JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE 2016 WK2 / 4.G Owners Manual
Page 621 of 745
FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE
If your vehicle becomes stuck in mud, sand or snow, it
can often be moved using a rocking motion. Turn the
steering wheel right and left to clear the area around the
front wheels. Push and hold the lock button on the gear
selector. Then shift back and forth between DRIVE and
REVERSE while gently pressing the accelerator.
NOTE:Shifts between DRIVE and REVERSE can only be
achieved at wheel speeds of 5 mph (8 km/h) or less.
Whenever the transmission remains in NEUTRAL for
more than two seconds, you must press the brake pedal
to engage DRIVE or REVERSE.
Use the least amount of accelerator pedal pressure that
will maintain the rocking motion without spinning the
wheels or racing the engine. NOTE:
Push the ESC Off switch (if necessary), to place
the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system in Partial
Off mode, before rocking the vehicle. Refer to “Elec-
tronic Brake Control” in “Starting And Operating” for
further information. Once the vehicle has been freed,
push the ESC Off switch again to restore ESC On
mode.
CAUTION!
• Racing the engine or spinning the wheels may lead
to transmission overheating and failure. Allow the
engine to idle with the transmission in NEUTRAL
for at least one minute after every five rocking-
motion cycles. This will minimize overheating and
reduce the risk of transmission failure during pro-
longed efforts to free a stuck vehicle.
(Continued)
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 619
Page 622 of 745
CAUTION!(Continued)
•When “rocking” a stuck vehicle by shifting be-
tween DRIVE and REVERSE, do not spin the
wheels faster than 15 mph (24 km/h), or drivetrain
damage may result.
• Revving the engine or spinning the wheels too fast
may lead to transmission overheating and failure.
It can also damage the tires. Do not spin the wheels
above 30 mph (48 km/h) while in gear (no trans-
mission shifting occurring).
WARNING!
Fast spinning tires can be dangerous. Forces gener-
ated by excessive wheel speeds may cause damage, or
even failure, of the axle and tires. A tire could
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
explode and injure someone. Do not spin your vehi-
cle’s wheels faster than 30 mph (48 km/h) or for
longer than 30 seconds continuously without stop-
ping when you are stuck and do not let anyone near
a spinning wheel, no matter what the speed.
EMERGENCY TOW HOOKS — IF EQUIPPED
If your vehicle is equipped with tow hooks, there will be
one in the rear and two mounted on the front of the
vehicle. The rear hook will be located on the driver’s side
of the vehicle.
NOTE:For off-road recovery, it is recommended to use
both of the front tow hooks to minimize the risk of
damage to the vehicle.
620 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES
Page 623 of 745
WARNING!
•Do not use a chain for freeing a stuck vehicle.
Chains may break, causing serious injury or death.
• Stand clear of vehicles when pulling with tow
hooks. Tow straps may become disengaged, caus-
ing serious injury.
CAUTION!
Tow hooks are for emergency use only, to rescue a
vehicle stranded off road. Do not use tow hooks for
tow truck hookup or highway towing. You could
damage your vehicle.
(Continued)
MANUAL PARK RELEASE
WARNING!
Always secure your vehicle by fully applying the
parking brake, before activating the Manual Park
Release. Activating the Manual Park Release will
allow your vehicle to roll away if it is not secured by
the parking brake or by proper connection to a tow
vehicle. Activating the Manual Park Release on an
unsecured vehicle could lead to serious injury or
death for those in or around the vehicle.
In order to move the vehicle in cases where the transmis-
sion will not shift out of PARK (such as a dead battery),
a Manual Park Release is available.
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 621
Page 624 of 745
Follow these steps to use the Manual Park Release:
1. Firmly apply the parking brake.
2. Open the center console and locate the Manual ParkRelease cover, remove it by snapping the cover away
from the console hinges. 3. Using a screwdriver or similar tool, push the metal
latch in towards the tether strap.
Manual Park Release Cover
Release Latch
622 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES
Page 625 of 745
4. While the metal latch is in the open position, simulta-neously pull upwards on the tether strap until the
lever clicks and latches in the released position. The
transmission is now out of PARK and the vehicle can
be moved.CAUTION!
Closing the armrest while the Manual Park Release is
activated may damage the Manual Park Release
mechanism, the transmission, and/or the armrest.
NOTE: To prevent the vehicle from rolling unintention-
ally, firmly apply the parking brake.
Released Position
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 623
Page 626 of 745
To Disengage the Manual Park Release Lever:
1. To disengage the Manual Park Release apply tensionupward while pushing the release latch towards the
tether to unlock the lever. 2. Once the tension has been released and the lever has
been unlocked be sure it is stowed properly and locks
into position.
NOTE: Be sure to replace the cover by snapping it back
in place.
Release Latch
Stowed Position
624 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES
Page 627 of 745
TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE
This section describes procedures for towing a disabled
vehicle using a commercial towing service. If the trans-
mission and drivetrain are operable, disabled vehicles
may also be towed as described under “Recreational
Towing” in the “Starting and Operating” section.NOTE:
Vehicles equipped with Quadra-Lift must be
placed in Transport mode, before tying them down (from
the body) on a trailer or flatbed truck. Refer to the section
on Quadra-Lift for more information. If the vehicle
cannot be placed in Transport mode (for example, engine
will not run), tie-downs must be fastened to the axles (not
to the body). Failure to follow these instructions may
cause fault codes to be set and/or cause loss of proper
tie-down tension.
Towing
Condition Wheels OFF
the Ground Two-Wheel Drive
Models Four-Wheel Drive
Models Without
4WD LOW Range Four-Wheel Drive Models With
4WD LOW Range
Flat Tow NONE NOT ALLOWED NOT ALLOWED See Instructions
•Transmission in PARK
• Transfer case in NEUTRAL (N)
• Tow in forward direction 6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 625
Page 628 of 745
Towing
Condition Wheels OFF
the Ground Two-Wheel Drive
Models Four-Wheel Drive
Models Without
4WD LOW Range Four-Wheel Drive Models With
4WD LOW Range
Dolly Tow Front NOT ALLOWED NOT ALLOWED NOT ALLOWED
Rear OKNOT ALLOWED NOT ALLOWED
On Trailer ALL OKOK OK
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 equip-
ment 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 bumpers
or associated brackets. State and local laws regarding
vehicles under tow must be observed.
If you must use the accessories (wipers, defrosters, etc.)
while being towed, the ignition must be in the ON/RUN
position, not the ACC position. If the key fob is unavailable, or the vehicle’s battery is
discharged, refer to “Manual Park Release” in this section
for instructions on shifting the transmission out of PARK
for towing.
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.
(Continued)
626 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES
Page 629 of 745
CAUTION!(Continued)
Damage to your vehicle may result from improper
towing.
Two-Wheel Drive Models
The manufacturer recommends towing your vehicle with
all four wheels OFFthe ground using a flatbed.
If flatbed equipment is not available, and the transmis-
sion is operable, the vehicle may be towed (with rear
wheels on the ground) under the following conditions:
• The transmission must be in NEUTRAL. Refer to
Manual Park Release in this section for instructions
on shifting the transmission to NEUTRAL when the
engine is off.
• The towing speed must not exceed 30 mph (48 km/h).
• The towing distance must not exceed 30 miles (48 km). If the transmission is not operable, or the vehicle must be
towed faster than 30 mph (48 km/h) or farther than 30
miles (48 km), tow with the rear wheels
OFFthe ground.
Acceptable methods are to tow the vehicle on a flatbed,
or with the front wheels raised and the rear wheels on a
towing dolly, or (when using a suitable steering wheel
stabilizer to hold the front wheels in the straight position)
with the rear wheels raised and the front wheels on the
ground.
CAUTION!
Towing faster than 30 mph (48 km/h) or farther than
30 miles (48 km) with rear wheels on the ground can
cause severe transmission damage. Damage from
improper towing is not covered under the New
Vehicle Limited Warranty.
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 627
Page 630 of 745
Four-Wheel Drive Models
The manufacturer recommends towing with all wheels
OFFthe ground. Acceptable methods are to tow the
vehicle on a flatbed or with one end of vehicle raised and
the opposite end on a towing dolly.
If flatbed equipment is not available, and the transfer
case is operable, vehicles with a two-speed transfer case
may be towed (in the forward direction, with ALLwheels
on the ground), IFthe transfer case is in NEUTRAL (N)
and the transmission is in PARK. Refer to “Recreational
Towing” in “Starting And Operating” for detailed in-
structions.
Vehicles equipped with a single-speed transfer case have
no NEUTRAL position, and therefore mustbe towed
with all four wheels OFFthe ground.
CAUTION!
•Front or rear wheel lifts must not be used. Internal
damage to the transmission or transfer case will
occur if a front or rear wheel lift is used when
towing.
• Towing this vehicle in violation of the above re-
quirements can cause severe transmission and/or
transfer case damage. Damage from improper tow-
ing is not covered under the New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.
628 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES