2023 JEEP GLADIATOR tailgate

110GETTING TO KNOW YOUR VEHICLE
TAILGATE
OPENING

Tailgate Release Handle

To open the tailgate, pull the release handle
located on the center of the tailgate and guide it to
the lowered position.
The tailgate is dampened to provide a slower, more
controlled lowering.
THREE-POSITION TAILGATE
The vehicle’s tailgate can be set to three positions:
open, mid, or closed. The mid position can be used
to provide a loading surface for transporting sheet
goods.
To use the mid position, open the tailgate and
lower it to near mid position.
Tailgate In Mid Position

Secure the tailgate in this position by looping the
tailgate straps behind the circular retainer on both
sides.

Loop Tailgate Strap Behind Circular Retainer

Ensure the tailgate strap is properly seated behind
the circular retainer against the sides of the sheet
metal.
Correctly Seated Tailgate Strap
Incorrectly Seated Tailgate Strap

When hauling cargo using the mid position and the
tailgate, you must support the load at two forward
locations:
At the top of the rear wheelhouse (1)
Between the wheelhouse and the tailgate (2)

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GETTING TO KNOW YOUR VEHICLE111

Chamfered Boards In Pickup Box

NOTE:Failure to support the load at these two forward
locations could result in damage.
Three 2x4 boards are needed to provide support at
locations (1) and (2). Each board will need to be cut
to fit inside the pickup box.
The support at location (1) should be seated in the
dedicated formation on top of the wheelhouses.
The support at location (2) should use the
remaining two 2x4s. Stack the boards and place
them into the formation in the side wall of the
pickup box. The corners of the bottom board will
need to be chamfered to fit.
NOTE:
All cargo transported in the pickup box must be
secured.
The maximum payload for the mid position is
300 lb (136 kg).
CLOSING
To close the tailgate, lift upward until both sides
latch into place.
NOTE:
If the Tonneau Cover is installed, make sure the
Tonneau Cover is fully closed before closing the
tailgate.
Due to the presence of the Center
High-Mounted Stop Lamp, removal of the tail -
gate is not recommended.
BED RAIL TIE DOWN SYSTEM —
IF EQUIPPED
The Bed Rail Tie Down system allows you to
properly secure cargo in the truck bed.

Bed Rail Tie Down Locations

1 — Support Location 1
2 — Support Location 2
CAUTION!
After closing, pull back on the tailgate firmly to
ensure it is securely latched. Failure to securely
latch the tailgate could result in damage to the
vehicle or cargo.
CAUTION!
The maximum load per cleat should not exceed
250 lb (113 kg) and the angle of the load on
each cleat should not exceed 45 degrees above
horizontal, or damage to the cleat or cleat rail
may occur.2

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112GETTING TO KNOW YOUR VEHICLE
There are two adjustable utility rail cleats on each
side of the bed that can be used to assist in
securing cargo.

Adjustable Cleat Assembly

Each utility rail cleat must be tightened down in
one of the detents along either utility rail in order to
keep cargo properly secured.
To move the utility rail cleat to any position on the
utility rail, turn the cleat retainer nut counter-
clockwise several times. Then, pull out on the
utility rail cleat and slide it to the detent nearest
the desired location. Make sure the utility rail cleat
is seated in the detent, and tighten the nut. To remove the utility rail cleats from the side utility
rails, slide the cleat to the rectangular cutout
located at the end of the rail toward the front of the
vehicle.
To remove the utility rail cleat from the front utility
rail, slide the cleat to the rectangular cutout
located on the left side of the rail.
TONNEAU COVER — IF EQUIPPED
The Tonneau Cover can be installed on the truck
bed to keep cargo out of view, and protect from
inclement weather.
The Tonneau Cover consists of the following
features:
Easy roll up cover
Tonneau fore/aft locator
Crossbar inside bed locator
Rear latches
Stowage straps
NOTE:The Tonneau Cover can be rolled up and secured
at the front of the truck bed without removing it
completely.
TONNEAU COVER INSTALLATION
To install the Tonneau Cover, proceed as follows:

1. Position the rolled up Tonneau Cover on the
truck bed and align it to the two fastener
locations at the front of the bed.

Fastener Locations

2. Using a #T50 Torx head driver, secure the fasteners to the bed.
3. Lower the tailgate to the fully open position before unrolling the Tonneau Cover.
1 — Utility Rail Detent
2 — Cleat Retainer Nut
3 — Utility Rail Cleat

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GETTING TO KNOW YOUR VEHICLE113
4. Release the stowage straps used to secure the Tonneau Cover in the rolled up position.

Release Stowage Strap

5. Roll the Tonneau Cover rearward toward the back of the truck bed.

Roll Tonneau Cover Rearward
6. Position both Tonneau Cover latches over the
locking mechanisms (one on each side of the
truck bed), making sure the plastic retainer is
correctly seated in the forward part of the
latch.

Correctly Seated Retainer
Incorrectly Seated Retainer
7. Once the rear Tonneau Cover bar is positioned
over the locking mechanism, grab the back of
the Tonneau Cover and push downward on the
center to engage the locking mechanisms.
Make sure an audible “click” from both sides
of the Tonneau Cover is heard to confirm that
the latch is completely engaged.

Push Downward To Lock

NOTE:If desired, the Tonneau Cover can be left in this
position (rear panel folded forward) while the
tailgate is closed, or the tailgate can be raised to
the mid-position Ú page 110.
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114GETTING TO KNOW YOUR VEHICLE

Tonneau Cover With Tailgate In Mid-Position

8. Fold the rear panel down; the tailgate can now be raised and secured in place.
NOTE:If not leaving the tailgate in the mid-position, the
Tonneau Cover must be closed completely prior to
fully closing the tailgate.
TONNEAU COVER REMOVAL
To remove the Tonneau Cover, proceed as follows:

1. Open the tailgate.

2. Fold the rear panel of the Tonneau Cover forward to reveal the red release straps.

Release Strap Location

3. Pull one of the red release straps to release the Tonneau Cover latch.
NOTE:Pulling either strap will release the latches to roll
the Tonneau Cover up; there is no need to pull both
at the same time. 4. Roll the Tonneau Cover forward, starting with
the rear bar and continue to roll toward the
front of the truck bed.

Roll Tonneau Cover Forward

5. Using the stowage straps, secure the Tonneau Cover in the rolled up position.

Secured Tonneau Cover

CAUTION!
Do not sit on the Tonneau Cover; damage to the
cover and/or cargo will occur.

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188STARTING AND OPERATING
(Continued)
PARKSENSE SYSTEM USAGE
P
RECAUTIONS
NOTE:
Ensure that the front and rear fascia/bumpers
are free of snow, ice, mud, dirt and debris to
keep the ParkSense system operating properly.
Jackhammers, large trucks, and other vibra -
tions could affect the performance of Park -
Sense.
When you turn the ParkSense system off, the
instrument cluster display will show a vehicle
graphic of the ParkSense on/off state for two
seconds. Furthermore, once you turn Park -
Sense off, it remains off until you turn it on
again, even if you cycle the ignition.
When you move the gear selector to the
REVERSE position and ParkSense is turned off,
the instrument cluster display will show the
“ParkSense OFF” message. This message will
be displayed for as long as the vehicle is in
REVERSE.
ParkSense, when on, will reduce the volume of
the radio when it is sounding a tone.
Clean the ParkSense sensors regularly, taking
care not to scratch or damage them. The
sensors must not be covered with ice, snow,
slush, mud, dirt or debris. Failure to do so can
result in the system not working properly. The ParkSense system might not detect an obstacle
behind or in front of the fascia/bumper, or it
could provide a false indication that an obstacle
is behind or in front of the fascia/bumper.
Use the ParkSense switch to turn the ParkSense
system off if obstacles such as bicycle carriers,
trailer hitches, etc. are placed within 12 inches
(30 cm) of the rear fascia/bumper. Failure to do
so can result in the system misinterpreting a
close obstacle as a sensor problem, causing the
“PARKSENSE UNAVAILABLE SERVICE
REQUIRED” message to appear in the instru
-
ment cluster display.
ParkSense should be disabled when the tailgate
is in the lowered or open position. A lowered tail -
gate could provide a false indication that an
obstacle is behind the vehicle.
WARNING!
Drivers must be careful when backing up even
when using ParkSense. Always check carefully
behind your vehicle, look behind you, and be
sure to check for pedestrians, animals, other
vehicles, obstructions, and blind spots before
backing up. You are responsible for safety and
must continue to pay attention to your
surroundings. Failure to do so can result in
serious injury or death.
Before using ParkSense, it is strongly recom -
mended that the ball mount and hitch ball
assembly be disconnected from the vehicle
when the vehicle is not used for towing.
Failure to do so can result in injury or damage
to vehicles or obstacles because the hitch ball
will be much closer to the obstacle than the
rear fascia/bumper when the vehicle sounds
the continuous tone. Also, the sensors could
detect the ball mount and hitch ball assembly,
depending on its size and shape, giving a false
indication that an obstacle is behind the
vehicle.
CAUTION!
ParkSense is only a parking aid and it is
unable to recognize every obstacle, including
small obstacles. Parking curbs might be
temporarily detected or not detected at all.
Obstacles located above or below the sensors
will not be detected when they are in close
proximity.
The vehicle must be driven slowly when using
ParkSense in order to be able to stop in time
when an obstacle is detected. It is recom -
mended that the driver looks over his/her
shoulder when using ParkSense.
WARNING!

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STARTING AND OPERATING189
PARKVIEW REAR BACK UP CAMERA
The ParkView Rear Back Up Camera allows you to
see an on-screen image of the rear surroundings of
your vehicle whenever the gear selector is in
REVERSE. The image will be displayed in the
touchscreen display along with a caution note to
“Check Entire Surroundings” across the top of the
screen. After five seconds this note will disappear.
The ParkView camera is located on the tailgate,
above the vehicle license plate.
NOTE:Removing the tailgate will disable the rearview
camera function.
Manual Activation Of The Rear View Camera

1. Go to the Controls screen by pressing the
Controls button located on the bottom of the
Uconnect display, and then press Back Up
Camera.

2. Press the Back Up Camera button to turn the Rear View Camera system on.
When the vehicle is shifted out of REVERSE with
Camera delay turned off, the rear Camera mode is
exited and the previous screen appears again.
When the vehicle is shifted out of REVERSE with
Camera delay turned on, the rear Camera image
will be displayed for up to 10 seconds unless the
vehicle speed exceeds 8 mph (13 km/h), the transmission is shifted into PARK, the ignition is
placed in the OFF position, or the touchscreen X
button to disable display of the Rear View Camera
image is pressed.
Whenever the Rear View Camera image is
activated through the Back Up Camera button in
the Controls menu, and the vehicle speed is
greater than, or equal to 8 mph (13 km/h), a
display timer for the image is initiated. The image
will continue to be displayed until the display timer
exceeds 10 seconds.NOTE:
If the vehicle speed remains below 8 mph
(13 km/h), the Rear View Camera image will be
displayed continuously until deactivated via the
touchscreen X button, the transmission is
shifted into PARK, or the ignition is placed in the
OFF position.
The touchscreen X button to disable display of
the camera image is made available ONLY when
the vehicle is not in REVERSE.
When enabled, active guidelines are overlaid on
the image to illustrate the width of the vehicle and
its projected back up path based on the steering
wheel position. A dashed center line overlay
indicates the center of the vehicle to assist with
parking or aligning to a hitch/receiver. Different colored zones indicate the distance to
the rear of the vehicle.
The following table shows the approximate
distances for each zone:
Zone Distance To The Rear Of
The Vehicle
Red 0 - 1 ft (0 - 30 cm)
Yellow 1 ft - 6.5 ft (30 cm - 2 m)
Green 6.5 ft or greater
(2 m or greater)
WARNING!
Drivers must be careful when backing up even
when using the ParkView Rear Back Up Camera.
Always check carefully behind your vehicle, and
be sure to check for pedestrians, animals, other
vehicles, obstructions, or blind spots before
backing up. You are responsible for the safety of
your surroundings and must continue to pay
attention while backing up. Failure to do so can
result in serious injury or death.
4

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IN CASE OF EMERGENCY337
(Continued)
3. Release the tool bag straps from the jack and
remove tools from bag.

Jack And Tool Bag

4. Remove tool kit and assemble tools.

Jack And Tool Bag
There are two ways to assemble the tools:

Assembled For Spare Tire Lowering/Raising

NOTE:If the tailgate is lowered, the jack extension with
hook can be added to this assembly to enable
lowering of the spare tire without having to raise
the tailgate.
Assembled For Jack Operation

1 — Lug Wrench
2 — Long Extension Without Spring Clip 2
3 — Long Extension With Spring Clip 3
4 — Long Extension With Spring Clip 4
CAUTION!
The lug wrench can only be attached to exten
-
sion 2.
When attaching the tool to the winch mecha -
nism be sure the large flared end opening on
extension 4 is positioned correctly over the
winch mechanism adjusting nut.
Damage to the lug wrench, extensions and
winch mechanism may occur from improper
tool assembly
1 — Lug Wrench
2 — Long Extension 2
3 — Long Extension 3
4 — Long Extension 4
5 — Short Extension With Hook
CAUTION!
7

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