2008 JEEP LIBERTY ignition

STARTING AND OPERATING
CONTENTS
mStarting Procedures.....................277
NAutomatic Transmission................277
NManual Transmission Ð If Equipped.......277
NNormal Starting......................277
NExtreme Cold Weather (Below ±20ÉF Or
±29ÉC).............................278
NIf Engine Fails To Start.................278
NAfter Starting........................280
mEngine Block Heater Ð If Equipped.........280mAutomatic Transmission..................281
NShift Lock Manual Override Ð If Equipped . . . 281
NBrake/Transmission Interlock System.......283
N4±Speed Automatic Transmission..........283
mManual Transmission Ð If Equipped.........288
NClutch Interlocking Ignition System........288
N6-Speed Manual Transmission............289
mFour-Wheel Drive Operation...............292
5

STARTING PROCEDURES
Before starting your vehicle, adjust your seat, adjust both
inside and outside mirrors, and fasten your seat belts.
WARNING!
Do not leave children or animals inside parked
vehicles in hot weather. Interior heat build up may
cause serious injury or death.
Automatic Transmission
Start the engine with the selector lever in the ªNº
(Neutral) or ªPº (Park) position. Apply the brake before
shifting to any driving range.
Manual Transmission Ð If Equipped
Apply the parking brake, place the gearshift control lever
in ªNº (Neutral) and depress the clutch pedal beforestarting vehicle. This vehicle is equipped with a clutch
interlocking ignition system. It will not start unless the
clutch pedal is pressed to the floor.
4WD Models Only
To enhance off-road performance, 4-wheel drive models
equipped with a manual transmission will start with or
without pressing the clutch pedal when in 4-wheel drive
low range. The 4 LOW indicator light will illuminate
when the transfer case is in 4-wheel drive low range.
Normal Starting
NOTE:Normal starting of either a cold or a warm
engine is obtained without pumping or depressing the
accelerator pedal.
For vehicles not equipped with Tip Start,turn the ignition
switch to the START position and release it when the
engine starts. If the engine fails to start within 10 seconds,
turn the ignition switch to the LOCK position, wait 10 to
15 seconds, then repeat the normal starting procedure.
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5

For vehicles equipped with Tip Start,turn the ignition
switch to the START position and release it as soon as the
starter engages. The starter motor will continue to run,
and it will disengage automatically when the engine is
running. If the engine fails to start, the starter will
disengage automatically in 10 seconds. If this occurs, turn
the ignition switch to the LOCK position, wait 10 to 15
seconds, then repeat the normal starting procedure.
Extreme Cold Weather (below ±20ÉF or ±29ÉC)
To insure reliable starting at these temperatures, use of an
externally powered electric engine block heater (available
from your dealer) is recommended.
If Engine Fails to Start
WARNING!
²Never pour fuel or other flammable liquids into
the throttle body air inlet opening in an attempt to
start the vehicle. This could result in a flash fire
causing serious personal injury.
²Do not attempt to push or tow your vehicle to get
it started. Vehicles equipped with an automatic
transmission cannot be started this way. Unburned
fuel could enter the catalytic converter and once
the engine has started, ignite and damage the
converter and vehicle. If the vehicle has a dis-
charged 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 dan-
gerous if done improperly. Refer to Section 6 of
this manual for proper jump starting procedures
and follow them carefully.
278 STARTING AND OPERATING

Without Tip Start
If the engine fails to start after you have followed the
ªNormal Startingº or ªExtreme Cold Weatherº proce-
dures, it may be flooded. Push the accelerator pedal all
the way to the floor and hold it there while cranking the
engine. This should clear any excess fuel in case the
engine is flooded.
CAUTION!
To prevent damage to the starter, do not crank the
engine for more than 15 seconds at a time. Wait 10 to
15 seconds before trying again.
If the engine is flooded, it may start to run, but not have
enough power to continue running when the key is
released. If this occurs, continue cranking up to 15seconds with the accelerator pedal pushed all the way to
the floor. Release the accelerator pedal and the key once
the engine is running smoothly.
If the engine shows no sign of starting after two 15-
second periods of cranking with the accelerator pedal
held to the floor, repeat the ªNormal Startingº or ªEx-
treme Cold Weatherº procedures.
With Tip Start
If the engine fails to start after you have followed the
ªNormal Startingº or ªExtreme Cold Weatherº proce-
dures, it may be flooded. To clear any excess fuel, push
the accelerator pedal all the way to the floor and hold it.
Then, turn the ignition switch to the START position and
release it as soon as the starter engages. The starter motor
will disengage automatically in 10 seconds. Once this
occurs, release the accelerator pedal, turn the ignition
switch to the LOCK position, wait 10 to 15 seconds, then
repeat the normal starting procedure.
STARTING AND OPERATING 279
5

A Reset feature allows the vehicle to be driven to a dealer
for service without damaging the transmission. To reset
the transmission, perform the following procedure:
1. Stop the vehicle.
2. Move the selector lever to the ªPº (Park) position.
3. Turn off the engine; be sure to turn the key to the
LOCK position.
4. Wait approximately 10 seconds, and then restart the
engine.
5. Move the selector lever to the desired gear range.
If the problem is no longer detected, the transmission will
return to normal operation. If the problem persists, ªPº
(Park), ªRº (Reverse), and ªNº (Neutral) will continue to
operate. Only Second gear range will operate in the ªDº
(Drive) position. Have the transmission checked at your
authorized dealer as soon as possible.MANUAL TRANSMISSION Ð IF EQUIPPED
Clutch Interlocking Ignition System
Vehicles equipped with a manual transmission are
equipped with a clutch interlock safety feature. The
clutch pedal must be fully depressed to allow cranking of
the engine.
To enhance off-road performance, 4-wheel drive models
equipped with a manual transmission will start with or
without pressing the clutch pedal when in 4-wheel drive
low range. The 4 LOW indicator light will illuminate
when the transfer case is in 4-wheel drive low range.
288 STARTING AND OPERATING

6-Speed Manual Transmission
WARNING!
You or others could be injured if you leave the
vehicle unattended without having the parking
brake fully applied. The parking brake should al-
ways be applied when the driver is not in the vehicle,
especially on an incline.
Follow the shift pattern on the gearshift knob.
NOTE:The backup lights will come on when your
vehicle is in ªRº (Reverse) gear and the ignition is in the
ON position.
Manual Shift Controls
STARTING AND OPERATING 289
5

Shift Positions
The electronic transfer case switch is located on the center
console next to the gear selector lever.
2WD
Rear Wheel Drive High Range - Normal street and
highway driving. Dry hard surfaced roads.4WD Lock
4-Wheel-Drive High Range - Locks the front driveshaft
and rear driveshaft together and forces the front and rear
wheels to rotate at the same speed. Additional traction
for loose or slippery road surfaces only.
4WD Low
4-Wheel-Drive Low Range - Low speed 4-wheel drive
that locks the front driveshaft and rear driveshaft to-
gether and forces the front and rear wheels to rotate at the
same speed. Additional traction and maximum pulling
power for loose or slippery road surfaces only. Do not
exceed 25 mph (40 km/h). This position allows engine
starting without depressing the clutch pedal on vehicles
equipped with a manual transmission. Refer to ªClutch
Interlocking Ignition Systemº under ªManual Transmis-
sionº or to ªStarting Proceduresº in this section for
details.
4WD Control Switch
294 STARTING AND OPERATING

2WD to 4WD Lock
Move the 4WD Control Switch to the desired position.
Shifts between 2WD and 4WD LOCK can be done with
the vehicle stopped or in motion. With the vehicle in
motion, the transfer case will engage / disengage faster if
you momentarily release the accelerator pedal after mov-
ing the 4WD Control Switch. If the vehicle is stopped, the
ignition switch must be in the ON position with the
engine either OFF or RUNNING. This shift cannot be
completed if the ignition switch is in the ACC position.
NOTE:
²The 4-wheel drive system will not allow shifts be-
tween 2WD and 4WD LOCK if the rear wheels are
spinning (no traction). In this situation, the selected
position indicator light will flash and the original
position indicator light will remain ON. At this time,reduce speed and stop spinning the wheels to com-
plete the shift. There may be a delay up to 10 seconds
for the shift to complete after the wheels have stopped
spinning.
²Delayed shifting out of 4WD LOCK may be experi-
enced due to uneven tire wear, low tire pressure, or
excessive loading.
4WD Lock to 4WD Low
When shifting into or out of 4WD LOW, some gear noise
may be heard. This noise is normal and is not detrimental
to the vehicle or its occupants
Shifting can be performed with the vehicle rolling 2-3
mph (3-5 km/h) using the ªPreferred Procedureº or
completely stopped using the ªAlternate Procedure.º
296 STARTING AND OPERATING