2010 Jeep Commander Owner's Manual - Page 264

264 STARTING AND OPERATING If the wheels start to slip as you approach the crest of a hill, ease off the accelerator and maintain forward motion by turning the front wheels slowly. This may provide a fresh "bite" into the surface and will usually provide traction to complete the climb. always a good idea to check for damage. That way you can get any problems taken care of right away and have your vehicle ready when you need it. • Completely inspect the underbody of your vehicle. Check the tires, body structure, steering, suspension, and exhaust system for damage. Traction Downhill Shift the transmission into a low gear, and the transfer • Check threaded fasteners for looseness, particularly on case into 4WD LOW range. Let the vehicle go slowly the chassis, drivetrain components, steering, and susdown the hill with all four wheels turning against engine pension. Retighten them, if required, and torque to the compression drag. This will permit you to control the values specified in the Service Manual. vehicle speed and direction. • Check for accumulations of plants or brush. These When descending mountains or hills, repeated braking things could be a fire hazard. They might hide damage can cause brake fade with loss of braking control. Avoid to fuel lines, brake hoses, axle pinion seals, and repeated heavy braking by downshifting the transmispropeller shafts. sion whenever possible. After Driving Off-Road Off-road operation puts more stress on your vehicle than does most on-road driving. After going off-road, it is