2015 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE warning

CAUTION!(Continued)
•Then, during the first 500 miles (805 km) that a
trailer is towed, do not drive over 50 mph (80 km/h)
and do not make starts at full throttle. This helps
the engine and other parts of the vehicle wear in at
the heavier loads.
Perform the maintenance listed in the “Maintenance
Schedule.” Refer to “Maintenance Schedule” for the
proper maintenance intervals. When towing a trailer,
never exceed the GAWR or GCWR ratings.
WARNING!
Improper towing can lead to a collision. Follow these
guidelines to make your trailer towing as safe as
possible:
(Continued)
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)
550 STARTING AND OPERATING

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 or'chock'the 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. Tongue weight rating for the trailer hitch uti-
lized.
Towing Requirements — Tires
•Do not attempt to tow a trailer while using a compact
spare tire.
•Proper tire inflation pressures are essential to the safe
and satisfactory operation of your vehicle. Refer to
“Tires – General Information” in “Starting And Oper-
ating” for proper tire inflation procedures.
•Check the trailer tires for proper tire inflation pres-
sures before trailer usage.
•Check for signs of tire wear or visible tire damage
before towing a trailer. Refer to “Tires – General
Information” in “Starting And Operating” for the
proper inspection procedure.
•When replacing tires, refer to “Tires – General Infor-
mation” in “Starting And Operating” for the proper
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 551

tire replacement procedures. Replacing tires with a
higher load carrying capacity will not increase the
vehicle’s GVWR and GAWR limits.
Towing Requirements — Trailer Brakes
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 an
accident.
•Towing any trailer will increase your stopping
distance. When towing you should allow for addi-
tional space between your vehicle and the vehicle
in front of you. Failure to do so could result in an
accident.
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.
•Donotinterconnect the hydraulic brake system or
vacuum system of your vehicle with that of the trailer.
This could cause inadequate braking and possible
personal injury.
•An electronically actuated trailer brake controller is
required when towing a trailer with electronically
actuated brakes. When towing a trailer equipped with
a hydraulic surge actuated brake system, an electronic
brake controller is not required.
552 STARTING AND OPERATING

SNOW PLOW
Snow plows, winches, and other aftermarket equipment
shouldnotbe 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.
556 STARTING AND OPERATING

CAUTION!
•DO NOT dolly tow any 4WD vehicle. Towing with
only one set of wheels on the ground (front or rear)
will cause severe transmission and/or transfer case
damage. Tow with all four wheels either ON the
ground, or OFF the ground (using a vehicle trailer).
•Tow only in a forward direction. Towing this ve-
hicle backwards can cause severe damage to the
transfer case.
•The transmission must be in PARK for recreational
towing.
•Before recreational towing, perform the procedure
outlined under “Shifting into NEUTRAL (N)” to be
certain that the transfer case is fully in NEUTRAL
(N). Otherwise, internal damage will result.
(Continued)
CAUTION!(Continued)
•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.
•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 or killed 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)
(Continued)
560 STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING!(Continued)
position disengages both the front and rear drive-
shafts from the powertrain and will allow the vehicle
to roll, 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, with the engine
running.
2. Press and hold the brake pedal.
3. Shift the transmission into NEUTRAL.
4. If vehicle is equipped with Quadra-Lift™ air suspen-
sion, ensure the vehicle is set to Normal Ride Height.
5. Using a ballpoint pen or similar object, press and hold
the recessed transfer case NEUTRAL (N) button (lo-
cated by the selector switch) for four seconds. The
light behind the N symbol will blink, indicating shift
in progress. The light will stop blinking (stay on solid)
when the shift to NEUTRAL (N) is complete. A “FOUR
WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM IN NEUTRAL” message will
appear in the Driver Information Display (DID). Refer
to “Driver Information Display (DID)” in “Under-
standing Your Instrument Panel” for further informa-
tion.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 561

WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES
CONTENTS
!HAZARD WARNING FLASHERS...........568
!IF YOUR ENGINE OVERHEATS............568
!WHEEL AND TIRE TORQUE
SPECIFICATIONS......................569
▫Torque Specifications...................570
!JACKING AND TIRE CHANGING..........571
▫Jack Location........................572
▫Spare Tire Stowage....................573
▫Preparations For Jacking................573
▫Jacking Instructions...................575
▫Road Tire Installation...................581
!JUMP-STARTING......................582
▫Preparations For Jump-Start..............583
▫Jump-Starting Procedure................585
!FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE.............587
!EMERGENCY TOW HOOKS — IF EQUIPPED . .588
!MANUAL PARK RELEASE................589
!TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE...........593
▫Two-Wheel Drive Models................595
▫Four-Wheel Drive Models................596
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 direc-
tional 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.
568 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES