Page 205 of 300

WARNING!
•Take care to avoid the radiator cooling fan whenever
the hood is raised. It can start anytime the ignition
switch is ON. You can be injured by moving fan
blades.
• Remove any metal jewelry such as rings, watch
bands and bracelets that could make an inadvertent
electrical contact. You could be seriously injured.
• Batteries contain sulfuric acid that can burn your
skin or eyes and generate hydrogen gas which is
flammable and explosive. Keep open flames or
sparks away from the battery.
1. Apply the parking brake, place the transmission into PARK and turn the ignition to LOCK.
2. Turn off the heater, radio, and all unnecessary electrical accessories.
3. Remove the protective cover over the positive (+)bat-
tery post.
4. If using another vehicle to jump start the battery, park the vehicle within the jumper cables reach, apply the
parking brake and make sure the ignition is OFF.
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
positive (+)post of the discharged vehicle.
2. Connect the opposite end of the positive (+)jumper
cable to the positive (+)post of the booster battery.
7
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY 203
Page 206 of 300

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 vehicle ground (exposed metal part of
the discharged vehicle underhood compartment) away
from the 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 vehicle that has the booster battery, and allow it to idle for a few minutes. Then turn the key to the
RUN position on the vehicle with the discharged bat-
tery. 6. Once the vehicle is started, remove the jumper cables in
the reverse sequence:
Disconnecting The Jumper Cables
1. Disconnect the negative (-)jumper cable from the ve-
hicle ground (-)of the vehicle with the discharged
battery.
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 positive (+)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 an authorized dealer.
204 IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
Page 207 of 300

MANUAL PARK RELEASE
WARNING!
Always secure your vehicle by fully applying the
parking brake before activating the Manual Park Re-
lease. Activating the Manual Park Release will allow
your vehicle to roll away if it is not secured by the
parking brake, or by proper connection to a tow
vehicle. Activating the Manual Park Release on an
unsecured vehicle could lead to serious injury or death
for those in or around the vehicle.
In order to move the vehicle in cases where the transmis-
sion will not shift out of PARK (such as a dead battery), a
Manual Park Release is available. If a dead 12 volt battery
is the cause of the condition refer to “Jump Starting
Procedure — 12 Volt Battery” before performing the
Manual Park Release.
To perform the Manual Park Release follow these steps:
1. To prevent the vehicle from rolling unintentionally, firmly apply the parking brake.
2. If possible, raise the front driver’s side of the vehicle to provide access to the transmission. 3. Working from underneath the vehicle, remove the black
rubber plug from the front of the Park Module (a black
canister mounted on the front of the transmission).
4. Using a T25 driver bit, rotate the Manual Park Release shaft (located just behind the rubber plug) clockwise, at
least 20 turns, to release the Park Mechanism. The
vehicle is now out of PARK and can be moved.
5. Reinstall the rubber plug.
Manual Park Release Location
7
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY 205
Page 208 of 300

6. Release the parking brake only when a driver is in thevehicle, or the vehicle is secured by other means. The
Manual Park Release will be reset automatically once
the vehicle is restarted.
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.
NOTE: Push the ESC Off switch, to place the Electronic
Stability Control (ESC) system in Partial Offmode, before
rocking the vehicle. Refer to “Electronic Brake Control” in
“Safety” for further information. Once the vehicle has been
freed, push the ESC Offswitch again to restore ESC On
mode.
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 vehicle 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).
206 IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
Page 215 of 300
WARNING!
•You can be badly injured working on or around a
motor vehicle. Do only service work for which you
have the knowledge and the right equipment. If you
have any doubt about your ability to perform a
service job, take your vehicle to a competent me-
chanic.
• Failure to properly inspect and maintain your vehicle
could result in a component malfunction and effect
vehicle handling and performance. This could cause
an accident.
8
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE 213
Page 217 of 300

Adding Washer Fluid
The windshield washer fluid reservoir is located in the
underhood compartment, and the fluid level should be
checked at regular intervals. Fill the reservoir with wind-
shield washer solvent (not coolant/ antifreeze). Refer to
“Underhood Compartment” in this section for further
information.
WARNING!
Commercially available windshield washer solvents
are flammable. They could ignite and burn you. Care
must be exercised when filling or working around the
washer solution.
Maintenance-Free Battery 12 Volt
Your vehicle is equipped with a maintenance-free 12 Volt
battery. You will never have to add water, nor is periodic
maintenance required.
WARNING!
•Battery fluid is a corrosive acid solution and can
burn or even blind you. Do not allow battery fluid to
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
contact your eyes, skin, or clothing. Do not lean over
a battery when attaching clamps. If acid splashes in
eyes or on skin, flush the area immediately with
large amounts of water. Refer to “Jump Starting
Procedure” in “In Case Of Emergency” for further
information.
• Battery gas is flammable and explosive. Keep flame
or sparks away from the battery. Do not use a booster
battery or any other booster source with an output
greater than 12 Volts. Do not allow cable clamps to
touch each other.
• Battery posts, terminals, and related accessories con-
tain lead and lead compounds. Wash hands after
handling.
• The battery in this vehicle has a vent hose that
should not be disconnected and should only be
replaced with a battery of the same type (vented).
CAUTION!
• It is essential when replacing the cables on the
battery that the positive cable is attached to the
(Continued)
8
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE 215
Page 218 of 300

CAUTION!(Continued)
positive post and the negative cable is attached to the
negative post. Battery posts are marked positive (+)
and negative (-) and are identified on the battery
case. Cable clamps should be tight on the terminal
posts and free of corrosion.
• If a 12 Volt Low Voltage Battery System “fast char-
ger” is used while the battery is in the vehicle,
disconnect both vehicle battery cables before con-
necting the charger to the battery. Do not use a “fast
charger” to provide starting voltage.
DEALER SERVICE
WARNING!
Your vehicle has both a high voltage DC and AC
system as well as a 12 Volt system. DC and AC high
voltage are both extremely dangerous and can cause
severe burns, electric shock, serious injury or even
death. In order to avoid personal injuries:
•
DO NOT TOUCH THE HIGH VOLTAGE CABLES
(ORANGE COLORED) AND/OR THE CONNECTORS.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Follow all Caution and Warning labels attached to
the High Voltage components.
• Do not remove or replace any of the 500e System
components. All replacement or repairs of 500e Sys-
tem components should be performed by a factory-
trained technician at an authorized dealer.
The pages that follow contain the requiredmaintenance
services determined by the engineers who designed your
vehicle.
Besides those maintenance items specified in the fixed
maintenance schedule, there are other components which
may require servicing or replacement in the future.
CAUTION!
• Failure to properly maintain your vehicle or perform
repairs and service when necessary could result in
more costly repairs, damage to other components or
negatively impact vehicle performance. Immediately
have potential malfunctions examined by an autho-
rized dealer or qualified repair center.
(Continued)
216 SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
Page 220 of 300

Check the Power Electronics and Battery Thermal Manage-
ment Systems coolant (antifreeze) protection every 12
months (before the onset of freezing weather, where appli-
cable).
Maintain coolant (antifreeze) concentration at a minimum
of 50% Mopar Antifreeze/Coolant 10 Year/150,000 Mile
Formula OAT (Organic Additive Technology) and
distilled/deionized water for proper corrosion protection.
Check the coolant bottles tubing for brittle rubber, crack-
ing, tears, cuts and tightness of the connection at the bottles
and radiator. Inspect the entire system for leaks.
Check the front of the A/C condenser for any accumula-
tion of bugs, leaves, etc. If dirty, clean by gently spraying
water from a garden hose vertically down the face of the
condenser.
NOTE:DO NOT REMOVE THE COOLANT PRESSURE
CAP WHEN THE COOLING SYSTEM IS HOT.
WARNING!
You or others can be badly burned by hot 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 is hot.
218 SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE