2009 JEEP COMMANDER warning

NOTE:Remember that everything put into or on the
trailer adds to the load on your vehicle. Also, additional
factory-installed options, or dealer-installed options,
must be considered as part of the total load on your
vehicle. Refer to the Tire and Loading Information plac-
ard in the “Tire—Safety Information” section of this
manual for the maximum combined weight of occupants
and cargo for your vehicle.
Towing Requirements
To promote proper break-in of your new vehicle driv-
etrain components the following guidelines are recom-
mended:
CAUTION!
•Avoid towing a trailer for the first 500 miles
(805 km) of vehicle operation. Doing so may dam-
age your vehicle.
(Continued)
CAUTION! (Continued)
•During the first 500 miles (805 km) of trailer
towing, limit your speed to 50 mph (80 km/h).
WARNING!
Improper towing can lead to an injury accident.
Follow these guidelines to make your trailer towing
as safe as possible:
Make certain that the load is secured in the trailer
and will not shift during travel. When trailering
cargo that is not fully secured, dynamic load shifts
can occur that may be difficult for the driver to
control. You could lose control of your vehicle and
have an accident.
386 STARTING AND OPERATING

CAUTION!
If the trailer weighs more than 1,000 lbs (454 kg)
loaded, it should have its own brakes and they
should be of adequate capacity. Failure to do this
could lead to accelerated brake lining wear, higher
brake pedal effort, and longer stopping distances.
WARNING!
Do not connect trailer brakes to your vehicle’s hy-
draulic brake lines. It can overload your brake sys-
tem and cause it to fail. You might not have brakes
when you need them and could have an accident.
Towing any trailer will increase your stopping dis-
tance. When towing, you should allow for additional
space between your vehicle and the vehicle in front
of you. Failure to do so could result in an accident.
Towing Requirements — Trailer Lights & Wiring
Whenever you pull a trailer, regardless of the trailer size,
stop lights and turn signals on the trailer are required for
motoring safety.
The Trailer Tow Package may include a 4 and 7–pin
wiring harness. Use a factory approved trailer harness
and connector.
STARTING AND OPERATING 389
5

Towing Tips — Cooling System
To reduce potential for engine and transmission over-
heating, take the following actions:
City Driving
When stopped for short periods of time, shift the trans-
mission into NEUTRAL and increase engine idle speed.
Highway Driving
Reduce speed.
Air Conditioning
Turn off temporarily.
SNOW PLOW
Snow plows, winches, and other aftermarket equipment
shouldnotbe added to the front end of your vehicle. The
airbag crash sensors may be affected by the change in the
front end structure. The airbags could deploy unexpect-
edly or could fail to deploy during a collision.
WARNING!
Do not add a snow plow, winches, or any other
aftermarket equipment to the front of your vehicle.
This could adversely affect the functioning of the
airbag system and you could be injured.
RECREATIONAL TOWING (BEHIND
MOTORHOME, ETC.)
Towing – 2WD Models
Recreational towing is allowed ONLY if the driveshaft
is removed.Towing with the rear wheels on the ground
while the driveshaft is connected can result in severe
transmission damage.
392 STARTING AND OPERATING

NOTE:When shifting out of transfer case NEUTRAL,
turning the engine OFF may be required to avoid gear
clash.
WARNING!
You or others could be injured if you leave the
vehicle unattended with the transfer case in the
NEUTRAL position without first fully engaging the
parking brake. The transfer case NEUTRAL position
disengages both the front and rear driveshafts from
the powertrain and will allow the vehicle to move,
regardless of the transmission position. The parking
brake should always be applied when the driver is
not in the vehicle.
CAUTION!
Do not use a bumper-mounted clamp-on tow bar on
your vehicle. The bumper face bar will be damaged.
STARTING AND OPERATING 397
5

WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES
CONTENTS
Hazard Warning Flashers................ 400
If Your Engine Overheats................ 400
Jacking And Tire Changing............... 401
▫Jack Location....................... 402
▫Spare Tire Stowage................... 402
▫Spare Tire Removal................... 403
▫Preparations For Jacking................ 404▫Jacking Instructions................... 404
Jump Starting........................ 409
Emergency Tow Hooks — If Equipped....... 411
Towing A Disabled Vehicle............... 412
▫2–Wheel Drive Models Only............. 412
▫4–Wheel Drive Models Only............. 412
6

HAZARD WARNING FLASHERS
The Hazard Warning flasher switch is located on the
switch bank just above the climate controls.
Press the switch to turn on the Hazard
Warning flashers. When the Hazard
Warning flasher switch is activated, all
directional turn signals will flash on
and off to warn oncoming traffic of an
emergency. Press the switch a second
time to turn off flashers.
This is an emergency warning system and should not be
used when the vehicle is in motion. Use it when your
vehicle is disabled and is creating a safety hazard for
other motorists.
If it is necessary to leave the vehicle to go for service, the
Hazard Warning flasher will continue to operate with the
ignition key removed and the vehicle locked.NOTE:With extended use, the Hazard Warning flasher
may run down your battery.
IF YOUR ENGINE OVERHEATS
In any of the following situations, you can reduce the
potential for overheating by taking the appropriate ac-
tion.
•On the highways — Slow down.
•In city traffic — While stopped, put transmission in
NEUTRAL, but do not increase engine idle speed.
NOTE:There are steps that you can take to slow down
an impending overheat condition. If your air conditioner
is on, turn it off. The air conditioning system adds heat to
the engine cooling system and turning off the A/C
removes this heat. You can also turn the temperature
control to maximum heat, the mode control to floor, and
400 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

the fan control to high. This allows the heater core to act
as a supplement to the radiator and aids in removing heat
from the engine cooling system.
CAUTION!
Driving with a hot cooling system could damage
your vehicle. If the temperature gauge reads HOT
(H), pull over and stop the vehicle. Idle the vehicle
with the air conditioner turned off until the pointer
drops back into the normal range. If the pointer
remains on HOT (H), and you hear continuous
chimes, turn the engine off immediately, and call for
service.
JACKING AND TIRE CHANGING
WARNING!
•Getting under a jacked-up vehicle is dangerous.
The vehicle could slip off the jack and fall on you.
You could be crushed. Never get any part of your
body under a vehicle that is on a jack. If you need
to get under a raised vehicle, take it to a service
center where it can be raised on a lift.
•The jack is designed to use as a tool for changing
tires only. The jack should not be used to lift the
vehicle for service purposes. The vehicle should
be jacked on a firm level surface only. Avoid ice or
slippery areas.
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 401
6

Preparations For Jacking
1. Park the vehicle on a firm level surface. Avoid ice and
slippery areas.
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.
2. Set the parking brake.
3. Place the shift lever into PARK
4. Turn OFF the ignition.
5. Turn on the Hazard Warning Flasher.6. Block both the front and rear of the
wheel diagonally opposite of the jack-
ing position. For example, if changing
the right front tire, block the left rear
wheel.
NOTE:Passengers should not remain in the vehicle
when the vehicle is being jacked.
Jacking Instructions
WARNING!
Carefully follow these tire changing warnings to
help prevent personal injury or damage to your
vehicle:
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404 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES