2018 JEEP CHEROKEE brake light

EXTERIOR LIGHTS
Headlight SwitchHeadlightsThe headlight switch is located on the instru-
ment panel to the left of the steering wheel.
From the off (O) position, rotate the headlight
switch counterclockwise to enable the park-
ing lights. This feature will allow one side of
the vehicle park lights to be on when the
vehicle is locked dependant on the turn stalk
position. Rotate the headlight switch clock-
wise from the off (O) position to the first
detent for headlight, parking light and instru-
ment panel light operation
Adaptive Bi-Xenon High Intensity
Discharge Headlights — If Equipped
This system automatically swivels the head-
light beam pattern horizontally to provide
increased illumination in the direction the
vehicle is steering.
NOTE:
• Each time the Adaptive Headlight System
is turned on, the headlights will initialize by
performing a brief sequence of rotations. • The Adaptive Headlight System is active
only when the vehicle is moving forward.
The Adaptive Headlight System can be
turned on or off using the Uconnect System,
refer to “Uconnect Settings” in “Multime-
dia” in the Owner’s Manual for further infor-
mation.
Daytime Running Lights (DRL) —
If Equipped
The Daytime Running Lights will turn on
when the engine is started and remain on
unless the headlamps are turned on, the
parking brake is applied, or the engine is shut
off.
NOTE:
If allowed by law in the country in which the
vehicle was purchased, the Daytime Running
Lights can be turned on and off using the
Uconnect System, refer to “Uconnect Set-
tings” in “Multimedia” in the Owner’s
Manual for further information.
Headlight Switch
1 — Instrument Panel Dimmer
2 — Rotate Headlight
3 — Push Rear Fog Light
4 — Push Front Fog Light
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR VEHICLE
30

WARNING LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
The warning/indicator lights will illuminate in
the instrument panel together with a dedi-
cated message and/or acoustic signal when
applicable. These indications are indicative
and precautionary and as such must not be
considered as exhaustive and/or alternative
to the information contained in the Owner’s
Manual, which you are advised to read care-
fully in all cases. Always refer to the informa-
tion in this chapter in the event of a failure
indication. All active telltales will display first
if applicable. The system check menu may
appear different based upon equipment op-
tions and current vehicle status. Some tell-
tales are optional and may not appear.
Red Warning Lights
— Seat Belt Reminder Warning Light
This light indicates when the driver or pas-
senger seat belt is unbuckled. When the
ignition is first placed in the ON/RUN or
ACC/ON/RUN position and if the driver’s seat
belt is unbuckled, a chime will sound and thelight will turn on. When driving, if the driver
or front passenger seat belt remains unbuck-
led, the Seat Belt Reminder Light will flash or
remain on continuously and a chime will
sound. Refer to “Occupant Restraint Sys-
tems” in “Safety” for further information.
— Air Bag Warning Light
This light indicates a fault with the air bag,
and will turn on for four to eight seconds as a
bulb check when the ignition is placed in the
ON/RUN or ACC/ON/RUN position. This light
will illuminate with a single chime when a
fault with the air bag has been detected, it
will stay on until the fault is cleared. If the
light is either not on during startup, stays on,
or turns on while driving, have the system
inspected at an authorized dealer as soon as
possible.
— Brake Warning Light
This light monitors various brake functions,
including brake fluid level and parking brake
application. If the brake light turns on it may
indicate that the parking brake is applied,
that the brake fluid level is low, or that there
is a problem with the anti-lock brake system.
If the light remains on when the parking
brake has been disengaged, and the fluid
level is at the full mark on the master cylinder
reservoir, it indicates a possible brake hy-
draulic system malfunction or that a problem
with the Brake Booster has been detected by
the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) / Elec-
tronic Stability Control (ESC) system. In this
case, the light will remain on until the condi-
tion has been corrected. If the problem is
related to the brake booster, the ABS pump
will run when applying the brake, and a brake
pedal pulsation may be felt during each stop.
The dual brake system provides a reserve
braking capacity in the event of a failure to a
portion of the hydraulic system. A leak in
either half of the dual brake system is indi-
cated by the Brake Warning Light, which will
turn on when the brake fluid level in the
master cylinder has dropped below a speci-
fied level.
The light will remain on until the cause is
corrected.
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL
56

NOTE:
The light may flash momentarily during sharp
cornering maneuvers, which change fluid
level conditions. The vehicle should have
service performed, and the brake fluid level
checked.
If brake failure is indicated, immediate repair
is necessary.
WARNING!
Driving a vehicle with the red brake light
on is dangerous. Part of the brake system
may have failed. It will take longer to stop
the vehicle. You could have a collision.
Have the vehicle checked immediately.
Vehicles equipped with the Anti-Lock Brake
System (ABS) are also equipped with Elec-
tronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD). In the
event of an EBD failure, the Brake Warning
Light will turn on along with the ABS Light.
Immediate repair to the ABS system is re-
quired. Operation of the Brake Warning Light can be
checked by turning the ignition switch from
the OFF position to the ON/RUN position.
The light should illuminate for approximately
four seconds. The light should then turn off
unless the parking brake is applied or a brake
fault is detected. If the light does not illumi-
nate, have the light inspected by an autho-
rized dealer.
The light also will turn on when the parking
brake is applied with the ignition switch in
the ON/RUN position.
NOTE:
This light shows only that the parking brake is
applied. It does not show the degree of brake
application.
— Vehicle Security Warning Light —
If Equipped
This light will flash at a fast rate for approxi-
mately 15 seconds when the vehicle security
alarm is arming, and then will flash slowly
until the vehicle is disarmed.
— Oil Pressure Warning Light
This warning light will illuminate to indicate
low engine oil pressure. If the light turns on
while driving, stop the vehicle and shut off
the engine as soon as possible. A chime will
sound when this light turns on.
Do not operate the vehicle until the cause is
corrected. This light does not indicate how
much oil is in the engine. The engine oil level
must be checked under the hood.
— Transmission Temperature Warning
Light — If Equipped
This light indicates high transmission fluid
temperature. This may occur with strenuous
usage such as trailer towing. If this light turns
on, stop the vehicle and run the engine at idle
or slightly faster, with the transmission in
PARK or NEUTRAL, until the light turns off.
Once the light turns off, you may continue to
drive normally.
57

WARNING!
If you continue operating the vehicle when
the Transmission Temperature Warning
Light is illuminated you could cause the
fluid to boil over, come in contact with hot
engine or exhaust components and cause
a fire.
CAUTION!
Continuous driving with the Transmission
Temperature Warning Light illuminated
will eventually cause severe transmission
damage or transmission failure.
— Engine Coolant Temperature Warn-
ing Light
This light warns of an overheated engine
condition. If the engine coolant temperature
is too high, this indicator will illuminate and
a single chime will sound.
If the light turns on while driving, safely pull
over and stop the vehicle. If the A/C system is
on, turn it off. Also, shift the transmission into NEUTRAL and idle the vehicle. If the
temperature reading does not return to nor-
mal, turn the engine off immediately and call
for service. Refer to “If Your Engine Over-
heats” in “In Case Of Emergency” for further
information.
— Oil Temperature Warning Light
This telltale indicates engine oil temperature
is high. If the light turns on while driving,
stop the vehicle and shut off the engine as
soon as possible. Wait for oil temperature to
return to normal levels.
— Battery Charge Warning Light
This light illuminates when the battery is not
charging properly. If it stays on while the
engine is running, there may be a malfunc-
tion with the charging system. Contact your
authorized dealer as soon as possible.
This indicates a possible problem with the
electrical system or a related component.
— Electronic Throttle Control (ETC)
Warning Light
This light informs you of a problem with the
Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) system. If a
problem is detected while the vehicle is run-
ning, the light will either stay on or flash
depending on the nature of the problem.
Cycle the ignition when the vehicle is safely
and completely stopped and the transmission
is placed in the PARK position. The light
should turn off. If the light remains on with
the vehicle running, your vehicle will usually
be drivable; however, see an authorized
dealer for service as soon as possible.
NOTE:
This light may turn on if the accelerator and
brake pedals are pressed at the same time.
If the light continues to flash when the ve-
hicle is running, immediate service is re-
quired and you may experience reduced per-
formance, an elevated/rough idle, or engine
stall and your vehicle may require towing.
The light will come on when the ignition is
placed in the ON/RUN or ACC/ON/RUN posi-
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL
58

CAUTION!
could affect fuel economy and driveability.
If the MIL is flashing, severe catalytic
converter damage and power loss will soon
occur. Immediate service is required.
— Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
Active Warning Light — If Equipped
This light will indicate when the Electronic
Stability Control system is Active. The “ESC
Indicator Light” in the instrument cluster will
come on when the ignition is placed in the
ON/RUN or ACC/ON/RUN position, and when
ESC is activated. It should go out with the
engine running. If the “ESC Indicator Light”
comes on continuously with the engine run-
ning, a malfunction has been detected in the
ESC system. If this light remains on after
several ignition cycles, and the vehicle has
been driven several miles (kilometers) at
speeds greater than 30 mph (48 km/h), see
your authorized dealer as soon as possible to
have the problem diagnosed and corrected. • The “ESC Off Indicator Light” and the
“ESC Indicator Light” come on momen-
tarily each time the ignition is placed in the
ON/RUN or ACC/ON/RUN position.
• The ESC system will make buzzing or click- ing sounds when it is active. This is normal;
the sounds will stop when ESC becomes
inactive.
• This light will come on when the vehicle is in an ESC event.— Electronic Stability Control (ESC) Off
Warning Light — If Equipped
This light indicates the Electronic Stability
Control (ESC) is off.
Each time the ignition is turned to ON/RUN
or ACC/ON/RUN, the ESC system will be on,
even if it was turned off previously.
— Electronic Park Brake Warning
Light
This warning light will illuminate to indicate
the Electronic Park Brake is not functioning
properly and service is required. Contact an
authorized dealer.
— Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS) Warning Light
The warning light switches on and a message
is displayed to indicate that the tire pressure
is lower than the recommended value and/or
that slow pressure loss is occurring. In these
cases, optimal tire duration and fuel con-
sumption may not be guaranteed.
Should one or more tires be in the condition
mentioned above, the display will show the
indications corresponding to each tire in
sequence.
CAUTION!
Do not continue driving with one or more
flat tires as handling may be compro-
mised. Stop the vehicle, avoiding sharp
braking and steering. If a tire puncture
occurs, repair immediately using the dedi-
cated tire repair kit and contact your au-
thorized dealer as soon as possible.
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and
inflated to the inflation pressure recom-
mended by the vehicle manufacturer on the
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL
60

vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure la-
bel. (If your vehicle has tires of a different
size than the size indicated on the vehicle
placard or tire inflation pressure label, you
should determine the proper tire inflation
pressure for those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has
been equipped with a tire pressure monitor-
ing system (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire
pressure telltale when one or more of your
tires is significantly under-inflated. Accord-
ingly, when the low tire pressure telltale illu-
minates, you should stop and check your tires
as soon as possible, and inflate them to the
proper pressure. Driving on a significantly
under-inflated tire causes the tire to overheat
and can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation
also reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread
life, and may affect the vehicle’s handling
and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute
for proper tire maintenance, and it is the
driver’s responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not
reached the level to trigger illumination of the
TPMS low tire pressure telltale.Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate when
the system is not operating properly. The
TPMS malfunction indicator is combined
with the low tire pressure telltale. When the
system detects a malfunction, the telltale will
flash for approximately one minute and then
remain continuously illuminated. This se-
quence will continue upon subsequent ve-
hicle start-ups as long as the malfunction
exists. When the malfunction indicator is
illuminated, the system may not be able to
detect or signal low tire pressure as intended.
TPMS malfunctions may occur for a variety of
reasons, including the installation of replace-
ment or alternate tires or wheels on the ve-
hicle that prevent the TPMS from functioning
properly. Always check the TPMS malfunc-
tion telltale after replacing one or more tires
or wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the
replacement or alternate tires and wheels
allow the TPMS to continue to function prop-
erly.CAUTION!
The TPMS has been optimized for the
original equipment tires and wheels.
TPMS pressures and warning have been
established for the tire size equipped on
your vehicle. Undesirable system opera-
tion or sensor damage may result when
using replacement equipment that is not
of the same size, type, and/or style. After-
market wheels can cause sensor damage.
Using aftermarket tire sealants may cause
the Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS) sensor to become inoperable. Af-
ter using an aftermarket tire sealant it is
recommended that you take your vehicle to
your authorized dealer to have your sensor
function checked.
— Anti-Lock Brake (ABS) Warning
Light
This light monitors the Anti-Lock Brake Sys-
tem (ABS). The light will turn on when the
ignition is placed in the ON/RUN or ACC/ON/
RUN position and may stay on for as long as
four seconds.
61

If the ABS light remains on or turns on while
driving, then the Anti-Lock portion of the
brake system is not functioning and service is
required as soon as possible. However, the
conventional brake system will continue to
operate normally, assuming the Brake Warn-
ing Light is not also on.
If the ABS light does not turn on when the
ignition is placed in the ON/RUN or ACC/ON/
RUN position, have the brake system in-
spected by an authorized dealer.
— Low Fuel Warning Light
When the fuel level reaches approximately
2.4 gal (9.1 L) this light will turn on, and
remain on until fuel is added.
A single warning chime will sound with Low
Fuel Warning.
— Service Stop/Start System Warning
Light — If Equipped
This telltale will turn on to indicate the Stop/
Start system is not functioning properly and
service is required. Contact your authorized
dealer for service.
— Service Forward Collision Warning
(FCW) Light — If Equipped
This telltale will turn on to indicate a fault in
the Forward Collision Warning System. Con-
tact your local authorized dealer for service.
Refer to "Forward Collision Warning (FCW)" in
"Safety" for further information.
— Low Washer Fluid Warning Light —
If Equipped
This indicator will illuminate when the wind-
shield washer fluid is low.
— Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) Fault
Warning Light — If Equipped
This telltale will turn on to indicate a fault in
the ACC system. Contact your local autho-
rized dealer for service. For further informa-
tion, refer to “Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)”
in “Starting And Operating.”
SERV4WD— Service 4WD Warning Light —
If Equipped
If the light stays on or comes on during
driving, it means that the 4WD system is not
functioning properly and that service is re-
quired. We recommend you drive to the near-
est service center and have the vehicle ser-
viced immediately.
— LaneSense Warning Light —
If Equipped
The LaneSense Warning Light will be solid
yellow when the vehicle is approaching a lane
marker. The warning light will flash when the
vehicle is crossing the lane marker.
Refer to “LaneSense — If Equipped" in
“Starting And Operating” for further informa-
tion.
— Service LaneSense Warning Light
— If Equipped
This light will turn on when the LaneSense
system is not operating and needs service.
Please see an authorized dealer.
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL
62

SAFETY FEATURES
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) provides
increased vehicle stability and brake perfor-
mance under most braking conditions. The
system automatically prevents wheel lock,
and enhances vehicle control during braking.
The ABS performs a self-check cycle to en-
sure that the ABS is working properly each
time the vehicle is started and driven. During
this self-check, you may hear a slight clicking
sound as well as some related motor noises.
ABS is activated during braking when the
system detects one or more wheels begin to
lock. Road conditions such as ice, snow,
gravel, bumps, railroad tracks, loose debris,
or panic stops may increase the likelihood of
ABS activation(s).
You also may experience the following when
ABS activates:
• The ABS motor noise (it may continue torun for a short time after the stop).
• The clicking sound of solenoid valves. • Brake pedal pulsations.
• A slight drop of the brake pedal at the end
of the stop.
These are all normal characteristics of ABS.
WARNING!
• The ABS contains sophisticated elec- tronic equipment that may be suscep-
tible to interference caused by improp-
erly installed or high output radio
transmitting equipment. This interfer-
ence can cause possible loss of anti-lock
braking capability. Installation of such
equipment should be performed by
qualified professionals.
• 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.
• The ABS cannot prevent the natural laws
of physics from acting on the vehicle,
nor can it increase braking or steering
efficiency beyond that afforded by the
WARNING!
condition of the vehicle brakes and tires
or the traction afforded.
• The ABS cannot prevent collisions, in-
cluding those resulting from excessive
speed in turns, following another vehicle
too closely, or hydroplaning.
• The capabilities of an ABS equipped
vehicle must never be exploited in a
reckless or dangerous manner that could
jeopardize the user’s safety or the safety
of others.
ABS is designed to function with the OEM
tires. Modification may result in degraded
ABS performance.
Anti-Lock Brake Warning Light
The yellow “Anti-Lock Brake Warning Light”
will turn on when the ignition is turned to the
ON/RUN mode and may stay on for as long as
four seconds.
If the “Anti-Lock Brake Warning Light” re-
mains on or comes on while driving, it indi-
cates that the anti-lock portion of the brake
system is not functioning and that service is
SAFETY
68