climate control Ram Cargo Van 2012 Owner's Manual

WARNING! (Continued)
•If you are required to drive with the liftgate open,
make sure that all windows are closed, and the
climate control blower switch is set at high speed.
Do not use the recirculation mode.
Gas props support the liftgate in the open position.
However, because the gas pressure drops with tempera-
ture, it may be necessary to assist the props when
opening the liftgate in cold weather.
OCCUPANT RESTRAINTS
Some of the most important safety features in your
vehicle are the restraint systems:
•Three-point lap and shoulder belts for all seating
positions
•Advanced Front Air Bags for driver and front passen-
ger
•Supplemental Active Head Restraints (AHR) located
on top of the front seats (integrated into the head
restraint) — if equipped
•Supplemental Driver Side Knee Air Bag
•Supplemental Side Air Bag Inflatable Curtains
(SABIC) that span the front, second, and third row
seating for the driver and passengers seated next to a
window
•Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags (SAB)
•An energy-absorbing steering column and steering
wheel
•Knee bolsters/blockers for front seat occupant
•Front seat belts incorporate pretensioners that may
enhance occupant protection by managing occupant
energy during an impact event
52 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING! (Continued)
•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.
Exhaust Gas
WARNING!
Exhaust gases can injure or kill. They contain carbon
monoxide (CO), which is colorless and odorless.
Breathing it can make you unconscious and can
eventually poison you. To avoid breathing (CO),
follow these safety tips:(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Do not run the engine in a closed garage or in
confined areas any longer than needed to move
your vehicle in or out of the area.
•If you are required to drive with the trunk/liftgate
open, make sure that all windows are closed and
the climate control BLOWER switch is set at high
speed. DO NOT use the recirculation mode.
•If it is necessary to sit in a parked vehicle with the
engine running, adjust your heating or cooling
controls to force outside air into the vehicle. Set
the blower at high speed.
The best protection against carbon monoxide entry into
the vehicle body is a properly maintained engine exhaust
system.
100 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

during a remote start. Refer to “Remote Starting System
— If Equipped” in “Things To Know Before Starting Your
Vehicle” for further information.
Front Heated Seats
There are two heated seat switches that allow the driver
and passenger to operate the seats independently. The
controls for each heater are located on the switch bank
below the climate controls.
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.Press the switch once to select HIGH-level
heating. Press the switch a second time to select
LOW-level heating. Press the switch a third
time to shut the heating elements OFF. NOTE:
Once a heat setting is selected, heat will be felt
within two to five minutes.
When the HIGH-level setting is selected, the heater will
provide a boosted heat level during the initial stages of
operation. Then, the heat output will drop to the normal
HIGH-level. If the HIGH-level setting is selected, the
system will automatically switch to LOW-level after a
maximum of 60 minutes of continuous operation. At that
time, the display will change from HIGH to LOW,
indicating the change. The LOW-level setting will turn
OFF automatically after a maximum of 45 minutes.
Rear Heated Seats
On some models, the second row seats are equipped with
heaters. There are two heated seat switches that allow the
second row passengers to operate the seats indepen-
dently. The heated seat switches are located on the sliding
side door handle trim panels.
164 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

The heated steering wheel switch is located on the switch
bank below the climate controls.Press the switch to turn on the heated
steering wheel. The light on the switch
will illuminate to indicate the steering
wheel heater is on. Pressing the switch
a second time will turn off the heated
steering wheel and light indicator.
NOTE: The engine must be running for the heated
steering wheel to operate.
Vehicles Equipped With Remote Start
On models that are equipped with remote start, the
heated steering wheel can be programmed to come on
during a remote start. Refer to “Remote Starting System
— If Equipped” in “Things to Know Before Starting Your
Vehicle” for further information.WARNING!
•Persons who are unable to feel pain to the skin
because of advanced age, chronic illness, diabetes,
spinal cord injury, medication, alcohol use, ex-
haustion, or other physical conditions must exer-
cise care when using the steering wheel heater. It
may cause burns even at low temperatures, espe-
cially if used for long periods.
•Do not place anything on the steering wheel that
insulates against heat, such as a blanket or steering
wheel covers of any type and material. This may
cause the steering wheel heater to overheat.
ADJUSTABLE PEDALS — IF EQUIPPED
The adjustable pedals system is designed to allow a
greater range of driver comfort for steering wheel tilt and
seat position. This feature allows the brake, accelerator,
and clutch pedals (if equipped) to move toward or away
210 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

POWER INVERTER — IF EQUIPPED
A 110 Volt, 150 Watt inverter outlet (if equipped) converts
DC current to AC current, and is located on the left rear
trim panel immediately behind the second row left
passenger seat.The power inverter switch is located on the instrument
panel below the climate controls.
To turn on the power outlet, press the switch once. Press
the switch a second time to turn the power outlet off.
This outlet can power cellular phones, electronics and
other low power devices requiring power up to 150
Watts. Certain high-end video games, such as Playsta-
tion3 and XBox360 will exceed this power limit, as will
most power tools.
The power inverter is designed with built-in overload
protection. If the power rating of 150 Watts is exceeded,
the power inverter will automatically shut down. Once
the electrical device has been removed from the outlet the
inverter should automatically reset. If the power rating
exceeds approximately 170 Watts, the power inverter
may have to be reset manually. To reset the inverter
manually press the power inverter button OFF and ON.
Power Inverter Outlet
3
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 249

REAR WINDOW FEATURES
Rear Window Defroster
The rear window defroster button is located on the
climate control (Mode) knob. Press this button to
turn on the rear window defroster and the heated outside
mirrors (if equipped). An indicator in the button will
illuminate when the rear window defroster is on. The
rear window defroster automatically turns off after ap-
proximately 10 minutes. For an additional five minutes of
operation, press the button a second time.
NOTE:
•You can turn off the heated mirror feature at anytime
by pressing the rear window defroster switch a second
time.
•To prevent excessive battery drain, use the rear win-
dow defroster only when the engine is operating.
Three-Press Switch
3
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 269

▫Replacing The Remote Control Batteries .... 372
▫ Headphones Operation ................ 372
▫ Controls ........................... 373
▫ Replacing The Headphone Batteries ....... 374
▫ Unwired Stereo Headphone Lifetime
Limited Warranty .................... 374
▫ System Information ................... 376
 Steering Wheel Audio Controls —
If Equipped .......................... 390
▫ Radio Operation ..................... 391
▫ CD Player ......................... 391
 CD/DVD Disc Maintenance .............. 392
 Radio Operation And Mobile Phones ....... 392
Climate Controls ...................... 393
▫ Manual Heating And Air Conditioning
System — If Equipped ................. 393
▫ Rear Manual Climate Control —
If Equipped ........................ 398
▫ Automatic Temperature Control (ATC) — If
Equipped .......................... 400
▫ Summer Operation ................... 411
▫ Winter Operation .................... 411
▫ Vacation/Storage .................... 412
▫ Window Fogging .................... 412
▫ Outside Air Intake ................... 412
▫ Operating Tips ...................... 413
▫ A/C Air Filter ...................... 413
282 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

INSTRUMENT PANEL FEATURES
1 — Air Vents5 — Upper Glove Compartment 9 — Storage Bin 13 — Hood Release
2 — Instrument Cluster 6 — Lower Glove Compartment 10 — Cup Holders 14 — Dimmer Switch
3 — Shift Lever 7 — Climate Controls 11 — Switch Bank15 — Headlight Switch
4 — Radio 8 — DVD – If Equipped 12 — Ignition Switch
4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 283

CLIMATE CONTROLS
The Climate Control system allows you to regulate the
temperature, amount, and direction of air circulating
throughout the vehicle. The controls are located on the
instrument panel, below the radio.
Manual Heating And Air Conditioning System —
If Equipped
The controls for the manual system in this vehicle contain
a series of outer rotary dials and inner push knobs. These
comfort controls can be set to obtain desired interior
conditions.
With the Three-Zone Temperature Control system, each
front seat occupant can independently control the Heat-
ing, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning operations coming
from the outlets on their side of the vehicle.
The primary control for the rear blower is on the front
climate control unit located on the instrument panel.
When the front control is in any position other than rear,
the front control operates all the rear functions.The rear airflow modes will mirror the front unit opera-
tion. Rear Panel mode is automatically selected when the
front control is in the Panel mode. When the front unit is
in Bi-Level mode, airflow will be emitted from both the
upper and lower rear outlets. When the front control is in
Floor, Defrost, or Mix modes, airflow will be directed out
of the rear floor outlets.
Manual Temperature Control
4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 393

1. Left Front Temperature Control
Provides left front seat occupant with independent tem-
perature control. Turn left for cooler or right for warmer
temperature settings.
2. Rear Blower Control — If Equipped
Use this control to regulate the amount of air forced
through the rear system in any mode you select. The rear
blower speed increases as you move the control to the
right from the “O” (Off) position. There are seven blower
speeds. To allow the rear overhead control, turn blower
knob fully to the left, past TheOoff position.
3. Front Blower Control
Use this control to regulate the amount of air forced
through the system in any mode you select. The blower
speed increases as you move the control to the right from
the “O” (Off) position. There are seven blower speeds.
NOTE: For vehicles equipped with Remote Start, the
climate controls will not function during Remote Start operation if the blower control is left in the “O” (Off)
position. Blower control should be left in the
ON
position to allow the climate control to either warm or
cool the vehicle.
4. Rear Temperature Control — If Equipped
Provides temperature control for the rear cabin. Turn left
for cooler or right for warmer temperature settings in the
rear cabin.
5. Right Front Temperature Control
Provides right front seat occupant with independent
temperature control. Turn left for cooler or right for
warmer temperature settings.
6. Mix Mode Air is directed through the floor, defrost and side
window demist outlets. This setting works best in
cold or snowy conditions that require extra heat at
the windshield. This setting is good for maintaining
comfort, while reducing moisture on the windshield.
394 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL