JEEP CHEROKEE 2014 KL / 5.G Owners Manual

RECREATIONAL TOWING
(BEHIND MOTORHOME, ETC.) ............543
▫
Towing This Vehicle Behind Another Vehicle . . .543
▫ Recreational Towing — Front-Wheel Drive
(FWD) Models ...................... .544▫
Recreational Towing — 4WD Models With
1-Speed Power Transfer Unit .............545
▫ Recreational Towing — 4WD Models With
2-Speed Power Transfer Unit .............545
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 419

STARTING PROCEDURES
Before starting your vehicle, adjust your seat, adjust both
inside and outside mirrors, and fasten your seat belts.
WARNING!
•When leaving the vehicle, always remove the key
fob from the ignition and lock your vehicle.
• Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle.
• Allowing children to be in a vehicle unattended is
dangerous for a number of reasons. A child or
others could be seriously or fatally injured. Chil-
dren should be warned not to touch the parking
brake, brake pedal or the shift lever.
• Do not leave the key fob in or near the vehicle, or
in a location accessible to children. A child could
operate power windows, other controls, or move
the vehicle. Start the engine with the shift lever in the NEUTRAL or
PARK position. Apply the brake before shifting to any
driving range.
Normal Starting
NOTE:
Normal starting of either a cold or a warm engine
is obtained without pumping or pressing the accelerator
pedal.
Cycle the ignition switch to the START position and
release when the engine starts. If the engine fails to start
within 10 seconds, cycle the ignition switch to the
LOCK/OFF position, wait 10 to 15 seconds, then repeat
the “Normal Starting” procedure.
Tip Start Feature
Turn the ignition switch to START position and release it
as soon as the starter engages. The starter motor will
continue to run, but will automatically disengage itself
when the engine is running. If the engine fails to start, the
420 STARTING AND OPERATING

starter will disengage automatically in 10 seconds. If this
occurs, turn the ignition switch to the LOCK position,
wait 10 to 15 seconds, then repeat the “Normal Starting”
procedure.
Extreme Cold Weather (Below –20°F Or 29°C)
To ensure reliable starting at these temperatures, use of
an externally powered electric engine block heater (avail-
able from your authorized dealer) is recommended.
Extended Park Starting
NOTE:Extended Park condition occurs when the vehicle
has not been started or driven for at least 35 days.
1. Install a battery charger or jumper cables to the battery to ensure a full battery charge during the crank cycle.
2. Place the ignition in the START position and release it when the engine starts. 3. If the engine fails to start within 10 seconds, place the
ignition to the STOP (OFF/LOCK) position, wait five
seconds to allow the starter to cool, then repeat the
Extended Park Starting procedure.
4. If the engine fails to start after 8 attempts, allow the starter to cool for at least 10 minutes, then repeat the
procedure.
If Engine Fails To Start
WARNING!
•Never pour fuel or other flammable liquid into the
throttle body air inlet opening in an attempt to start
the vehicle. This could result in flash fire causing
serious personal injury.
(Continued)
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 421

WARNING!(Continued)
•Do not attempt to push or tow your vehicle to get it
started. Vehicles equipped with an automatic trans-
mission cannot be started this way. Unburned fuel
could enter the catalytic converter and once the
engine has started, ignite and damage the converter
and vehicle.
• If the vehicle has a discharged battery, booster
cables may be used to obtain a start from a booster
battery or the battery in another vehicle. This type
of start can be dangerous if done improperly. Refer
to “Jump Starting” in “What To Do In Emergen-
cies” for further information.
With Tip Start
If the engine fails to start after you have followed the
Normal Starting, “Extreme Cold Weather andEx-
tended Park Starting procedures, it may be flooded. To clear any excess fuel, press the accelerator pedal all the
way to the floor and hold it. Then, cycle the ignition
switch to the START position and release it as soon as the
starter engages. The starter motor will disengage auto-
matically in 10 seconds. Once this occurs, release the
accelerator pedal, cycle the ignition to the LOCK posi-
tion, wait 10 to 15 seconds, then repeat the “Normal
Starting” procedure.
CAUTION!
To prevent damage to the starter, wait 10 to 15 seconds
before trying again.
After Starting
The idle speed is controlled automatically and it will
decrease as the engine warms up.
422 STARTING AND OPERATING

ENGINE BLOCK HEATER — IF EQUIPPED
The engine block heater warms the engine and permits
quicker starts in cold weather.
Connect the cord to a 110-115 Volt AC electrical outlet
with a grounded, three-wire extension cord.
For ambient temperatures below 0°F (-18°C), the engine
block heater is recommended. For ambient temperatures
below —20°F (-29°C), the engine block heater is required.
The engine block heater cord is routed under the hood,
behind to the driver ’s side headlamp. Follow the steps
below to properly use the engine block heater:
1.
Locate the engine block heater cord (behind the driver ’s
side headlamp).
2.Undo the Velcro strap that secures the heater cord in
place.
3. Pull the cord to the front of the vehicle and plug it intoa grounded, three-wire extension cord. 4. After the vehicle is running, reattach the cord to the
Velcro strap and properly stow away behind the
driver ’s side headlamp.
NOTE:
• The engine block heater cord is a factory installed
option. If your vehicle is not equipped, heater cords
are available from your authorized MOPAR® dealer.
• The engine block heater will require 110 Volts AC and
6.5 Amps to activate the heater element.
•
The engine block heater must be plugged in at least one
hour to have an adequate warming effect on the engine.
WARNING!
Remember to disconnect the engine block heater
cord before driving. Damage to the 110-115 Volt
electrical cord could cause electrocution.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 423

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WARNING!
•It is dangerous to shift out of PARK or NEUTRAL
if the engine speed is higher than idle speed. If
your foot is not firmly pressing the brake pedal, the
vehicle could accelerate quickly forward or in re-
verse. You could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear when
the engine is idling normally and your foot is
firmly pressing the brake pedal.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Unintended movement of a vehicle could injure
those in or near the vehicle. As with all vehicles,
you should never exit a vehicle while the engine is
running. Before exiting a vehicle, always apply the
parking brake, shift the transmission into PARK,
turn the engine OFF, and remove the key fob. When
the ignition is in the OFF position, the transmis-
sion is locked in PARK, securing the vehicle
against unwanted movement.
• When leaving the vehicle, always make sure the
ignition switch is in the OFF position, remove the
key fob from the vehicle, and lock the vehicle.
(Continued)
424 STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING!(Continued)
•Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Allowing children to
be in a vehicle unattended is dangerous for a
number of reasons. A child or others could be
seriously or fatally injured. Children should be
warned not to touch the parking brake, brake pedal
or the transmission gear selector.
• Do not leave the key fob in or near the vehicle (or
in a location accessible to children), and do not
leave the ignition of a vehicle equipped with
Keyless Enter-N-Go™ in the ACC or ON/RUN
mode. A child could operate power windows, other
controls, or move the vehicle.
CAUTION!
Damage to the transmission may occur if the follow-
ing precautions are not observed:
• Shift into or out of PARK or REVERSE only after
the vehicle has come to a complete stop.
• Do not shift between PARK, REVERSE, NEU-
TRAL, or DRIVE when the engine is above idle
speed.
• Before shifting into any gear, make sure your foot
is firmly pressing the brake pedal.
NOTE: You must press and hold the brake pedal while
shifting out of PARK.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 425

Key Ignition Park Interlock
This vehicle is equipped with a Key Ignition Park Inter-
lock which requires the transmission to be in PARK
before the ignition switch can be turned to the full OFF
(key removal) position. The key fob can only be removed
from the ignition when the ignition is in the full OFF
position, and the transmission is locked in PARK when-
ever the ignition switch is in the full OFF position.
Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock System
This vehicle is equipped with a Brake Transmission Shift
Interlock system (BTSI) that holds the shift lever in PARK
unless the brakes are applied. To shift the transmission
out of PARK, the ignition switch must be turned to the
ON/RUN position (engine running or not) and the brake
pedal must be pressed.
Nine-Speed Automatic Transmission
Your vehicle is equipped with a state of the art, fuel
efficient nine-speed transmission. The transmission gear
range (PRND) is displayed both beside the shift lever and
in the Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC). To
select a gear range, press the lock button on the shift lever
and move the lever rearward or forward. You must also
press the brake pedal to shift the transmission out of PARK,
or to shift from NEUTRAL into DRIVE or REVERSE when
the vehicle is stopped or moving at low speeds (refer to
Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock Systemin this sec-
tion). Select the DRIVE range for normal driving.
The electronically-controlled transmission provides a pre-
cise shift schedule. The transmission electronics are self-
calibrating; therefore, the first few shifts on a new vehicle
may be somewhat abrupt. This is a normal condition, and
precision shifts will develop within a few hundred miles
(kilometers).
426 STARTING AND OPERATING

Only shift from DRIVE to PARK or REVERSE when the
accelerator pedal is released and the vehicle is stopped.
Be sure to keep your foot on the brake pedal when
shifting between these gears.
The transmission shift lever has PARK, REVERSE, NEU-
TRAL, DRIVE, and Electronic Range Select (ERS) shift
positions. Manual downshifts can be made using the ERS
shift control (refer toElectronic Range Select (ERS)
Operation in this section for further information). Mov-
ing the shift lever into the ERS (-/+) position (beside the
DRIVE position) displays the current gear in the instru-
ment cluster, and prevents automatic upshifts beyond
this gear. In ERS mode, toggling the shift lever forward (-)
or rearward (+) will change the highest available gear.
Shift Lever
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 427

Gear Ranges
DO NOT race the engine when shifting from PARK or
NEUTRAL into another gear range.
NOTE:After selecting any gear range, wait a moment to
allow the selected gear to engage before accelerating.
This is especially important when the engine is cold.
PARK (P)
This range supplements the parking brake by locking the
transmission. The engine can be started in this range.
Never attempt to use PARK while the vehicle is in
motion. Apply the parking brake when leaving the
vehicle in this range.
When parking on a level surface, you may shift the
transmission into PARK first, and then apply the parking
brake. When parking on a hill, apply the parking brake before
shifting the transmission to PARK, otherwise the load on
the transmission locking mechanism may make it diffi-
cult to move the shift lever out of PARK. As an added
precaution, turn the front wheels toward the curb on a
downhill grade and away from the curb on an uphill
grade.WARNING!
•
Never use the PARK position as a substitute for the
parking brake. Always apply the parking brake
fully when parked to guard against vehicle move-
ment and possible injury or damage.
(Continued)
428 STARTING AND OPERATING