service JEEP WRANGLER 2006 User Guide

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.
•Completely inspect the underbody of your vehicle.
Check tires, body structure, steering, suspension, and
exhaust system for damage.
•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 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 an accident. If you have been operating
your vehicle in dirty conditions, get your brakes
checked and cleaned as necessary.

Life of Tire
The service life of a tire is dependent upon varying
factors including but not limited to:
•Driving style
•Tire pressure
•Distance driven
WARNING!
Tires and spare tire should be replaced after six
years, regardless of the remaining tread. Failure to
follow this warning can result in sudden tire failure.
You could lose control and have an accident result-
ing in serious injury or death.

CAUTION!
Driving with a hot 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 for service.

9. Finish tightening the lug nuts. Push down on the
wrench while tightening for increased leverage. Alternate
nuts until each nut has been tightened twice. Correct
wheel nut tightness is 130 N·m (95 ft. lbs). If in doubt
about the correct tightness, have them checked with a
torque wrench by your authorized dealer or at a service
station.
10. Remove jack assembly and wheel blocks.
WARNING!
A loose tire or jack, thrown forward in a collision or
hard stop could endanger the occupants of the ve-
hicle. Always stow the jack parts and the spare tire in
the places provided.
To prevent personal injury or damage to clothing, do
not allow battery fluid to contact eyes, skin, or
fabrics. Do not lean over a battery when connecting
jumper cables or allow cable clamps to touch each
other. Keep open flames or sparks away from battery
vent holes. Always wear eye protection when work-
ing with batteries. Do not use a booster battery or
any other booster source that has a greater than
12–volt system, i.e. do not use a 24–volt power
source.

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 proper equipment.
If you have any doubt about your ability to perform
a service job, take your vehicle to a competent
mechanic.
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Under normal operating conditions, the catalytic con-
verter will not require maintenance. However, it is im-
portant to keep the engine properly tuned to assure
proper catalyst operation and prevent possible catalyst
damage.
CAUTION!
Damage to the catalytic converter can result if your
vehicle is not kept in proper operating condition. In
the event of engine malfunction, particularly involv-
ing engine misfire or other apparent loss of perfor-
mance, have your vehicle serviced promptly. Contin-
ued operation of your vehicle with a severe
malfunction could cause the converter to overheat,
resulting in possible damage to the converter and
vehicle.
WARNING!
A hot exhaust system can start a fire if you park over
materials that can burn. Such materials might be
grass or leaves coming into contact with your ex-
haust system. Do not park or operate your vehicle in
areas where your exhaust system can contact any-
thing that can burn.

Air Conditioner Maintenance
For best possible performance, your air conditioner
should be checked and serviced by an Authorized Dealer
at the start of each warm season. This service should
include cleaning of the condenser fins and a performance
test. Drive belt tension should also be checked at this
time.WARNING!

are present. Components should be replaced immedi-
ately if there is any evidence of degradation that could
cause failure.
Brake System
In order to assure brake system performance, all brake
system components should be inspected periodically.
Refer to the appropriate “Maintenance Schedule” in
Section 8 for suggested service intervals.
WARNING!
Riding the brakes can lead to brake failure and
possibly an accident. Driving with your foot resting
or riding on the brake pedal can result in abnormally
high brake temperatures, excessive lining wear, and
possible brake damage. You wouldn’t have your full
braking capacity in an emergency.
Brake and Power Steering System Hoses
When servicing the vehicle for scheduled maintenance,
inspect surface of hoses for evidence of heat and me-
chanical damage. Hard and brittle rubber, cracking, tears,
cuts, abrasion, and excessive swelling suggest deteriora-
tion of the rubber. Particular attention should be made to
examining those hose surfaces nearest to high heat
sources, such as the exhaust manifold.
Inspect all hose clamps and couplings to make sure they
are secure and no leaks are present.
NOTE: Inspection of brake hoses should be done when-
ever the brake system is serviced and every engine oil
change.
290 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE

Worn brake hoses can burst and cause brake failure.
You could have an accident. If you see any signs of
cracking, scuffing, or worn spots, have the brake
hoses replaced immediately.
Brake Master Cylinder
The fluid level in the master cylinder should be checked
when performing under hood services, or immediately if
the BRAKE warning light shows system failure Be sure to clean the top of the master cylinder area before
removing the cap. If necessary, add fluid to bring the
fluid level up to the requirements described on the brake
fluid reservoir. With disc brakes, fluid level can be
expected to fall as the brake pads wear. Brake fluid level
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Under frequent heavy-duty driving conditions,
change all lubricants, and lubricate body compo-
nents and steering linkage more often than in nor-
mal service to prevent excessive wear.
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