2009 JEEP PATRIOT warning

Maintenance-Free Battery
The top of the maintenance-free battery is permanently
sealed. You will never have to add water, nor is periodic
maintenance required.
WARNING!
•Battery fluid is a corrosive acid solution and can
burn or even blind you. Don’t allow battery fluid
to contact your eyes, skin, or clothing. Don’t lean
over a battery when attaching clamps. If acid
splashes in eyes or on skin, flush the area imme-
diately with large amounts of water.
•Battery gas is flammable and explosive. Keep
flame or sparks away from the battery. Don’t use a
booster battery or any other booster source with an
output greater than 12 Volts. Don’t allow cable
clamps to touch each other.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Battery posts, terminals, and related accessories
contain lead and lead compounds. Wash hands
after handling.
•The battery in this vehicle has a vent hose that
should not be disconnected and should only be
replaced with a battery of the same type (vented).
CAUTION!
•It is essential when replacing the cables on the
battery that the positive cable is attached to the
positive post and the negative cable is attached to
the negative post. Battery posts are marked posi-
tive (+) and negative (-) and identified on the
battery case. Cable clamps should be tight on the
terminal posts and free of corrosion.
(Continued)
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 373
7

CAUTION! (Continued)
•If a “fast charger” is used while the battery is in
the vehicle, disconnect both vehicle battery cables
before connecting the charger to the battery. Do
not use a “fast charger” to provide starting voltage.
Air Conditioner Maintenance
For best possible performance, your air conditioner
should be checked and serviced by an authorized dealer
at the start of each warm season. This service should
include cleaning of the condenser fins and a performance
test. Drive belt tension should also be checked at this
time.
WARNING!
•Use only refrigerants and compressor lubricants
approved by the manufacturer for your air condi-
tioning system. Some unapproved refrigerants are
flammable and can explode, injuring you. Other
unapproved refrigerants or lubricants can cause
the system to fail, requiring costly repairs. Refer to
Section 3 of the Warranty Information Book for
further warranty information.
•The air conditioning system contains refrigerant
under high pressure. To avoid risk of personal
injury or damage to the system, adding refrigerant
or any repair requiring lines to be disconnected
should be done by an experienced repairman.
374 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE

Operation of the wipers on dry glass for long periods
may cause deterioration of the wiper blades. Always use
washer fluid when using the wipers to remove salt or dirt
from a dry windshield. Avoid using the wiper blades to
remove frost or ice from the windshield. Make sure that
they are not frozen to the glass before turning them on to
avoid damaging the blade. Keep the blade rubber out of
contact with petroleum products such as engine oil,
gasoline, etc.
Adding Washer Fluid
The washer fluid reservoir is located in the engine
compartment, and the fluid level should be checked at
regular intervals. Fill the reservoir with windshield
washer solvent only (not radiator antifreeze).
WARNING!
Commercially available windshield washer solvents
are flammable. They could ignite and burn you. Care
must be exercised when filling or working around
the washer solution.
Exhaust System
The best protection against carbon monoxide entry into
the vehicle body is a properly maintained engine exhaust
system.
If you notice a change in the sound of the exhaust system,
or if exhaust fumes can be detected inside the vehicle or
when the underside or rear of the vehicle is damaged,
have a competent technician inspect the complete ex-
haust system and adjacent body areas for broken, dam-
aged, deteriorated, or mispositioned parts. Open seams
or loose connections could permit exhaust fumes to seep
into the passenger compartment. In addition, inspect the
376 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE

exhaust system each time the vehicle is raised for an oil
change or lubrication. Replace as required.
WARNING!
Exhaust gases can injure or kill. They contain carbon
monoxide (CO) which is colorless and odorless.
Breathing it can make you unconscious and can
eventually poison you. To avoid breathing CO, refer
to “Exhaust Gas” in the Safety Tips section of this
manual.
The catalytic converter requires the use of unleaded fuel
only. Leaded gasoline will destroy the effectiveness of the
catalyst as an emission control device.Under normal operating conditions, the catalytic con-
verter will not require maintenance. However, it is im-
portant to keep the engine properly tuned to assure
proper catalyst operation and prevent possible catalyst
damage.
CAUTION!
Damage to the catalytic converter can result if your
vehicle is not kept in proper operating condition. In
the event of engine malfunction, particularly involv-
ing engine misfire or other apparent loss of perfor-
mance, have your vehicle serviced promptly. Contin-
ued operation of your vehicle with a severe
malfunction could cause the converter to overheat,
resulting in possible damage to the converter and the
vehicle.
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 377
7

WARNING!
A hot exhaust system can start a fire if you park over
materials that can burn. Such materials might be
grass or leaves coming into contact with your exhaust
system. Do not park or operate your vehicle in areas
where your exhaust system can contact anything that
can burn.
In unusual situations involving grossly malfunctioning
engine operation, a scorching odor may suggest severe
and abnormal catalyst overheating. If this occurs, stop
the vehicle, turn off the engine and allow it to cool.
Service, including a tune up to manufacturers specifica-
tions, should be obtained immediately.To minimize the possibility of catalyst damage:•Do not shut off the engine or interrupt the ignition
when the transaxle is in gear and the vehicle is in
motion.
•Do not try to start the engine by pushing or towing the
vehicle.
•Do not idle the engine with any spark plug wires
disconnected for a prolonged period.
Cooling System
WARNING!
•When working near the radiator cooling fan, dis-
connect the fan motor lead or turn the ignition
switch to the OFF position. The fan is temperature
controlled and can start at any time the ignition
switch is in the ON position.
(Continued)
378 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING! (Continued)
•You or others can be badly burned by hot coolant
or steam from your radiator. If you see or hear
steam coming from under the hood, do not open
the hood until the radiator has had time to cool.
Never try to open a cooling system pressure cap
when the radiator is hot.
Coolant Checks
Check engine coolant (antifreeze) protection every
12 months (before the onset of freezing weather, where
applicable). If the engine coolant (antifreeze) is dirty or
rusty in appearance, the system should be drained,
flushed and refilled with fresh engine coolant (anti-
freeze). Check the front of the A/C condenser for any
accumulation of bugs, leaves, etc. If dirty, clean by gently
spraying water from a garden hose vertically down the
face of the condenser.Check the coolant recovery bottle tubing for brittle rub-
ber, cracking, tears, cuts and tightness of the connection
at the bottle and radiator. Inspect the entire system for
leaks.
Cooling System — Drain, Flush And Refill
Refer to the “Maintenance Schedule” in Section 8 for
proper maintenance intervals.
If the engine coolant (antifreeze) is dirty or contains a
considerable amount of sediment, clean and flush with a
reliable cooling system cleaner. Follow with a thorough
rinsing to remove all deposits and chemicals. Properly
dispose of old engine coolant (antifreeze).
Selection Of Coolant
Refer to “Fluids, Lubricants, and Genuine Parts” in this
section for the correct fluid type.
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 379
7

When adding engine coolant (antifreeze), a minimum
solution of 50% recommended MOPARAntifreeze/
Coolant 5 Year/100,000 Mile Formula HOAT (Hybrid
Organic Additive Technology), or equivalent, in water
should be used. Use higher concentrations (not to exceed
70%) if temperatures below34°F (37°C) are antici-
pated.
Use only high purity water such as distilled or deionized
water when mixing the water/engine coolant (antifreeze)
solution. The use of lower quality water will reduce the
amount of corrosion protection in the engine cooling system.
Please note that it is the owner’s responsibility to main-
tain the proper level of protection against freezing ac-
cording to the temperatures occurring in the area where
the vehicle is operated.
NOTE:Mixing engine coolant (antifreeze) types will
decrease the life of the engine coolant (antifreeze) and
will require more frequent coolant changes.
Cooling System Pressure Cap
The cap must be fully tightened to prevent loss of engine
coolant (antifreeze) and to ensure that engine coolant
(antifreeze) will return to the radiator from the coolant
recovery bottle.
The cap should be inspected and cleaned if there is any
accumulation of foreign material on the sealing surfaces.
WARNING!
•The warning words “DO NOT OPEN HOT” on the
cooling system pressure cap are a safety precaution.
Never add engine coolant (antifreeze) when the
engine is overheated. Do not loosen or remove the
cap to cool an overheated engine. Heat causes
pressure to build up in the cooling system. To
prevent scalding or injury, do not remove the pres-
sure cap while the system is hot or under pressure.
(Continued)
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 381
7

WARNING! (Continued)
•Do not use a pressure cap other than the one
specified for your vehicle. Personal injury or en-
gine damage may result.
Disposal Of Used Engine Coolant
Used ethylene glycol-based engine coolant (antifreeze) is
a regulated substance requiring proper disposal. Check
with your local authorities to determine the disposal
rules for your community. To prevent ingestion by ani-
mals or children do not store ethylene glycol-based
engine coolant (antifreeze) in open containers or allow it
to remain in puddles on the ground. If ingested by a
child, contact a physician immediately. Clean up any
ground spills immediately.
Coolant Level
The coolant bottle provides a quick visual method for
determining that the coolant level is adequate. With the
engine idling and warm to normal operating tempera-
ture, the level of the engine coolant (antifreeze) in the
bottle should be between the “ADD” and “FULL” lines
shown on the bottle.
The radiator normally remains completely full, so there is
no need to remove the radiator cap unless checking for
the coolant freeze point or replacing the engine coolant
(antifreeze). Advise your service attendant of this. As
long as the engine operating temperature is satisfactory,
the coolant bottle need only be checked once a month.
When additional engine coolant (antifreeze) is needed to
maintain the proper level, it should be added to the
coolant bottle. Do not overfill.
382 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE