transmission JEEP COMMANDER 2008 1.G Owners Manual

INTRODUCTION
This is a specialized utility vehicle designed for both
on-road and off-road use. It can go places and perform
tasks for which conventional two-wheel drive vehicles
were not intended. However, on-road ride and handling
will have a different feel from what drivers experience
with other vehicles, so take time to become familiar with
your vehicle.
The two-wheel drive utility vehicle was designed for
on-road use only. It is not intended for off-road driving
or use in other severe conditions suited for a four-wheel
drive vehicle.
Before you start to drive this vehicle, read this manual. Be
sure you are familiar with all vehicle controls, particu-
larly those used for braking, steering and transmission
and transfer case shifting. Learn how your vehicle
handles on different road surfaces. Your driving skills
will improve with experience. When driving off-road orworking the vehicle, don't overload it or expect it to
overcome the laws of nature. Always observe federal,
state, provincial, and local laws wherever you drive.
As with other vehicles of this type, failure to operate this
vehicle correctly may result in loss of control or an
accident. Be sure to read ªOn-Road/Off-Road Driving
Tipsº in Section 5 of this manual.
This manual has been prepared with the assistance of
service and engineering specialists to acquaint you with
the operation and maintenance of your new vehicle. It is
supplemented by a Warranty Information Booklet and
various customer oriented documents. You are urged to
read these publications carefully. Following the instruc-
tions and recommendations in this manual will help
assure safe and enjoyable operation of your vehicle.
4 INTRODUCTION

Once the vehicle has started, the engine will run for 15
minutes. To cancel remote start, press the ªRemote Startº
button once.
The parking lamps will remain illuminated to indicate
that the vehicle has remote started and the engine is
running. The lamps will turn off when the ignition is
turned to RUN or the remote start is cancelled.To enter the vehicle while the engine is running during a
remote start, you must first unlock the vehicle using the
ªUnlockº button on the key fob. After the vehicle is
unlocked, you have 15 minutes to enter the vehicle, insert
the key into the ignition, and move it to the RUN
position. Otherwise, the engine will cancel remote start
and automatically turn off.
Remote start will also cancel if any of the following occur:
²If the engine stalls or RPM exceeds 2500
²Any engine warning lamps come on
²The hood is opened
²The hazard switch is pressed
²The transmission is moved out of P (Park).
²The brake pedal is pressed.
Remote Start Button
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 27
2

provided to the custodial entity upon request. General
data that does not identify particular vehicles or crashes
may be released for incorporation in aggregate crash
databases, such as those maintained by the US govern-
ment and various states. Data of a potentially sensitive
nature, such as would identify a particular driver, ve-
hicle, or crash, will be treated confidentially. Confidential
data will not be disclosed by DaimlerChrysler Corpora-
tion to any third party except when:
1. Used for research purposes, such as to match data
with a particular crash record in an aggregate database,
provided confidentiality of personal data is thereafter
preserved
2. Used in defense of litigation involving a
DaimlerChrysler Corporation product
3. Requested by police under a legal warrant
4. Otherwise required by lawData Parameters that May Be Recorded:
²Diagnostic trouble code(s) and warning lamp status
for electronically-controlled safety systems, including
the airbag system
²Airbag disable lamp status (if equipped)
²9Time9of airbag deployment (in terms of ignition
cycles and vehicle mileage)
²Airbag deployment level (if applicable)
²Impact acceleration and angle
²Seat belt status
²Brake status (service and parking brakes)
²Accelerator status (including vehicle speed)
²Engine control status (including engine speed)
²Transmission gear selection
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 59
2

²Transmission in N (Neutral) PositionÐ When the
ignition is ON, and the transmission is in the N
(Neutral) position, the rain sensing system will not
operate until the wiper switch is moved, vehicle speed
is greater than 5 mph (8 km/h), or the shift lever is
moved out of the N (Neutral) position.
TILT/TELESCOPING STEERING COLUMN
This feature allows you to tilt the steering column
upward or downward. It also allows you to lengthen or
shorten the steering column. The tilt/telescoping control
handle is located below the steering wheel at the end of
the steering column.
To unlock the steering column, push the control handle
downward (toward the floor). To tilt the steering column,
move the steering wheel upward or downward as de-
sired. To lengthen or shorten the steering column, pull
the steering wheel outward or push it inward as desired.
To lock the steering column in position, push the control
handle upward until fully engaged.
Tilt Steering Column
134 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

To Accelerate For Passing
Depress the accelerator as you would normally. When the
pedal is released, the vehicle will return to the set speed.
Using Speed Control On Hills
The automatic transmission may downshift on hills to
maintain the vehicle set speed.
NOTE:The speed control system maintains speed up
and down hills. A slight speed change on moderate hills
is normal.
On steep hills a greater speed loss or gain may occur so
it may be preferable to drive without speed control.
ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEM
Your vehicle is equipped with an advanced electronic
brake control system that includes ABS (Anti-Lock Brake
System), TCS (Traction Control System), BAS (Brake
Assist System), ERM (Electronic Roll Mitigation), and
ESP (Electronic Stability Program). All five of these
systems work together to enhance vehicle stability and
control in various driving conditions.
Also, your vehicle is equipped with TSC (Trailer Sway
Control) and, if it has 4WD with the NV245 two-speed
transfer case, HSA (Hill Start Assist) and HDC (Hill
Descent Control).
ABS (Anti-Lock Brake System)
This system aids the driver in maintaining vehicle control
under adverse braking conditions. The system controls
hydraulic brake pressure to prevent wheel lock-up and
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 139
3

WARNING!
²If you use a trailer brake controller with your
trailer, your trailer brakes may be activated and
deactivated with the brake switch. If so, when the
brake pedal is released there may not be enough
brake pressure to hold the vehicle and trailer on a
hill and this could cause a collision with another
vehicle or object behind you. In order to avoid
rolling down the hill while resuming acceleration,
manually activate the trailer brake prior to releas-
ing the brake pedal. Always remember the driver
is responsible for braking the vehicle.
²HSA is not a parking brake. If you stop the vehicle
on a hill without putting the transmission in P
(Park) and using the parking brake, it will roll
down the hill and could cause a collision with
another vehicle or object. Always remember to use
the parking brake while parking on a hill, and that
the driver is responsible for braking the vehicle.
HSA Off
If you wish to turn off the HSA system, it can be done
using the Customer Programmable Features in the Elec-
tronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC). Refer to ªElec-
tronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC)º in Section 4 of
this manual.
HDC (Hill Descent Control) (4WD Models with
NV245 Two±Speed Transfer Case Only)
HDC maintains vehicle speed while descending hills
during off-road driving situations and is available in 4
LOW range only. To enable HDC (transfer case must be in
4 LOW range), press the HDC switch. If the HDC switch
is pressed when the vehicle is not in 4 LOW range, the
light in the switch will flash for 5 seconds and HDC will
not be enabled.
150 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
Vehicle exhaust contains carbon monoxide, a danger-
ous gas. Do not run your vehicle in the garage while
training the transceiver. Exhaust gas can cause seri-
ous injury or death.
Programming HomeLinkT
Before You Begin
If you have not trained any of the HomeLinktbuttons,
erase all channels before you begin training.
To do this, press and hold the two outside buttons for 20
seconds. The EVIC will display ªCLEARING CHAN-
NELS.º Release the buttons when the EVIC message
states ªCHANNELS CLEARED.ºIt is recommended that a new battery be placed in the
hand-held transmitter of the device being programmed
to HomeLinktfor more efficient training and accurate
transmission of the radio-frequency signal.
Your vehicle should be parked outside of the garage
while training.
1. Turn the ignition switch to the ON/RUN position.
2. Place the hand-held transmitter 1±3 inches (3±8 cm)
from the HomeLinktbuttons while keeping the EVIC
display in view.
For optimal training, point the battery end of the hand-
held transmitter away from the HomeLinkt.
3. Simultaneously press and hold both the chosen
HomeLinktbutton and the hand-held transmitter button
until the EVIC display changes from ªCHANNEL #
TRAININGº to ªCHANNEL # TRAINED.º
160 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

Gate Operator/Canadian Programming
Canadian radio-frequency laws require transmitter sig-
nals to ªtime-outº (or quit) after several seconds of
transmission ± which may not be long enough for
HomeLinktto pick up the signal during programming.
Similar to this Canadian law, some U.S. gate operators are
designed to ªtime-outº in the same manner.
It may be helpful to unplug the device during the cycling
process to prevent possible overheating of the garage
door or gate motor.
If you are having difficulties programming a garage door
opener or a gate operator, replace ªProgramming
HomeLinkº Step 3 with the following:
3. Continue to press and hold the HomeLinktbutton
while you press and release - every two seconds
(ªcycleº) your hand-held transmitter until HomeLinkthas successfully accepted the frequency signal. The
EVIC display will change from ªCHANNEL # TRAIN-
INGº to ªCHANNEL # TRAINED.º
If you unplugged the device for training, plug it back in
at this time.
Then proceed with Step 4 under ªProgramming
HomeLink.º earlier in this section.
Using HomeLinkT
To operate, simply press and release the programmed
HomeLinktbutton. Activation will now occur for the
trained device (i.e. garage door opener, gate operator,
security system, entry door lock, home/office lighting,
etc. The hand-held transmitter of the device may also be
used at any time.
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 163
3

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DESCRIPTION
1. Speedometer
Indicates vehicle speed.
2. Brake Warning Light
The BRAKE warning light will come on when
the ignition is first turned on, and stay on
briefly as a bulb check. If the bulb does not
come on during starting, have the bulb re-
paired promptly. If the light stays on longer, it may be an
indication that the parking brake has not been released.
If the light remains on when the parking brake is off, it
indicates a possible brake hydraulic system malfunction
or low fluid level. In this case, the ªBrake Warning Lightº
will remain on until the cause is corrected. If a brake
malfunction is indicated, immediate repair is necessary
and continued operation of the vehicle in this condition is
dangerous.3. Turn Signal Indicator Light
The arrow will flash with the exterior turn signal
when the turn signal lever is operated.
If the vehicle electronics sense that the vehicle has
traveled about one mile with the turn signals on, a chime
will sound to alert you to turn the signals off. If either
indicator flashes at a rapid rate, check for a defective
outside light bulb.
4. High Beam Indicator Light
Indicates that headlights are on high beam.
5. Malfunction Indicator Light
This light is part of an onboard diagnostic system
called OBD II that monitors engine and auto-
matic transmission control systems. The light will
illuminate when the key is in the ON position before
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 187
4

U.S. federal regulations require that upon transfer of
vehicle ownership, the seller certify to the purchaser the
correct mileage that the vehicle has been driven. There-
fore, if the odometer reading is changed during repair or
replacement, be sure to keep a record of the reading
before and after the service so that the correct mileage can
be determined.
21. Transmission Range Indicator
This display indicator shows the automatic transmission
gear selection.
22. Fuel Gauge
The pointer shows the level of fuel in the fuel tank when
the ignition switch is in the ON position.
23. Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) Warning Light Ð
If Equipped
This light informs you of a problem with the
Electronic Throttle Control system. If a problem
is detected the light will come on while theengine is running. Cycle the ignition key when the
vehicle has completely stopped and the gear selector is
placed in the P (Park) position. The light should turn off.
If the light remains lit with the engine running your
vehicle will usually be drivable, however, see your dealer
for service as soon as possible. If the light is flashing
when the engine is running, immediate service is re-
quired and you may experience reduced performance, an
elevated/rough idle or engine stall and your vehicle may
require towing. The light will come on when the ignition
is first turned on and remain on briefly as a bulb check.
If the light does not come on during starting, have the
system checked by an authorized dealer.
24. Front Fog Light Indicator LightÐ If Equipped
This light shows the front fog lights are ON.
194 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL