child seat Ram Cargo Van 2014 Owner's Manual

DOOR LOCKS .........................34
▫ Manual Door Locks .....................34
▫ Power Door Locks — If Equipped ..........36
 WINDOWS ...........................38
▫ Power Vent Windows — If Equipped ........38
▫ Power Windows .......................38
 SLIDING SIDE DOOR ....................43
▫ Power Sliding Side Door — If Equipped ......44
▫ Sliding Side Door Child Protection Lock ......48
 LIFTGATE ............................51
▫ Power Liftgate — If Equipped .............52
 OCCUPANT RESTRAINTS ................55
▫ Lap/Shoulder Belts ....................58 ▫
Seat Belts In Passenger Seating Positions ......64
▫ Automatic Locking Retractor Mode (ALR) — If
Equipped ............................64
▫ Energy Management Feature ..............65
▫ Seat Belt Pretensioners ..................66
▫ Supplemental Active Head Restraints (AHR) . . .66
▫ Enhanced Seat Belt Use Reminder System
(BeltAlert®) ..........................70
▫ Seat Belts And Pregnant Women ...........71
▫ Seat Belt Extender .....................72
▫ Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS) — Air Bags ......................72
▫ Air Bag System Components ..............74
▫ Advanced Front Air Bag Features ...........75
10 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

▫Air Bag Deployment Sensors And Controls ....78
▫ Event Data Recorder (EDR) ...............85
▫ Child Restraints .......................86
 COMMERCIAL CARGO VEHICLES (NO FACTORY
INSTALLED REAR SEATS) — IF EQUIPPED ....97
▫ Restraining Infants And Small Children In
Commercial Cargo Vehicles ...............99
 ENGINE BREAK-IN RECOMMENDATIONS . . .100 
SAFETY TIPS ........................ .101
▫ Transporting Passengers .................101
▫ Exhaust Gas ........................ .101
▫ Safety Checks You Should Make Inside The
Vehicle ............................ .102
▫ Periodic Safety Checks You Should Make Outside
The Vehicle ........................ .104
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 11

Power Sliding Side Door Open Flash
The left and right exterior hazard lights will flash for 12
seconds when either sliding door is opened. This will
alert other drivers in the area that passenger(s) could be
entering or exiting the vehicle.
The Sliding Side Door Open Flash can be enabled or
disabled by performing the following procedure:
1. Place the Key Fob in the ignition switch.
2. Cycle the ignition switch from ON/RUN to OFF fivetimes ending in the ON/RUN position (do not start
the engine).
3. Within 10 seconds of the final cycle, press the HAZ- ARD switch ON. 4. A single chime will sound to signify that you have
successfully completed the programming.
You can turn the feature back on by repeating the
previous procedure.
Power Sliding Side Door Master Lock Switch
To provide a safer environment for small children riding
in the rear seats, the second row sliding door switches
and handles may be overridden by pressing the OFF side
of the Master Lock Out Switch located in the front
overhead console.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 47

When the power sliding door master lock switch is in the
OFF position, the power sliding side door may not be
opened or closed by pressing the switch located on the
B-pillar trim panel, just in front of the sliding door or
activating the inside power sliding door handle.Sliding Side Door Child Protection Lock
To provide a safer environment for small children riding
in the rear seats, the sliding doors are equipped with a
Child Protection Door Lock system.
NOTE:When the Child Protection Door Lock system is
engaged, the door can be opened only by using the
outside door handle even though the inside door lock is
in the unlocked position.
To Engage The Child Protection Door Lock
1. Open the sliding side door.
2. Slide the Child Protection Door Lock control inward (toward the vehicle) to engage the Child Protection
Door Lock.
Overhead Console Power Sliding Door Master Switch
1 — Left Sliding Door 3 — Right Sliding Door
2 — Liftgate 4 — Master Lock
48 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 on the opposite sliding door.
NOTE:
•After engaging the Child Protection Door Lock, always
test the door from the inside to make certain it is in the
desired position. •
When the Child Protection Door Lock system is en-
gaged, (even if the inside door lock is in the unlocked
position) the door can be opened only by using the
outside door handle, the RKE transmitter, the switches
on the overhead console or the switches located on the
trim panel just in front of the power sliding door.
• The power sliding side door will operate from the
switches located on the B-pillar trim panel, just in front
of the power sliding door, regardless of the Child
Protection Door Lock lever position. To avoid unin-
tentional operation of the power sliding door from
the rear seats, press the “OFF” Master Lock Out
Switch located in the front overhead console, next to
the driver.
Child Protection Door Lock
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 49

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)
• Supplemental Driver Side Knee Air Bag
• Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags (SAB) •
An energy-absorbing steering column and steering
wheel
• Knee bolsters/blockers for front seat occupants
• Front seat belts incorporate pretensioners that may
enhance occupant protection by managing occupant
energy during an impact event
• The front passenger seat includes an Automatic Lock-
ing Retractor (ALR) which locks the seat belt webbing
into position by extending the belt all the way out and
then adjusting the belt to the desired length to restrain
a child seat or secure a large item in a seat
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 55

NOTE: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.
Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize the
risk of harm from a deploying air bag:
1. Children 12 years old and under should always ride
buckled up in a rear seat.
WARNING!
•Never place a rear facing infant seat in front of an
air bag. A deploying Passenger Advanced Front Air
Bag can cause death or serious injury to a child 12
years or younger, including a child in a rearward
facing infant seat.
• Only use a rearward-facing child restraint in a
vehicle with a rear seat. Children that are not big enough to wear the vehicle seat
belt properly (see section on Child Restraints) should be
secured in child restraints or belt-positioning booster
seats. Older children who do not use child restraints or
belt-positioning booster seats should ride properly buck-
led up in the passenger seat. Never allow children to
slide the shoulder belt behind them or under their arm.
If a child from 2 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.
2.
All occupants should always wear their lap and
shoulder belts properly.
3. The driver and front passenger seats should be
moved back as far as practical to allow the Advanced
Front Air Bags room to inflate.
56 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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.
Seat Belts In Passenger Seating Positions
The seat belt in the front passenger seat is equipped with
an Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) which is used to
secure a child restraint system. For additional informa-
tion 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 posi-
tion.
Driver Center Passenger
First Row N/A N/A 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 occupant’s mid-section so as to not
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 occupant’s mid-section. Slide the
latch plate into the buckle until you hear a
click.
Automatic Locking Retractor Mode (ALR) — If
Equipped
In this mode, the shoulder belt is automatically pre-
locked. The belt will still retract to remove any slack in
the shoulder belt. The Automatic Locking Mode is avail-
able on all passenger-seating positions with a combina-
tion lap/shoulder belt. Use the Automatic Locking Mode
anytime a child safety seat is installed in a seating
64 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

position that has a belt with this feature. Children 12
years old and under should always be properly re-
strained in a vehicle with a rear seat.
How To Engage The Automatic Locking Mode
1. Buckle the combination lap and shoulder belt.
2. Grasp the shoulder portion and pull downward untilthe entire belt is extracted.
3. Allow the belt to retract. As the belt retracts, you will hear a clicking sound. This indicates the safety belt is
now in the Automatic Locking Mode.
How To Disengage The Automatic Locking Mode
Unbuckle the combination lap/shoulder belt and allow it
to retract completely to disengage the Automatic Locking
Mode and activate the vehicle sensitive (emergency)
locking mode.
WARNING!
•The belt and retractor assembly must be replaced if
the seat belt assembly Automatic Locking Retractor
(ALR) feature or any other seat belt function is not
working properly when checked according to the
procedures in the Service Manual.
• Failure to replace the belt and retractor assembly
could increase the risk of injury in collisions.
Energy Management Feature
This vehicle has a safety belt system with an Energy
Management feature in the front seating positions to help
further reduce the risk of injury in the event of a head-on
collision.
This safety belt system has a retractor assembly that is
designed to release webbing in a controlled manner. This
feature is designed to help reduce the belt force acting on
the occupant’s chest.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 65

Seat Belt Pretensioners
The seat belts for both front seating positions are
equipped with pretensioning devices that are designed to
remove slack from the seat belt in the event of a collision.
These devices may improve the performance of the seat
belt by assuring that the belt is tight about the occupant
early in a collision. Pretensioners work for all size occu-
pants, including those in child restraints.
NOTE:These devices are not a substitute for proper seat
belt placement by the occupant. The seat belt still must be
worn snugly and positioned properly.
The pretensioners are triggered by the Occupant Re-
straint Controller (ORC). Like the air bags, the preten-
sioners are single use items. A deployed pretensioner or
a deployed air bag must be replaced immediately.
Supplemental Active Head Restraints (AHR)
These head restraints are passive, deployable compo-
nents, and vehicles with this equipment cannot be readily
identified by any markings, only through visual inspec-
tion of the head restraint. The head restraint will be split
in two halves, with the front half being soft foam and
trim, the back half being decorative plastic.
How The Active Head Restraints (AHR) Work
The Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) determines
whether the severity, or type of rear impact will require
the Active Head Restraints (AHR) to deploy. If a rear
impact requires deployment, both the driver and front
passenger seat AHRs will be deployed.
66 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE