2008 JEEP COMPASS ECU

DOOR LOCKS
Manual Door Locks
Use the manual door lock plunger to lock the doors from
inside the vehicle. If the plunger is down when the door
is closed, the door will lock. Therefore, make sure the
keys are not inside the vehicle before closing the door.
WARNING!
For personal security, and safety in the event of an
accident, lock the vehicle doors as you drive as well
as when you park and leave the vehicle.
WARNING!
When leaving the vehicle always remove the key
from the ignition lock, and lock your vehicle. Do not
leave children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised use of
vehicle equipment may cause severe personal inju-
ries and death.
Manual Door Lock Plunger
26 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

NOTE:Do not use a clothing bar mounted to the coat
hooks in this vehicle. A clothing bar will impede the
proper performance of the curtain airbags.
Along with the seat belts, front airbags work with the
instrument panel knee bolsters to provide improved
protection for the driver and front passenger. Side Cur-
tain Airbags also work with seat belts to improve occu-
pant protection.
The seat belts are designed to protect you in many types
of collisions. The front airbags deploy in moderate to
severe frontal collisions.
If your vehicle is so equipped, the Side Curtain Airbag on
the crash side of the vehicle is triggered in moderate to
severe side collisions. However, even in collisions where
the airbags deploy, you need the seat belts to keep you in
the correct position for the airbags to protect you prop-
erly.Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize
the risk of harm from a deploying airbag.
1. Children 12 years old and under should ride buckled
up in the rear seat.
2. Infants in rear-facing child restraints shouldNEVER
ride in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger front
airbag. An airbag deployment could cause severe injury
or death to infants in that position.
3. Children that are not big enough to wear the vehicle
seat belt properly (refer to information on Child Restraint
in this section) should be secured in the rear seat in child
restraints or belt-positioning booster seats.
4. Older children who do not use child restraints or
belt-positioning booster seats should ride properly buck-
led up in the rear seat. Never allow children to slide the
shoulder belt behind them or under their arm.
48 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

²Cruise control status
²Traction/stability control status
²Tire pressure monitoring system status
Child Restraint
Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled up at all
times Ð babies and children, too. Every state in the
United States and all Canadian provinces require that
small children ride in proper restraint systems. This is the
law, and you can be prosecuted for ignoring it.
Children 12 years and under should ride properly buck-
led up in a rear seat, if available. According to crash
statistics, children are safer when properly restrained in
the rear seats, rather than in the front.
WARNING!
In a collision, an unrestrained child, even a tiny baby,
can become a missile inside the vehicle. The force
required to hold even an infant on your lap could
become so great that you could not hold the child, no
matter how strong you are. The child and others
could be badly injured. Any child riding in your
vehicle should be in a proper restraint for the child's
size.
Infants And Small Children
There are different sizes and types of restraints for
children from newborn size to the child almost large
enough for an adult safety belt. Always check the child
seat owner's manual to ensure you have the correct seat
for your child. Use the restraint that is correct for your
child:
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 57
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restraint so that it is not necessary to use a locking clip.
If the seat belt has a cinching latch plate, pulling up on
the shoulder portion of the lap/shoulder belt will
tighten the belt. The cinching latch plate will keep the
belt tight, however, any seat belt system will loosen
with time, so check the belt occasionally and pull it
tight if necessary.
If the seat belt has a switchable retractor, it will have a
distinctive label. To operate the switchable retractor,
please refer to Automatic-Locking Retractor (ALR) in this
section.
²In the rear seat, you may have trouble tightening the
lap/shoulder belt on the child restraint because the
buckle or latch plate is too close to the belt path
opening on the restraint. Disconnect the latch plate
from the buckle and twist the short buckle end of the
belt several times to shorten it. Insert the latch plate
into the buckle with the release button facing out.
²If the belt still can't be tightened, or if by pulling and
pushing on the restraint loosens the belt, disconnect
the latch plate from the buckle, turn the latch plate
around, and insert the latch plate into the buckle
again. If you still can't make the child restraint secure,
try a different seating position.
²Buckle the child into the seat according to the child
restraint manufacturer's directions.
²When your child restraint is not in use, secure it in the
vehicle with the seat belt or remove it from the vehicle.
Don't leave it loose in the vehicle. In a sudden stop or
collision, it could strike the occupants or seat backs
and cause serious personal injury.
60 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

rear of the seat back. Then tighten all three straps as you
push the child restraint rearward and downward into the
seat.
Not all child restraint systems will be installed as we
have described here. Again, carefully follow the instruc-
tions that come with the child restraint system.NOTE:If your child restraint seat is not LATCH com-
patible, install the restraint using the vehicle seat belts.
WARNING!
An incorrectly anchored tether strap could lead to
increased head motion and possible injury to the
child. Use only the anchor position directly behind
the child seat to secure a child restraint top tether
strap.
Children Too Large For Booster Seats
Children who are large enough to wear the shoulder belt
comfortably, and whose legs are long enough to bend
over the front of the seat when their back is against the
seat back, should use the lap/shoulder belt in a rear seat.
²Make sure that the child is upright in the seat.
Rear Seat Tether Anchors
64 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

²The lap portion should be low on the hips and as snug
as possible.
²Check belt fit periodically. A child's squirming or
slouching can move the belt out of position.
²If the shoulder belt contacts the face or neck, move the
child closer to the center of the vehicle. Never allow a
child to put the shoulder belt under an arm or behind
their back.
Transporting Pets
Airbags deploying in the front seat could harm your pet.
An unrestrained pet will be thrown about and possibly
injured, or injure a passenger during panic braking or in
a collision.
Pets should be restrained in the rear seat in pet harnesses
or pet carriers that are secured by seat belts.
ENGINE BREAK-IN RECOMMENDATIONS
A long break-in period is not required for the engine in
your new vehicle.
Drive moderately during the first 300 miles (500 km).
After the initial 60 miles (100 km), speeds up to 50 or 55
mph (80 or 90 km/h) are desirable.
While cruising, brief full-throttle acceleration, within the
limits of local traffic laws, contributes to a good break-in.
Wide open throttle acceleration in low gear can be
detrimental and should be avoided.
The engine oil installed in the engine at the factory is a
high quality energy conserving type lubricant. Oil
changes should be consistent with anticipated climate
conditions under which vehicle operations will occur.
The recommended viscosity and quality grades are
shown in Section 7 of this manual. NON-DETERGENT
OR STRAIGHT MINERAL OILS MUST NEVER BE
USED.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 65
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NIntermittent Wiper System...............122
NAdding Washer Fluid..................122
mTilt Steering Column....................122
mElectronic Speed Control Ð If Equipped......123
NTo Activate..........................123
NTo Set At A Desired Speed...............124
NTo Deactivate........................124
NTo Resume Speed.....................124
NTo Vary The Speed Setting...............124
NManual Transaxle.....................125
NTo Accelerate For Passing...............125
mAnti-Lock Brake System (ABS) ± If Equipped . . . 126mElectronic Brake Control System ±
ABS/TCS/BAS/ERM/ESP................127
NAnti-Lock Brake System ± (ABS)...........127
NTraction Control System (TCS)............127
NBrake Assist System (BAS)...............128
NElectronic Roll Mitigation (ERM)..........129
NESP (Electronic Stability Program).........130
mGarage Door Opener Ð If Equipped.........134
NProgramming HomeLinkt...............135
NGate Operator/Canadian Programming.....138
NUsing HomeLinkt.....................139
NReprogramming a Single HomeLinktButton . . 139
NSecurity............................139
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 71
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TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE HOOD
To open the hood, two latches must be released. First pull
the hood release lever located on the left kick panel.
Then move the safety catch located under the front edge
of the hood, near the center and raise the hood.Lift the hood prop rod, clipped to the right side (left side
facing hood) of the engine compartment, to secure the
hood in the open position. Place the hood prop at the
location stamped into the inner hood surface.
Primary Hood Latch
Secondary Hood Latch
112 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE