transmission JEEP LIBERTY 2010 Owners Manual

WARNING!
Remember to disconnect the cord before driving.
Damage to the 110-115 Volt AC electrical cord could
cause electrocution.
Use the heater when temperatures below 0 °F (-18 °C) are
expected to last for several days.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

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 REVERSE gear carefully. Never back
down a hill in NEUTRAL using only the brake.
Remember, never drive diagonally across a hill - 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 “bite” into the surface and will usually
provide traction to complete the climb.
Traction Downhill
Shift the transmission into a low gear and the transfer
case to 4WD LOW range. Let the vehicle go slowly down
the hill with all four wheels turning against engine
compression drag. This will permit you to control the
vehicle speed and direction.
When descending mountains or hills, repeated braking
can cause brake fade with loss of braking control. Avoid
repeated heavy braking by downshifting the transmis-
sion whenever possible.
After Driving Off-Road
Off-road operation puts more stress on your vehicle than
does most on-road driving. After going off-road, it is
always a good idea to check for damage. That way you
can get any problems taken care of right away and have
your vehicle ready when you need it.
324 STARTING AND OPERATING

NOTE:The “Brake Warning Light” indicates only that
the parking brake is applied. You must be sure the
parking brake is fully applied before leaving the vehicle.
Be sure the parking brake is firmly set when parked, and
the shift lever is in the PARK position. When parking on
a hill, you should apply the parking brake before placing the shift lever in PARK. Otherwise, the load on the
transmission locking mechanism may make it difficult to
move the shift lever out of PARK.

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
activate 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.
•Failure to follow these warnings can result in an
accident or serious personal injury.
Disabling and Enabling HSA
This feature can be turned on or turned off. To change the
current setting, proceed as follows:
For vehicles equipped with the Electronic Vehicle Infor-
mation Center (EVIC), refer to “Hill Start Assist,” under
Personal Settings (Customer Programmable Features),”
under “Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC)” in
Section 4 of this manual.
For vehicles not equipped with the EVIC, perform the
following steps:
NOTE:You must complete Steps 1 through 8 within
90 seconds.
1. Center the steering wheel (front wheels pointing
straight forward).
2. Shift the transmission into PARK.
3. Apply the parking brake.
336 STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING! (Continued)
•Safety chains must always be used between your
vehicle and trailer. Always connect the chains to
the frame or hook retainers of the vehicle hitch.
Cross the chains under the trailer tongue and
allow enough slack for turning corners.
•Vehicles with trailers should not be parked on a
grade. When parking, apply the parking brake on
the tow vehicle. Put the tow vehicle transmission
in PARK. Always, block or\bchock\bthe trailer
wheels.
•GCWR must not be exceeded.
•Total weight must be distributed between the tow
vehicle and the trailer such that the following four
ratings are not exceeded:
1. GVWR
2. GTW
(Continued)

CAUTION!
•The transmission must be in PARK position for
recreational towing. Failure to follow these proce-
dures can cause severe transmission and/or trans-
fer case damage.
•Internal damage to the transmission or transfer
case will occur if a front or rear wheel lift is used
when recreational towing.
•Before recreational towing, perform the procedure
outlined under “Shifting into NEUTRAL” to be
certain that the transfer case is fully in NEUTRAL.
Otherwise, internal damage will result.
•Do not use a bumper mounted clamp-on tow bar
on your vehicle. The bumper face bar will be
damaged.

JUMP-STARTING
Do not attempt to push or tow your vehicle to get it started.
Vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission cannot
be started this way. Also, there is a greater risk of an
accident when a vehicle is being pushed or towed. 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, so follow this procedure carefully.