2011 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE warning

WARNING! (Continued)
•Make certain that the load is secured in the trailer
and will not shift during travel. When trailering
cargo that is not fully secured, dynamic load shifts
can occur that may be difficult for the driver to
control. You could lose control of your vehicle and
have a collision.
•When hauling cargo or towing a trailer, do not
overload your vehicle or trailer. Overloading can
cause a loss of control, poor performance or dam-
age to brakes, axle, engine, transmission, steering,
suspension, chassis structure or tires.
•Safety chains must always be used between your
vehicle and trailer. Always connect the chains to
the hook retainers of the vehicle hitch. Cross the
chains under the trailer tongue and allow enough
slack for turning corners.(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Vehicles with trailers should not be parked on a
grade. When parking, apply the parking brake on
the tow vehicle. Put the tow vehicle transmission
in PARK. For four-wheel drive vehicles, make sure
the transfer case is not in NEUTRAL. Always,
block orchockthe trailer wheels.
•GCWR must not be exceeded.
•Total weight must be distributed between the tow
vehicle and the trailer such that the following four
ratings are not exceeded:
1. GVWR
2. GTW
3. GAWR
4. Trailer tongue weight rating for the trailer hitch
utilized (This requirement may limit the ability to
always achieve the 10% to 15% range of tongue
weight as a percentage of total trailer weight).5
STARTING AND OPERATING 447

CAUTION!
If the trailer weighs more than 1,000 lbs (454 kg)
loaded, it should have its own brakes and they
should be of adequate capacity. Failure to do this
could lead to accelerated brake lining wear, higher
brake pedal effort, and longer stopping distances.
WARNING!
•Do not connect trailer brakes to your vehicle’s
hydraulic brake lines. It can overload your brake
system and cause it to fail. You might not have
brakes when you need them and could have a
collision.(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Towing any trailer will increase your stopping
distance. When towing, you should allow for ad-
ditional space between your vehicle and the ve-
hicle in front of you. Failure to do so could result
in a collision.
Towing Requirements – Trailer Lights and Wiring
Whenever you pull a trailer, regardless of the trailer size,
stop lights and turn signals on the trailer are required for
motoring safety.
The Trailer Tow Package includes a seven–pin connector
at the rear of the vehicle and a four-pin harness located
under the rear bumper. The four-pin harness must be
unclipped before use. Use a factory-approved trailer
harness and connector.5
STARTING AND OPERATING 449

Cooling System
To reduce potential for engine and transmission over-
heating, take the following actions:
City Driving
When stopped for short periods of time, shift the trans-
mission into NEUTRAL and increase engine idle speed.
Highway Driving
Reduce speed.
Air Conditioning
Turn off temporarily.
SNOW PLOW
Snow plows, winches, and other aftermarket equipment
should notbe added to the front end of your vehicle. The
airbag crash sensors may be affected by the change in the
front end structure. The airbags could deploy unexpect-
edly or could fail to deploy during a collision.
WARNING!
Do not add a snow plow, winches, or any other
aftermarket equipment to the front of your vehicle.
This could adversely affect the functioning of the
airbag system and you could be injured.
452 STARTING AND OPERATING

CAUTION! (Continued)
•Do not use a bumper-mounted clamp-on tow bar
on your vehicle. The bumper face bar will be
damaged.
Shifting Into NEUTRAL (N)
WARNING!
You or others could be injured if you leave the
vehicle unattended with the transfer case in the
NEUTRAL (N) position without first fully engaging
the parking brake. The transfer case NEUTRAL (N)
position disengages both the front and rear drive-
shafts from the powertrain and will allow the vehicle
to move, even if the transmission is in PARK. The
parking brake should always be applied when the
driver is not in the vehicle.Use the following procedure to prepare your vehicle for
recreational towing.
CAUTION!
It is necessary to follow these steps to be certain that
the transfer case is fully in NEUTRAL (N) before
recreational towing to prevent damage to internal
parts.
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop and shift the
transmission to PARK.
2. Turn OFF the ignition.
3. For vehicles with Keyless Enter-N-Go, remove the
Keyless Enter-N-Go button and use the key fob to
complete this procedure. Refer to “Starting Procedures/
Keyless Enter-N-Go” in “Starting and Operating” for
further information.
456 STARTING AND OPERATING

WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES
CONTENTS
Hazard Warning Flashers ................ 462
 If Your Engine Overheats ................ 462
 Jacking And Tire Changing ............... 463
▫ Jack Location ....................... 464
▫ Spare Tire Stowage ................... 464
▫ Preparations For Jacking ............... 465
▫ Jacking Instructions ................... 466 
Jump-Starting ........................ 471
▫ Preparations For Jump-Start ............. 472
▫ Jump-Starting Procedure ............... 473
 Emergency Tow Hooks — If Equipped ...... 475
 Shift Lever Override ................... 476
 Towing A Disabled Vehicle ............... 477
▫ Towing Without The Ignition Key FOB ..... 479
▫ Two-Wheel Drive Models .............. 479
▫ Four-Wheel Drive Vehicles .............. 480
6

HAZARD WARNING FLASHERS
The Hazard Warning flasher switch is located on the
switch bank just above the climate controls.Press the switch to turn on the Hazard Warning
flasher. When the switch is activated, all directional
turn signals will flash on and off to warn oncoming
traffic of an emergency. Press the switch a second time to
turn off the Hazard Warning flashers.
This is an emergency warning system and it should not
be used when the vehicle is in motion. Use it when your
vehicle is disabled and it is creating a safety hazard for
other motorists.
When you must leave the vehicle to seek assistance, the
Hazard Warning flashers will continue to operate even
though the ignition is placed in the OFF position.
NOTE: With extended use the Hazard Warning flashers
may wear down your battery.
IF YOUR ENGINE OVERHEATS
In any of the following situations, you can reduce the
potential for overheating by taking the appropriate ac-
tion.
•On the highways — slow down.
•In city traffic — while stopped, place the transmission
in NEUTRAL, but do not increase the engine idle
speed.
NOTE: There are steps that you can take to slow down
an impending overheat condition:
•If your air conditioner (A/C) is on, turn it off. The A/C
system adds heat to the engine cooling system and
turning the A/C off can help remove this heat.
462 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

•You can also turn the temperature control to maximum
heat, the mode control to floor and the blower control
to high. This allows the heater core to act as a
supplement to the radiator and aids in removing heat
from the engine cooling system.
CAUTION!
Driving with a hot cooling system could damage
your vehicle. If the temperature gauge reads HOT
(H), pull over and stop the vehicle. Idle the vehicle
with the air conditioner turned off until the pointer
drops back into the normal range. If the pointer
remains on HOT (H), and you hear continuous
chimes, turn the engine off immediately and call for
service.
WARNING!
You or others can be badly burned by hot engine
coolant (antifreeze) 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 or coolant bottle is hot.
JACKING AND TIRE CHANGING
WARNING!
•Do not attempt to change a tire on the side of the
vehicle close to moving traffic. Pull far enough off
the road to avoid the danger of being hit when
operating the jack or changing the wheel.(Continued)
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 463

WARNING! (Continued)
•Being under a jacked-up vehicle is dangerous. The
vehicle could slip off the jack and fall on you. You
could be crushed. Never put any part of your body
under a vehicle that is on a jack.
•Never start or run the engine while the vehicle is
on a jack. If you need to get under a raised vehicle,
take it to a service center where it can be raised on
a lift.
•The jack is designed to be used as a tool for
changing tires only. The jack should not be used to
lift the vehicle for service purposes. The vehicle
should be jacked on a firm level surface only.
Avoid ice or slippery areas.
Jack Location
The scissor-type jack and tire changing tools are located
in rear cargo area, below the load floor.
Spare Tire Stowage
The spare tire is stowed under the load floor in the rear
cargo area and is secured to the body with a special wing
nut.
Jack Storage Location
464 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES