should never attempt to cross flowing water which is
deeper than the vehicle’s running ground clearance. Even
the slowest current can push the heaviest vehicle down-
stream and out of control if the water is deep enough to
push on the large surface area of the vehicle’s body.
Before you proceed, determine the speed of the current,
the water’s depth, approach angle, bottom condition and
if there are any obstacles. Then cross at an angle heading
slightly upstream using the low and slow technique.
WARNING!
Never drive through fast moving deep water. It can
push your vehicle downstream, sweeping it out of
control. This could put you and your passengers at
risk of injury or drowning.
After Driving Off-Road
Off-road operation puts more stress on your vehicle than
does most on-road driving. After going off-road, it isalways a good idea to check for damage. That way you
can get any problems taken care of right away and have
your vehicle ready when you need it.
•Completely inspect the underbody of your vehicle.
Check tires, body structure, steering, suspension, and
exhaust system for damage.
•Inspect the radiator for mud and debris and clean as
required.
•Check threaded fasteners for looseness, particularly on
the chassis, drivetrain components, steering, and sus-
pension. Retighten them, if required, and torque to the
values specified in the Service Manual.
•Check for accumulations of plants or brush. These
things could be a fire hazard. They might hide damage
to fuel lines, brake hoses, axle pinion seals, and
propeller shafts.
312 STARTING AND OPERATING
If necessary, add fluid to restore to the proper indicated
level. With a clean cloth, wipe any spilled fluid from all
surfaces. Refer to “Fluids, Lubricants, and Genuine
Parts” in Section 7 for the correct fluid type.
PARKING BRAKE
NOTE:This vehicle is not equipped with a self-
adjusting parking brake system. Refer to the “Mainte-
nance Schedule” in Section 8 for the proper maintenance
intervals.
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 instru-
ment cluster will light. To release the parking brake, pull
up slightly, press the center button, then lower the lever
completely. NOTE:
The instrument cluster “Brake Warning Light”
indicates only that the parking brake is applied. You must
be sure the parking brake is fully applied before leaving
the vehicle.
Parking Brake
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STARTING AND OPERATING 315
computer to modulate hydraulic pressure to prevent
wheel lock-up and help avoid skidding on slippery
surfaces.
All vehicle wheels and tires must be the same size and
type, and tires must be properly inflated to produce
accurate signals for the computer.
WARNING!
Significant over or under-inflation of tires, or mixing
sizes of tires or wheels on the vehicle can lead to loss
of braking effectiveness.
The Anti-Lock Brake System conducts a low speed self-
test at about 12 mph (20 km/h). If for any reason your
foot is on the brake when the vehicle reaches 12 mph
(20 km/h), this check will be delayed until 25 mph
(40 km/h). The Anti-Lock Brake System pump motor runs during
the self-test, and during an ABS stop, to provide the
regulated hydraulic pressure. The motor pump makes a
low humming noise during operation; this is normal.
During off-road use, loss of traction can temporarily
defeat the system and cause the warning light to illumi-
nate. Turn the ignition to LOCK and ON again to restore
Anti-Lock Brake System function.WARNING!
•Pumping of the Anti-Lock Brakes will diminish
their effectiveness and may lead to an accident.
Pumping makes the stopping distance longer. Just
press firmly on your brake pedal when you need
to slow down or stop.
(Continued)
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•Gear selection matches vehicle uphill direction (i.e.,
vehicle facing uphill is in forward gear; vehicle back-
ing uphill is in REVERSE gear).
WARNING!
There may be situations on minor hills (i.e., less than
8%), with a loaded vehicle, or while pulling a trailer
where the system will not activate and slight rolling
may occur, which could cause a collision with an-
other vehicle or object. Always remember the driver
is responsible for braking the vehicle.
The system will only work if the intended direction of the
vehicle and vehicle gear match. For example, if the
intended direction is forward up a hill and the vehicle is
in DRIVE (automatic transmission equipped vehicle),
and the activation criteria are met, HSA will activate.
HSA on Automatic Transmission Vehicles
The system will work in REVERSE, and all forward gears
on vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission.
The system will not activate if the vehicle is placed in
NEUTRAL.
HSA on Manual Transmission Vehicles
The system will work in REVERSE, forward gears, and
NEUTRAL on manual transmission equipped vehicles.
The system does not recognize NEUTRAL on manual
vehicles, thus it will hold the vehicle on an incline for a
short period while in NEUTRAL, regardless of clutch
position. To prevent this, do not attempt to roll down a
hill simply by putting the transmission in NEUTRAL and
letting gravity act on the vehicle, as the HSA will prevent
the vehicle from rolling. Instead, use the appropriate gear
for moving in the desired direction.
322 STARTING AND OPERATING
WARNING!
Many factors, such as vehicle loading, road condi-
tions and driving conditions, influence the chance
that wheel lift or rollover may occur. Electronic Roll
Mitigation (ERM) cannot prevent all wheel lift or
rollovers, especially those that involve leaving the
roadway or striking objects or other vehicles. Only a
safe, attentive, and skillful driver can prevent acci-
dents. The capabilities of an ERM-equipped vehicle
must never be exploited in a reckless or dangerous
manner which could jeopardize the user’s safety or
the safety of others.
Electronic Stability Program (ESP)
This system enhances directional control and stability of
the vehicle under various driving conditions. The ESP
corrects for over/under steering of the vehicle by apply-
ing the brake of the appropriate wheel to assist incounteracting the over/under steer condition. Engine
power may also be reduced to help the vehicle maintain
the desired path.
ESP uses sensors in the vehicle to determine the vehicle
path intended by the driver and compares it to the actual
path of the vehicle. When the actual path does not match
the intended path, ESP applies the brake of the appropri-
ate wheel to assist in counteracting the oversteer or
understeer condition.
•Oversteer - when the vehicle is turning more than
appropriate for the steering wheel position.
•Understeer - when the vehicle is turning less than
appropriate for the steering wheel position.
The “ESP/TCS Indicator Light” (located in the instru-
ment cluster), starts to flash as soon as the tires lose
traction and the ESP system becomes active. The “ESP/
TCS Indicator Light” also flashes when TCS is active. If
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STARTING AND OPERATING 325
the “ESP/TCS Indicator Light” begins to flash during
acceleration, ease up on the accelerator and apply as little
throttle as possible. Be sure to adapt your speed and
driving to the prevailing road conditions.
WARNING!
The Electronic Stability Program (ESP) cannot pre-
vent the natural laws of physics from acting on the
vehicle, nor can it increase the traction afforded by
prevailing road conditions. The ESP 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 accidents. The capabilities of an
ESP-equipped vehicle must never be exploited in a
reckless or dangerous manner which could jeopar-
dize the user’s safety or the safety of others.The ESP system has three available operating modes in
4H range. The system has one operating mode in 4L
range. Two-wheel drive vehicles and four-wheel drive
vehicles in 2H range have two operating modes.
4H Range (4WD Models) or 2WD Models
On
This is the normal operating mode for ESP in 4H and
2WD vehicles. Whenever the vehicle is started or the
transfer case (if equipped) is shifted from 4L range or
NEUTRAL back to 4H range, the ESP system will be in
this mode. This mode should be used for most all driving
situations. The ESP should only be turned to “Partial Off”
or “Full Off” for specific reasons as noted below.
Partial Off
This mode is entered by momentarily pressing the ESP
OFF switch. When in
Partial Offmode, the TCS portion
of ESP has been disabled and the “ESP/TCS Indicator
Light” will be illuminated. All other stability features of
326 STARTING AND OPERATING
returns but TCS remains off. When the vehicle speed
drops below 35 mph (40 km/h), the ESP system shuts off.
The ESP is off at low vehicle speeds in 4L range so that it
will not interfere with off-road driving, but the ESP
function returns to provide the stability feature at speeds
above 40 mph (48 km/h). The “ESP/TCS Indicator
Light” will always be illuminated in 4L range when ESP
is off.
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 position other than PARK,
and then moved out of the PARK position. This will
occur even if the message was previously cleared.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.
Disabling ESP for Modified Vehicles (4WD Models
Only)
Vehicles modified with larger tires and/or suspension
lifts may experience early ESP activations as compared to
a non-modified production vehicle depending on lift
size, tire size, suspension changes and/or driving habits.
If early ESP activations are experienced while driving a
modified vehicle, the additional ability to permanently
turn off ESP is available. A steering wheel/ESP button
maneuver must be performed to permanently disable
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STARTING AND OPERATING 329
9. Turn the steering wheel back to center.
10. Press and hold the ESP OFF button for seven seconds.
11. Cycle the ignition key to OFF.
After performing the ESP disable procedure correctly,
“ESP OFF” will be displayed in the odometer for approxi-
mately 12 seconds each time the ignition is moved to ON.
Repeating the ESP disable procedure will re-enable nor-
mal ESP operation.
ESP/BAS Warning Light
The malfunction indicator lamp for the ESP is
combined with the BAS indicator. The “ESP/
BAS Warning Light” in the instrument cluster
comes on when the ignition switch is turned to
the “ON” position. It should go out with the engine
running. If the “ESP/BAS Warning Light” comes on continuously
with the engine running, a malfunction has been detected
in either the ESP or the BAS system, or both. If this light
remains on after several ignition cycles, and the vehicle
has been driven several miles/kilometers 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/BAS Warning Light” comes on momentarily
each 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.
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