Spare Tire Stowage
NOTE:Refer to “Spare Tire Location And Removal” for
information on assembling the winch tools.
1. Place the spare tire near the winch cable. Hold the spare upright so that the tire’s tread is on the ground and the
valve stem is at the top of the wheel facing away from
the rear of the vehicle.
2. Tilt the retainer at the end of the winch cable and drop it through the center of the wheel. Then place the spare
tire with the cable and retainer underneath the vehicle.
3. Fit the assembled jack-handle over the winch drive nut. Rotate the jack-handle assembly clockwise to raise the
spare tire into the storage area. Continue to rotate the
jack-handle assembly until you hear the winch mecha-
nism click three times. It cannot be over tightened. Push
against the tire several times to be sure it is held securely
in place.
JUMP STARTING
If your vehicle has a discharged battery, it can be jump
started using a set of jumper cables and a battery in another
vehicle, or by using a portable battery booster pack. Jump starting can be dangerous if done improperly, so please
follow the procedures in this section carefully.
WARNING!
Do not attempt jump starting if the battery is frozen. It
could rupture or explode and cause personal injury.
CAUTION!
Do not use a portable battery booster pack or any other
booster source with a system voltage greater than 12
Volts or damage to the battery, starter motor, alternator
or electrical system may occur.
NOTE: When using a portable battery booster pack, follow
the manufacturer’s operating instructions and precautions.
Preparations For Jump Start
The battery in your vehicle is located between the left front
headlight assembly and the left front wheel splash shield.
To allow jump starting, there are remote battery posts
located on the left side of the engine compartment.
300 IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
WARNING!
Do not allow vehicles to touch each other as this could
establish a ground connection and personal injury
could result.
Jump Starting Procedure
WARNING!
Failure to follow this jump starting procedure could
result in personal injury or property damage due to
battery explosion.
CAUTION!
Failure to follow these procedures could result in
damage to the charging system of the booster vehicle
or the discharged vehicle.
Connecting The Jumper Cables
1. Connect the positive (+)end of the jumper cable to the
remote 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 the remote negative (-)post of the vehicle with
the discharged battery.
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.
6. Once the engine is started, remove the jumper cables in the reverse sequence:
Disconnecting The Jumper Cables
1. Disconnect the negative (-)jumper cable from the re-
mote negative (-)post of the vehicle with the discharged
battery.
302 IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
2. Disconnect the negative end(-)of the jumper cable from
the negative (-)post of the booster battery.
3. Disconnect the opposite end of the positive (+)jumper
cable from the positive (+)post of the booster battery.
4. Disconnect the positive (+)end of the jumper cable from
the remote positive (+)post of the discharged vehicle.
5. Reinstall the protective cover over the remote positive (+) battery post of the discharged vehicle.
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 devices, 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.
IF YOUR ENGINE OVERHEATS
In any of the following situations, you can reduce the
potential for overheating by taking the appropriate action.
• On the highways — slow down.
• In city traffic — while stopped, place the transmission in
NEUTRAL, but do not increase the engine idle speed
while preventing vehicle motion with the brakes.
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.
• You can also turn the temperature control to maximum
heat, the mode control to floor and the blower control to
high. This allows the heater core to act as a supplement
to the radiator and aids in removing heat from the
engine cooling system.
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IN CASE OF EMERGENCY 303
WARNING!
You or others can be badly burned by hot engine
coolant (antifreeze) or steam from your radiator. If you
see or hear steam coming from under the hood, do not
open the hood until the radiator has had time to cool.
Never try to open a cooling system pressure cap when
the radiator or coolant bottle is hot.
CAUTION!
Driving with a hot cooling system could damage your
vehicle. If the temperature gauge reads HOT (H), pull
over and stop the vehicle. Idle the vehicle with the air
conditioner turned off until the pointer drops back
into the normal range. If the pointer remains on HOT
(H), and you hear continuous chimes, turn the engine
off immediately and call for service.
2.4L Engine — If Equipped
On hot days, the engine oil temperature may become too
hot during sustained high-speed driving or if towing a
trailer up long grades. If this happens, a HOTOIL message
will flash in the odometer and the vehicle speed will be
reduced to 48 mph (77 km/h) maximum until the engine
oil temperature is reduced.
NOTE:The maximum vehicle speed is reduced to 48 mph
(77 km/h), you may reduce vehicle speed further as
needed. Once the engine oil temperature is reduced, you
may continue to drive normally
GEAR SELECTOR OVERRIDE
If a malfunction occurs and the gear selector cannot be
moved out of the PARK position, you can use the following
procedure to temporarily move the gear selector:
1. Turn the engine OFF.
2. Firmly apply the parking brake.
304 IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
3. Open the center console and remove the gear selectoroverride access cover (located in the front lower right
corner of the console storage bin).
4. Press and maintain firm pressure on the brake pedal.
5. Insert a screwdriver or similar small tool into the access port, and push and hold the override release lever
forward.
6. Move the gear selector to the NEUTRAL position.
7. The vehicle may then be started in NEUTRAL.
8. Reinstall the gear selector override access cover.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 while gently pressing the accelerator. Use the
least amount of accelerator pedal pressure that will main-
tain 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 the
risk of transmission failure during prolonged efforts to
free a stuck vehicle.
Gear Selector Override Access Cover
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IN CASE OF EMERGENCY 305
Push theESC Off switch, to place the Electronic
Stability Control (ESC) system in ESC Partial
Off mode, before rocking the vehicle. Refer to
“Electronic Brake Control” in “Safety” for further
information. Once the vehicle has been freed, push the
ESC Off switch again to restore ESC Onmode.
WARNING!
Fast spinning tires can be dangerous. Forces generated
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 vehicle’s wheels
faster than 30 mph (48 km/h) or for longer than 30
seconds continuously without stopping when you are
stuck and do not let anyone near a spinning wheel, no
matter what the speed.
CAUTION!
•When “rocking” a stuck vehicle by shifting between
DRIVE and REVERSE, do not spin the wheels faster
than 15 mph (24 km/h), or drivetrain damage may
result.
• 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 transmis-
sion shifting occurring).
TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE
This section describes procedures for towing a disabled
vehicle using a commercial towing service.
306 IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
CONTENTS
SCHEDULED SERVICING ..................313
▫ Maintenance Plan ...................... .314
ENGINE COMPARTMENT .................318
▫ 2.4L Engine ......................... .318
▫ 3.6L Engine ......................... .319
▫ Checking Oil Level .....................320
▫ Adding Washer Fluid ...................320
▫ Maintenance-Free Battery .................321
DEALER SERVICE ...................... .322
▫ Engine Oil .......................... .322
▫ Engine Oil Filter ...................... .324
▫ Engine Air Cleaner Filter .................324
▫ Air Conditioner Maintenance ..............325
▫ Accessory Drive Belt Inspection ............326▫
Body Lubrication ..................... .327
▫ Windshield Wiper Blades .................327
▫ Exhaust System ....................... .329
▫ Cooling System ....................... .331
▫ Brake System ........................ .336
▫ Automatic Transmission ..................337
▫ Rear Drive Assembly (RDA) – AWD Models
Only .............................. .340
▫ Power Transfer Unit (PTU) – AWD Models
Only .............................. .340
RAISING THE VEHICLE ..................341
TIRES ............................... .341
▫ Tire Safety Information ..................341
▫ T
ires — General Information ..............351
▫ Tire Types ........................... .357
8
SCHEDULED SERVICING
Your vehicle is equipped with an automatic oil change
indicator system. The oil change indicator system will
remind you that it is time to take your vehicle in for
scheduled maintenance.
Based on engine operation conditions, the oil change
indicator message will illuminate. This means that service
is required for your vehicle. Operating conditions such as
frequent short-trips, trailer tow, extremely hot or cold
ambient temperatures, and E-85 fuel usage will influence
when the “Change Oil” or “Oil Change Required” message
is displayed. Severe Operating Conditions can cause the
change oil message to illuminate as early as 3,500 miles
(5,600 km) since last reset. Have your vehicle serviced as
soon as possible, within the next 500 miles (805 km).
Your authorized dealer will reset the oil change indicator
message after completing the scheduled oil change. If a
scheduled oil change is performed by someone other than
your authorized dealer, the message can be reset by
referring to the steps described under “Instrument Cluster
Display” in “Getting To Know Your Instrument Panel” for
further information.NOTE:
Under no circumstances should oil change inter-
vals exceed 10,000 miles (16,000 km), twelve months or 350
hours of engine run time, whichever comes first. The 350
hours of engine run or idle time is generally only a concern
for fleet customers.
Severe Duty All Models
Change engine oil at 4,000 miles (6,500 km) or 350 hours of
engine run time if the vehicle is operated in a dusty and off
road environment or is operated predominately at idle or
only very low engine RPM’s. This type of vehicle use is
considered Severe Duty.
Once A Month Or Before A Long Trip:
• Check engine oil level.
• Check windshield washer fluid level.
• Check tire pressure and look for unusual wear or
damage. Rotate tires at the first sign of irregular wear,
even if it occurs before the oil indicator system turns on.
• Check the fluid levels of the coolant reservoir, brake
master cylinder, power steering, and transmission (4-
speed only) and fill as needed.
• Check function of all interior and exterior lights.
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SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE 313