2015 Jeep Cherokee User Guide - Page 198

WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES WARNING! • When temperatures are below the freezing point, electrolyte in a discharged battery may freeze. Do not attempt jump-starting because the battery could rupture or explode and cause personal injury. Battery temperature must be brought above the freezing point before attempting a jump-start. • 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 watch bands or bracelets, that might make an inadvertent electrical contact. You could be severely 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. • Do not allow vehicles to touch each other as this could establish a ground connection and personal injury could result. • Failure to follow this procedure could result in personal injury or property damage due to battery explosion. • Do not connect the 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. 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 DRIVE. 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! • Racing the engine or spinning the wheels may lead to transmission overheating and failure. Allow the engine to idle with the shift lever in NEUTRAL for at least one minute after every five rocking-motion cycles. This will minimize overheating and reduce the risk of transmission failure during prolonged efforts to free a stuck vehicle. • When "rocking" a stuck vehicle by moving between REVERSE and DRIVE, do not spin the wheels faster than 15 mph (24 km/h), or drivetrain damage may result. • 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). 196