brakes JEEP CHEROKEE 2015 KL / 5.G User Guide

Maintenance
After driving through deep water, inspect your vehicle
fluids and lubricants (engine, transmission, Power Trans-
fer Unit and Rear Drive Module) to assure they have not
been contaminated. Contaminated fluids and lubricants
(milky, foamy in appearance) should be flushed/changed
as soon as possible to prevent component damage.
Driving In Snow, Mud And Sand
In heavy snow, when pulling a load, or for additional
control at slower speeds, shift the transmission to a low
gear and shift the 4WD system to the appropriate terrain
mode, using 4WD LOW if necessary. Refer to “Four-
Wheel Drive Operation” in “Starting and Operating” for
further information. Do not shift to a lower gear than
necessary to maintain headway. Over-revving the engine
can spin the wheels and traction will be lost.
Avoid abrupt downshifts on icy or slippery roads be-
cause engine braking may cause skidding and loss of
control.
Hill Climbing
NOTE:Before attempting to climb a hill, determine the
conditions at the crest and/or on the other side.
Before climbing a steep hill,shift the transmission to a
lower gear and shift the 4WD System to 4WD LOW. Use
first gear and 4WD LOW for very steep hills.
If you stall or begin to lose headwaywhile climbing a
steep hill, allow your vehicle to come to a stop and
immediately apply the brakes. Restart the engine and
shift to REVERSE. Back slowly down the hill allowing the
compression braking of the engine to help regulate your
speed. If the brakes are required to control vehicle speed,
apply them lightly and avoid locking or skidding the
tires.
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•Completely inspect the underbody of your vehicle.
Check tires, body structure, steering, suspension, and
exhaust system for damage.
•Inspect the radiator for mud and debris and clean as
required.
•Check threaded fasteners for looseness, particularly on
the chassis, drivetrain components, steering, and sus-
pension. Retighten them, if required, and torque to the
values specified in the Service Manual.
•Check for accumulations of plants or brush. These
things could be a fire hazard. They might hide damage
to fuel lines, brake hoses, axle pinion seals, and
propeller shafts.
•After extended operation in mud, sand, water, or
similar dirty conditions, have the radiator, fan, brake
rotors, wheels, brake linings, and axle yokes inspected
and cleaned as soon as possible.
WARNING!
Abrasive material in any part of the brakes may cause
excessive wear or unpredictable braking. You might
not have full braking power when you need it to
prevent a collision. If you have been operating your
vehicle in dirty conditions, get your brakes checked
and cleaned as necessary.
•If you experience unusual vibration after driving in
mud, slush or similar conditions, check the wheels for
impacted material. Impacted material can cause a
wheel imbalance and freeing the wheels of it will
correct the situation.
POWER STEERING
The electric power steering system will give you good
vehicle response and increased ease of maneuverability
in tight spaces. The system will vary its assist to provide
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Safehold
Safehold is a safety feature of the Electric Park Brake
System that will engage the park brake automatically if
the vehicle is left unsecured while the ignition switch is
in RUN.
For automatic transmissions, the park brake will auto-
matically engage if all of the following conditions are
met:
•The vehicle is at a standstill
•There is no attempt to depress the brake pedal or
accelerator pedal
•The seat belt is unbuckled
•The driver door is open
For manual transmissions, the park brake will automati-
cally engage if all of the following conditions are met:
•The vehicle is at a standstill
•There is no attempt to depress the brake pedal or
accelerator pedal
•The clutch pedal is not pressed
•The seat belt is unbuckled
•The driver door is open
Safehold can be temporarily bypassed by pressing the
Electric Park Brake Switch while the driver door is open.
Once manually bypassed, Safehold will be enabled again
once the vehicle reaches 12 mph (20 km/h) or the ignition
is turned to the OFF position and back to ON again.
Brake Service Mode
We recommend having your brakes serviced by your
authorized dealer. You should only make repairs for
which you have the knowledge and the right equipment.
You should only enter Brake Service Mode during brake
service.
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When servicing your rear brakes, it may be necessary for
you or your technician to push the rear piston into the
rear caliper bore. With the electric parking brake system,
this can only be done after retracting the Electric Parking
Brake actuator. Fortunately, actuator retraction can be
done easily by entering the Brake Service Mode through
the Uconnect® Settings in your vehicle. This menu based
system will guide you through the steps necessary to
retract the EPB actuator in order to perform rear brake
service.
Service Mode has requirements that must be met in order
to be activated:
•The vehicle must be at a standstill.
•The parking brake must be unapplied.
•The transmission must be in Park or Neutral.
While in service mode, the Electric Parking Brake fault lamp
will flash continuously while the ignition switch is ON.
When brake service work is complete, the following steps
must be followed to reset the parking brake system to
normal operation:
•Ensure the vehicle is at a standstill.
•Press the brake pedal with moderate force.
•Apply the Electric Parking Brake Switch.
WARNING!
You can be badly injured working on or around a
motor vehicle. Do only that service work for which
you have the knowledge and the right equipment. If
you have any doubt about your ability to perform a
service job, take your vehicle to a competent me-
chanic.
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BRAKE SYSTEM
Your vehicle is equipped with dual hydraulic
brake systems. If either of the two hydraulic
systems loses normal capability, the remaining
system will still function. However, there will
be some loss of overall braking effectiveness. This will be
evident by increased pedal travel during application and
greater pedal force required to slow or stop the vehicle. In
addition, if the malfunction is caused by a leak in the
hydraulic system, the “Brake Warning Light” will turn on
as the brake fluid level drops in the master cylinder.
In the event power assist is lost for any reason (i.e.,
repeated brake applications with the engine OFF) the
brakes will still function. However, the effort required to
brake the vehicle will be much greater than that required
with the power system operating.
WARNING!
•Riding the brakes can lead to brake failure and
possibly a collision. Driving with your foot resting
or riding on the brake pedal can result in abnor-
mally high brake temperatures, excessive lining
wear, and possible brake damage. You would not
have your full braking capacity in an emergency.
•Driving a vehicle with the “Brake Warning Light”
on is dangerous. A significant decrease in braking
performance or vehicle stability during braking
may occur. It will take you longer to stop the
vehicle or will make your vehicle harder to control.
You could have a collision. Have the vehicle
checked immediately.
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The ABS pump motor runs during the self-test at 12 mph
(20 km/h) and during an ABS stop. The pump motor
makes a low humming noise during operation, which is
normal.
WARNING!
•Pumping of the Anti-Lock Brakes will diminish
their effectiveness and may lead to a collision.
Pumping makes the stopping distance longer. Just
press firmly on your brake pedal when you need to
slow down or stop.
•The ABS cannot prevent the natural laws of phys-
ics from acting on the vehicle, nor can it increase
braking or steering efficiency beyond that afforded
by the condition of the vehicle brakes and tires or
the traction afforded.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•The ABS cannot prevent collisions, including those
resulting from excessive speed in turns, following
another vehicle too closely, or hydroplaning.
•The capabilities of an ABS equipped vehicle must
never be exploited in a reckless or dangerous
manner, which could jeopardize the user’s safety or
the safety of others.
CAUTION!
The ABS is subject to possible detrimental effects of
electronic interference caused by improperly in-
stalled aftermarket radios or telephones.
NOTE:During severe braking conditions, a pulsing sen-
sation may occur and a clicking noise will be heard. This
is normal, indicating that the ABS is functioning.
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•Do not “ride” the brakes by resting your foot on the
pedal. This could overheat the brakes and result in
unpredictable braking action, longer stopping dis-
tances, or brake damage.
•When descending mountains or hills, repeated braking
can cause brake fade with loss of braking control.
Avoid repeated heavy braking by downshifting the
transmission or locking out overdrive whenever pos-
sible.
•Engines may idle at higher speeds during warm-up,
which could cause rear wheels to spin and result in
loss of vehicle control. Be especially careful while
driving on slippery roads, in close-quarter maneuver-
ing, parking, or stopping.
•Do not drive too fast for road conditions, especially
when roads are wet or slushy. A wedge of water can
build up between the tire tread and the road. This
hydroplaning action can cause loss of traction, braking
ability, and control.
•After going through deep water or a car wash, brakes
may become wet, resulting in decreased performance
and unpredictable braking action. Dry the brakes by
gentle, intermittent pedal action while driving at very
slow speeds.
Traction Control System (TCS)
This system monitors the amount of wheel spin of each of
the driven wheels. If wheel spin is detected, brake
pressure is applied to the slipping wheel(s) and engine
power is reduced to provide enhanced acceleration and
stability. A feature of the TCS system, Brake Limited
Differential (BLD), functions similar to a limited slip
differential and controls the wheel spin across a driven
axle. If one wheel on a driven axle is spinning faster than
the other, the system will apply the brake of the spinning
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wheel. This will allow more engine torque to be applied
to the wheel that is not spinning. This feature remains
active even if TCS and ESC are in the “Partial Off” mode
or the “Full Off” mode. Refer to “Electronic Stability
Control (ESC)” in this section for further information.
Brake Assist System (BAS)
The BAS is designed to optimize the vehicle’s braking
capability during emergency braking maneuvers. The
system detects an emergency braking situation by sens-
ing the rate and amount of brake application and then
applies optimum pressure to the brakes. This can help
reduce braking distances. The BAS complements the
anti-lock brake system (ABS). Applying the brakes very
quickly results in the best BAS assistance. To receive the
benefit of the system, you must apply continuous brak-
ing pressure during the stopping sequence, (do not
“pump” the brakes). Do not reduce brake pedal pressure
unless braking is no longer desired. Once the brake pedal
is released, the BAS is deactivated.
WARNING!
The Brake Assist System (BAS) cannot prevent the
natural laws of physics from acting on the vehicle,
nor can it increase the traction afforded by prevailing
road conditions. BAS cannot prevent collisions, in-
cluding those resulting from excessive speed in
turns, driving on very slippery surfaces, or hydro-
planing. The capabilities of a BAS-equipped vehicle
must never be exploited in a reckless or dangerous
manner, which could jeopardize the user’s safety or
the safety of others.
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Towing With HSA
HSA will provide assistance during acceleration on an
incline while towing a trailer.
WARNING!
•If you use a trailer brake controller with your
trailer, the trailer brakes may be activated and
deactivated with the brake switch. If so, there may
not be enough brake pressure to hold both the
vehicle and the trailer on a hill when the brake
pedal is released. In order to avoid rolling down an
incline while resuming acceleration, manually ac-
tivate the trailer brake or apply more vehicle brake
pressure prior to releasing the brake pedal.
•HSA is not a parking brake. Always apply the
parking brake fully when leaving your vehicle.
Also, be certain to leave the transmission in PARK.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•Failure to follow these warnings can result in a
collision or serious personal injury.
Disabling And Enabling HSA
If you wish to turn off the HSA system, it can be done
using the Uconnect® Access Settings. Refer to
“Uconnect® Access Settings” in “Understanding Your
Instrument Panel” for further information.5
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Hill Descent Control (HDC) — If Equipped
HDC is intended for low speed off road driving while in
4WD Low Range. HDC maintains vehicle speed while
descending hills during various driving situations. HDC
controls vehicle speed by actively controlling the brakes.
HDC has three states:
1. Off (feature is not enabled and will not activate)
2. Enabled (feature is enabled and ready but activation
conditions are not met, or driver is actively overriding
with brake or throttle application)
3. Active (feature is enabled and actively controlling
vehicle speed)
Enabling HDC
HDC is enabled by pressing the HDC switch, but the
following conditions must also be met to enable HDC:
•Driveline is in 4WD Low Range
•Vehicle speed is below 5mph (8 km/h)
•Parking brake is released
•Driver door is closed
Hill Descent Control
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