towing JEEP RENEGADE 2015 1.G Owners Manual

The BSM detection zone covers approximately one lane
width on both sides of the vehicle 10 ft (3 m). The zone
length starts at the outside mirror and extends approxi-
mately 20 ft (6 m) beyond the rear bumper of the vehicle.
The BSM system monitors the detection zones on both
sides of the vehicle when the vehicle speed reaches
approximately 6 mph (10 km/h) or higher and will alert
the driver of vehicles in these areas.
NOTE:
•The BSM system does NOT alert the driver about
rapidly approaching vehicles that are outside the de-
tection zones.
•The BSM system detection zone DOES NOT change if
your vehicle is towing a trailer. Therefore, visually
verify the adjacent lane is clear for both your vehicle
and trailer before making a lane change. If the trailer or
other object (i.e., bicycle, sports equipment) extends
beyond the side of your vehicle, this may result in the
BSM warning light remaining illuminated the entire
time the vehicle is in a forward gear. It may be
necessary to deactivate BSM system manually by
related menu to avoid a miss-detection.
The area on the rear fascia where the radar sensors are
located must remain free of snow, ice, and dirt/road
contamination so that the BSM system can function
properly. Do not block the radar sensors located on the
rear fascia with foreign objects (bumper stickers, bicycle
racks, etc.).
86 GETTING TO KNOW YOUR VEHICLE

Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge
The temperature gauge shows engine coolant tempera-
ture. Any reading within the normal range indicates that
the engine cooling system is operating satisfactorily.
The gauge pointer will likely indicate a higher tempera-
ture when driving in hot weather, up mountain grades,
or when towing a trailer. It should not be allowed to
exceed the upper limits of the normal operating range.
In the normal use of the car, the digital scale may move in
different positions.
Instrument Cluster With EVIC/DID
The indicator light will illuminate, a message will dis-
play, and a chime will sound to indicate an excessive rise
in the temperature of the engine coolant.
In the case of excessive rises in the temperature of the
engine coolant, the engine may shut down. See an
authorized dealer.
CAUTION!
Driving with a hot engine cooling system could
damage your vehicle. If the temperature gauge reads
“H” pull over and stop the vehicle. Idle the vehicle
with the air conditioner turned off until the pointer
drops back into the normal range. If the pointer
remains on the “H” and you hear continuous chimes,
turn the engine off immediately and call an autho-
rized dealer for service.
182 GETTING TO KNOW YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

What To Do
Properly close the door(s).
Hood Open Warning Light
•What Does It Mean
The light will illuminate when the engine
hood is not completely closed. With the
hood open and the vehicle in motion, a
chime will sound.
•What To Do
Properly close the hood.
Liftgate Open Warning Light
•What Does It Mean
This light will illuminate when the liftgate
is open. With the tailgate open and the
vehicle in motion, a chime will sound.
•What To Do
Properly close the liftgate.
Electronic Throttle Control (ETC)
•What Does It Mean
The light will illuminate when the ignition is
first placed in the MAR/RUN or AVV/
START position 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.
If a problem is detected, the light will come on while
the engine is running. Bring the vehicle to a complete
stop and place it into PARK. Cycle the ignition to the
STOP/OFF position; the light should turn off.
If the light remains lit with the engine running, your
vehicle will usually be drivable. However, see an
authorized dealer for service as soon as possible.
If the light is flashing when the engine is running,
immediate service is required. You may experience
reduced performance, an elevated/rough idle or en-
gine stall, and your vehicle may require towing.
5
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 195

Transmission Over Temperature
•What Does It Mean
This light indicates that the automatic
transmission fluid temperature is running
hot. This may occur with heavy usage, such
as trailer towing.
•What To Do
Safely pull over and stop the vehicle. Shift the trans-
mission to PARK. Keep the engine off or at idle speed
until the light turns off.
Towing Hook Breakdown
•What Does It Mean
The light illuminates to indicate the failure
of the tow hook.
•What To Do
Please contact an authorized dealer.
Power Steering System Warning
•What Does It Mean
This light will illuminate to indicate a fail-
ure in the Electronic Power Steering System
(EPS). Although it will still be possible to
steer the car, additional effort may be needed to
operate the steering wheel.
•What To Do
Please contact an authorized dealer as soon as pos-
sible.
200 GETTING TO KNOW YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

NOTE:TSC cannot stop all trailers from swaying. Al-
ways use caution when towing a trailer and follow the
trailer tongue weight recommendations. Refer to “Trailer
Towing” in this section for further information. When
TSC is functioning, the “ESC Activation/Malfunction
Indicator Light” will flash, the engine power may be
reduced and you may feel the brakes being applied to
individual wheels to attempt to stop the trailer from
swaying. TSC is disabled when the ESC system is in the
“Partial Off” mode.
WARNING!
If TSC activates while driving, slow the vehicle
down, stop at the nearest safe location, and adjust the
trailer load to eliminate trailer sway.
Ready Alert Braking (RAB)
Ready Alert Braking may reduce the time required to
reach full braking during emergency braking situations.
It anticipates when an emergency braking situation may
occur by monitoring how fast the throttle is released by
the driver. When the throttle is released very quickly,
Ready Alert Braking applies a small amount of brake
pressure. This brake pressure will not be noticed by the
driver. The brake system uses this brake pressure to allow
a fast brake response if the driver applies the brakes.
Dynamic Steering Torque (DST)
The DST function uses the integration of the ESC system
with the electric power steering to increase the safety
level of the whole car. In critical situations (understeer-
ing, oversteering, braking with different grip conditions),
through the DST function the ESC system controls the
steering to implement an additional torque contribution
240 SAFETY

▫Maintenance........................396
!ADDING FUEL........................396
!VEHICLE LOADING....................400
▫Certification Label....................400
!ON-ROAD DRIVING TIPS................402
!OFF-ROAD DRIVING TIPS................403
▫When To Use 4WD LOW Range...........403
▫Driving Through Water.................403
▫Driving In Snow, Mud And Sand..........404
▫Hill Climbing........................404
▫Traction Downhill.....................405
▫After Driving Off-Road.................406
!POWER STEERING.....................407
!TRAILER TOWING.....................408
▫Common Towing Definitions.............409
▫Trailer Hitch Classification...............412
▫Trailer Towing Weights (Maximum Trailer Weight
Ratings)............................413
▫Trailer And Tongue Weight..............413
▫Towing Requirements..................415
▫Towing Tips.........................420
!RECREATIONAL TOWING................422
▫Towing This Vehicle Behind Another Vehicle . .422
▫Recreational Towing....................423
318 STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING!(Continued)
or road conditions. You might lose control of the
vehicle and have a collision.
CAUTION!
Towing the vehicle, coasting, or driving for any other
reason with the transmission in NEUTRAL can cause
severe transmission damage. Refer to “Recreational
Towing” in “Starting And Operating” and “Towing A
Disabled Vehicle” in “In Case Of Emergency” for
further information.
Drive (D)
This range should be used for most city and highway
driving. It provides the smoothest upshifts and down-
shifts, and the best fuel economy. The transmission
automatically upshifts through all forward gears. The
DRIVE position provides optimum driving characteris-
tics under all normal operating conditions.
When frequent transmission shifting occurs (such as
when operating the vehicle under heavy loading condi-
tions, in hilly terrain, traveling into strong head winds, or
while towing heavy trailers), use the AutoStick shift
control (refer to#AutoStick#in this section for further
information) to select a lower gear. Under these condi-
tions, using a lower gear will improve performance and
extend transmission life by reducing excessive shifting
and heat buildup.
If the transmission temperature exceeds normal operat-
ing limits, the transmission controller may modify the
transmission shift schedule, reduce engine torque,
and/or expand the range of torque converter clutch
engagement. This is done to prevent transmission dam-
age due to overheating.
344 STARTING AND OPERATING

If the transmission becomes extremely hot, the “Trans-
mission Temperature Warning Light” may illuminate and
the transmission may operate differently until the trans-
mission cools down.
During cold temperatures, transmission operation may
be modified depending on engine and transmission
temperature as well as vehicle speed. This feature im-
proves warm up time of the engine and transmission to
achieve maximum efficiency. Engagement of the torque
converter clutch, and shifts into 8th or 9th gear, are
inhibited until the transmission fluid is warm (refer to the
“Note” under “Torque Converter Clutch” in this section).
Normal operation will resume once the transmission
temperature has risen to a suitable level.
AutoStick
AutoStick is a driver-interactive transmission feature
providing manual shift control, giving you more control
of the vehicle. AutoStick allows you to maximize engine
braking, eliminate undesirable upshifts and downshifts,
and improve overall vehicle performance. This system
can also provide you with more control during passing,
city driving, cold slippery conditions, mountain driving,
trailer towing, and many other situations.
Operation
When the shift lever is in the AutoStick position (beside
the DRIVE position), it can be moved forward and
rearward. This allows the driver to manually select the
transmission gear being used. Moving the shift lever
forward (-) triggers a downshift, and rearward (+) an
upshift. The current gear is displayed in the instrument
cluster.
NOTE:In AutoStick mode, the transmission will only
shift up or down when the driver moves the shift lever
rearward (+) or forward (-), except as described below.
•The transmission will automatically upshift when nec-
essary to prevent engine over-speed.
7
STARTING AND OPERATING 345

WARNING!(Continued)
•Before using ParkSense®, it is strongly recom-
mended that the ball mount and hitch ball assem-
bly is disconnected from the vehicle when the
vehicle is not used for towing. Failure to do so can
result in injury or damage to vehicles or obstacles
because the hitch ball will be much closer to the
obstacle than the rear fascia when the loudspeaker
sounds the continuous tone. Also, the sensors
could detect the ball mount and hitch ball assem-
bly, depending on its size and shape, giving a false
indication that an obstacle is behind the vehicle.
If it’s necessary to keep the trailer hitch and hitch ball
assembly mounted for a long period, it is possible to filter
out the trailer hitch and hitch ball assembly presence in
sensor field of view. The filtering operation must be
performed only by an authorized dealer.
PARKVIEW® REAR BACK UP CAMERA — IF
EQUIPPED
The ParkView® Rear Back Up Camera that allows you to
see an on-screen image of your vehicle’s rear surround-
ings when the shift lever is put into REVERSE. The image
will be displayed on the touchscreen display along with
a note to “check entire surroundings” across the top of
the screen. After five seconds this note will disappear.
The ParkView® camera is located above the rear license
plate.
7
STARTING AND OPERATING 375

If the “SERVICE POWER STEERING#OR
#POWER STEERING ASSIST OFF - SERVICE
SYSTEM” message and a steering wheel icon
are displayed on the EVIC/DID screen, it indicates that
the vehicle needs to be taken to the dealer for service. It
is likely the vehicle has lost power steering assistance.
Refer to “Electronic Vehicle Information (EVIC) or
#Driver Information Display (DID)” in “Getting To Know
Your Instrument Panel” for further information.
If the “POWER STEERING SYSTEM HOT - PERFOR-
MANCE MAY BE LIMITED” message and an icon are
displayed on the EVIC/DID screen, it indicates that
extreme steering maneuvers may have occurred, which
caused an over temperature condition in the power
steering system. You will lose power steering assistance
momentarily until the over temperature condition no
longer exists. Once driving conditions are safe, then pull
over and let vehicle idle for a few moments until the light
turns off. Refer to “Electronic Vehicle Information
(EVIC)/Driver Information Display (DID)” in “Getting
To Know Your Instrument Panel” for further information.
NOTE:
•Even if the power steering assistance is no longer
operational, it is still possible to steer the vehicle.
Under these conditions there will be a substantial
increase in steering effort, especially at low speeds and
during parking maneuvers.
•If the condition persists, see your authorized dealer for
service.
TRAILER TOWING
In this section you will find safety tips and information
on limits to the type of towing you can reasonably do
with your vehicle. Before towing a trailer, carefully
review this information to tow your load as efficiently
and safely as possible.
408 STARTING AND OPERATING