2009 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE weight

enough for an adult safety belt. Always check the child
seat Owner’s Manual to ensure you have the right seat
for your child. Use the restraint that is correct for your
child.
WARNING!
In a collision, an unrestrained child, even a tiny baby,
can become a missile inside the vehicle. The force
required to hold even an infant on your lap can
become so great that you could not hold the child, no
matter how strong you are. The child and others
could be badly injured. Any child riding in your
vehicle should be in a proper restraint for the child’s
size.
Infants and Child Restraints
•
Safety experts recommend that children ride
rearward-facing in the vehicle until they are at least
one year oldandweigh at least 20 lbs (9 kg). Two types
of child restraints can be used rearward-facing: infant
carriers and convertible child seats.
•The infant carrier is only used rearward-facing in the
vehicle. It is recommended for children who weigh up
to about 20 lbs (9 kg). Convertible child seats often
have a higher weight limit in the rearward-facing
direction than infant carriers do, so they can be used
rearward-facing by children who weigh more than
20 lbs (9 kg) but are less than one year old. Both types
of child restraints are held in the vehicle by the
lap/shoulder belt or the LATCH child restraint an-
chorage system (Refer to LATCH — Child Seat An-
chorage System in this section.)
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 59
2

WARNING!
•Rearward-facing child seats must NEVER be used
in the front seat of a vehicle with the front passen-
ger airbag unless the airbag is turned off. An
airbag deployment could cause severe injury or
death to infants in this position.
•Improper installation can lead to failure of an
infant or child restraint. It could come loose in a
collision. The child could be badly injured or
killed. Follow the manufacturer’s directions ex-
actly when installing an infant or child restraint.
•A rearward facing infant restraint should only be
used in a rear seat. A rearward facing infant
restraint in the front seat may be struck by a
deploying passenger airbag which may cause se-
vere or fatal injury to the infant.Here are some tips for getting the most out of your child
restraint:
•Before buying any restraint system, make sure that it
has a label certifying that it meets all applicable Safety
Standards. Chrysler LLC also recommends that you
try a child restraint in the vehicle seats where you will
use it before you buy it.
•The restraint must be appropriate for your child’s
weight and height. Check the label on the restraint for
weight and height limits.
•Carefully follow the instructions that come with the
restraint. If you install the restraint improperly, it may
not work when you need it.
•Except for the second row center seating position, all
passenger seat belts are equipped with cinching latch
plates. The second row center position has an auto-
matic locking retractor. Both types of seat belts are
60 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Cargo Tie-Down Hooks
The tie-downs located on the cargo area floor should be
used to safely secure loads when the vehicle is moving.WARNING!
•To help protect against personal injury, passengers
should not be seated in the rear cargo area. The
rear cargo space is intended for load carrying
purposes only, not for passengers, who should sit
in seats and use seat belts.
•Cargo tie-down hooks are not safe anchors for a
child seat tether strap. In a sudden stop or colli-
sion, a hook could pull loose and allow the child
seat to come loose. A child could be badly injured.
Use only the anchors provided for child seat
tethers.
The weight and position of cargo and passengers
can change the vehicle center of gravity and ve-
hicle handling. To avoid loss of control resulting
in personal injury, follow these guidelines for
loading your vehicle:
(Continued)
Cargo Tie-Down Hooks
170 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING! (Continued)
•Do not carry loads which exceed the load limits
described on the label attached to the left door or
left door center pillar.
•Always place cargo evenly on the cargo floor. Put
heavier objects as low and as far forward as
possible.
•Place as much cargo as possible in front of the rear
axle. Too much weight or improperly placed
weight over or behind the rear axle can cause the
rear of the vehicle to sway.
•Do not pile luggage or cargo higher than the top of
the seatback. This could impair visibility or be-
come a dangerous projectile in a sudden stop or
collision.
Cargo Load Floor
The panel in the load floor is reversible for added utility.
One side is carpeted and the other side features a plastic
lined tray which holds a variety of items.
Cargo Load Floor
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 171
3

CAUTION!
•To avoid damaging the electrical conductors of the
rear window defroster, do not use scrapers, sharp
instruments, or abrasive window cleaners on the
interior surface of the window.
•Labels can be peeled off after soaking with warm
water.
ROOF LUGGAGE RACK — IF EQUIPPED
The crossbars and siderails are designed to carry the
weight on vehicles equipped with a luggage rack. The
load must not exceed 150 lbs (68 kg), and should be
uniformly distributed over the luggage rack crossbars.
NOTE:If not equipped with crossbars, your authorized
dealer can order and install Moparcrossbars built
specifically for this roof rack system.Distribute cargo weight evenly on the roof rack crossbars.
The roof rack does not increase the total load carrying
capacity of the vehicle. Be sure the total load of cargo
inside the vehicle plus that on the external rack does not
exceed the maximum vehicle load capacity.
The optional crossbars must be installed using the correct
orientation (the longer crossbar toward the front).
The optional crossbars must also be secured in one of the
seven detent positions marked with an arrow on the
siderails to prevent movement. To move the crossbars,
loosen the thumb screws located at the upper edge of
each crossbar approximately eight turns, then move the
crossbar to the desired position, keeping the crossbars
parallel to the rack frame. Once the crossbar is in one of
the seven detent positions, retighten the thumb screws to
lock the crossbar into position.
174 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

•Trip A
•Trip B
•Elapsed Time
•Service Distance
•Display Units of Measure In
Press the SCROLL button to cycle through all the Trip
Computer functions.
The Trip Functions mode displays the following informa-
tion:
Average Fuel Economy
Shows the average fuel economy since the last reset.
When the fuel economy is reset, the display will read
“RESET” or show dashes for two seconds. Then, the
history information will be erased, and the averaging will
continue from the last fuel average reading before the
reset.
Distance To Empty (DTE)
Shows the estimated distance that can be traveled with
the fuel remaining in the tank. This estimated distance is
determined by a weighted average of the instantaneous
and average fuel economy, according to the current fuel
tank level. DTE cannot be reset through the FUNCTION
SELECT button.
NOTE:Significant changes in driving style or vehicle
loading will greatly affect the actual drivable distance of
the vehicle, regardless of the DTE displayed value.
When the DTE value is less than 30 miles (48 km)
estimated driving distance, the DTE display will change
to a “LOW FUEL” message. This display will continue
until the vehicle runs out of fuel. Adding a significant
amount of fuel to the vehicle will turn off the “LOW
FUEL” message and a new DTE value will display.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 199
4

Trailer Towing........................ 369
▫Common Towing Definitions............ 369
▫Trailer Hitch Classification.............. 372
▫Trailer Towing Weights (Maximum Trailer
Weight Ratings)..................... 373
▫Trailer And Trailer Tongue Weight........ 375
▫Towing Requirements................. 376
▫Towing Tips........................ 381Snow Plow.......................... 382
Recreational Towing
(Behind Motorhome, Etc.)................ 382
▫Towing – 2WD Models................ 382
▫Towing — Quadra-Trac I(Single-Speed
Transfer Case) 4WD Models............. 383
▫Towing — Quadra–Trac II/Quadra–Drive
II4WD Models..................... 383
STARTING AND OPERATING 279
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 from
swaying. Always use caution when towing a trailer andfollow 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.
HSA (Hill Start Assist) (4WD Models With NV245
Two–Speed Transfer Case Only)
The HSA system is designed to assist the driver when
starting a vehicle from a stop on a hill. HSA will maintain
the level of brake pressure the driver applied for a short
320 STARTING AND OPERATING