2008 JEEP PATRIOT stop start

Water Fording Characteristics
Water fording characteristic is the vehicle’s ability to
cross a body of still water, where the powertrain and
drivetrain are safe from water ingestion. The Freedom
Drive II Off-Road package has high water fording char-
acteristics with the ability to cross a pool of water,without stopping, 19 in (48 cm) deep at a maximum
speed of 5 mph (8 km/h) with an entrance ramp angle of
1.3 degrees.
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When To Use Low (L Off-Road) with the 4WD
Lock Lever Engaged
When driving off-road, shift into low (L Off-Road) and
activate the 4WD LOCK. This will provide additional
traction and activates the numerous off-road features to
improve handling and control on slippery or difficult
terrain. Due to the sustained lower gearing, low (L
Off-Road) with 4WD Lock engaged will allow the engine
to operate in a higher power range. This will allow you to
cross over obstacles and descend hills, with improved
control and less effort.
Simultaneous Brake And Throttle Operation
Many off-road driving conditions require the simulta-
neous use of the brake and throttle (two-footed driving).
When climbing rocks, logs, or other stepped objects,
using light brake pressure with light throttle will keep the
vehicle from jerking or lurching. This technique is also
used when you need to stop and restart a vehicle on a
steep incline.
Driving in Snow, Mud and Sand
There is a drastic reduction in traction when driving in
snow, mud or sand. The vehicle will be less responsive to
steering, acceleration and braking inputs. Therefore you
should accelerate slowly, leave greater stopping distances
and avoid abrupt vehicle maneuvers. You want to keep a
slow constant steady pace. The key is to maintain the
vehicle’s momentum.
•Snow– In heavy snow or for additional control and
traction at slower speeds, activate the 4WD LOCK and
shift the transmission to low (L Off-Road) if necessary.
Don’t shift to a lower gear than necessary to maintain
headway. Over-revving the engine can spin the wheels
and traction will be lost. If you start to slow to a stop,
try turning your steering wheel no more than a 1/4
turn quickly back and forth, while still applying
throttle. This will allow the tires to get a freshbite
and help maintain your momentum.
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CAUTION!
On icy or slippery roads, do not downshift at high
engine RPM’s or vehicle speeds because engine brak-
ing may cause skidding and loss of control.
•Mud–Deep mud creates a great deal of suction around
the tires and is very difficult to get through. You should
use low (L Off-Road) with the 4WD LOCK engaged and
maintain your momentum. If you start to slow to a stop,
try turning your steering wheel no more than a 1/4 turn
quickly back and forth for additional traction. Mud
holes pose an increased threat of vehicle damage and
getting stuck. They are normally full of debris from
previous vehicles getting stuck. As a good practice
before entering any mud hole, get out and determine
how deep it is, if there are any hidden obstacles and if
the vehicle can be safely recovered if stuck.
•Sand– Soft sand is very difficult to travel through
with full tire pressure. When crossing soft sandy spots
in a trail maintain your vehicle’s momentum and do
not stop. The key to driving in soft sand is using the
appropriate tire pressure, accelerating slowly, avoid-
ing abrupt maneuvers and maintaining the vehicle’s
momentum. If you are going to be driving on large soft
sandy areas or dunes, reduce your tire pressure to a
minimum of 15 psi (103 kPa) to allow for a greater tire
surface area. You should use low (L Off-Road) with the
4WD LOCK engaged and ESP turned off. Reduced tire
pressure will drastically improve your traction and
handling, while driving on the soft sand, but you must
return the tires to normal air pressure before driving
on pavement or other hard surfaces. Be sure you have
a way to reinflate the tires prior to reducing the
pressure.
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CAUTION!
Reduced tire pressures may cause tire unseating and
total loss of air pressure. To reduce the risk of tire
unseating, while at a reduced tire pressure, reduce
your speed and avoid sharp turns or abrupt
maneuvers.
Crossing Obstacles (Rocks And Other High
Points)
While driving off-road, you will encounter many types of
terrain. These varying types of terrain bring different
types of obstacles. Before proceeding review the path
ahead to determine the correct approach and your ability
to safely recover the vehicle if something goes wrong.
Keeping a firm grip on the steering wheel, bring the
vehicle to a complete stop and then inch the vehicleforward until it makes contact with the object. Apply the
throttle lightly while holding a light brake pressure and
ease the vehicle up and over the object.
WARNING!
Crossing obstacles can cause abrupt steering system
loading which could cause you to loose control of
your vehicle.
Using A Spotter
There are many times where it is hard to see the obstacle
or determine the correct path. Determining the correct
path can be extremely difficult when you are confronting
many obstacles. In these cases have someone guide you
over, through, or around the obstacle. Have the person
stand a safe distance in front of you where they can see
the obstacle, watch your tires and undercarriage, and
guide you through.
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WARNING!
Driving across an incline increases the risk of a
rollover, which may result in severe injury.
•If You Stall Or Begin To Lose Headway– If you stall
or begin to lose headway while climbing a steep hill,
allow your vehicle to come to a stop and immediately
apply the brake. Restart the engine and shift to RE-
VERSE. Back slowly down the hill allowing engine
and hill descent braking to control the descent and
apply your brakes if necessary, but do not allow the
tires to lock.
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, which may result in
severe injury. Always back carefully straight down a
hill in REVERSE gear. Never back down a hill in
NEUTRAL using only the vehicle brakes. Never
drive diagonally across a hill, always drive straight
up or down.
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Driving Through Water
Extreme care should be taken crossing any type of water.
Water crossings should be avoided if possible, and only
be attempted when necessary in a safe responsible man-
ner. You should only drive through areas which are
designated and approved. You should tread lightly and
avoid damage to the environment. You should know
your vehicles abilities and be able to recover it if some-
thing goes wrong. You should never stop or shut a
vehicle off when crossing deep water unless you ingested
water into the engine air intake. If the engine stalls, do
not attempt to restart it. Determine if it has ingested
water first. The key to any crossing is low and slow. You
want to use low (L Off-Road) with the 4WD LOCK
engaged and proceed very slowly with a constant slow
speed {3-5 mph (5–8 km/h) maximum} and light throttle.Keep the vehicle moving; do not try to accelerate through
the crossing. After crossing any water higher than the
bottom of the axle differentials, you should inspect all of
the vehicle fluids for signs of water ingestion.
CAUTION!
Water ingestion into the axles, transmission, transfer
case, engine or vehicle interior can occur if you drive
too fast or through too deep of water. Water can cause
permanent damage to engine, driveline or other
vehicle components and your brakes will be less
effective once wet and/or muddy.
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surroundings, then using a tow strap to the vehicle tow
hooks would be fast and easy. If the vehicle is severely
hung up or in a situation where great care needs to be
taken during the recovery, then nothing can do the job
better than a winch. If you are severely hung up on
something you should jack the vehicle up and stack
something under the wheels to allow the vehicle to roll
off the object without causing further damage. This
should be tried before attempting any recovery method.
CAUTION!
Pulling the vehicle off an obstacle, without first
clearing the object, may result in additional under-
body damage.
•Rock Cycling Your Vehicle– Rock cycling your ve-
hicle is one of the easiest, fastest and most commonly
used methods. This simply involves shifting your
vehicle from DRIVE to REVERSE, while applying
throttle after each shift. During this process, for addi-
tional traction, try turning your steering wheel quickly
back and forth no more than a 1/4 turn. If you are
stuck in mud, sand, or snow, try spinning your tires
during this process to clean the debris from the tread
and improve the traction. You want to create a rocking
motion with the vehicle. This helps build vehicle
momentum, which hopefully gets you out. Remember
to ease off and on the accelerator before and after the
shift. If after a few rock cycles your vehicle is not free,
stop and try another method of recovery. Continuous
rock cycling will only cause unnecessary damage to
your vehicle and the environment.
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CAUTION!
Damage can occur when spinning your tires at an
excessive high speed. Do not spin your tires faster
than an indicated 30 mph (48 km/h). Do not spin the
wheels continuously for more than 30 seconds.
•Using The Tow Hooks With A Tow Strap–Tow straps
are a quick and easy way to recover your vehicle from
minor situations if you have a secondary vehicle which
is not stuck. The tow hooks on your vehicle are de-
signed to take the abusive force generated during
vehicle recovery. Do not use the bumper or any other
vehicle component as an attachment point. Using tow
straps requires coordination between the two drivers.
Good communication and line of sight are required for
a safe recovery. First connect the tow strap to the correct
attachment points on both vehicles. There should be aleast 20 to 30 ft (6 to 9 m) between the vehicles to allow
for a safe recovery. If necessary join two tow straps
together using a 1 1/2 in (4 cm) hard wood dowel. This
will keep the straps from becoming knotted and is safer
than using a clevis pin if the strap breaks. Next have the
tow vehicle backup, leaving 2 to 3 ft (61 to 91 cm) worth
of slack in the strap. Then the tow vehicle, using light
throttle, should accelerate tightening the strap provid-
ing the pulling force needed to free the vehicle. The
vehicle being recovered should assist in the recovery, at
the time of the snap, by slowly spinning the tires in the
same direction as the pulling vehicle. After the vehicle
becomes free, the driver of the previously stuck vehicle
should signal they are free and should hit their brakes
stopping both vehicles. The driver of the pulling vehicle
should let off the throttle without using the brakes, once
signaled by the other driver. This sequence is important
to avoid having the recovered vehicle hit the pulling
vehicle.
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