2008 JEEP LIBERTY parking brake

WARNING!
²Always apply the parking brake fully when leav-
ing your vehicle or it may roll and cause damage or
injury. Also, be certain to leave an automatic
transmission in ªPº (Park) or a manual transmis-
sion in ªRº (Reverse) or 1st gear. Failure to do so
may allow the vehicle to roll and cause damage or
injury.
²Leaving children in a vehicle unattended is dan-
gerous for a number of reasons. A child or others
could be injured. Don't leave the keys in the
ignition. A child could operate power windows,
other controls, or move the vehicle.
²Be sure the parking brake is fully disengaged
before driving, failure to do so can lead to brake
problems due to excessive heating of the rear
brakes.When parking on a hill, turn the front wheels toward the
curb on a downhill grade and away from the curb on an
uphill grade.
The parking brake should always be applied whenever
the driver is not in the vehicle.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM
The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) is designed to aid the
driver in maintaining vehicle control under adverse
braking conditions. The system operates with a separate
computer to modulate hydraulic pressure to prevent
wheel lock-up and help avoid skidding on slippery
surfaces.
All vehicle wheels and tires must be the same size and
type and tires must be properly inflated to produce
accurate signals for the computer.
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²Do not ªrideº the brakes by resting your foot on the
pedal. This could overheat the brakes and result in
unpredictable braking action, longer stopping dis-
tances, or brake damage.
²When descending mountains or hills, repeated brak-
ing can cause brake fade with loss of braking control.
Avoid repeated heavy braking by downshifting the
transmission or locking out overdrive whenever pos-
sible.
²Engines may idle at higher speeds during warm-up,
which could cause rear wheels to spin and result in
loss of vehicle control. Be especially careful while
driving on slippery roads, in close quarter maneuver-
ing, parking, or stopping.
²Do not drive too fast for road conditions, especially
when roads are wet or slushy. A wedge of water canbuild up between the tire tread and the road. This
hydroplaning action can cause loss of traction, braking
ability, and control.
²After going through deep water or a car wash, brakes
may become wet, resulting in decreased performance
and unpredictable braking action. Dry the brakes by
gentle, intermittent pedal action while driving at very
slow speeds.
POWER STEERING
The standard power steering system will give you good
vehicle response and increased ease of maneuverability
in tight spaces. The system will provide mechanical
steering capability if power assist is lost.
If for some reason the power assist is interrupted, it will
still be possible to steer your vehicle. Under these condi-
tions, you will observe a substantial increase in steering
effort, especially at very low vehicle speeds and during
parking maneuvers.
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WARNING!
²If you use a trailer brake controller with your
trailer, the trailer brakes may be activated and
deactivated with the brake switch. If so, there may
not be enough brake pressure to hold both the
vehicle and the trailer on a hill when the brake
pedal is released. In order to avoid rolling down
an incline while resuming acceleration, manually
activate the trailer brake or apply more vehicle
brake pressure prior to releasing the brake pedal.
²HSA is not a parking brake. Always apply the
parking brake fully when leaving your vehicle.
Also, be certain to leave an automatic transmission
in ªPº (Park) or a manual transmission in ªRº
(Reverse) or 1st gear.
²Failure to follow these warnings can result in an
accident or serious personal injury.
Disabling & Enabling HSA
This feature can be turned on or turned off. To change the
current setting, proceed as follows:
²For vehicles equipped with the Electronic Vehicle
Information Center (EVIC), refer to ªHill Start Assist,º
under9Personal Settings (Customer Programmable
Features),º under ªElectronic Vehicle Information
Center (EVIC)º in Section 4 of this manual.
²For vehicles not equipped with the EVIC, perform the
following steps:
NOTE:You must complete Steps 1 through 8 within 90
seconds.
1. Center the steering wheel (front wheels pointing
straight forward).
2. Shift the transmission into ªPº (Park) (automatic
transmission) or ªNº (Neutral) (manual transmission).
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3. Apply the parking brake.
4. Start the engine.
5. Release the clutch pedal (manual transmission).
6. Rotate the steering wheel
1¤2turn to the left.
7. Press the ªESP OFFº button located in the lower
switch bank below the climate control four times within
twenty seconds. The ªESP/TCS Indicatorº light should
turn on and turn off two times.
8. Rotate the steering wheel back to center and then an
additional
1¤2turn to the right.
9. Turn the ignition switch to the OFF position and then
back to the ON position. If the sequence was completed
properly, the ªESP/TCS Indicatorº light will blink sev-
eral times to confirm HSA is disabled.
10. Repeat these steps if you want to return this feature
to its previous setting.
HDC (Hill Descent Control) ± If Equipped
HDC is only intended for low speed off-road driving.
HDC maintains vehicle speed while descending hills in
off-road driving conditions by applying the brakes when
necessary.
When enabled, HDC senses the terrain and activates
when the vehicle is descending a hill. HDC speed may be
adjusted by the driver to suit the driving conditions. The
speed corresponds to the transmission gear selected.
Gear Approximate HDC Set Speed
1st 1 mph (1.5 km/h)
2nd 3 mph (4.5 km/h)
D (Drive) 7.5 mph (12 km/h)
R (Reverse) 1 mph (1.5 km/h)
N (Neutral) 3 mph (4.5 km/h)
However, the driver can override HDC operation by
applying the brake to slow the vehicle down below the
322 STARTING AND OPERATING

²When hauling cargo, or towing a trailer, do not
overload your vehicle or trailer. Overloading can cause
a loss of control, poor performance, or damage to
brakes, axle, engine, transmission, steering, suspen-
sion, chassis structure, or tires.
²Safety chains must always be used between your
vehicle and trailer. Always connect the chains to the
frame or hook retainers of the vehicle hitch. Cross the
chains under the trailer tongue and allow enough
slack for turning corners.
²Vehicles with trailers should not be parked on a grade.
When parking, apply the parking brake on the tow
vehicle. Put the tow vehicle automatic transmission in
ªPº (Park). With a manual transmission, shift the
transmission into ªRº (Reverse). Always, block or
9chock9the trailer wheels.
²GCWR must not be exceeded.
²Total weight must be distributed between the tow
vehicle and the trailer such that the following four
ratings are not exceeded:
1. GVWR
2. GTW
3. GAWR
4. Tongue weight rating for the trailer hitch utilized
(This requirement may limit the ability to always
achieve the 10% to 15% range of tongue weight as a
percentage of total trailer weight).
Towing Requirements Ð Tires
þ
Do not attempt to tow a trailer while using a compact
spare tire.
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CAUTION!
²The Automatic Transmission must be in ªPº (Park)
position for recreational towing. The Manual
Transmission (if equipped) must be in gear (for
example, 4th gear) for recreational towing. Failure
to follow these procedures can cause severe trans-
mission and/or transfer case damage.
²Internal damage to the transmission or transfer
case will occur if a front or rear wheel lift is used
when recreational towing.
²Before recreational towing, perform the procedure
outlined under ªShifting into Neutralº to be cer-
tain that the transfer case is fully in Neutral (N).
Otherwise, internal damage will result.
²Do not use a bumper mounted clamp-on tow bar
on your vehicle. The bumper face bar will be
damaged.
WARNING!
You or others could be injured if you leave the
vehicle unattended with the transfer case in the
Neutral (N) position without first fully engaging the
parking brake. The transfer case Neutral (N) position
disengages both the front driveshaft and rear drive-
shaft from the powertrain and it will allow the
vehicle to move despite the transmission position.
The parking brake should always be applied when
the driver is not in the vehicle.
Shifting into Neutral (N)
Perform the following procedure to prepare your vehicle
for recreational towing:
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Shut OFF the engine.
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indicator light turns off (approximately 1 second). After
the Neutral (N) button is released, the transfer case will
shift to the position identified by the selector switch.
8. Start the engine.
9. Shift the transmission into ªDº (Drive) (automatic
transmission) or into 1st gear and momentarily release
the clutch (manual transmission) to verify that the trans-
fer case has engaged.
10. Set the parking brake.
11. Shift the transmission into ªPº (Park) (automatic
transmission), or into ªNº (Neutral) (manual transmis-
sion).NOTE:
²Steps 1 through 6 are requirements for shifting the
transfer case. If these requirements not met prior to
depressing the Neutral (N) selection button or while
the shift attempt is in process, then all of the mode
position indicator lights will flash continuously until
all requirements are met or until the Neutral (N)
button is released.
²The ignition switch must be in the ON position for a
shift to take place and for the position indicator lights
to be operable. If the ignition switch in not in the ON
position, the shift will not take place and no position
indicator lights will be on or flashing.
²Flashing Neutral (N) position indicator light indicates
that shift requirements have not been met.
382 STARTING AND OPERATING

CAUTION!
The winch mechanism is designed for use with the
jack extension tube only. Use of an air wrench or
other power tools is not recommended and they can
damage the winch.
When the spare is clear, tilt the retainer at the end of the
cable, and pull it through the center of the wheel.
Preparations For Jacking
²
Park the vehicle on a firm level surface as far from the
edge of the roadway as possible. Avoid icy or slippery
areas.
²Set the parking brakeand place the gear selector in
PARK (automatic transmission) or REVERSE (manual
transmission).
²Turn the ignition to the LOCK position.
WARNING!
Do not attempt to change a tire on the side of the
vehicle close to moving traffic. Pull far enough off
the road to avoid being hit when operating the jack
or changing the wheel.
²Turn on the Hazard Warning Flasher.
²Block both the front and rear
of the wheel diagonally oppo-
site of the jacking position.
For example, if changing the
right front tire, block the left
rear wheel.
²Passengers should not remain in the vehicle when the
vehicle is being jacked.
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 387
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