2009 JEEP COMMANDER Owners Manual

Towing Tips
Before setting out on a trip, practice turning, stopping
and backing the trailer in an area away from heavy
traffic.
Towing Tips — Automatic Transmission
The DRIVE range can be selected when towing. How-
ever, if frequent shifting occurs while in this range, the
TOW/HAUL mode (if equipped) or a lower gear range
should be selected.
NOTE:Using the TOW/HAUL mode (if equipped) or a
lower gear range while operating the vehicle under
heavy operating conditions, will improve performance
and extend transmission life by reducing excessive shift-
ing and heat buildup. This action will also provide better
engine braking.
The transmission fluid and filter should be changed if
you REGULARLY tow a trailer for more than 45 minutesof continuous operation. Refer to the “Maintenance
Schedule” in Section 8 for the proper maintenance inter-
vals.
NOTE:Check the transmission fluid level before towing
(4.7L and 5.7L engines).Towing Tips — Electronic Speed Control (If
Equipped)

Do not use in hilly terrain or with heavy loads.
When using the speed control, if you experience speed
drops greater than 10 mph (16 km/h), disengage until
you can get back to cruising speed.
Use speed control in flat terrain and with light loads to
maximize fuel efficiency.
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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.
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Towing — Quadra-Trac I(Single-Speed Transfer
Case) 4WD Models
Recreational towing is not allowed.This model does not
have a NEUTRAL position in the transfer case.
Towing — Quadra–Trac II/Quadra–Drive II4WD
Models
CAUTION!
Front or rear wheel lifts should not be used. Internal
damage to the transmission or transfer case will occur
if a front or rear wheel lift is used when recreational
towing.
NOTE:The transfer case must be in the NEUTRAL
position, and the transmission must be in the PARK
position for recreational towing.
Shifting Into NEUTRAL
Use the following procedure to prepare your vehicle for
recreational towing.
CAUTION!
It is necessary to follow these steps to be certain that
the transfer case is fully in NEUTRAL before recre-
ational towing to prevent damage to internal parts.
1. Depress the brake pedal.
2. Turn the ignition key ON, engine off.
3. Shift the transmission into NEUTRAL.
4. Shift the transfer case into NEUTRAL.
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Hold down the NEUTRAL “pin” switch (with a pen, etc.)
for four seconds until the LED lamp by the switch starts
to blink, indicating shift in progress. The lamp will stop
blinking (stay on solid) when the NEUTRAL shift is
complete. A “4WD SYSTEM IN NEUTRAL” message will
display on the EVIC (Electronic Vehicle Information
Center). Refer to “Electronic Vehicle Information Center
(EVIC)” in Section 4 of this manual.
5. Start the engine.
6. Shift the transmission into DRIVE.
Neutral Switch
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7. Release the brake pedal and ensure that there is no
vehicle movement.
8. Shut the engine off.
9. Shift the transmission into PARK.
10. Place the ignition key in the OFF position, and
remove key.
11. Apply the parking brake.
12. Attach the vehicle to the tow vehicle with tow bar.
13. Release the parking brake.CAUTION!
Transmission damage may occur if the transmission
is shifted into PARK with the transfer case in NEU-
TRAL and the engine running. With the transfer case
in NEUTRAL ensure that the engine is OFF prior to
shifting the transmission into PARK (refer to steps 7
and 8 above).
Shifting Out Of NEUTRAL
Use the following procedure to prepare your vehicle for
normal usage.
1. Depress the brake pedal.
2. Turn the ignition key ON, engine off.
3. Shift the transmission into NEUTRAL.
4. Shift the transfer case out of NEUTRAL.
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Hold down the NEUTRAL “pin” switch (with a pen, etc.)
for four seconds until the LED lamp by the switch starts
to blink, indicating shift in progress. The lamp will stop
blinking (go out) when shift is complete. The “4WD
SYSTEM IN NEUTRAL” message will no longer be
displayed on the EVIC (Electronic Vehicle Information
Center). Refer to “Electronic Vehicle Information Center
(EVIC)” in Section 4 of this manual.
5. Shift the transmission into PARK.
6. Start the engine.
7. Shift the transmission into DRIVE.
Neutral Switch
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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.
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