2010 JEEP LIBERTY Owners Manual

NOTE:The “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.
Be sure the parking brake is firmly set when parked, and
the shift lever is in the PARK position. When parking on
a hill, you should apply the parking brake before placing the shift lever in PARK. Otherwise, the load on the
transmission locking mechanism may make it difficult to
move the shift lever out of PARK.
WARNING!
•Always apply the parking brake fully when leav-
ing your vehicle or it may roll and cause damage or
injury. Also, be certain to leave the transmission in
the PARK position. Failure to do so may allow the
vehicle to roll and cause damage or injury.
•Leaving unattended children in a vehicle is dan-
gerous for a number of reasons. A child or others
could be injured. Do not leave the keys in the
ignition. A child could operate power windows,
other controls, or move the vehicle.
•Be sure the parking brake is fully disengaged before
driving, failure to do so can lead to brake problems
due to excessive heating of the rear brakes.Parking Brake
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When parking on a hill, turn the front wheels toward the
curb on a downhill grade and away from the curb on an
uphill grade.
The parking brake should always be applied whenever
the driver is not in the vehicle.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM
The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) is designed to aid the
driver in maintaining vehicle control under adverse
braking conditions. The system operates with a separate
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 ABS conducts a low-speed self-test at about 12 mph
(20 km/h). If you have your foot lightly on the brake
while this test is occurring, you may feel slight pedal
movement. The movement can be more apparent on ice
and snow. This is normal.
The ABS pump motor runs during the self-test at 12 mph
(20 km/h) and during an ABS stop. The pump motor
makes a low humming noise during operation, which is
normal.
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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.
•The ABS cannot prevent the natural laws of phys-
ics from acting on the vehicle, nor can it increase
braking or steering efficiency beyond that af-
forded by the condition of the vehicle brakes and
tires or the traction afforded.
•The ABS cannot prevent accidents, including
those resulting from excessive speed in turns,
following another vehicle too closely, or hydro-
planing. Only a safe, attentive, and skillful driver
can prevent accidents.(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•The capabilities of an ABS equipped vehicle must
never be exploited in a reckless or dangerous
manner, which could jeopardize the user’s safety
or the safety of others.
CAUTION!
The ABS is subject to possible detrimental effects of
electronic interference caused by improperly in-
stalled aftermarket radios or telephones.
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.
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•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 canbuild 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.
ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEM
Your vehicle is equipped with an advanced electronic
brake control system commonly referred to as ESC. This
system includes Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), Traction
Control System (TCS), Brake Assist System (BAS), Hill
Start Assist (HSA), Electronic Roll Mitigation (ERM), and
Electronic Stability Control (ESC). These systems work
together to enhance both vehicle stability and control in
various driving conditions.
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Two additional electronic brake control system options
are Hill Descent Control (HDC) and Trailer Sway Control
(TSC). Your vehicle may be equipped with one or both of
these options.
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
This system aids the driver in maintaining vehicle control
under adverse braking conditions. The system controls
hydraulic brake pressure to prevent wheel lock-up to
help avoid skidding on slippery surfaces during braking.
Refer to “Anti-Lock Brake System” in Section 5 of this
manual for more information about ABS.
WARNING!
The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) cannot prevent
the natural laws of physics from acting on the ve-
hicle, nor can it increase the traction afforded by
prevailing road conditions. ABS cannot prevent acci-
dents, including 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.
Traction Control System (TCS)
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 and
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stability. 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 ESC are in
the “Partial Off” mode or the “Full Off” mode. Refer to
“Electronic Stability Control (ESC)” in this section for
more information.
Brake Assist System (BAS)
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 thebenefit of the system, you must apply continuous brak-
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!
The Brake Assist System (BAS) cannot prevent the
natural laws of physics from acting on the vehicle,
nor can it increase the traction afforded by prevailing
road conditions. BAS 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 a BAS-
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.
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Electronic Roll Mitigation (ERM)
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’s speed
are sufficient to potentially cause wheel lift, it then
applies the appropriate brake 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 road-
way, or striking objects or other vehicles.
NOTE:ERM is disabled anytime the ESC is in “Full Off”
mode. Refer to Electronic Stability Control (ESC) for a
complete explanation of the available ESC modes.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.
Hill Start Assist (HSA)
The HSA system is designed to help the driver accelerate
the vehicle from a complete stop while on an incline. If
the driver releases the brake while stopped on an incline,
HSA will continue to hold the brake pressure for a short
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period. If the driver does not apply the throttle before this
time expires, the system will release brake pressure and
the vehicle will roll down the hill as normal. The system
will release brake pressure in proportion to amount of
throttle applied.
The following conditions must be met in order for HSA to
activate:
•The vehicle must be stopped.
•The vehicle must be on a 7% or greater incline.
•The gear selection must match vehicle uphill direction
(i.e., vehicle facing uphill is in forward gear; vehicle
backing uphill is in REVERSE gear).
•For vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission,
the HSA will work in REVERSE gear and all forward
gears. The system will not activate if the transmission
is in PARK.
WARNING!
There may be situations where the Hill Start Assist
(HSA) will not activate and slight rolling may occur,
such as on minor hills (i.e., less than 7%), or with a
loaded vehicle, or while pulling a trailer. HSA is not
a substitute for active driving involvement. It is
always the driver ’s responsibility to be attentive to
distance to other vehicles, people, and objects, and
most importantly brake operation to ensure safe
operation of the vehicle under all road conditions.
Your complete attention is always required while
driving to maintain safe control of your vehicle.
Failure to follow these warnings can result in an
accident or serious personal injury.
Towing with HSA
HSA will provide assistance during acceleration on an
incline while towing a trailer.
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