2017 JEEP PATRIOT ECU

Trailer And Tongue Weight
Never exceed the maximum tongue weight stamped on
your bumper or trailer hitch.
Consider the following items when computing the weight
on the rear axle of the vehicle:
•The tongue weight of the trailer.
• The weight of any other type of cargo or equipment put
in or on your vehicle.
• The weight of the driver and all passengers. NOTE:
Remember that everything put into or on the trailer
adds to the load on your vehicle. Also, additional factory-
installed options or dealer-installed options must be consid-
ered as part of the total load on your vehicle. Refer to the
“Tire And Loading Information” placard for the maximum
combined weight of occupants and cargo for your vehicle.
Towing Requirements
To promote proper break-in of your new vehicle drivetrain
components, the following guidelines are recommended:
WARNING!
Improper towing can lead to a collision. Follow these
guidelines to make your trailer towing as safe as
possible:
• Make certain that the load is secured in the trailer
and that it will not shift during travel. When traile-
ring 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
(Continued)
226 STARTING AND OPERATING

DRIVING TIPS
On-Road Driving Tips
Utility vehicles have higher ground clearance and a nar-
rower track to make them capable of performing in a wide
variety of off-road applications. Specific design character-
istics give them a higher center of gravity than conven-
tional passenger cars.
An advantage of the higher ground clearance is a better
view of the road, allowing you to anticipate problems.
They are not designed for cornering at the same speeds as
conventional passenger cars any more than low-slung
sports cars are designed to perform satisfactorily in off-
road conditions. Avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers.
As with other vehicles of this type, failure to operate this
vehicle correctly may result in loss of control or vehicle
rollover.
Off-Road Driving Tips
You will encounter many types of terrain driving off-road.
You should be familiar with the terrain and area before
proceeding. There are many types of surface conditions:
hard packed dirt, gravel, rocks, grass, sand, mud, snow
and ice. Every surface has a different effect on your
vehicle’s steering, handling and traction. Controlling yourvehicle is one of the keys to successful off-road driving, so
always keep a firm grip on the steering wheel and maintain
a good driving posture. Avoid sudden accelerations, turns
or braking. In most cases there are no road signs, posted
speed limits or signal lights. Therefore you will need to use
your own good judgment on what is safe and what is not.
When on a trail, you should always be looking ahead for
surface obstacles and changes in terrain. The key is to plan
your future driving route while remembering what you are
currently driving over.
CAUTION!
Never park your vehicle over dry grass or other com-
bustible materials. The heat from your vehicle exhaust
system could cause a fire.
WARNING!
Always wear your seat belt and firmly tie down cargo.
Unsecured cargo can become projectiles in an off-road
situation.
6
STARTING AND OPERATING 233

WARNING!(Continued)
•If working on or near a roadway, be extremely
careful of motor traffic.
• To assure that spare tires, flat or inflated, are securely
stowed, spares must be stowed with the valve stem
facing the ground.
NOTE: Refer to “Tires — General Information” in “Servic-
ing And Maintenance” for further information about the
spare tire, it’s use, and operation. 1. Remove the scissors jack and lug wrench from the spare
wheel as an assembly. Turn the jack screw to the left to
loosen the lug wrench and remove the wrench from the
jack assembly.
NOTE: The jack handle attaches to the side of the jack with
two attachment points. When the jack is partially ex-
panded, the tension between the two attachment points
holds the jack handle in place.
2. Loosen, but do not remove, the wheel nuts by turning them to the left one turn while the wheel is still on the
ground.
Jack Warning Label
Removing Jack Handle From Jack
252 IN CASE OF EMERGENCY

Do not raise the vehicle until you are sure the jack is
securely engaged.
3. Turn the jack screw to the left until the jack can be placedunder the jacking location. Once the jack is positioned,
turn the jack screw to the right until the jack head is
properly engaged with the lift area closest to the wheel
to be changed.
WARNING!
Raising the vehicle higher than necessary can make the
vehicle less stable. It could slip off the jack and hurt
someone near it. Raise the vehicle only enough to
remove the tire.
4. Using the swivel wrench raise the vehicle by turning the jack screw to the right. Raise the vehicle only until the
tire just clears the surface and enough clearance is
obtained to install the spare tire. Minimum tire lift
provides maximum stability.
5. Remove the wheel nuts and pull the wheel and wheel covers, where applicable, off the hub. Install the spare
wheel and wheel nuts with the cone shaped end of the
nuts toward the wheel. Lightly tighten the nuts.
WARNING!
To avoid the risk of forcing the vehicle off the jack, do
not tighten the wheel nuts fully until the vehicle has
been lowered. Failure to follow this warning may
result in serious injury.
Rear Jacking Location
254 IN CASE OF EMERGENCY

WARNING!
To avoid possible personal injury, handle the wheel
covers with care to avoid contact with any sharp edges.
CAUTION!
Be sure to mount the spare tire with the valve stem
facing outward. The vehicle could be damaged if the
spare tire is mounted incorrectly.NOTE:
The wheel cover is held on the wheel by the wheel
nuts. When reinstalling the original wheel, properly align
the wheel cover to the valve stem, place the wheel cover
onto the wheel, then install the wheel nuts.
6. Lower the vehicle by turning the jack screw to the left.
7. Finish tightening the lug nuts. Push down on the wrench while at the end of the handle for increased
leverage. Tighten the lug nuts in a star pattern until each
nut has been tightened twice. Refer to “Torque Specifi-
cations” in “Technical Specifications” for the correct lug
nut torque. If you doubt that you have tightened the
nuts correctly, have them checked with a torque wrench
by your authorized dealer or service station.
8. Remove the wheel blocks and lower the jack until it is free. Release the parking brake. Reassemble the lug
wrench to the jack assembly and stow it in the spare tire
area. Secure the assembly using the means provided.
WARNING!
A loose tire or jack thrown forward in a collision or
hard stop could endanger the occupants of the vehicle.
Always stow the jack parts and the spare tire in the
places provided.
Mounting Spare Tire
7
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY 255

CAUTION!
•DO NOT flat tow any disabled vehicle if condition is
related to the clutch, transmission or driveline. Ad-
ditional damage to the drivetrain could result.
• Towing this vehicle in violation of the above require-
ments can cause severe engine, transmission, or
drivetrain damage. Damage from improper towing is
not covered under the New Vehicle Limited War-
ranty.
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 transmis-
sion remains in NEUTRAL.
CAUTION!
• Do not use sling-type equipment when towing. Ve-
hicle damage may occur.
• When securing the vehicle to a flatbed truck, do not
attach to front or rear suspension components. Dam-
age to your vehicle may result from improper towing. Without The Ignition Key
Special care must be taken when the vehicle is towed with
the ignition in the LOCK/OFF position. The only approved
method of towing without the ignition key is with a flatbed
truck. Proper towing equipment is necessary to prevent
damage to the vehicle.
ENHANCED ACCIDENT RESPONSE SYSTEM
(EARS)
This vehicle is equipped with an Enhanced Accident
Response System.
Please refer to “Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) — Air
Bags” in “Occupant Restraints” for further information on
the Enhanced Accident Response System (EARS) function.
EVENT DATA RECORDER (EDR)
This vehicle is equipped with an Event Data Recorder
(EDR). The main purpose of an EDR is to record, in certain
crash or near crash-like situations, such as an air bag
deployment or hitting a road obstacle, data that will assist
in understanding how a vehicle’s systems performed.
Please refer to “Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) —
Air Bags” in “Occupant Restraints” for further information
on the Event Data Recorder (EDR).
274 IN CASE OF EMERGENCY

The A/C air filter is located in the fresh air inlet behind the
glove compartment. Perform the following procedure to
replace the filter:
1. Open the glove compartment and remove all contents.
2. Push in on the sides of the glove compartment andlower the door.
3. Pivot the glove compartment downward.
4. Disengage the two retaining tabs that secure the filter cover to the HVAC housing, and remove the cover. 5. Remove the A/C air filter by pulling it straight out of
the housing.
6. Install the A/C air filter with the arrow on the filter pointing toward the floor. When installing the filter
cover, make sure the retaining tabs fully engage the
cover.
CAUTION!
The cabin air filter is identified with an arrow to
indicate airflow direction through the filter. Failure to
properly install the filter will result in the need to
replace it more often.
7. Rotate the glove compartment door back into position.
Engine Air Cleaner Filter
Refer to the “Maintenance Plan” in the “Scheduled Servic-
ing” section for the proper maintenance intervals.
WARNING!
The air induction system (air cleaner, hoses, etc.) can
provide a measure of protection in the case of engine
(Continued)
A/C Air Filter Retaining Tabs
8
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE 289

Use only manufacturer’s recommended brake fluid. Refer
to “Fluids And Lubricants” in “Technical Specifications”
for further information.
WARNING!
•Use only manufacturer’s recommended brake fluid.
Refer to “Fluids And Lubricants” in “Technical
Specifications” for further information. Using the
wrong type of brake fluid can severely damage your
brake system and/or impair its performance. The
proper type of brake fluid for your vehicle is also
identified on the original factory installed hydraulic
master cylinder reservoir.
• To avoid contamination from foreign matter or mois-
ture, use only new brake fluid or fluid that has been
in a tightly closed container. Keep the master cylin-
der reservoir cap secured at all times. Brake fluid in
a open container absorbs moisture from the air
resulting in a lower boiling point. This may cause it
to boil unexpectedly during hard or prolonged brak-
ing, resulting in sudden brake failure. This could
result in a collision.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Overfilling the brake fluid reservoir can result in
spilling brake fluid on hot engine parts, causing the
brake fluid to catch fire. Brake fluid can also damage
painted and vinyl surfaces, care should be taken to
avoid its contact with these surfaces.
• Do not allow petroleum based fluid to contaminate
the brake fluid. Brake seal components could be
damaged, causing partial or complete brake failure.
This could result in a collision.
CAUTION!
Use of improper brake fluids will affect overall clutch
system performance. Improper brake fluids may dam-
age the clutch system resulting in loss of clutch func-
tion and the ability to shift the transmission.
Manual Transmission — If Equipped
Lubricant Selection
Use only the manufacturers recommended transmission
fluid. Refer to “Fluids And Lubricants” in “Technical
Specifications” for further information.
Please see your authorized dealer for service.
298 SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE