stop start JEEP LIBERTY 2008 KK / 2.G Owner's Manual
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: JEEP, Model Year: 2008, Model line: LIBERTY, Model: JEEP LIBERTY 2008 KK / 2.GPages: 493
Page 302 of 493

position, make certain all shift requirements have been
met, wait five (5) seconds, and try the shift again.
2WD to 4WD Auto
Move the 4WD Control Switch to the desired position.
Shifts between 2WD and 4WD Auto can be done with the
vehicle stopped or in motion. If the vehicle is stopped,
the ignition switch must be in the ON position with the
engine either OFF or RUNNING. This shift cannot be
completed if the ignition switch is in the ACC position.
2WD or 4WD Auto to 4WD Low
When shifting into or out of 4WD LOW, some gear noise
may be heard. This noise is normal and is not detrimental
to the vehicle or its occupants.
Shifting can be performed with the vehicle rolling 2-3
mph (3-5 km/h) using the ªPreferred Procedureº or
completely stopped using the ªAlternate Procedures.ºPreferred Procedure
1. With the engine RUNNING, slow the vehicle speed to
2-3 mph (3-5 km/h).
2. Shift the transmission into ªNº (Neutral) (automatic
transmission), or depress the clutch pedal (manual trans-
mission).
3. While still rolling, move the 4WD Control Switch to
the desired position.
4. After the desired position indicator light is ON (not
flashing), shift the transmission into gear (automatic
transmission), or release the clutch pedal (manual trans-
mission).
Alternate Procedure
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
302 STARTING AND OPERATING
Page 306 of 493

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 transfer case 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 R (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.
WARNING!
If the engine stalls or you lose headway or cannot
make it to the top of a steep hill or grade, never
attempt to turn around. To do so may result in
tipping and rolling the vehicle. Always back straight
down a hill in R (Reverse) gear carefully. Never back
down a hill in N (Neutral) using only the brake.
Remember, never drive diagonally across a hill-always
drive straight up or down.
If the wheels start to slip as you approach the crest of a
hill, ease off the accelerator and maintain headway by
turning the front wheels slowly left and right. This may
provide a fresh ªbiteº into the surface and will usually
provide traction to complete the climb.
306 STARTING AND OPERATING
Page 311 of 493

WARNING!
Significant over or under inflation of tires or mixing
sizes of tires or wheels on the vehicle can lead to loss
of braking effectiveness.
The Anti-Lock Brake System conducts a low-speed self-
test at about 12 mph (20 km/h). If you have your foot
lightly on the brake while this test is occurring, you may
feel slight pedal movement. The movement can be more
apparent on ice and snow. This is normal.
The Anti-Lock Brake System 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 an accident. Pumping
makes the stopping distance longer. Just press firmly
on your brake pedal when you need to slow down or
stop.
STARTING AND OPERATING 311
5
Page 313 of 493

²Do not ªrideº 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.
²When descending mountains or hills, repeated brak-
ing can cause brake fade with loss of braking control.
Avoid repeated heavy braking by downshifting the
transmission or locking out overdrive whenever pos-
sible.
²Engines 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.
²Do not drive too fast for road conditions, especially
when roads are wet or slushy. A wedge of water canbuild up between the tire tread and the road. This
hydroplaning action can cause loss of traction, braking
ability, and control.
²After 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.
POWER STEERING
The standard power steering system will give you good
vehicle response and increased ease of maneuverability
in tight spaces. The system will provide mechanical
steering capability if power assist is lost.
If for some reason the power assist is interrupted, it will
still be possible to steer your vehicle. Under these condi-
tions, you will observe a substantial increase in steering
effort, especially at very low vehicle speeds and during
parking maneuvers.
STARTING AND OPERATING 313
5
Page 316 of 493

TCS (Traction Control System)
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 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 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 ESP are in the
ªPartial Offº mode or the ªFull Offº mode. Refer to ªESP
(Electronic Stability Program)º in this section for more
information.
BAS (Brake Assist System)
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
ªpumpº the brakes). Do not reduce brake pedal pressure
unless braking is no longer desired. Once the brake pedal
is released, the BAS is deactivated.
316 STARTING AND OPERATING
Page 318 of 493

WARNING!
Many factors, such as vehicle loading, road condi-
tions, and driving conditions, influence the chance
that wheel lift or rollover may occur. ERM (Electronic
Roll Mitigation) cannot prevent all wheel lift or
rollovers, especially those that involve leaving the
roadway or striking objects or other vehicles. Only a
safe, attentive, and skillful driver can prevent acci-
dents. The capabilities of an ERM-equipped vehicle
must never be exploited in a reckless or dangerous
manner, which could jeopardize the user's safety or
the safety of others.
TSC (Trailer Sway Control) ± If Equipped
TSC uses sensors in the vehicle to recognize an exces-
sively swaying trailer. TSC activates automatically once
the excessively swaying trailer is recognized. When TSC
is functioning, the ªESP/TCS Indicatorº light will flash,
the engine power will be reduced, and you will feel the
brake being applied to individual wheels in an attempt to
stop the trailer from swaying.
NOTE:The TSC is disabled when the ESP system is in
the ªPartial Offº mode and ªFull Offº mode.
318 STARTING AND OPERATING
Page 319 of 493

WARNING!
²TSC (Trailer Sway Control) cannot stop all trailers
from swaying. Always use caution when towing a
trailer and follow the tongue weight recommenda-
tions. Refer to ºVehicle Loadingº and ªTrailer
Towingº in this section for more information be-
fore towing a trailer with your vehicle.
²If TSC activates while towing a trailer, stop the
vehicle at the nearest safe location and adjust the
trailer load to eliminate the trailer sway.
²Failure to follow these warnings can result in an
accident or serious personal injury.
HSA (Hill Start Assist)
The HSA system is designed to help the driver accelerate
the vehicle from a complete stop while on an incline. If
the driver releases the brake while stopped on an incline,
HSA will continue to hold the brake pressure for a short
period. If the driver does not apply the throttle before this
time expires, the system will release brake pressure and
the vehicle will roll down the hill as normal. The system
will release brake pressure in proportion to amount of
throttle applied.
The following conditions must be met in order for HSA to
activate:
²The vehicle must be stopped.
²The vehicle must be on a 7% or greater incline.
²The Gear selection must match vehicle uphill direction
(i.e. vehicle facing uphill is in forward gear; vehicle
backing uphill is in reverse gear).
STARTING AND OPERATING 319
5
Page 327 of 493

mode is overcome, turn ESP back on by momentarily
depressing the ªESP OFFº button. This may be done
while the vehicle is in motion.
Full Off Ð 4WD Vehicles in 4WD High & 4WD Low
Range
The ªFull Offº mode is intended for off-highway and
off-road use when ESP stability features could inhibit
vehicle maneuverability due to trail conditions.
The ªESP OFFº button is located in the lower switch bank
below the climate Control. To enter ªFull Offº mode,
depress and hold the ªESP Offº button for 5 seconds
while the vehicle is stopped with the engine running.
After 5 seconds, the ªESP/TCS Indicatorº light will
illuminate and an ªESP Offº message will appear in the
odometer. Press and release the trip odometer button
located on the instrument cluster to turn off this message.
In this mode, ESP and TCS are turned off (except for the
ªlimited slipº feature described in the TCS section) untilthe vehicle reaches a speed of 40 mph. At speeds over 40
mph, the system automatically switches to ªPartial Offº
mode, described above. When the vehicle speed returns
to less than 35 mph, the ESP system will return to ªFull
Offº mode. The ªESP/TCS Indicatorº light is always
illuminated when ESP is off. To turn ESP on again,
momentarily depress the ªESP Offº button. This will
restore the normal ªESP Onº mode of operation.
NOTE:
²ªFull Offº is the only operating mode for ESP in 4WD
low range. Therefore, ESP system will be in this mode
whenever the vehicle is started in 4WD low range or
the transfer case is shifted into 4WD low range.
²The ªESP OFFº message will display and a chime will
sound when the gear selector is moved from any
position to the ªPº (Park) position and then moved out
of the ªPº (Park) position. This will occur even if the
message was cleared previously.
STARTING AND OPERATING 327
5
Page 328 of 493

WARNING!
With the ESP switched off, the enhanced vehicle
stability offered by ESP is unavailable. In an emer-
gency evasive maneuver, the ESP system will not
engage to assist in maintaining stability. ªFull Offº
mode is only intended for off-highway or off-road
use.
ESP/BAS Warning Light & ESP/TCS Indicator
Light
The malfunction indicator for the ESP is com-
bined with the BAS indicator. The ªESP/BAS
Malfunction Indicatorº light and the ªESP/
TCS Indicatorº light in the instrument cluster
both turn on when the ignition switch is turned to the
ON position. They should both turn off with the engine
running. If the ªESP/BAS Malfunction Indicatorº lightturns on continuously with the engine running, a mal-
function has been detected in either the ESP or the BAS
system, or both. If this light remains on after several
ignition cycles, and the vehicle has been driven several
miles at speeds greater than 30 mph (48 km/h), see your
authorized dealer as soon as possible to have the problem
diagnosed and corrected.
NOTE:
²9The9ESP/TCS Indicatorº light and the9ESP/BAS
Malfunction Indicatorº light will turn on momentarily
each time the ignition switch is turned ON.
²Each time the ignition is turned ON, the ESP System
will be ON even if it was turned off previously.
²The ESP Control System will make buzzing or clicking
sounds when it is active. This is normal; the sounds
will stop when ESP becomes inactive following the
maneuver that caused the ESP activation.
328 STARTING AND OPERATING
Page 337 of 493

WARNING!
Overloading of your tires is dangerous. Overloading
can cause tire failure, affect vehicle handling, and
increase your stopping distance. Use tires of the
recommended load capacity for your vehicle. Never
overload them.
TIRES Ð GENERAL INFORMATION
Tire Pressure
Proper tire inflation pressure is essential to the safe and
satisfactory operation of your vehicle. Three primary
areas are affected by improper tire pressure:1. SafetyÐ
WARNING!
²Improperly inflated tires are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
²Under inflation increases tire flexing and can result in
tire failure.
²Over inflation reduces a tire's ability to cushion shock.
Objects on the road and chuckholes can cause damage that
result in tire failure.
²Unequal tire pressures can cause steering problems. You
could lose control of your vehicle.
²Over inflated or under inflated tires can affect vehicle
handling and can fail suddenly, resulting in loss of vehicle
control.
²Unequal tire pressures from one side of the vehicle to the
other can cause the vehicle to drift to the right or left.
²Always drive with each tire inflated to the recommended
cold tire inflation pressure.
STARTING AND OPERATING 337
5