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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 sharply left and right. This will
provide fresh ªbiteº 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 4L or 4 LO 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-highway 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.
²Completely inspect the underbody of your vehicle.
Check tires, body structure, steering, suspension, and
exhaust system for damage.
²Check 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.
²Check 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.
238 STARTING AND OPERATING
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9. Finish tightening the lug nuts securely in crisscross
pattern. Have an authorized service technician check that
the torque is 85-110 ft. lbs. (115-149 N´m) as soon as
possible.
10. Remove jack assembly and wheel blocks.
11. Secure jack, lug wrench, jack handle driver, jack
extension, and tire in proper locations.WARNING!
Carefully follow these tire changing warnings to
help prevent personal injury or damage to your
vehicle:
²Always park on a firm, level surface as far from the
edge of the roadway as possible before raising the
vehicle.
²Apply the parking brake firmly before jacking.
²Always block the wheel diagonally opposite the wheel
being raised.
²Do not raise the vehicle higher than is necessary to
remove the tire.
²Never start the engine with the vehicle on a jack.
278 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES
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²Do not let passengers sit in the vehicle when it is on a
jack.
²Do not get under the vehicle when it is on a jack.
²Failure to follow the ªTire Changing Procedureº may
result in personal injury or damage to your vehicle.
²Only use the jack in the positions indicated.
JUMP STARTING PROCEDURE
NOTE:Check the charge indicator on the battery. If the
indicator is light or yellow, replace the battery.
1. Wear eye protection and remove any metal jewelry
such as watch bands or bracelets that might make an
unintended electrical contact.
2. When boost is provided by a battery in another
vehicle, park that vehicle within booster cable reach but
without letting the vehicles touch. Set the parking brake,place the automatic transmission in P (Park), or manual
transmission in N (Neutral), and turn the ignition to OFF
for both vehicles.
3. Turn off the heater, radio and all unnecessary electrical
loads.
4. Connect one end of a jumper cable to the positive
terminal of the discharged battery. Connect the other end
of the same cable to the positive terminal of the booster
battery.
5. Connect the other cable, first to the negative terminal
of the booster battery and then connect the other end to
a non-paint metal surface on the engine of the vehicle
with the discharged battery. Make sure you have a good
contact on the engine.
6. Start the engine in the vehicle which has the booster
battery, let the engine idle a few minutes, then start the
engine in the vehicle with the discharged battery.
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 279
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MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE
CONTENTS
m2.4L Engine...........................285
m3.7L Engine...........................286
mOnboard Diagnostic System Ð OBD II........287
mEmissions Inspection And Maintenance
Programs............................288
mReplacement Parts......................289
mDealer Service.........................289
mMaintenance Procedures..................290
NEngine Oil..........................290NDrive Belts Ð Check Condition And Tension . . 294
NSpark Plugs.........................295
NCatalytic Converter....................295
NEngine Timing Belt Ð 2.4L Engine.........297
NIgnition Wiring System Ð 2.4L Engine......297
NCrankcase Emission Control System........297
NAir Cleaner Filter.....................297
NMaintenance-Free Battery................298
NAir Conditioner Maintenance.............299
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NPower Steering Fluid Check..............300
NDriveline And Steering Component
Lubrication..........................301
NBody Lubrication.....................301
NWindshield Wiper Blades................301
NWindshield Washers...................302
NExhaust System......................302
NCooling System.......................303
NHoses And Vacuum/Vapor Harnesses.......307
NBrake System........................308
NAutomatic Transmission................311
NHydraulic Clutch Fluid
Ð Manual Transmission................313
NManual Transmission..................313NTransfer Case........................313
NFront/Rear Axle Fluid..................315
NAppearance Care And Protection From
Corrosion...........................315
mFuse Panel...........................320
NInterior Fuses........................320
N
Underhood Fuses (Power Distribution Center). 323
mVehicle Storage........................324
mReplacement Bulbs......................324
mFluid Capacities........................326
mRecommended Fluids, Lubricants And Genuine
Parts................................327
NEngine.............................327
NChassis............................328
284 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE
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EMISSIONS INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE
PROGRAMS
In some localities, it may be a legal requirement to pass
an inspection of your vehicle's emissions control system.
Failure to pass could prevent vehicle registration.
For states which have an I/M (Inspection and
Maintenance) requirement, this check verifies the
following: the MIL (Malfunction Indicator Lamp)
is functioning and is not on when the engine is running,
and that the OBD (On Board Diagnostic) system is ready
for testing.
Normally, the OBD system will be ready. The OBD
system maynotbe ready if your vehicle was recently
serviced, if you recently had a dead battery, or a battery
replacement. If the OBD system should be determined
not ready for the I/M test, your vehicle may fail the test.Your vehicle has a simple ignition key actuated test
which you can use prior to going to the test station. To
check if your vehicle's OBD system is ready, you must do
the following:
1. Insert your ignition key into the ignition switch.
2. Turn the ignition to the ON position, but do not crank
or start the engine.
3. If you crank or start the engine, you will have to start
this test over.
4. As soon as you turn your key to the ON position, you
will see your MIL symbol come on as part of a normal
bulb check.
5. Approximately 15 seconds later, one of two things will
happen:
a. The MIL will flash for about 10 seconds and then
return to being fully illuminated until you turn off the
288 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE
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ignition key or start the engine. This means that your
vehicle's OBD system isnot readyand you shouldnot
proceed to the I/M station.
b. The MIL will not flash at all and will remain fully
illuminated until you turn off the ignition key or start
the engine. This means that your vehicle's OBD system
isreadyand you can proceed to the I/M station.
If your OBD system isnot ready,you should see your
authorized dealer or repair facility. If your vehicle was
recently serviced or had a battery failure or replacement,
you may need to do nothing more than drive your
vehicle as you normally would in order for your OBD
system to update. A recheck with the above test routine
may then indicate that the system is now ready.
Regardless of whether your vehicle's OBD system is
ready or not ready, if the MIL symbol is illuminated
during normal vehicle operation, you should have yourvehicle serviced before going to the I/M station. The I/M
station can fail your vehicle because the MIL symbol is on
with the engine running.
REPLACEMENT PARTS
Use of genuine Mopartparts for normal/scheduled
maintenance and repairs is highly recommended to in-
sure the designed performance. Damage or failures
caused by the use of non-Mopartparts for maintenance
and repairs will not be covered by the manufacturer's
warranty.
DEALER SERVICE
Your dealer has the qualified service personnel, special
tools and equipment to perform all service operations in
an expert manner. Service Manuals are available which
include detailed service information for your vehicle.
Refer to these manuals before attempting any procedure
yourself.
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 289
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NOTE:Intentional tampering with emissions control
systems can result in civil penalties being assessed
against you.
WARNING!
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.
MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES
The pages that follow contain therequiredmaintenance
services determined by the engineers who designed your
vehicle.
Besides the maintenance items for which there are fixed
maintenance intervals, there are other items that should
operate satisfactorily without periodic maintenance.
However, if a malfunction of these items does occur, it
could adversely affect the engine or vehicle performance.
These items should be inspected if a malfunction is
observed or suspected.
Engine Oil
Checking Oil Level
To assure proper lubrication of your vehicle's engine, the
engine oil must be maintained at the correct level. Check
the oil level at regular intervals, such as every fuel stop.
290 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE