WARNING!
Do not use Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF), or
other types of power steering fluids, when servicing
the power steering system of this vehicle. Damage to
the power steering system can result from the use of
the wrong power steering fluid.
Checking the power steering fluid level at a defined
service interval is not required. The fluid should only be
checked if a leak is suspected, abnormal noises are
apparent, and/or the system is not functioning as antici-
pated. Coordinate inspection efforts through an autho-
rized dealer.
WARNING!
Fluid level should be checked on a level surface and
with the engine off to prevent injury from moving
parts and to ensure accurate fluid level reading. Do
not overfill. Use only manufacturers recommended
power steering fluid.
If necessary, add fluid to restore to the proper indicated
level. With a clean cloth, wipe any spilled fluid from all
surfaces.
PARKING BRAKE
To set the parking brake, pull the lever up as firmly as
possible. When the parking brake is applied with the
ignition ON, the Brake Warning Light in the instrument
cluster will light. To release the parking brake, pull up
slightly, press the center button, then lower the lever
completely.
318 STARTING AND OPERATING
NOTE:During severe braking conditions, a pulsing
sensation may occur and a clicking noise will be heard.
This is normal, indicating that the ABS is functioning.
WARNING!
To use your brakes and accelerator more safely,
follow these tips:
•Do not “ride” 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.
•When 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.
•Engines 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.
•Do not drive too fast for road conditions, especially
when roads are wet or slushy. A wedge of water can
build up between the tire tread and the road. This
hydroplaning action can cause loss of traction, braking
ability, and control.
•After 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.
322 STARTING AND OPERATING
MULTI-DISPLACEMENT SYSTEM (MDS) — 5.7L
ENGINE ONLY
This feature offers improved fuel economy by shutting
off four of the engine’s eight cylinders during light load
and cruise conditions. The system is automatic with no
driver inputs or additional driving skills required.
NOTE:The MDS system may take some time to return
to full functionality after a battery disconnect.
ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEM
Your vehicle is equipped with an advanced electronic
brake control system that includes ABS (Anti-Lock Brake
System), TCS (Traction Control System), BAS (Brake
Assist System), ERM (Electronic Roll Mitigation), and
ESP (Electronic Stability Program). All five of these
systems work together to enhance vehicle stability and
control in various driving conditions.Also, your vehicle is equipped with TSC (Trailer Sway
Control) and, if it has 4WD with the NV245 two-speed
transfer case, HSA (Hill Start Assist) and HDC (Hill
Descent Control).
ABS (Anti-Lock Brake System)
This system aids the driver in maintaining vehicle control
under adverse braking conditions. The system controls
hydraulic brake pressure to prevent wheel lock-up and
help avoid skidding on slippery surfaces during braking.
Refer to “Anti-Lock Brake System” in Section 5 of this
manual.
STARTING AND OPERATING 323
5
WARNING!
ABS (Anti-Lock Brake System) cannot prevent the
natural laws of physics from acting on the vehicle,
nor can it increase the traction afforded by prevailing
road conditions. ABS cannot prevent accidents, in-
cluding those resulting from excessive speed in
turns, driving on very slippery surfaces, or hydro-
planing. Only a safe, attentive, and skillful driver can
prevent accidents. The capabilities of an ABS-
equipped vehicle must never be exploited in a reck-
less or dangerous manner which could jeopardize the
user’s safety or the safety of others.
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 andstability. 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
either the “Partial Off” or “Full Off” modes. Refer to “ESP
(Electronic Stability Program)” 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
324 STARTING AND OPERATING
benefit of the system, you must applycontinuousbrak-
ing pressure during the stopping sequence (do not
“pump” the brakes). Do not reduce brake pedal pressure
unless braking is no longer desired. Once the brake pedal
is released, the BAS is deactivated.
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 speed
are sufficient to potentially cause wheel lift, it then
applies the brake of the appropriate wheel 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 roadway or striking objects or
other vehicles.
STARTING AND OPERATING 325
5
gravel, it may be desirable to switch to the “Partial Off”
mode by pressing the ESP OFF switch. Once the situation
requiring ESP to be switched to the “Partial Off” mode is
overcome, turn ESP back on by momentarily depressing
the ESP OFF switch. This may be done while the vehicle
is in motion.
Full Off (4WD Models Only)
This mode is intended for off-highway or off-road use
when ESP stability features could inhibit vehicle maneu-
verability due to trail conditions. This mode is entered by
depressing and holding the ESP OFF switch for five
seconds when the vehicle is stopped and the engine is
running. After five seconds, the ESP/TCS Indicator Light
will illuminate, and the “ESP OFF” message will appear
in the Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC).
Refer to “Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC)”
in Section 4 of this manual for more information.In this mode, ESP and TCS, except for the “limited slip”
feature described in the TCS section, are turned off until
the vehicle reaches a speed of 40 mph (64 km/h). At
40 mph (64 km/h), the system returns to “Partial Off”
mode, described above. When the vehicle speed drops
below 35 mph (56 km/h), the ESP system shuts off. ESP
is deactivated at low vehicle speeds so that it will not
interfere with off-road driving, but ESP function returns
to provide the stability feature at speeds above 40 mph
(64 km/h). The ESP/TCS Indicator Light will always be
illuminated when ESP is off. To turn ESP on again,
momentarily depress the ESP OFF switch. This will
restore the normal “ESP On” mode of operation.
NOTE:The “ESP OFF” message will display, and the
audible chime will sound, when the shift lever is placed
in the PARK position from any other position, and then
moved out of the PARK position. This will occur even if
the message was previously cleared.
STARTING AND OPERATING 329
5
WARNING!
With the ESP switched off, the enhanced vehicle
stability offered by ESP and ERM are unavailable. In
an emergency evasive maneuver, the ESP and ERM
systems will not engage to assist in maintaining
stability. The “Full Off” mode is intended for off-
road use only.
TSC (Trailer Sway Control)
TSC uses sensors in the vehicle to recognize an exces-
sively swaying trailer and will take the appropriate
actions to attempt to stop the sway. The system may
reduce engine power and apply the brake of the appro-
priate wheel(s) to counteract the sway of the trailer. TSC
will become active automatically once an excessively
swaying trailer is recognized. No driver action is re-
quired. Note that TSC cannot stop all trailers fromswaying. Always use caution when towing a trailer and
follow the trailer tongue weight recommendations. Refer
to “Trailer Towing” in Section 5 of this manual. When
TSC is functioning, the ESP/TCS Indicator Light will
flash, the engine power may be reduced and you may
feel the brakes being applied to individual wheels to
attempt to stop the trailer from swaying. TSC is disabled
when the ESP system is in the “Partial Off” or “Full Off”
modes.WARNING!
If TSC activates while driving, slow the vehicle
down, stop at the nearest safe location, and adjust the
trailer load to eliminate trailer sway.
STARTING AND OPERATING 331
5
WARNING!
HDC is only intended to assist the driver in control-
ling vehicle speed when descending hills. The driver
must remain attentive to the driving conditions and
is responsible for maintaining a safe vehicle speed.
ESP/BAS Warning Light And ESP/TCS Indicator
Light
The malfunction indicator lamp for the ESP is
combined with the BAS indicator. The ESP/
BAS Warning Light and the ESP/TCS Indicator
Light in the instrument cluster both come on
when the ignition switch is turned to the ON position.
They should both go out with the engine running.
If the ESP/BAS Warning Light comes on con-
tinuously with the engine running, a malfunc-
tion has been detected in either the ESP or the
BAS system, or both. If this light remains onafter several ignition cycles, and the vehicle has been
driven several miles at speeds greater than 30 mph
(48 km/h), see your authorized dealer as soon as possible
to have the problem diagnosed and corrected.
NOTE:
•The ESP/TCS Indicator Light and the ESP/BAS
Warning Light come onmomentarilyeach time the
ignition switch is turned ON.
•Each time the ignition is turned ON, the ESP System
will be ON even if it was previously turned off.
•The ESP Control System will make buzzing or clicking
sounds when it is active. This is normal; the sounds
will stop when ESP becomes inactive following the
maneuver that caused the ESP activation.
336 STARTING AND OPERATING