2015 JEEP COMPASS Owners Manual

CAUTION!
Failure to follow these procedures could result in
damage to the charging system of the booster vehicle
or the discharged vehicle.
NOTE:Remove Air Intake before proceeding with this
Jump-Starting procedure.
Connecting The Jumper Cables
1. Connect the positive(+)end of the jumper cable to the
positive(+)post of the discharged vehicle.
2. Connect the opposite end of the positive(+)jumper
cable to the positive(+)post of the booster battery.
3. Connect the negative end(-)of the jumper cable to the
negative(-)post of the booster battery.
4. Connect the opposite end of the negative(-)jumper
cable to a good engine ground (exposed metal part of
the discharged vehicle’s engine) away from the battery
and the fuel injection system.
WARNING!
Do not connect the jumper cable to the negative (-) post
of the discharged battery. The resulting electrical spark
could cause the battery to explode and could result in
personal injury. Only use the specific ground point, do
not use any other exposed metal parts.
5.Start the engine in the vehicle that has the booster
battery, let the engine idle a few minutes, and then start
the engine in the vehicle with the discharged battery.
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WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 455

6. Once the engine is started, remove the jumper cables
in the reverse sequence:
Disconnecting The Jumper Cables
1. Disconnect the negative(-)end of the jumper cable
from the engine ground of the vehicle with the dis-
charged battery.
2. Disconnect the opposite end of the negative(-)jumper
cable from the negative(-)post of the booster battery.
3. Disconnect the positive(+)end of the jumper cable
from the positive(+)post of the booster battery.
4. Disconnect the opposite end of the positive(+)jumper
cable from the positive(+)post of the vehicle with the
discharged battery.
5. Reinstall the air intake duct.
If frequent jump-starting is required to start your vehicle
you should have the battery and charging system in-
spected at your authorized dealer.
CAUTION!
Accessories plugged into the vehicle power outlets
draw power from the vehicle’s battery, even when not
in use (i.e., cellular phones, etc.). Eventually, if
plugged in long enough without engine operation,
the vehicle’s battery will discharge sufficiently to
degrade battery life and/or prevent the engine from
starting.
456 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE
If your vehicle becomes stuck in mud, sand or snow, it can
often be moved using a rocking motion. Turn the steering
wheel right and left to clear the area around the front
wheels. Then shift back and forth between DRIVE and
REVERSE (with automatic transmission) or 2nd gear and
REVERSE (with manual transmission), while gently press-
ing the accelerator. Use the least amount of accelerator
pedal pressure that will maintain the rocking motion,
without spinning the wheels, or racing the engine.
CAUTION!
Racing the engine or spinning the wheels may lead to
transmission overheating and failure. Allow the en-
gine to idle with the transmission in NEUTRAL for at
least one minute after every five rocking-motion
cycles. This will minimize overheating and reduce
(Continued)
CAUTION!(Continued)
the risk of clutch or transmission failure during
prolonged efforts to free a stuck vehicle.
NOTE:Press the#ESC Off#switch, to place the Electronic
Stability Control (ESC) system in#Partial Off#mode,
before rocking the vehicle. Refer to “Electronic Brake
Control” in “Starting And Operating” for further infor-
mation. Once the vehicle has been freed, press the#ESC
Off#switch again to restore#ESC On#mode.
CAUTION!
•When “rocking” a stuck vehicle by shifting be-
tween DRIVE/2nd gear and REVERSE, do not spin
the wheels faster than 15 mph (24 km/h), or drive-
train damage may result.
(Continued)
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 457

CAUTION!(Continued)
•Revving the engine or spinning the wheels too fast
may lead to transmission overheating and failure.
It can also damage the tires. Do not spin the wheels
above 30 mph (48 km/h) while in gear (no trans-
mission shifting occurring).
WARNING!
Fast spinning tires can be dangerous. Forces gener-
ated by excessive wheel speeds may cause damage, or
even failure, of the axle and tires. A tire could
explode and injure someone. Do not spin your vehi-
cle’s wheels faster than 30 mph (48 km/h) or for
longer than 30 seconds continuously without stop-
ping when you are stuck and do not let anyone near
a spinning wheel, no matter what the speed.
SHIFT LEVER OVERRIDE
If a malfunction occurs and the shift lever cannot be
moved out of the PARK position, you can use the
following procedure to temporarily move the shift lever:
1. Turn the engine OFF.
2. Firmly apply the parking brake.
3. Using a small screwdriver or similar tool, remove the
shift lever override access cover (located on the right
side of the shift lever housing).
458 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

4. Turn the ignition switch to the ACC or ON/RUN
position, but do not start the engine.
5. Press and maintain firm pressure on the brake pedal.
6. Insert the screwdriver or similar tool into the access
port, and push and hold the override release lever
forward.
7. Move the shift lever to the NEUTRAL position.
8. The vehicle may then be started in NEUTRAL.
9. Reinstall the shift lever override access cover.
Shift Lever Override Access Cover6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 459

TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE
This section describes procedures for towing a disabled
vehicle using a commercial towing service.
To w i n gConditionWheels OFFthe GroundManualTransmission6-Speed Automatic(FWD Only)6-Speed Automatic4WDCVT AutomaticTransmission
Flat Tow NONE
•Transmission inNEUTRAL•Key in ACC orON/RUN position
If transmission isoperable:•Transmission inNEUTRAL•25 mph (40 km/h)maxspeed•15 miles (24 km)maxdistance
If transmission isoperable:•Transmission inNEUTRAL•25 mph (40 km/h)maxspeed•15 miles (24 km)maxdistance
NOT ALLOWED
Wheel Lift orDolly TowRearNOT ALLOWEDNOT ALLOWED NOT ALLOWED
Front FWD ModelsONLYOKNOT ALLOWEDFWD ModelsONLY
FlatbedALL BEST METHOD BEST METHOD BEST METHOD BEST METHOD
460 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

With Ignition Key
Automatic Transmission
•Front Wheel Drive (FWD) vehicles can be towed with
the front wheels elevated, or on a flatbed truck (all four
wheelsOFFthe ground).
•Four-Wheel Drive (4WD) vehicles can be towed on a
flatbed truck (all four wheelsOFFthe ground).
If the transmission is operable, Front Wheel Drive (FWD)
and Four Wheel Drive (4WD) vehicles, with the 6-speed
automatic transmission only (NOTthe Continuously
Variable automatic transmission [CVT]), may be flat
towed (with all four wheels on the ground) under the
following conditions:
•The transmission must be in NEUTRAL.
•The towing speed must not exceed 25 mph (40 km/h).
•The towing distance must not exceed 15 miles (24 km).
Front Wheel Drive (FWD) models (with 6-speed auto-
maticonly) may also be towed (under the same limita-
tions shown above) with the rear wheels elevated.
CAUTION!
•DO NOT flat tow any vehicle equipped with a
CVT automatic transmission. Damage to the drive-
train will result. If these vehicles require towing,
make sure all drive wheels are OFF the ground.
•Towing this vehicle in violation of the above re-
quirements can cause severe transmission and/or
transfer case damage. Damage from improper tow-
ing is not covered under the New Vehicle Limited
Warranty..
If the vehicle’s battery is discharged, refer to “Shift Lever
Override” in this section for instructions on shifting the
automatic transmission out of PARK for towing.
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WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 461

Manual Transmission
•Front Wheel Drive (FWD) or Four-Wheel Drive (4WD)
vehicles can be flat towed (all four wheels on the
ground) with the transmission in NEUTRAL.
•FWD vehicles can be towed with the front wheels
elevated.
•FWD or 4WD vehicles can be towed on a flatbed truck
(all wheelsOFFthe ground).
CAUTION!
•DO NOT flat tow any disabled vehicle if condition
is related to the clutch, transmission or driveline.
Additional damage to the drivetrain could result.
(Continued)
CAUTION!(Continued)
•Towing this vehicle in violation of the above re-
quirements can cause severe engine, transmission,
or drivetrain damage. Damage from improper tow-
ing is not covered under the New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.
All Transmissions
If you must use the accessories (wipers, defroster, etc.)
while being towed, the key must be in the ON/RUN
position, not the ACC position. Make certain the trans-
mission remains in NEUTRAL.
462 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES