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WARNING!
Failure to engage a position completely can cause
transfer case damage or loss of power and vehicle
control. You could have a collision. Do not drive the
vehicle unless the transfer case is fully engaged.
TRAC-LOKREAR AXLE — IF EQUIPPED
The Trac-Lok rear axle provides a constant driving force
to both rear wheels and reduces wheel spin caused by the
loss of traction at one driving wheel. If traction differs
between the two rear wheels, the differential automati-
cally proportions the usable torque by providing more
torque to the wheel that has traction. Trac-Lok
is especially helpful during slippery driving
conditions. With both rear wheels on a slippery surface, a
slight application of the accelerator will supply maxi-
mum traction.
WARNING!
On vehicles equipped with a limited-slip differen-
tial, never run the engine with one rear wheel off the
ground. The vehicle may drive through the rear
wheel remaining on the ground and cause you to lose
control of your vehicle.
432 STARTING AND OPERATING
, Q I R U P D W L R Q 3 U R Y L G H G E \
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If You Stall Or Begin To Lose Headway
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 brake. Restart the engine and shift
into REVERSE. Back slowly down the hill allowing
engine braking to control the descent and apply your
brakes, if necessary, but do not allow the tires to lock.
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, which may result in severe injury.
Always back carefully straight down a hill in RE-
VERSE. Never back down a hill in NEUTRAL using
only the vehicle brakes. Never drive diagonally across
a hill, always drive straight up or down. Driving Through Water
Extreme care should be taken crossing any type of water.
Water crossings should be avoided, if possible, and only
be attempted when necessary in a safe, responsible
manner. You should only drive through areas which are
designated and approved. You should tread lightly and
avoid damage to the environment. You should know
your vehicle’s abilities and be able to recover it if
something goes wrong. You should never stop or shut a
vehicle off when crossing deep water unless you ingested
water into the engine air intake. If the engine stalls, do
not attempt to restart it. Determine if it has ingested
water first. The key to any crossing is low and slow. Shift
into first gear (manual transmission), or DRIVE (auto-
matic transmission), with the transfer case in the 4L
(Low) position and proceed very slowly with a constant
slow speed {3 to 5 mph (5 to 8 km/h) maximum} and
light throttle. Keep the vehicle moving; do not try to446 STARTING AND OPERATING
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accelerate through the crossing. After crossing any water
higher than the bottom of the axle differentials, you
should inspect all of the vehicle fluids for signs of water
ingestion.
CAUTION!• Water ingestion into the axles, transmission, trans-
fer case, engine or vehicle interior can occur if you
drive too fast or through too deep of water. Water
can cause permanent damage to engine, driveline
or other vehicle components, and your brakes will
be less effective once wet and/or muddy.
• This vehicle is capable of crossing through water at
a depth of 30 inches (76 cm) at speeds no greater
than 5 mph (8 km/h). Water ingestion can occur
causing damage to your vehicle. Before You Cross Any Type Of Water
As you approach any type of water, you need to deter-
mine if you can cross it safely and responsibly. If neces-
sary, get out and walk through the water or probe it with
a stick. You need to be sure of its depth, approach angle,
current and bottom condition. Be careful of murky or
muddy waters; check for hidden obstacles. Make sure
you will not be intruding on any wildlife, and you can
recover the vehicle if necessary. The key to a safe crossing
is the water depth, current and bottom conditions. On
soft bottoms, the vehicle will sink in, effectively increas-
ing the water level on the vehicle. Be sure to consider this
when determining the depth and the ability to safely
cross.
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WARNING!Abrasive material in any part of the brakes may cause
excessive wear or unpredictable braking. You might
not have full braking power when you need it to
prevent a collision. If you have been operating your
vehicle in dirty conditions, get your brakes checked
and cleaned as necessary.
• If you experience unusual vibration after driving in
mud, slush or similar conditions, check the wheels for
impacted material. Impacted material can cause a
wheel imbalance and freeing the wheels of it will
correct the situation. POWER STEERING
The standard power steering system will give you good
vehicle response and increased ease of maneuverability
in tight spaces. The system will provide mechanical
steering capability if power assist is lost.
If for some reason the power assist is interrupted, it will
still be possible to steer your vehicle. Under these condi-
tions, you will observe a substantial increase in steering
effort, especially at very low vehicle speeds and during
parking maneuvers.
NOTE:
• Increased noise levels at the end of the steering wheel
travel are considered normal and do not indicate that
there is a problem with the power steering system.450 STARTING AND OPERATING
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WARNING! (Continued)another vehicle or object. To avoid this, do not apply
throttle while pressing the clutch pedal until you are
ready to release the clutch. Always remember the
driver is responsible for braking the vehicle.
HSA Activation Criteria
The following criteria must be met in order for HSA to
activate:
• Vehicle must be stopped
• Vehicle must be on an 8% or greater incline (3% for
manual transmission equipped vehicles)
• 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.
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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. Towing With HSA
HSA will provide assistance when starting on a grade
when pulling a trailer.
WARNING!• If you use a trailer brake controller with your
trailer, your trailer brakes may be activated and
deactivated with the brake switch. If so, when the
brake pedal is released, there may not be enough
brake pressure to hold the vehicle and trailer on a
hill and this could cause a collision with another
vehicle or object behind you. In order to avoid
rolling down the hill while resuming acceleration,
manually activate the trailer brake prior to releas-
ing the brake pedal. Always remember the driver is
responsible for braking the vehicle. (Continued)460 STARTING AND OPERATING
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WARNING! (Continued)• HSA is not a parking brake. Always apply the
parking brake fully when leaving your vehicle.
Also, be certain to leave the transmission in PARK.
Failure to follow these warnings may cause the
vehicle to roll down the incline and could collide
with another vehicle, object or person, and cause
serious or fatal injury. Always remember to use the
parking brake while parking on a hill and that the
driver is responsible for braking the vehicle.
NOTE: The HSA system may also be turned on and off if
the vehicle is equipped with the Electronic Vehicle Infor-
mation Center (EVIC). Refer to “Electronic Vehicle Infor-
mation Center (EVIC)” in “Understanding Your Instru-
ment Panel” for further information. HSA Off
If you wish to turn off the HSA system, follow this
procedure:
1. Start with the engine off and vehicle in PARK (auto-
matic transmission) or NEUTRAL with clutch out
(manual transmission) with wheels straight. Apply
parking brake on manual transmission vehicle.
2. Start the engine.
3. With the engine running, the brake applied, and the
clutch out, rotate the steering wheel 180° counterclock-
wise from center.
4. Press the ESC OFF switch four times within twenty
seconds.
5. Rotate the steering wheel 360° clockwise (180° clock-
wise from center).
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6. Cycle ignition switch OFF then ON.
7. If the sequence was completed properly, the “ESC
Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light” will blink
several times to confirm HSA is off.
Steps 1-7 must be completed within 90 seconds to turn off
HSA. Repeat steps 1-7 to re-enable HSA functionality.
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 applies the
appropriate brake and may reduce engine power to
lessen the chance that wheel lift will occur. ERM will only
intervene during very severe or evasive driving maneu-
vers. Electronic Roll Mitigation (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: Anytime the ESC system is in the “Full Off”
mode, ERM is disabled. 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. The (Continued)462 STARTING AND OPERATING