2010 Jeep Patriot Owner's Manual - Page 397

396 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE If your vehicle becomes stuck in mud, sand or snow, it can often be moved by a rocking motion. Turn your steering wheel right and left to clear the area around the front wheels. Then shift back and forth between REVERSE and 1st gear. Using minimal accelerator pedal pressure to maintain the rocking motion, without spinning the wheels, is most effective. NOTE: If your vehicle is equipped with Traction Control or Electronic Stability Control (ESC), turn the system OFF before attempting to "rock" the vehicle. CAUTION! (Continued) • 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 transmission shifting occurring). 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 moving between 1st and REVERSE, do not spin the wheels faster than 15 mph (24 km/h), or drivetrain damage may result. (Continued)