4WD JEEP WRANGLER 2016 Owners Manual

rear wheels to rotate at the same speed. The 4H and 4L
positions are intended for loose, slippery road surfaces
only and not intended for normal driving. Driving in the
4H and 4L positions on hard-surfaced roads will cause
increased tire wear and damage to the driveline compo-
nents. Refer to “Shifting Procedures” in this section for
further information on shifting into 4H or 4L.
The “4WD Indicator Light” (located in the instrument
cluster) alerts the driver that the vehicle is in four-wheel
drive, and the front and rear driveshafts are locked
together. The light will illuminate when the transfer case
is shifted into the 4H position.
NOTE:Do not attempt to shift when only the front or
rear wheels are spinning. The transfer case is not
equipped with a synchronizer, and the front and rear
driveshaft speeds must be equal for a shift to take place.
Shifting while the front or rear wheels are spinning at
different speeds can cause damage to the transfer case. When operating your vehicle in 4L, the engine speed will
be approximately three times (four times for Rubicon
models) that of the 2H or 4H positions at a given road
speed. Take care not to overspeed the engine.
Proper operation of four-wheel drive vehicles depends
on tires of equal size, type, and circumference on each
wheel. Any difference will adversely affect shifting and
cause damage to the transfer case.
Because four-wheel drive provides improved traction,
there is a tendency to exceed safe turning and stopping
speeds. Do not go faster than road conditions permit.

WARNING!(Continued)
the parking brake. The transfer case NEUTRAL (N)
position disengages both the front and rear drive
shaft from the powertrain, and will allow the vehicle
to roll, even if the automatic transmission is in PARK
(or manual transmission is in gear). The parking
brake should always be applied when the driver is
not in the vehicle.
Shift Positions
For additional information on the appropriate use of each
4WD system mode position, see the information below:
2H Position
This range is used for normal street and highway driving
on hard-surfaced roads.
4H Position
This range locks the front and rear driveshafts together,
forcing the front and rear wheels to rotate at the same
speed. This range (4H) provides additional traction for
loose, slippery road surfaces and should not be used on
dry pavement.
The “4WD Indicator Light” (located in the instrument
cluster) will illuminate when the transfer case is shifted
into the 4H position.
N (Neutral) Position
This range disengages the front and rear driveshafts from
the powertrain. It is to be used for flat towing behind
another vehicle. Refer to “Recreational Towing” in “Start-
ing And Operating” for further information.
462 STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING!(Continued)
•Vehicle modifications, or failure to properly main-
tain your vehicle, may change the handling charac-
teristics of your vehicle, and may negatively affect
the performance of the ESC system. Changes to the
steering system, suspension, braking system, tire
type and size or wheel size may adversely affect
ESC performance. Improperly inflated and un-
evenly worn tires may also degrade ESC perfor-
mance. Any vehicle modification or poor vehicle
maintenance that reduces the effectiveness of the
ESC system can increase the risk of loss of vehicle
control, vehicle rollover, personal injury and death.
The ESC system has three available operating modes in
4H range. The system has one operating mode in 4L
range. Two-wheel drive vehicles and four-wheel drive
vehicles in 2H range have two operating modes.
4H Range (4WD Models)
ESC On
This is the normal operating mode for ESC in 4H range.
ESC Partial Off
This mode is entered by momentarily pushing the ESC
OFF switch. When in ESC Partial Offmode, the TCS
portion of ESC (except for the limited slip feature de-
scribed in the TCS section), has been disabled and the
ESC Off Indicator Light will be illuminated.
This mode is intended to be used if the vehicle is in deep
snow, sand, or gravel conditions and more wheel spin
than ESC would normally allow is required to gain
traction. To turn ESC on again, momentarily push the
ESC OFF switch. This will restore the normal “ESC On”
mode of operation.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 495

4L Range (4WD Models)
ESC Full Off
This is the normal operating mode for ESC in 4L range.
Whenever the vehicle is started in 4L range, or the
transfer case (if equipped) is shifted from 4H range or
NEUTRAL to 4L range, the ESC system will be in this
mode. In 4L range, ESC and TCS, except for the Brake
Limited Differential (BLD) feature described in the TCS
section, are turned off until the vehicle reaches an ap-
proximate speed of 40 mph (64 km/h). For speeds at or
exceeding approximately 40 mph (64 km/h) the ESC goes
intoESC Partial Off When the vehicle speed drops
below 35 mph (56 km/h), the ESC system goes back to
ESC Full Off. The ESC is in ESC Full Offat low vehicle
speeds in 4L range so that it will not interfere with
off-road driving, but the ESC function returns to provide
the stability feature at speeds above 40 mph (64 km/h). The “ESC OFF Indicator Light” will always be illumi-
nated in 4L range when ESC is in
ESC Full OfforESC
Partial Off.
NOTE: The “ESC OFF” message will display and an
audible chime will sound when the gear selector is
placed in the PARK position from any position other than
PARK, and then moved out of the PARK position. This
will occur even if the message was previously cleared.

2H Range (4WD Models) Or 2WD Models
ESC On
This is the normal operating mode for ESC in 2H range
and on 2WD vehicles.
ESC Partial Off
When inESC Partial Off mode, the TCS portion of ESC
(except for the limited slip feature described in the TCS
section), has been disabled and the ESC Off Indicator
Light will be illuminated.
This mode is intended to be used if the vehicle is in deep
snow, sand, or gravel conditions and more wheel spin
than ESC would normally allow is required to gain
traction. To turn ESC on again, momentarily push the
ESC OFF switch. This will restore the normal ESC On
mode of operation. NOTE:
To improve the vehicle’s traction when driving
with snow chains, or starting off in deep snow, sand, or
gravel, it may be desirable to switch to the ESC Partial
Off mode by pushing the ESC Full Offswitch. Once the
situation requiring ESC to be switched to the ESC Partial
Off mode is overcome, turn ESC back on by momen-
tarily pushing the ESC Full Offswitch. This may be
done while the vehicle is in motion.
The ESC will restore to normal ESC On mode after each
key on.