Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC)
The Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) fea-
tures a driver-interactive display that is located in the
instrument cluster. For further information, refer to
“Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC)”.
19. Shift Lever Indicator
The Shift Lever Indicator is self-contained within the
instrument cluster. It displays the gear position of the
automatic transmission.
4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 207

Delay status, touch the “+” or “–” soft-key to select your
desired time interval. Touch the back arrow soft-key to
return to the previous menu.
Compass Settings — If Equipped
After pressing the “Compass Settings” soft-key the fol-
lowing settings will be available:
•Variance
Compass Variance is the difference between Magnetic
North and Geographic North. To compensate for the
differences the variance should be set for the zone where
the vehicle is driven, per the zone map. Once properly
set, the compass will automatically compensate for the
differences, and provide the most accurate compass
heading. NOTE:
Keep magnetic materials, such as iPod’s®, Mo-
bile Phones, Laptops and Radar Detectors, away from the
top of the instrument panel where the compass module is
located. These materials can cause interference with the
compass sensor, and it may give false readings.
Compass Variance Map
260 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

refer to “Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC)/
Customer Programmable Features” in “Understanding
Your Instrument Panel” for further information.
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) — If Equipped
The ESC system enhances directional control and stabil-
ity of the vehicle under various driving conditions. ESC
corrects for oversteering or understeering of the vehicle
by applying the brake of the appropriate wheel to assist
in counteracting the oversteer or understeer condition.
Engine power may also be reduced to help the vehicle
maintain the desired path.
ESC uses sensors in the vehicle to determine the vehicle
path intended by the driver and compares it to the actual
path of the vehicle. When the actual path does not match
the intended path, ESC applies the brake of the appro-
priate wheel to assist in counteracting the oversteer or
understeer condition.•
Oversteer - when the vehicle is turning more than
appropriate for the steering wheel position.
• Understeer - when the vehicle is turning less than
appropriate for the steering wheel position.WARNING!
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) cannot prevent the
natural laws of physics from acting on the vehicle,
nor can it increase the traction afforded by prevailing
road conditions. ESC cannot prevent accidents, in-
cluding those resulting from excessive speed in
turns, driving on very slippery surfaces, or hydro-
planing. ESC also cannot prevent accidents resulting
from loss of vehicle control due to inappropriate
driver input for the conditions. Only a safe, attentive,
and skillful driver can prevent accidents. The capa-
bilities of an ESC equipped vehicle must never be
(Continued)
338 STARTING AND OPERATING

Trailer Sway Control (TSC) — If Equipped
The TSC system uses sensors in the vehicle to recognize
an excessively swaying trailer and will take the appro-
priate actions to attempt to stop the sway. The system
may reduce engine power and apply the brake of the
appropriate wheel(s) to counteract the sway of the trailer.
TSC will become active automatically once an excessively
swaying trailer is recognized. No driver action is re-
quired to activate. Note that TSC cannot stop all trailers
from swaying. Always use caution when towing a trailer
and follow the trailer tongue weight recommendations.
Refer to “Trailer Towing” in “Starting and Operating” for
further information. When TSC is functioning, the “ESC
Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light” will flash, the
engine power may be reduced and you may feel the
brakes being applied to individual wheels to attempt to
stop the trailer from swaying. TSC is disabled when the
ESC system is in the “Partial Off” or “Full Off” modes.TSC is only active in the default “ESC On” mode. TSC
can be disabled by pressing the “ESC Off” switch and
entering “ESC Partial Off” mode. It is not active in the
“ESC Partial Off” or “ESC Off” modes. Refer to the ESC
portion of this section for an explanation of the different
ESC operating modes.
WARNING!
If TSC activates while driving, slow the vehicle
down, stop at the nearest safe location, and adjust the
trailer load to eliminate trailer sway.5
STARTING AND OPERATING 343

Dual Rear Wheels
The tires used on dual wheel assemblies should be
matched for wear to prevent overloading one tire in a set.
To check if tires are even, lay a straight edge across all
four tires. The straight edge should touch all the tires.NOTE:
If your vehicle is equipped with a Tire Pressure
Information System (TPIS):
• The Tire Pressure Information System (TPIS) uses
unique sensors in the inner rear wheels to help identify
them from the outer rear wheels, because of this, the
inner and outer wheel locations can’t be switched.
• After a tire rotation is completed, as shown below, the
system can auto learn the locations of each sensor ID.
Auto learning/localization occurs when the vehicle
ignition status is changed from Off to On and speeds of
greater than 5 mph (8km/h) are obtained and remain
over 5mph (8km/h) for at about a 15 minute period.
You may need to drive for 20 minutes to account
slower speeds and stops.
• If the tires are rotated incorrectly, The Auto localization
of the TPIS sensors will fail to locate correctly resulting
Tire Rotation
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 371

CAUTION!
•The TPMS has been optimized for the original
equipment tires and wheels. TPMS pressures and
warning have been established for the tire size
equipped on your vehicle. Undesirable system op-
eration or sensor damage may result when using
replacement equipment that is not of the same size,
type, and/or style. Aftermarket wheels can cause
sensor damage. Using aftermarket tire sealants may
cause the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
sensor to become inoperable. After using an after-
market tire sealant it is recommended that you take
your vehicle to your local dealer to have your
sensor function checked.
• After inspecting or adjusting the tire pressure,
always reinstall the valve stem cap. This will
prevent moisture and dirt from entering the valve
stem, which could damage the TPM sensor. NOTE:
•
The TPMS is not intended to replace normal tire care
and maintenance or to provide warning of a tire failure
or condition.
• The TPMS should not be used as a tire pressure gauge
while adjusting your tire pressure.
• Driving on a significantly under-inflated tire causes
the tire to overheat and can lead to tire failure.
Under-inflation also reduces fuel efficiency and tire
tread life, and may affect the vehicle’s handling and
stopping ability.
• The TPMS is not a substitute for proper tire mainte-
nance, and it is the driver ’s responsibility to maintain
correct tire pressure using an accurate tire pressure
gauge, even if under-inflation has not reached the level
to trigger illumination of the “Tire Pressure Monitor-
ing Telltale Light.”
374 STARTING AND OPERATING

•Seasonal temperature changes will affect tire pressure,
and the TPMS will monitor the actual tire pressure in
the tire.
Base System — If Equipped
The Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS) uses wireless
technology with wheel rim mounted electronic sensors to
monitor tire pressure levels. Sensors mounted to each
wheel as part of the valve stem transmit tire pressure
readings to the receiver module.
NOTE: It is particularly important for you to check the
tire pressure in all of the tires on your vehicle monthly
and to maintain the proper pressure.
The TPMS consists of the following components:
• Receiver module,
• Four TPM sensors, and
• TPM Telltale Light The matching full size spare wheel and tire assembly (if
equipped) has a TPM sensor. The matching full size spare
can be used in place of any of the four road tires. The
TPMS will only monitor the pressure in the full size spare
when it is used in place of a road tire. Otherwise, a spare
with a pressure below the low-pressure limit will not
cause the “Tire Pressure Monitoring Telltale Light” to
illuminate or the chime to sound.
Premium System — If Equipped
The Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS) uses wireless
technology with wheel rim mounted electronic sensors to
monitor tire pressure levels. Sensors mounted to each
wheel as part of the valve stem transmit tire pressure
readings to the receiver module.
NOTE:
It is particularly important for you to check the
tire pressure in all of the tires on your vehicle monthly
and to maintain the proper pressure.5
STARTING AND OPERATING 375