2008 JEEP LIBERTY engine

Hill Climbing
NOTE:Before attempting to climb a hill, determine the
conditions at the crest and/or on the other side.
Before climbing a steep hill,shift the transmission to a
lower gear and shift the transfer case to 4WD Low. Use
first gear and 4WD Low for very steep hills.
If you stall or begin to lose headwaywhile climbing a
steep hill, allow your vehicle to come to a stop and
immediately apply the brakes. Restart the engine and
shift to R (Reverse). Back slowly down the hill allowing
the compression braking of the engine to help regulate
your speed. If the brakes are required to control vehicle
speed, apply them lightly and avoid locking or skidding
the tires.
WARNING!
If the engine stalls or you lose headway or cannot
make it to the top of a steep hill or grade, never
attempt to turn around. To do so may result in
tipping and rolling the vehicle. Always back straight
down a hill in R (Reverse) gear carefully. Never back
down a hill in N (Neutral) using only the brake.
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 slowly left and right. This may
provide a fresh ªbiteº into the surface and will usually
provide traction to complete the climb.
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Traction Downhill
Shift the transmission into a low gear and the transfer
case to 4WD Low 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-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.
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.
²After 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.
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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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TCS (Traction Control System)
This system monitors the amount of wheel spin of each of
the driven wheels. If wheel spin is detected, brake
pressure is applied to the slipping wheel(s) and engine
power is reduced to provide enhanced acceleration and
stability. A feature of the TCS system functions similar to
a limited slip differential and controls the wheel spin
across a driven axle. If one wheel on a driven axle is
spinning faster than the other, the system will apply the
brake of the spinning wheel. This will allow more engine
torque to be applied to the wheel that is not spinning.
This feature remains active even if TCS and ESP are in the
ªPartial Offº mode or the ªFull Offº mode. Refer to ªESP
(Electronic Stability Program)º in this section for more
information.
BAS (Brake Assist System)
The BAS is designed to optimize the vehicle's braking
capability during emergency braking maneuvers. The
system detects an emergency braking situation by sens-
ing the rate and amount of brake application and then
applies optimum pressure to the brakes. This can help
reduce braking distances. The BAS complements the
anti-lock brake system (ABS). Applying the brakes very
quickly results in the best BAS assistance. To receive the
benefit of the system, you must apply continuous brak-
ing pressure during the stopping sequence, (do not
ªpumpº the brakes). Do not reduce brake pedal pressure
unless braking is no longer desired. Once the brake pedal
is released, the BAS is deactivated.
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WARNING!
BAS (Brake Assist System) cannot prevent the natu-
ral laws of physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase the traction afforded by prevailing road
conditions. BAS cannot prevent accidents, including
those resulting from excessive speed in turns, driving
on very slippery surfaces, or hydroplaning. Only a
safe, attentive, and skillful driver can prevent acci-
dents. The capabilities of a BAS-equipped vehicle
must never be exploited in a reckless or dangerous
manner, which could jeopardize the user's safety or
the safety of others.
ERM (Electronic Roll Mitigation)
This system anticipates the potential for wheel lift by
monitoring the driver 's steering wheel input and the
speed of the vehicle. When ERM determines that the rate
of change of the steering wheel angle and vehicle's speed
are sufficient to potentially cause wheel lift, it then
applies the appropriate brake and may also reduce
engine power to lessen the chance that wheel lift will
occur. ERM will only intervene during very severe or
evasive driving maneuvers. ERM can only reduce the
chance of wheel lift occurring during severe or evasive
driving maneuvers. It cannot prevent wheel lift due to
other factors, such as road conditions, leaving the road-
way, or striking objects or other vehicles.
NOTE:ERM is disabled anytime the ESP is in ªFull Offº
mode. Refer to ESP (Electronic Stability Program) for a
complete explanation of the available ESP modes.
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WARNING!
Many factors, such as vehicle loading, road condi-
tions, and driving conditions, influence the chance
that wheel lift or rollover may occur. ERM (Electronic
Roll Mitigation) cannot prevent all wheel lift or
rollovers, especially those that involve leaving the
roadway or striking objects or other vehicles. Only a
safe, attentive, and skillful driver can prevent acci-
dents. The capabilities of an ERM-equipped vehicle
must never be exploited in a reckless or dangerous
manner, which could jeopardize the user's safety or
the safety of others.
TSC (Trailer Sway Control) ± If Equipped
TSC uses sensors in the vehicle to recognize an exces-
sively swaying trailer. TSC activates automatically once
the excessively swaying trailer is recognized. When TSC
is functioning, the ªESP/TCS Indicatorº light will flash,
the engine power will be reduced, and you will feel the
brake being applied to individual wheels in an attempt to
stop the trailer from swaying.
NOTE:The TSC is disabled when the ESP system is in
the ªPartial Offº mode and ªFull Offº mode.
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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
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Press the ªHill Descentº button. The ªHill
Descent Control Indicatorº light in the instru-
ment cluster will turn on solid.
NOTE:If the transfer case is not in 4WD low range, the
ªHill Descent Control Indicatorº light will flash for 5
seconds and HDC will not be enabled.
Disabling HDC
1. Press the ªHill Descentº button or shift the transfer
case out of 4WD low range. The ªHill Descent Control
Indicatorº light in the instrument cluster will turn off.
ESP (Electronic Stability Program)
This system enhances directional control and stability of
the vehicle under various driving conditions. ESP cor-
rects for oversteering and understeering the vehicle by
applying the brake of the appropriate wheel. Engine
power may also be reduced to help the vehicle maintain
the desired path.The ESP uses sensors in the vehicle to determine the path
that the driver intends to steer the vehicle and compares
it to the actual path of the vehicle. When the actual path
does not match the intended path, the ESP applies the
brake of the appropriate wheel to assist in counteracting
the condition of oversteer or understeer.
²Oversteer - when the vehicle is turning more than
appropriate for the steering wheel position.
²Understeer - when the vehicle is turning less than
appropriate for the steering wheel position.
ESP/TCS Indicator Light
The9ESP/TCS Indicatorº light located in the
instrument cluster, starts to flash as soon as the
tires lose traction and the ESP system becomes
active. The9ESP/TCS Indicatorº light also
flashes when TCS is active. If the9ESP/TCS Indicatorº
light begins to flash during acceleration, ease up on the
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