2012 JEEP COMPASS Owners Manual

The electrical connections are all complete to the vehicle
but you must mate the harness to a trailer connector.
Refer to the following illustrations.
Four-Pin Connector
1 — Female Pins4 — Park
2 — Male Pin 5 — Left Stop/Turn
3 — Ground 6 — Right Stop/Turn
Seven-Pin Connector
1 — Battery5 — Ground
2 — Backup Lamps 6 — Left Stop/Turn
3 — Right Stop/Turn 7 — Running Lamps
4 — Electric Brakes
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 375

Towing Tips
Before setting out on a trip, practice turning, stopping
and backing the trailer in an area away from heavy
traffic.
Manual Transmission – If Equipped
If using a manual transmission vehicle for trailer towing,
all starts must be in first gear to avoid excessive clutch
slippage.
Automatic Transmission – If Equipped
The automatic transmission fluid and filter should be
changed if you REGULARLY tow a trailer for more than
45 minutes of continuous operation. Refer to “Mainte-
nance Schedule” for the proper maintenance intervals.
Electronic Speed Control – If Equipped

Do not use in hilly terrain or with heavy loads.
When using the speed control, if you experience speed
drops greater than 10 mph (16 km/h), disengage until
you can get back to cruising speed.
Use speed control in flat terrain and with light loads to
maximize fuel efficiency.
Cooling System
To reduce the potential for engine and transmission
overheating, take the following actions:
City Driving
When stopped for short periods of time, shift the trans-
mission into NEUTRAL but do not increase engine idle
speed.
Highway Driving
Reduce speed.
Air Conditioning
Turn off temporarily.
376 STARTING AND OPERATING

RECREATIONAL TOWING (BEHIND MOTORHOME, ETC.)
Towing Condition Wheels OFF the Ground Manual TransmissionAutomatic
Transmission
Flat Tow None
•Transmission in NEUTRAL
•Key in ACCNOT ALLOWED
Dolly Tow Front
NOT ALLOWED OK(FWD Only)
Rear NOT ALLOWED NOT ALLOWED
On Trailer AllOKOK
NOTE: Vehicles equipped with manual transmissions
may be recreationally towed (flat towed) at any legal
highway speed, for any distance, if the manual transmis-
sion is in NEUTRAL and the ignition key is in the ACC
position.
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STARTING AND OPERATING 377

CAUTION!
•Do not flat tow any vehicle equipped with an
automatic transmission. Damage to the drivetrain
will result. If these vehicles require towing, make
sure all drive wheels are off the ground.
•Front or rear wheel lifts should not be used.
Internal damage to the transmission or transfer
case will occur if a front or rear wheel lift is used
when recreational towing. The only exception is
that FWD (NOT 4WD) automatic transmission
models may be towed with the front wheels raised
on a dolly.
378 STARTING AND OPERATING

WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES
CONTENTS
Hazard Warning Flashers ................ 380
 If Your Engine Overheats ................ 380
 Automatic Transmission Overheating ....... 381
 Jacking And Tire Changing ............... 382
▫ Jack Location ....................... 383
▫ Spare Tire Stowage ................... 383
▫ Preparations For Jacking ............... 383
▫ Jacking Instructions ................... 384
▫ Road Tire Installation ................. 390 
Jump-Starting Procedures ................ 392
▫ Preparations For Jump-Start ............. 393
▫ Jump-Starting Procedure ............... 394
 Freeing A Stuck Vehicle ................. 396
 Shift Lever Override ................... 397
 Towing A Disabled Vehicle ............... 399
▫ With Ignition Key .................... 399
▫ Without The Ignition Key .............. 400
6

HAZARD WARNING FLASHERS
The Hazard Warning flasher switch is located on the
instrument panel, below the radio.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 action.
•On the highways — slow down.
•In city traffic — while stopped, place the transmission
in NEUTRAL, but do not increase 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.
•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.
380 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

CAUTION!
Driving with a hot cooling system could damage
your vehicle. If the pointer rises to the H (red) mark,
the instrument cluster will sound a chime. When
safe, pull over and stop the vehicle with the engine at
idle. Turn off the air conditioning and wait until the
pointer drops back into the normal range. If the
pointer remains on the H (red) mark for more than a
minute, 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.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION OVERHEATING
During sustained high speed driving or trailer towing up
long grades on hot days, the automatic transmission oil
may become too hot.If this happens, the transmission overheat in-
dicator light will come on, and the vehicle will
slow slightly until the automatic transmission
cools down enough to allow a return to the
requested speed. If the high speed is maintained, the
overheating may reoccur, as before, in a cyclic fashion.
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 381

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.
•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. If you need to get
under a raised vehicle, take it to a service center
where it can be raised on a lift.(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Never start or run the engine while the vehicle is
on a jack.
•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.
382 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES