2012 JEEP LIBERTY brake light

lower gear than necessary to maintain headway. Over-
revving the engine can spin the wheels and traction will
be lost.
Avoid abrupt downshifts on icy or slippery roads be-
cause engine braking may cause skidding and loss of
control.
Hill Climbing
NOTE:Before attempting to climb a hill, determine the
conditions at the crest and/or on the other side.
Before climbing a steep hill, shift the transmission to a
lower gear and shift the transfer case to 4WD LOW. Use
first gear and 4WD LOW for very steep hills.
If you stall or begin to lose headway while climbing a
steep hill, allow your vehicle to come to a stop and
immediately apply the brakes. Restart the engine and
shift to REVERSE. Back slowly down the hill allowing the
compression braking of the engine to help regulate your speed. If the brakes are required to control vehicle speed,
apply them lightly and avoid locking or skidding the
tires.
WARNING!
If the engine stalls or you lose headway or cannot
make it to the top of a steep hill or grade, never
attempt to turn around. To do so may result in
tipping and rolling the vehicle. Always back straight
down a hill in REVERSE gear carefully. Never back
down a hill in NEUTRAL using only the brake.
Remember, never drive diagonally across a hill - drive
straight up or down.
If the wheels start to slip as you approach the crest of a
hill, ease off the accelerator and maintain headway by
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 347

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 “Maintaining Your Vehicle” for further
information.
PARKING BRAKE
Before leaving the vehicle, make sure that the parking
brake is fully applied. Also, be certain to leave the
transmission in PARK.
The parking brake lever is located in the center console.
To apply the parking brake, pull the lever up as firmly as
possible. To release the parking brake, pull the lever up
slightly, press the center button, then lower the lever
completely.When the parking brake is applied with the ignition
switch ON, the “Brake Warning Light” in the instrument
cluster will illuminate.
Parking Brake
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 351

NOTE:
•When the parking brake is applied and the transmis-
sion is placed in gear, the “Brake Warning Light” will
flash. If vehicle speed is detected, a chime will sound
to alert the driver. Fully release the parking brake
before attempting to move the vehicle.
•This light only shows that the parking brake is ap-
plied. It does not show the degree of brake application.
When parking on a hill, it is important to turn the front
wheels toward the curb on a downhill grade and away
from the curb on an uphill grade. 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. The
parking brake should always be applied whenever the
driver is not in the vehicle.
WARNING!
•Never use the PARK position as a substitute for
the parking brake. Always apply the parking
brake fully when parked to guard against vehicle
movement and possible injury or damage.
•When leaving the vehicle, always remove the key
fob from the ignition and lock your vehicle.
•Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Allowing children
to be in a vehicle unattended is dangerous for a
number of reasons. A child or others could be
seriously or fatally injured. Children should be
warned not to touch the parking brake, brake
pedal or the shift lever. (Continued)
352 STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING! (Continued)
•Be sure the parking brake is fully disengaged
before driving; failure to do so can lead to brake
failure and a collision.
•Always fully apply the parking brake when leav-
ing your vehicle or it may roll and cause damage or
injury. Also, be certain to leave the transmission in
PARK. Failure to do so may cause the vehicle to
roll and cause damage or injury.
CAUTION!
If the “Brake Warning Light” remains on with the
parking brake released, a brake system malfunction
is indicated. Have the brake system serviced by an
authorized dealer immediately.
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.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 353

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.
WARNING!
•Pumping of the Anti-Lock Brakes will diminish
their effectiveness and may lead to a collision.
Pumping makes the stopping distance longer. Just
press firmly on your brake pedal when you need
to slow down or stop.(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•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 collisions, including
those resulting from excessive speed in turns,
following another vehicle too closely, or hydro-
planing.
•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.
354 STARTING AND OPERATING

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 a
collision or serious personal injury.
Towing With HSA
HSA will provide assistance during acceleration on an
incline while towing a trailer.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 359

3. Apply the parking brake.
4. Start the engine.
5. Rotate the steering wheel one-half turn to the left.
6. Press the “ESC Off” button located in the lower switch
bank below the climate control four times within twenty
seconds. The “ESC Off Indicator Light” should turn on
and turn off two times.
7. Rotate the steering wheel back to center and then an
additional one-half turn to the right.
8. Turn the ignition switch to the OFF position and then
back to the ON position. If the sequence was completed
properly, the “ESC Off Indicator Light” will blink several
times to confirm HSA is disabled.
9. Repeat these steps if you want to return this feature to
its previous setting.Hill Descent Control (HDC) – If Equipped
HDC is only intended for low speed off-road driving.
HDC maintains vehicle speed while descending hills in
off-road driving conditions by applying the brakes when
necessary.
When enabled, HDC senses the terrain and activates
when the vehicle is descending a hill. HDC speed may be
adjusted by the driver to suit the driving conditions. The
speed corresponds to the transmission gear selected.
GearApproximate HDC Set
Speed
1st 1 mph (1.5 km/h)
2nd 3 mph (4.5 km/h)
DRIVE 7.5 mph (12 km/h)
REVERSE 1 mph (1.5 km/h)
NEUTRAL 3 mph (4.5 km/h)
However, the driver can override HDC operation by
applying the brake to slow the vehicle down below the5
STARTING AND OPERATING 361

HDC control speed. If more speed is desired during HDC
control, the accelerator pedal will increase vehicle speed
in the usual manner. When either the brake or the
accelerator is released, HDC will control the vehicle at the
original set speed.
NOTE:HDC is available on vehicles equipped with the
MP1522 transfer case.
•The transfer case must be in 4WD LOW range to
enable HDC.
•HDC is enabled only when the “Hill Descent Control
Indicator Light” in the instrument cluster is on solid.
•HDC will NOT activate when the automatic transmis-
sion is in PARK.
•HDC will NOT activate on level ground.
•HDC will NOT activate at vehicle speeds above
30 mph (50 km/h). The “Hill Descent” button is located in the lower switch
bank below the climate control.
Enabling HDC
1. Shift the transfer case into 4WD LOW range. Refer to
“Four-Wheel Drive Operation” in “Starting and Operat-
ing” for further information.
Hill Descent Button
362 STARTING AND OPERATING