Ram ProMaster 2018 Repair Manual

SABICs may help reduce the risk of head and
other injuries to front and rear seat outboard
occupants in certain side impacts, in addi-
tion to the injury reduction potential provided
by the seat belts and body structure.
The SABIC deploys downward, covering the
side windows. An inflating SABIC pushes the
outside edge of the headliner out of the way
and covers the window. The SABICs inflate
with enough force to injure occupants if theyare not belted and seated properly, or if items
are positioned in the area where the SABICs
inflate. Children are at an even greater risk of
injury from a deploying air bag.
The SABICs may help reduce the risk of
partial or complete ejection of vehicle occu-
pants through side windows in certain side
impact events.
WARNING!
• Do not mount equipment, or stack lug-
gage or other cargo up high enough to
block the deployment of the SABICs.
The trim covering above the side win-
dows where the SABIC and its deploy-
ment path are located should remain
free from any obstructions.
• In order for the SABICs to work as in-
tended, do not install any accessory
items in your vehicle which could alter
the roof. Do not add an aftermarket sun-
roof to your vehicle. Do not add roof
racks that require permanent attach-
WARNING!
ments (bolts or screws) for installation
on the vehicle roof. Do not drill into the
roof of the vehicle for any reason.
Side Impacts
The Side Air Bags are designed to activate in
certain side impacts. The Occupant Restraint
Controller (ORC) determines whether the de-
ployment of the Side Air Bags in a particular
impact event is appropriate, based on the
severity and type of collision. The side impact
sensors aid the ORC in determining the ap-
propriate response to impact events. The sys-
tem is calibrated to deploy the Side Air Bags
on the impact side of the vehicle during
impacts that require Side Air Bag occupant
protection. In side impacts, the Side Air Bags
deploy independently; a left side impact de-
ploys the left Side Air Bags only and a right-
side impact deploys the right Side Air Bags
only. Vehicle damage by itself is not a good
indicator of whether or not Side Air Bags
should have deployed.
Supplemental Side Air Bag Inflatable Curtain (SABIC) Label Location
59

The Side Air Bags will not deploy in all side
collisions, including some collisions at cer-
tain angles, or some side collisions that do
not impact the area of the passenger com-
partment. The Side Air Bags may deploy
during angled or offset frontal collisions
where the front air bags deploy.
Side Air Bags are a supplement to the seat
belt restraint system. Side Air Bags deploy in
less time than it takes to blink your eyes.
WARNING!
• Occupants, including children, who areup against or very close to Side Air Bags
can be seriously injured or killed. Occu-
pants, including children, should never
lean on or sleep against the door, side
windows, or area where the side air bags
inflate, even if they are in an infant or
child restraint.
• Seat belts (and child restraints where
appropriate) are necessary for your pro-
tection in all collisions. They also help
keep you in position, away from an in-
flating Side Air Bag. To get the best
WARNING!
protection from the Side Air Bags, occu-
pants must wear their seat belts properly
and sit upright with their backs against
the seats. Children must be properly
restrained in a child restraint or booster
seat that is appropriate for the size of the
child.
WARNING!
• Side Air Bags need room to inflate. Donot lean against the door or window. Sit
upright in the center of the seat.
• Being too close to the Side Air Bags
during deployment could cause you to
be severely injured or killed.
• Relying on the Side Air Bags alone could
lead to more severe injuries in a colli-
sion. The Side Air Bags work with your
seat belt to restrain you properly. In
some collisions, Side Air Bags won’t
deploy at all. Always wear your seat belt
even though you have Side Air Bags. NOTE:
Air bag covers may not be obvious in the
interior trim, but they will open during air bag
deployment.
Rollover Events
Side Air Bags are designed to activate in
certain rollover events. The ORC determines
whether the deployment of the Side Air Bags
in a particular rollover event is appropriate,
based on the severity and type of collision.
Vehicle damage by itself is not a good indi-
cator of whether or not Side Air Bags should
have deployed.
The Side Air Bags will not deploy in all
rollover events. The rollover sensing system
determines if a rollover event may be in
progress and whether deployment is appro-
priate. In the event the vehicle experiences a
rollover or near rollover event, and deploy-
ment of the Side Air Bags is appropriate, the
rollover sensing system will also deploy the
seat belt pretensioners on both sides of the
vehicle.
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60

The SABICs may help reduce the risk of
partial or complete ejection of vehicle occu-
pants through side windows in certain roll-
over or side impact events.
Air Bag System Components
NOTE:
The Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
monitors the internal circuits and intercon-
necting wiring associated with electrical Air
Bag System Components listed below:
• Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
• Air Bag Warning Light
• Steering Wheel and Column
• Instrument Panel
• Driver and Front Passenger Air Bags
• Seat Belt Buckle Switch
• Supplemental Side Air Bags
• Front and Side Impact Sensors
• Seat Belt Pretensioners
If A Deployment Occurs
The front air bags are designed to deflate
immediately after deployment.NOTE:
Front and/or side air bags will not deploy in all
collisions. This does not mean something is
wrong with the air bag system.
If you do have a collision which deploys the
air bags, any or all of the following may occur:
• The air bag material may sometimes cause
abrasions and/or skin reddening to the oc-
cupants as the air bags deploy and unfold.
The abrasions are similar to friction rope
burns or those you might get sliding along a
carpet or gymnasium floor. They are not
caused by contact with chemicals. They are
not permanent and normally heal quickly.
However, if you haven’t healed significantly
within a few days, or if you have any blis-
tering, see your doctor immediately.
• As the air bags deflate, you may see some smoke-like particles. The particles are a
normal by-product of the process that gen-
erates the non-toxic gas used for air bag
inflation. These airborne particles may irri-
tate the skin, eyes, nose, or throat. If you
have skin or eye irritation, rinse the area
with cool water. For nose or throat irritation,
move to fresh air. If the irritation continues, see your doctor. If these particles settle on
your clothing, follow the garment manufac-
turer’s instructions for cleaning.
Do not drive your vehicle after the air bags
have deployed. If you are involved in another
collision, the air bags will not be in place to
protect you.
WARNING!
Deployed air bags and seat belt preten-
sioners cannot protect you in another col-
lision. Have the air bags, seat belt preten-
sioners, and the seat belt retractor
assemblies replaced by an authorized
dealer immediately. Also, have the Occu-
pant Restraint Controller System serviced
as well.
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.
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Fuel Cut Off Switch
Your vehicle is equipped with a Fuel Cut Off
safety switch. In the event of an accident, if
the communication network remains intact,
and the power remains intact, depending on
the nature of the event, the Fuel Cut Off
Switch may perform the following functions:
• Cut off fuel to the engine and turn off theengine.
• Flash hazard lights as long as the battery has power or until the hazard light button is
pressed. The hazard lights can be deacti-
vated by pressing the hazard light button.
• Turn on the interior lights, which remain on as long as the battery has power.
• Unlock the power door locks. NOTE:
After an accident, remember to cycle the
ignition to the STOP (OFF/LOCK) position
and remove the key from the ignition switch
to avoid draining the battery. Carefully check
the vehicle for fuel leaks in the engine com-
partment and on the ground near the engine
compartment and fuel tank before resetting
the system and starting the engine. If there
are no fuel leaks or damage to the vehicle
electrical devices (e.g. headlights) after an
accident, reset the Fuel Cut Off Switch by
following the procedure described below.
Fuel Cut Off Switch Reset Procedure
In order to reset the Fuel Cut Off Switch after
an event push the “A” Button located under-
neath the instrument panel on the passenger
side.WARNING!
If, after an accident, you smell fuel or see
leaks from the fuel system, do not reset
the Fuel Cut Off Switch to avoid the risk of
fire. Before resetting the Fuel Cut Off
Switch, carefully check for fuel leaks or
damage to the vehicle electrical devices
(e.g. headlights).
Fuel Cut Off Switch
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62

Maintaining Your Air Bag System
WARNING!
• Modifications to any part of the air bagsystem could cause it to fail when you
need it. You could be injured if the air
bag system is not there to protect you.
Do not modify the components or wiring,
including adding any kind of badges or
stickers to the steering wheel hub trim
cover or the upper right side of the in-
strument panel. Do not modify the front
bumper, vehicle body structure, or add
aftermarket side steps or running
boards.
• It is dangerous to try to repair any part of
the air bag system yourself. Be sure to
tell anyone who works on your vehicle
that it has an air bag system.
• Do not attempt to modify any part of your
air bag system. The air bag may inflate
accidentally or may not function prop-
erly if modifications are made. Take your
vehicle to an authorized dealer for any
air bag system service. If your seat, in-
cluding your trim cover and cushion,
WARNING!
needs to be serviced in any way (includ-
ing removal or loosening/tightening of
seat attachment bolts), take the vehicle
to your authorized dealer. Only manufac-
turer approved seat accessories may be
used. If it is necessary to modify the air
bag system for persons with disabilities,
contact your authorized dealer.
Event Data Recorder (EDR)
This vehicle is equipped with an event data
recorder (EDR). The main purpose of an EDR
is to record, in certain crash or near crash-like
situations, such as an air bag deployment or
hitting a road obstacle, data that will assist in
understanding how a vehicle’s systems per-
formed. The EDR is designed to record data
related to vehicle dynamics and safety sys-
tems for a short period of time, typically
30 seconds or less. The EDR in this vehicle is
designed to record such data as:
• How various systems in your vehicle were
operating; • Whether or not the driver and passenger
safety belts were buckled/fastened;
• How far (if at all) the driver was depressing the accelerator and/or brake pedal; and,
• How fast the vehicle was traveling.
These data can help provide a better under-
standing of the circumstances in which
crashes and injuries occur.
NOTE:
EDR data are recorded by your vehicle only if
a non-trivial crash situation occurs; no data
are recorded by the EDR under normal driving
conditions and no personal data (e.g., name,
gender, age, and crash location) are re-
corded. However, other parties, such as law
enforcement, could combine the EDR data
with the type of personally identifying data
routinely acquired during a crash investiga-
tion.
To read data recorded by an EDR, special
equipment is required, and access to the
vehicle or the EDR is needed. In addition to
the vehicle manufacturer, other parties, such
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as law enforcement, that have the special
equipment, can read the information if they
have access to the vehicle or the EDR.
Child Restraints
Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled
up at all times, including babies and chil-
dren. Every state in the United States, and
every Canadian province, requires that small
children ride in proper restraint systems. This
is the law, and you can be prosecuted for
ignoring it.
Children 12 years or younger should ride
properly buckled up in a rear seat, if avail-
able. 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 can
become a projectile inside the vehicle.
The force required to hold even an infant
on your lap could become so great that you
could not hold the child, no matter how
strong you are. The child and others could
WARNING!
be badly injured or killed. Any child riding
in your vehicle should be in a proper re-
straint for the child’s size.
There are different sizes and types of re-
straints for children from newborn size to the
child almost large enough for an adult safety
belt. Always check the child seat Owner’s
Manual to make sure you have the correct
seat for your child. Carefully read and follow
all the instructions and warnings in the child
restraint Owner’s Manual and on all the la-
bels attached to the child restraint.
Before buying any restraint system, make
sure that it has a label certifying that it meets
all applicable Safety Standards. You should
also make sure that you can install it in the
vehicle where you will use it. NOTE:
• For additional information, refer to
www.safercar.gov/parents/index.htm or
call: 1–888–327–4236
•
Canadian residents should refer to Transport
Canada’s website for additional information:
http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/motorvehiclesafety/
safedrivers-childsafety-index-53.htm
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64

Summary Of Recommendations For Restraining Children In Vehicles
Child Size, Height, Weight Or AgeRecommended Type Of Child Restraint
Infants and Toddlers Children who are two years old or younger and
who have not reached the height or weight lim- its of their child restraint Either an Infant Carrier or a Convertible Child
Restraint, facing rearward in the rear seat of the vehicle
Small Children Children who are at least two years old or who
have outgrown the height or weight limit of their rear-facing child restraint Forward-Facing Child Restraint with a five-
point Harness, facing forward in the rear seat of the vehicle
Larger Children Children who have outgrown their forward-
facing child restraint, but are too small to prop- erly fit the vehicle’s seat belt Belt Positioning Booster Seat and the vehicle
seat belt, seated in the rear seat of the vehicle
Children Too Large for Child Restraints Children 12 years old or younger, who have
outgrown the height or weight limit of their booster seat Vehicle Seat Belt, seated in the rear seat of the
vehicle
Infant And Child Restraints
Safety experts recommend that children ride
rear-facing in the vehicle until they are two
years old or until they reach either the height
or weight limit of their rear-facing child re-
straint. Two types of child restraints can be
used rear-facing: infant carriers and convert-
ible child seats.
The infant carrier is only used rear-facing in
the vehicle. It is recommended for children
from birth until they reach the weight or height limit of the infant carrier. Convertible
child seats can be used either rear-facing or
forward-facing in the vehicle. Convertible
child seats often have a higher weight limit in
the rear-facing direction than infant carriers
do, so they can be used rear-facing by chil-
dren who have outgrown their infant carrier
but are still less than at least two years old.
Children should remain rear-facing until they
reach the highest weight or height allowed by
their convertible child seat.WARNING!
• Never place a rear-facing child restraint
in front of an air bag. A deploying pas-
senger front air bag can cause death or
serious injury to a child 12 years or
younger, including a child in a rear-
facing child restraint.
• Only use a rear-facing child restraint in a
vehicle with a rear seat.
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Older Children And Child Restraints
Children who are two years old or who have
outgrown their rear-facing convertible child
seat can ride forward-facing in the vehicle.
Forward-facing child seats and convertible
child seats used in the forward-facing direc-
tion are for children who are over two years
old or who have outgrown the rear-facing
weight or height limit of their rear-facing
convertible child seat. Children should re-
main in a forward-facing child seat with a
harness for as long as possible, up to the
highest weight or height allowed by the child
seat.
All children whose weight or height is above
the forward-facing limit for the child seat
should use a belt-positioning booster seat
until the vehicle’s seat belts fit properly. If
the child cannot sit with knees bent over the
vehicle’s seat cushion while the child’s back
is against the seatback, they should use a
belt-positioning booster seat. The child and
belt-positioning booster seat are held in the
vehicle by the seat belt.WARNING!
• Improper installation can lead to failureof an infant or child restraint. It could
come loose in a collision. The child
could be badly injured or killed. Follow
the child restraint manufacturer’s direc-
tions exactly when installing an infant or
child restraint.
• After a child restraint is installed in the
vehicle, do not move the vehicle seat
forward or rearward because it can
loosen the child restraint attachments.
Remove the child restraint before ad-
justing the vehicle seat position. When
the vehicle seat has been adjusted, re-
install the child restraint.
• When your child restraint is not in use,
secure it in the vehicle with the seat belt
or LATCH anchorages, or remove it from
the vehicle. Do not leave it loose in the
vehicle. In a sudden stop or accident, it
could strike the occupants or seatbacks
and cause serious personal injury.
Children Too Large For Booster Seats
Children who are large enough to wear the
shoulder belt comfortably, and whose legs are
long enough to bend over the front of the seat
when their back is against the seatback,
should use the seat belt in a rear seat. Use
this simple 5-step test to decide whether the
child can use the vehicle’s seat belt alone:
1. Can the child sit all the way back against the back of the vehicle seat?
2. Do the child’s knees bend comfortably over the front of the vehicle seat – while
the child is still sitting all the way back?
3. Does the shoulder belt cross the child’s shoulder between their neck and arm?
4. Is the lap part of the belt as low as possible, touching the child’s thighs and
not the stomach?
5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?
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66

If the answer to any of these questions was
“no,” then the child still needs to use a
booster seat in this vehicle. If the child is
using the lap/shoulder belt, check seat belt
fit periodically and make sure the seat belt
buckle is latched. A child’s squirming or
slouching can move the belt out of position. If
the shoulder belt contacts the face or neck,
move the child closer to the center of the
vehicle, or use a booster seat to position the
seat belt on the child correctly.
WARNING!
Never allow a child to put the shoulder belt
under an arm or behind their back. In a
crash, the shoulder belt will not protect a
child properly, which may result in serious
injury or death. A child must always wear
both the lap and shoulder portions of the
seat belt correctly.
Installing Child Restraints In Commercial
Vehicles
This commercial vehicle is not designed for
use as a family vehicle and is not intended for
carrying children in the front passenger
seat(s). Never install rear-facing child re-
straints in this vehicle. Although the seat belt
can be locked to secure a child restraint,
there are no tether anchorages to complete
the proper installation of a forward-facing
child restraint. If you must carry a child in a
forward-facing child restraint, the passenger
seat should be moved to the full rearward
position and the child must be in a proper
restraint system based on its age, size and
weight. Follow the instructions below to se-
cure the child restraint using the seat belt.
WARNING!
Rear-facing infant restraints must never be
secured in the passenger seat of a vehicle
with a passenger air bag. In a collision, a
passenger air bag may deploy causing se-
vere injury or death to infants riding in
rear-facing infant restraints.
Installing Child Restraints Using The Ve-
hicle Seat Belt
Child restraint systems are designed to be
secured in vehicle seats by lap belts or the lap
belt portion of a lap/shoulder belt.
WARNING!
• Improper installation or failure to prop-erly secure a child restraint can lead to
failure of the restraint. The child could
be badly injured or killed.
• Follow the child restraint manufacturer’s
directions exactly when installing an in-
fant or child restraint.
The seat belts in the passenger seating posi-
tions are equipped with a Switchable Auto-
matic Locking Retractor (ALR). This seat belt
is designed to keep the lap portion of the seat
belt tight around the child restraint so that it
is not necessary to use a locking clip. The
ALR retractor can be “switched” into a
locked mode by pulling all of the webbing out
of the retractor and then letting the webbing
retract back into the retractor. If it is locked,
the ALR will make a clicking noise while the
67

webbing is pulled back into the retractor.
Refer to the “Automatic Locking Mode” de-
scription in “Switchable Automatic Locking
Retractors (ALR)” under “Occupant Re-
straint Systems” for additional information
on ALR.
Installing A Child Restraint With A Switch-
able Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
Child restraint systems are designed to be
secured in vehicle seats by lap belts or the
lap belt portion of a lap/shoulder belt.
WARNING!
• Improper installation or failure to prop-erly secure a child restraint can lead to
failure of the restraint. The child could
be badly injured or killed.
• Follow the child restraint manufactur-
er’s directions exactly when installing an
infant or child restraint.
1. Place the child seat in the center of the seating position.
2. Pull enough of the seat belt webbing from the retractor to pass it through the belt
path of the child restraint. Do not twist the
belt webbing in the belt path.
3. Slide the latch plate into the buckle until you hear a “click.”
4. Pull on the webbing to make the lap portion tight against the child seat.
5. To lock the seat belt, pull down on the shoulder part of the belt until you have
pulled all the seat belt webbing out of the
retractor. Then, allow the webbing to re-
tract back into the retractor. As the web-
Front Bucket Seat Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) Location
Front Bench Seat Automatic LockingRetractor (ALR) Locations
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