ECU RAM PROMASTER 2023 Owner's Guide

176SAFETY
Seat Belts And Pregnant Women

Seat Belts And Pregnant Women

Seat belts must be worn by all occupants including
pregnant women: the risk of injury in the event of
an accident is reduced for the mother and the
unborn child if they are wearing a seat belt.
Position the lap belt snug and low below the
abdomen and across the strong bones of the hips.
Place the shoulder belt across the chest and away
from the neck. Never place the shoulder belt
behind the back or under the arm.
Seat Belt Pretensioner
The front seat belt system is 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 removing slack from the seat belt
early in a collision. Pretensioners work for all size
occupants, 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
Restraint Controller (ORC). Like the air bags, the
pretensioners are single use items. A deployed
pretensioner or a deployed air bag must be
replaced immediately.
Energy Management Feature
The front seat belt system is equipped with an
Energy Management feature that may help further
reduce the risk of injury in the event of a collision.
The seat belt system has a retractor assembly that
is designed to release webbing in a controlled
manner.
Switchable Automatic Locking
Retractor (ALR)

The seat belt in the passenger seating position is
equipped with a Switchable Automatic Locking
Retractor (ALR) which is used to secure a child restraint
system

Ú
page 188. The figure below illustrates the
locking feature for each seating position.
Front Bucket Seat: Switchable Automatic Locking
Retractor (ALR) Location
Front Bench Seat: Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) Locations

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SAFETY185
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
performed. The EDR is designed to record data related
to vehicle dynamics and safety systems 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 understanding 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 condi -
tions and no personal data (e.g., name, gender,
age, and crash location) are recorded. However,
other parties, such as law enforcement, could
combine the EDR data with the type of personally
identifying data routinely acquired during a crash
investigation.
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 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 children. 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 available. According to
crash statistics, children are safer when properly
restrained in the rear seats rather than in the front.
There are different sizes and types of restraints 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
labels 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 http://
www.nhtsa.gov/parents-and-caregivers or
call: 1–888–327–4236
Canadian residents should refer to Transport
Canada’s website for additional information:
http://www.tc.gc.ca/en/services/road/
child-car-seat-safety.htmlWARNING!
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 be badly injured or killed. Any child riding
in your vehicle should be in a proper restraint for
the child’s size.
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SAFETY187
(Continued)
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 direction 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 remain 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.

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 the 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?
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!
Improper installation can lead to failure of an
infant or child restraint. It could come loose in
a collision. The child could be badly injured or
killed. Follow the child restraint manufac -
turer’s directions 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 adjusting the vehicle seat
position. When the vehicle seat has been
adjusted, reinstall the child restraint.

When your child restraint is not in use, secure it in
the vehicle with the seat belt or LATCH anchor-
ages, 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.

WARNING!
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.
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188SAFETY
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 restraints 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 secure the child restraint using the seat belt.

Installing Child Restraints Using The
Vehicle 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.

The seat belts in the passenger seating positions
are equipped with a Switchable Automatic 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 webbing is pulled back into the retractor. See the
“Automatic Locking Mode” description in “Switchable
Automatic Locking Retractors (ALR)”
Ú
page 176 for
additional information on ALR.
Front Bucket Seat Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
Location
Front Bench Seat Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) Locations

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 severe injury or death to
infants riding in rear-facing infant restraints.
WARNING!
Improper installation or failure to properly
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 infant or
child restraint.ALR — Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor
ALR — Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor

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SAFETY189
Installing A Child Restraint With A
Switchable 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.

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 retract back into the
retractor. As the webbing retracts, you will hear
a clicking sound. This means the seat belt is
now in the Automatic Locking mode.
6. Try to pull the webbing out of the retractor. If it is locked, you should not be able to pull out any
webbing. If the retractor is not
locked, repeat
step 5.
7. Finally, pull up on any excess webbing to tighten the lap portion around the child
restraint while you push the child restraint
rearward and downward into the vehicle seat.
8. Test that the child restraint is installed tightly by pulling back and forth on the child seat at
the belt path. It should not move more than
1 inch (25.4 mm) in any direction.
Any seat belt system will loosen with time, so check
the belt occasionally, and pull it tight if necessary.
SAFETY TIPS
TRANSPORTING PASSENGERS
NEVER TRANSPORT PASSENGERS IN THE CARGO
AREA.
WARNING!
Improper installation or failure to properly
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 infant or
child restraint.
WARNING!
Do not leave children or animals inside parked
vehicles in hot weather. Interior heat buildup
may cause serious injury or death.
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo
area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a colli -
sion, people riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or killed.
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.
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190SAFETY
(Continued)
TRANSPORTING PETS
Air Bags deploying in the front seat could harm
your pet. An unrestrained pet will be thrown about
and possibly injured, or injure a passenger during
panic braking or in a collision.
Pets should be restrained in the rear seat
(if equipped) in pet harnesses or pet carriers
that are secured by seat belts.
CONNECTED VEHICLES

Privacy of any wireless and wired communications
cannot be assured. Third parties may unlawfully
intercept information and private communications
without your consent. For further information, refer to
“Data Collection & Privacy” in your Uconnect Owner’s
Manual Supplement or “Onboard Diagnostic System
(OBD II) Cybersecurity”
Ú
page 133.

SAFETY CHECKS YOU SHOULD MAKE
I
NSIDE THE VEHICLE
Seat Belts
Inspect the seat belt system periodically, checking
for cuts, frays, and loose parts. Damaged parts
must be replaced immediately. Do not
disassemble or modify the system.
If your vehicle is involved in a collision, or if you
have questions regarding the seat belt or retractor
conditions, take your vehicle to an authorized FCA
dealer or authorized FCA Certified Collision Care
Program facility for inspection.
Air Bag Warning Light
The Air Bag Warning Light will turn on for
four to eight seconds as a bulb check
when the ignition switch is first placed in
the MAR (ACC/ON/RUN) position. If the
light is either not on during starting, stays on, or
turns on while driving, have the system inspected
at an authorized dealer as soon as possible. After
the bulb check, this light will illuminate with a
single chime when a fault with the Air Bag System
has been detected. It will stay on until the fault is
removed. If the light comes on intermittently or
remains on while driving, have an authorized
dealer service the vehicle immediately
Ú page 170.
Defroster

Check operation by selecting the defrost mode and
place the blower control on high speed. You should
be able to feel the air directed against the windshield.
See an authorized dealer for service if your defroster is
inoperable.

Floor Mat Safety Information

Always use floor mats designed to fit your vehicle.
Only use a floor mat that does not interfere with the
operation of the accelerator, brake or clutch pedals.
Only use a floor mat that is securely attached using the
floor mat fasteners so it cannot slip out of position and
interfere with the accelerator, brake or clutch pedals or
impair safe operation of your vehicle in other ways.

WARNING!
It is not possible to know or to predict all of the
possible outcomes if your vehicle’s systems
are breached. It may be possible that vehicle
systems, including safety related systems, could
be impaired or a loss of vehicle control could
occur that may result in an accident involving
serious injury or death.
WARNING!
An improperly attached, damaged, folded,
or stacked floor mat, or damaged floor mat
fasteners may cause your floor mat to interfere
with the accelerator, brake, or clutch pedals and
cause a loss of vehicle control. To prevent
SERIOUS INJURY or DEATH:
 ALWAYS securely attach your floor
mat using the floor mat fasteners.
DO NOT install your floor mat upside
down or turn your floor mat over.
Lightly pull to confirm mat is secured using the
floor mat fasteners on a regular basis.

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SAFETY191
(Continued)
PERIODIC SAFETY CHECKS YOU SHOULD
M
AKE OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE
Tires
Examine tires for excessive tread wear and uneven
wear patterns. Check for stones, nails, glass, or
other objects lodged in the tread or sidewall.
Inspect the tread for cuts and cracks. Inspect
sidewalls for cuts, cracks, and bulges. Check the
lug nut/bolt torque for tightness. Check the tires
(including spare) for proper cold inflation pressure.
Lights
Have someone observe the operation of brake
lights and exterior lights while you work the
controls. Check turn signal and high beam
indicator lights on the instrument panel.
Door Latches
Check for proper closing, latching, and locking.
Fluid Leaks
Check area under the vehicle after overnight
parking for fuel, coolant, oil, or other fluid leaks.
Also, if gasoline fumes are detected or if fuel or
brake fluid leaks are suspected, the cause should
be located and corrected immediately.
 ALWAYS REMOVE THE EXISTING
FLOOR MAT FROM THE VEHICLE
before installing any other floor mat.
NEVER install or stack an additional
floor mat on top of an existing floor mat.

ONLY install floor mats designed to fit your vehicle.
NEVER install a floor mat that cannot be properly
attached and secured to your vehicle. If a floor mat
needs to be replaced, only use a FCA approved
floor mat for the specific make, model, and year of
your vehicle.
ONLY use the driver’s side floor mat on the driver’s
side floor area. To check for interference, with the
vehicle properly parked with the engine off, fully
depress the accelerator, the brake, and the clutch
pedal (if present) to check for interference. If your
floor mat interferes with the operation of any
pedal, or is not secure to the floor, remove the
floor mat from the vehicle and place the floor mat
in your trunk.

ONLY use the passenger’s side floor mat on
the passenger’s side floor area.
WARNING!

ALWAYS make sure objects cannot fall or slide into
the driver’s side floor area when the vehicle is
moving. Objects can become trapped under accel -
erator, brake, or clutch pedals and could cause a
loss of vehicle control.

NEVER place any objects under the floor mat
(e.g., towels, keys, etc.). These objects could
change the position of the floor mat and may
cause interference with the accelerator,
brake, or clutch pedals.
If the vehicle carpet has been removed and
re-installed, always properly attach carpet to
the floor and check the floor mat fasteners are
secure to the vehicle carpet. Fully depress
each pedal to check for interference with the
accelerator, brake, or clutch pedals then
re-install the floor mats.
It is recommended to only use mild soap and
water to clean your floor mats. After cleaning,
always check your floor mat has been properly
installed and is secured to your vehicle using
the floor mat fasteners by lightly pulling mat.
WARNING!
6

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200IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
(Continued)
5. Pull the retainer through the center of the
wheel.

Retainer

JACKING INSTRUCTIONS

Jack Warning Label
Assembled Jack

1. Loosen (but do not remove) the wheel lug bolts by turning them counterclockwise one
turn while the wheel is still on the ground.

WARNING!
Carefully follow these tire changing warnings to
help prevent personal injury or damage to your
vehicle:
Always park on a firm, level surface as far from
the edge of the roadway as possible before
raising the vehicle.
Turn on the Hazard Warning Flashers.
Apply the parking brake firmly and place an
automatic transmission in PARK; a manual
transmission in REVERSE.
Block the wheel diagonally opposite of the
wheel that is to be raised.
Never start or run the engine with the vehicle
on a jack.
Do not let anyone sit in the vehicle when it is
on a jack.
Do not get under the vehicle when it is on a
jack. If you need to get under a raised vehicle,
take it to a service center where it can be
raised on a lift.
Only use the jack in the positions indicated
and for lifting this vehicle during a tire change.
If working on or near a roadway, be extremely
careful of motor traffic.
To assure that spare tires, flat or inflated, are
securely stowed, spares must be stowed with
the valve stem facing the ground.
WARNING!

23_VF_OM_EN_USC_t.book Page 200

202IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
3. Place the wrench handle and lug bolt adapter on the jack screw and turn clockwise until the
jack head is properly engaged in the described
location. Do not raise the vehicle until you are
sure the jack is securely engaged.
4. Raise the vehicle by turning the jack screw clockwise, using the wrench handle and lug
bolt adapter. Raise the vehicle only until the
tire just clears the surface and enough
clearance is obtained to install the spare tire.
Minimum tire lift provides maximum stability. 5. Remove the wheel lug bolts. For vehicles with
wheel covers, remove the cover from the
wheel by hand. Do not pry the wheel cover off.
Then pull the wheel off the hub.
6. Install the spare tire. Lightly tighten the wheel lug bolts.

Mounting Spare Tire

NOTE:Do not install the wheel cover on the spare tire.
7. Lower the vehicle by turning the jack screw left, making sure it is securely on the ground.
Tighten the lug nuts/bolts in a star pattern
until each nut/bolt has been tightened twice.
Ensure that the socket is fully engaged on
the lug nut/bolt (do not insert it halfway)
Úpage 269.

Torque Patterns

8. Lower the jack to its fully-closed position.
9. Stow the damaged wheel/spare tire by reinstalling the wheel retainer and using the
cable winch mechanism to securely tighten
under the vehicle before driving.WARNING!
Being under a jacked-up vehicle is dangerous.
The vehicle could slip off the jack and fall on
you. You could be crushed. Never get any part of
your body under a vehicle that is on a jack. If you
need to get under a raised vehicle, take it to a
service center where it can be raised on a lift.
WARNING!
Raising the vehicle higher than necessary can
make the vehicle less stable. It could slip off the
jack and hurt someone near it. Raise the vehicle
only enough to remove the tire.
WARNING!
To avoid the risk of forcing the vehicle off the
jack, do not tighten the wheel nuts fully until the
vehicle has been lowered. Failure to follow this
warning may result in serious injury.
CAUTION!
Be sure to mount the spare tire with the valve
stem facing outward. The vehicle could be
damaged if the spare tire is mounted incorrectly.

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IN CASE OF EMERGENCY219
TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE
This section describes procedures for towing a disabled vehicle using a commercial towing service.
Proper towing or lifting equipment is required to
prevent damage to your vehicle. Use only tow bars
and other equipment designed for this purpose,
following equipment manufacturer’s instructions.
Use of safety chains is mandatory. Attach a tow bar
or other towing device to main structural members
of the vehicle, not to fascia/bumper or associated
brackets. State and local laws regarding vehicles
under tow must be observed.
NOTE:
You must ensure that the Auto Park Brake
Úpage 78 feature is disabled before towing this
vehicle to avoid inadvertent Electric Park Brake
engagement. The Auto Park Brake feature is
enabled or disabled via the customer program -
mable features in the Uconnect Settings.
Vehicles with a discharged battery, or total elec -
trical failure when the Electric Park Brake (EPB)
is engaged, will need a wheel dolly or jack to
raise the rear wheels off the ground when
moving the vehicle onto a flatbed.
The Safehold feature will engage the Electric
Park Brake whenever the driver's door is
opened (if the battery is connected, ignition is
ON, transmission is not in PARK, and brake
pedal is released). If you are towing this vehicle
with the ignition in the ON/RUN mode, you must
manually disable the Electric Park Brake each
time the driver's door is opened by pressing the
brake pedal and then releasing the EPB. If you must use the accessories (wipers,
defrosters, etc.) while being towed, the ignition
must be in the ON/RUN mode.
If the key fob is unavailable or the vehicle's battery
is discharged, for instructions on shifting the
automatic transmission out of PARK (P) for
towing Ú
page 217.
Towing Condition Wheels OFF the Ground Automatic Transmission
Flat Tow NONENOT ALLOWED
Dolly Tow Front
OK
Rear NOT ALLOWED
On Trailer ALLOK
NOTE:When towing your vehicle, always follow applicable state and provincial laws. Contact state and provincial Highway Safety offices for additional details.
CAUTION!
Do not use sling type equipment when towing.
Vehicle damage may occur.
When securing the vehicle to a flat bed truck,
do not attach to front or rear suspension
components. Damage to your vehicle may
result from improper towing.
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