Backing up with door open

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2014 Ram

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2022 1500 Bighorn, is there a way to turn off the feature that automatically puts your truck into emergency brake mode because you're backing up with your door open? Thanks
 

yakalong

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It's interesting, I've seen this topic before so I've tried it. I can back up with the drivers door open. I wonder what is different.
 

4xdad

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There’s a reason it does that it costs a fortune to fix a door that is bent backwards
 

Dean2

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It's interesting, I've seen this topic before so I've tried it. I can back up with the drivers door open. I wonder what is different.
Does your truck have active emergency braking. If not, that is what is differnt. Any of the 8 speeds, door must be closed to put the truck in reverse or drive, once there you can open the door and move as long as the seat belt is done up. Seat belt off, the ones with active emergency braking stop you and some models will slam you back into park. I don't know any 8 speed you can back up with the door open unless the belt is done up or you have pressure on the brake.
 
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John Jensen

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There’s a reason it does that it costs a fortune to fix a door that is bent backwards
The reason is for Ram's liability. A man did this and his truck ran over or pinned him and killed him. Thus Ram introduced this nanny feature and recalled trucks to include it.

It's an easy override as LouM states above
 

Stavinksi

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Mine will actually shift into park as well as emergency brake. I’m sure that guy who got run over didn’t think what he was about to do was going to kill him so I am ok with this feature. I don’t intend to stick my fingers in a running saw either but glad for saw stop to exist.
 

crash68

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Close the door and use the mirrors.
Exactly, it's sorta alarming the number of people who have no clue how to use the mirrors on a truck.
My personal favorite are the ones that complain because the rear seat head rests block the view and not having the rear window defroster is a safety issue. What do they do when towing a trailer or hauling something large in the bed? Talk about a danger on the road.
 

Dean2

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There are a great many reasons why someone would want to move a truck while the door is open. Putting out road cones, opening and closing gates, feeding cattle, winching or skidding logs and a raft of others. I just try to answer the question asked, rather than delving into their reasons for asking.
 

RamDiver

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So I guess the answer is to protect idiots from them selves and protect the mfger from stupid lawsuits

That sounds more like the reason the feature exists.

The answer to the OP's question about, is there any way to shut this feature off is no, only workarounds such as LouM's suggestion of a seat belt extender.

I had disabled the seatbelt nanny before leaving the dealership when I bought my truck. There was no more alarm noise but the Evic would be briefly monopolized with a light show reminder about the seatbelt condition.

Then I remembered how well the seatbelt extender worked on a car I recently owned. I had bought that one primarily to kill the incessant beeping that never ended from the instant you inserted the key in the ignition unless you were plugged in. It was supremely annoying to me.

Also, the secondary reason for my purchase was the seatbelt receptacle was annoyingly short on the car and near impossible to easily locate while wearing any type of winter jacket.

So, I bought a short, rigid seatbelt extender for my RAM and couldn't be happier. No nanny alarms, no stupid Evic light shows that interupt my reading other data that I actually care about and much easier to install the seatbelt buckle while wearing winter jackets.

And, I can move the transmission knob out of park with the door opened, not that I do that anywhere but on my property and rarely at that.

AFAIK, using this type of seatbelt extender maybe the only solution to accomplish what the OP had asked for, unless you care to buckle the seatbelt and sit on it.

While I prefer to use mirrors, that was not the question. :cool:

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Gavin K

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Bizarrely, upgrading from a Ram 2500 to a Ram 4500 fixed this issue for me, as the chassis cabs don't have this nanny feature. Which is odd, because if I get to pick a truck to run over my leg, it sure as heck wouldn't be the one that dresses out at 10k unloaded and has narrow, 110 psi tires
 

tron67j

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Guess if the story is true, the guy who got run over figured his reason to back up with the door open was important enough to do it. And he thought he was good enough to do it. And that if he couldn't have he would have been annoyed by the nanny-controlled restriction that would have prevented him from being able to do it.

When I see it done, can't help but hearing "wait for it..." in my mind. Once in a while, it happens

If one wants to drive without doors, buy a jeep and remove the doors. That massive amount of a truck's open door mass while moving results in a lot of potential energy that can ruin a day.
 

Dean2

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Guess if the story is true, the guy who got run over figured his reason to back up with the door open was important enough to do it. And he thought he was good enough to do it. And that if he couldn't have he would have been annoyed by the nanny-controlled restriction that would have prevented him from being able to do it.

When I see it done, can't help but hearing "wait for it..." in my mind. Once in a while, it happens

If one wants to drive without doors, buy a jeep and remove the doors. That massive amount of a truck's open door mass while moving results in a lot of potential energy that can ruin a day.
Jeeps don't work good for ranching, farming, most construction work and a raft of other things we use pickups for. No doors SUCKS at -40, at +30 and when bugs are bad. Moving a pickup with the door open is way down the list of the most dangerous things that get done on a ranch regularly. Don't do it if it worries you that much.

Not that many years back, the owners manual told you what to set the valve lash, plug gap, bolt torques etc. The new ones tell you to take it to the dealer to add washer fluid and not to drink the battery acid. I don't see that as progress.
 
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turkeybird56

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Jeeps don't work good for ranching, farming, most construction work and a raft of other things we use pickups for. No doors SUCKS at -40, at +30 and when bugs are bad. Moving a pickup with the door open is way down the list of the most dangerous things that get done on a ranch regularly. Don't do it if it worries you that much.

Not that many years back, the owners manual told you what to set the valve lash, plug gap, bolt torques etc. The new ones tell you to take it to the dealer to add washer fluid and not to drink the battery acid. I don't see that as progress.
When getting hay in field, MY door is never closed till trailer full. Sometimes I can get lucky and borrow my neighbor's trailer which is open flat, and guy I buy hay from has one of those pick up square bale loaders. But when I am using my stock, strictly pick up, load, stack, go home unload and stack, LOL. Not gonna open door and close door every ten feet to load hay, why I have a seatbelt clip that turns off the nanny feature.

clips.JPG
 

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There are many different options available for a seatbelt extender and a wide range of prices.
I chose this supplier because of my positive perception of the company as being very organized and professional from start to finish. Also, the quality, fit, and performance are flawless.

And from the great experience I had with them once before buying the same product for a car I once owned. That was about 5 years ago and the seatbelt extender is still functioning flawlessly.

I'm very confident I would be and have been the very first to hear about any performance-related concerns with that car, I gave it to my X. :cool:

https://www.seatbeltextenderpros.com/ram-pickup-seat-belt-extender/


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