2021 JEEP PATRIOT brakes

Anti-Lock Brake (ABS) Indicator Light
Yellow Telltale Light What It Means
Anti-Lock Brake (ABS) Indicator Light
This light monitors the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS). The light will turn on when the ignition is placed in the ON/RUN po-
sition and may stay on for as long as four seconds.
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. However, the conventional brake system will continue to operate normally if the brake warning light is
not on.
If the ABS light is on, the brake system should be serviced as soon as possible to restore the benefits of Anti-Lock Brakes.
If the ABS light does not turn on when the ignition is placed in the ON/RUN position, have the light inspected by an autho-
rized dealer.
Low Fuel Warning Indicator Light
Yellow Telltale Light What It Means
Low Fuel Warning Indicator Light
When the fuel level reaches approximately 2.8 gal (10.6 L), this light will turn on and a single chime will sound.
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WARNING!(Continued)
•When leaving the vehicle, always remove
the ignition key from the vehicle and lock
the vehicle.
•Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or
with access to an unlocked vehicle. Allow-
ing children to be in a vehicle unattended
is dangerous for a number of reasons. A
child or others could be seriously or fatally
injured. Children should be warned not to
touch the parking brake, brake pedal or the
transmission gear selector.
•Do not leave the ignition key in or near the
vehicle (or in a location accessible to chil-
dren). A child could operate power win-
dows, other controls, or move the vehicle.
Key Ignition Park InterlockThis vehicle is equipped with a Key Ignition Park
Interlock which requires the transmission to be
in PARK before the ignition switch can be turned
to the LOCK/OFF (key removal) position. The
key can only be removed from the ignition whenthe ignition is in the LOCK/OFF position, and
once removed the transmission is locked in
PARK.
NOTE:
If a malfunction occurs, the system will trap
the key in the ignition switch to warn you
that this safety feature is inoperable. The
engine can be started and stopped but the
key cannot be removed until you obtain
service.
Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock
System
This vehicle is equipped with a Brake Transmis-
sion Shift Interlock system (BTSI) that holds the
gear selector in PARK unless the brakes are
applied. To shift the transmission out of PARK,
the ignition switch must be turned to the ON/
RUN position (engine running or not) and the
brake pedal must be pressed.
Six-Speed Automatic Transmission
— If Equipped
The transmission gear position display (located
in the instrument cluster) indicates the transmis-
sion gear range. You must press the brakepedal to move the gear selector out of PARK
(refer to “Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock
System” in this section). To drive, move the gear
selector from PARK or NEUTRAL to the DRIVE
position.
The electronically-controlled transmission pro-
vides a precise shift schedule. The transmission
electronics are self-calibrating; therefore, the
first few shifts on a new vehicle may be some-
what abrupt. This is a normal condition, and
precision shifts will develop within a few hun-
dred miles (kilometers).
Only shift from DRIVE to PARK or REVERSE
when the accelerator pedal is released and the
vehicle is stopped. Be sure to keep your foot on
the brake pedal when shifting between these
gears.
The transmission gear selector has only PARK,
REVERSE, NEUTRAL, and DRIVE shift posi-
tions. Manual shifts can be made using the
AutoStick shift control (refer to “AutoStick” in
this section). Moving the gear selector to the left
or right (-/+) while in the DRIVE position will
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CAUTION!
Reduced tire pressures may cause tire un-
seating and total loss of air pressure. To
reduce the risk of tire unseating, while at a
reduced tire pressure, reduce your speed
and avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers.
Hill ClimbingHill climbing requires good judgment and a
good understanding of your abilities and your
vehicle’s limitations. Hills can cause serious
problems. Some are just too steep to climb and
should not be attempted. You should always
feel confident with the vehicle and your abilities.
You should always climb hills straight up and
down. Never attempt to climb a hill on an angle.
Before Climbing A Steep Hill
As you approach a hill consider its grade or
steepness. Determine if it is too steep. Look to
see what the traction is on the hill side trail. Is
the trail straight up and down? What is on top
and the other side? Are there ruts, rocks,
branches or other obstacles on the path? Can
you safely recover the vehicle if something goeswrong? If everything looks good and you feel
confident, then you should use low (L Off-Road
[if equipped]) with the 4WD LOCK engaged and
proceed with caution maintaining your momen-
tum as you climb the hill.
Driving Up Hill
Once you have determined your ability to pro-
ceed and have shifted into the appropriate gear,
line your vehicle up for the straightest possible
run. Accelerate with an easy constant throttle
and apply more power as you start up the hill.
Do not race forward into a steep grade; the
abrupt change of grade could cause you to lose
control. If the front end begins to bounce, ease
off the throttle slightly to bring all four tires back
on the ground. As you approach the crest of the
hill, ease off the throttle and slowly proceed over
the top. If the wheels start to slip as you
approach the crest of a hill, ease off the accel-
erator and maintain headway by turning the
steering wheel no more than a 1/4 turn quickly
back and forth. This will provide a fresh"bite"
into the surface and will usually provide enough
traction to complete the climb. If you do not
make it to the top, place the vehicle in RE-VERSE and back straight down the grade using
engine resistance along with the vehicle brakes.
WARNING!
Never attempt to climb a hill at an angle or
turn around on a steep grade. Driving across
an incline increases the risk of a rollover,
which may result in severe injury.
Driving Down Hill
Before driving down a steep hill you need to
determine if it is too steep for a safe descent.
What is the surface traction? Is the grade too
steep to maintain a slow controlled descent?
Are there obstacles? Is it a straight descent? Is
there plenty of distance at the base of the hill to
regain control if the vehicle descends to fast? If
you feel confident in your ability to proceed then
make sure you are in low (L Off-Road [if
equipped] ) with the 4WD LOCK engaged and
proceed with caution. Allow engine and hill
descent braking to control the descent and
apply your brakes if necessary, but do not allow
the tires to lock.
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WARNING!
Do not descend a steep grade in NEUTRAL.
Use vehicle brakes in conjunction with en-
gine braking. Descending a grade too fast
could cause you to lose control and be
seriously injured or killed.
Driving Across An Incline
If at all possible avoid driving across an incline.
If it is necessary, know your vehicle’s abilities.
Driving across an incline places more weight on
the down-hill wheels, which increases the pos-
sibilities of a down-hill slide or rollover. Make
sure the surface has good traction with firm and
stable soils. If possible transverse the incline at
an angle heading slightly up or down.
WARNING!
Driving across an incline increases the risk of
a rollover, which may result in severe injury.
If You Stall Or Begin To Lose Headway
If you stall or begin to lose headway while
climbing a steep hill, allow your vehicle to cometo a stop and immediately apply the brake.
Restart the engine and shift to REVERSE. Back
slowly down the hill allowing engine and hill
descent braking to control the descent and
apply your brakes if necessary, but do not allow
the tires to lock.
WARNING!
If the engine stalls or you lose headway or
cannot make it to the top of a steep hill or
grade, never attempt to turn around. To do so
may result in tipping and rolling the vehicle,
which may result in severe injury. Always
back carefully straight down a hill in RE-
VERSE gear. Never back down a hill in
NEUTRAL using only the vehicle brakes.
Never drive diagonally across a hill, always
drive straight up or down.
Driving Through WaterExtreme care should be taken crossing any
type of water. Water crossings should be
avoided if possible, and only be attempted
when necessary in a safe responsible manner.You should only drive through areas which are
designated and approved. You should tread
lightly and avoid damage to the environment.
You should know your vehicles abilities and be
able to recover it if something goes wrong. You
should never stop or shut a vehicle off when
crossing deep water unless you ingested water
into the engine air intake. If the engine stalls, do
not attempt to restart it. Determine if it has
ingested water first. The key to any crossing is
low and slow. You want to use low (L Off-Road
[if equipped] ) with the 4WD LOCK engaged
and proceed very slowly with a constant slow
speed (3-5 mph [5–8 km/h] maximum) and light
throttle. Keep the vehicle moving; do not try to
accelerate through the crossing. After crossing
any water higher than the bottom of the axle
differentials, you should inspect all of the ve-
hicle fluids for signs of water ingestion.
CAUTION!
Water ingestion into the transaxle, transfer
case, engine or vehicle interior can occur if
you drive too fast or through too deep of
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182

CAUTION!(Continued)
water. Water can cause permanent damage
to engine, driveline or other vehicle compo-
nents and your brakes will be less effective
once wet and/or muddy.
Before You Cross Any Type Of Water
As you approach any type of water, you need to
determine if you can cross it safely and respon-
sibly. If necessary, get out and walk through the
water or probe it with a stick. You need to be
sure of its depth, approach angle, current and
bottom condition. Be careful of murky or muddy
waters; check for hidden obstacles. Make sure
you will not be intruding on any wildlife, and you
can recover the vehicle if necessary. The key to
a safe crossing is the water depth, current and
bottom conditions. On soft bottoms, the vehicle
will sink in, effectively increasing the water level
on the vehicle. Be sure to consider this when
determining the depth and the ability to safely
cross.Crossing Puddles, Pools, Flooded Areas
Or Other Standing Water
Puddles, pools, flooded or other standing water
areas normally contain murky or muddy waters.
These water types normally contain hidden
obstacles and make it difficult to determine an
accurate water depth, approach angle, and
bottom condition. Murky or muddy water holes
are where you want to hook up tow straps prior
to entering. This makes for a faster, cleaner and
easier vehicle recovery. If you are able to deter-
mine you can safely cross, than proceed using
the low and slow method.
CAUTION!
Muddy waters can reduce the cooling sys-
tem effectiveness by depositing debris onto
the radiator.
After Driving Off-RoadOff-road operation puts more stress on your
vehicle than does most on-road driving. After
going off-road, it is always a good idea to check
for damage. That way you can get any problemstaken care of right away and have your vehicle
ready when you need it.
•Completely inspect the underbody of your
vehicle. Check tires, body structure, steering,
suspension, and exhaust system for dam-
age.
•Inspect the radiator for mud and debris and
clean as required.
•Check threaded fasteners for looseness, par-
ticularly on the chassis, drivetrain compo-
nents, steering, and suspension. Retighten
them, if required, and torque to the values
specified in the Service Manual.
•Check for accumulations of plants or brush.
These things could be a fire hazard. They
might hide damage to fuel lines, brake hoses,
axle pinion seals, and propeller shafts.
•After extended operation in mud, sand, wa-
ter, or similar dirty conditions, have the radia-
tor, fan, brake rotors, wheels, brake linings,
and axle yokes inspected and cleaned as
soon as possible.
183

WARNING!
Abrasive material in any part of the brakes
may cause excessive wear or unpredictable
braking. You might not have full braking
power when you need it to prevent a colli-
sion. If you have been operating your vehicle
in dirty conditions, get your brakes checked
and cleaned as necessary.
•If you experience unusual vibration after driv-
ing in mud, slush or similar conditions, check
the wheels for impacted material. Impacted
material can cause a wheel imbalance and
freeing the wheels of it will correct the
situation.
POWER STEERING
The standard power steering system will give
you good vehicle response and increased ease
of maneuverability in tight spaces. The system
will provide mechanical steering capability if
power assist is lost.
If for some reason the power assist is inter-
rupted, it will still be possible to steer yourvehicle. Under these conditions, you will ob-
serve a substantial increase in steering effort,
especially at very low vehicle speeds and dur-
ing parking maneuvers.
NOTE:
•Increased noise levels at the end of the
steering wheel travel are considered nor-
mal and do not indicate that there is a
problem with the power steering system.
•Upon initial start-up in cold weather, the
power steering pump may make noise for
a short amount of time. This is due to the
cold, thick fluid in the steering system.
This noise should be considered normal,
and it does not in any way damage the
steering system.CAUTION!
Prolonged operation of the steering system
at the end of the steering wheel travel will
increase the steering fluid temperature and it
should be avoided when possible. Damage
to the power steering pump may occur.
Power Steering Fluid CheckChecking the power steering fluid level at a
defined service interval is not required. The fluid
should only be checked if a leak is suspected,
abnormal noises are apparent, and/or the sys-
tem is not functioning as anticipated. Coordi-
nate inspection efforts through an authorized
dealer.
CAUTION!
Do not use chemical flushes in your power
steering system as the chemicals can dam-
age your power steering components. Such
damage is not covered by the New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
WARNING!
Fluid level should be checked on a level
surface and with the engine off to prevent
injury from moving parts and to ensure ac-
184

WARNING!
•Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or
with access to an unlocked vehicle. Allow-
ing children to be in a vehicle unattended
is dangerous for a number of reasons. A
child or others could be seriously or fatally
injured. Children should be warned not to
touch the parking brake, brake pedal or the
gear selector.
•Do not leave the Key Fob in or near the
vehicle, or in a location accessible to chil-
dren. A child could operate power win-
dows, other controls, or move the vehicle.
•Be sure the parking brake is fully disen-
gaged before driving; failure to do so can
lead to brake failure and a collision.
•
Always fully apply the parking brake when
leaving your vehicle, or it may roll and cause
damage or injury. Also, be certain to leave a
manual transmission in REVERSE or first
gear. Failure to do so may cause the vehicle
to roll and cause damage or injury.
CAUTION!
If the “Brake Warning Light” remains on with
the parking brake released, a brake system
malfunction is indicated. Have the brake
system serviced by an authorized dealer
immediately.
BRAKE SYSTEM
Your vehicle is equipped with power assisted
brakes as standard equipment. In the event
power assist is lost for any reason (for example,
repeated brake applications with the engine off),
the brakes will still function. However, the effort
required to brake the vehicle will be much
greater than that required with the power sys-
tem operating.
WARNING!
Riding the brakes can lead to brake failure
and possibly a collision. Driving with your
foot resting or riding on the brake pedal can
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
result in abnormally high brake tempera-
tures, excessive lining wear, and possible
brake damage. You would not have your full
braking capacity in an emergency.
If either of the two hydraulic systems lose
normal capability, the remaining system will still
function with some loss of overall braking effec-
tiveness. This will be evident by increased pedal
travel during application and greater pedal force
required to slow or stop. In addition, if the
malfunction is caused by an internal leak, as the
brake fluid in the master cylinder drops, the
“Brake Warning Light” will light.
WARNING!
Driving a vehicle with the “Brake Warning
Light” on is dangerous. A significant de-
crease in braking performance or vehicle
stability during braking may occur. It will take
you longer to stop the vehicle or will make
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186

•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 electronic
equipment that may be susceptible to in-
terference caused by improperly installed
or high output radio transmitting equip-
ment. This interference can cause possible
loss of anti-lock braking capability. Instal-
lation of such equipment should be per-
formed by qualified professionals.
•Pumping of the Anti-Lock Brakes will di-
minish 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.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•The ABS cannot prevent the natural laws
of physics from acting on the vehicle, nor
can it increase braking or steering effi-
ciency beyond that afforded by the condi-
tion of the vehicle brakes and tires or the
traction afforded.
•The ABS cannot prevent collisions, includ-
ing those resulting from excessive speed
in turns, following another vehicle too
closely, or hydroplaning.
•The capabilities of an ABS equipped ve-
hicle must never be exploited in a reckless
or dangerous manner that could jeopar-
dize the user’s safety or the safety of
others.
ABS is designed to function with the OEM tires.
Modification may result in degraded ABS per-
formance.
Anti-Lock Brake Warning LightThe amber “Anti-Lock Brake Warning Light” will
turn on when the ignition switch is turned to the
ON position and may stay on for as long as four
seconds.
If the “Anti-Lock Brake Warning Light” remains
on or comes on while driving, it indicates that
the anti-lock portion of the brake system is not
functioning and that service is required. How-
ever, the conventional brake system will con-
tinue to operate normally if the “Brake System
Warning Light” is not on.
If the “Anti-Lock Brake Warning Light” is on, the
brake system should be serviced as soon as
possible to restore the benefits of anti-lock
brakes. If the “Anti-Lock Brake Warning Light”
does not come on when the ignition switch is
turned to the ON position, have the light re-
paired as soon as possible.
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