Jeep Liberty: Jump-Starting Procedures

Jeep Liberty / Jeep Liberty 2nd Gen Owner's Manual / What To Do In Emergencies / Jump-Starting Procedures

If your vehicle has a discharged battery it can be jumpstarted using a set of jumper cables and a battery in another vehicle or by using a portable battery booster pack. Jump-starting can be dangerous if done improperly so please follow the procedures in this section carefully.

NOTE: When using a portable battery booster pack follow the manufacturer’s operating instructions and precautions.

CAUTION!
Do not use a portable battery booster pack or any other booster source with a system voltage greater than 12 Volts or damage to the battery, starter motor, alternator or electrical system may occur.

WARNING!
Do not attempt jump-starting if the battery is frozen.

It could rupture or explode and cause personal injury.

Preparations For Jump-Start

The battery in your vehicle is located in the front of the engine compartment, behind the left headlight assembly.

NOTE: The positive battery post is covered with a protective cap. Lift up on the cap to gain access to the positive battery post.

Positive Battery Post

WARNING!
• 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 seriously 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.

1. Set the parking brake, shift the automatic transmission into PARK (manual transmission in NEUTRAL) and turn the ignition to LOCK.

2. Turn off the heater, radio, and all unnecessary electrical accessories.

3. If using another vehicle to jump-start the battery, park the vehicle within the jumper cables reach, set the parking brake and make sure the ignition is OFF.

WARNING!
Do not allow vehicles to touch each other as this could establish a ground connection and personal injury could result.

Jump-Starting Procedure

WARNING!
Failure to follow this procedure could result in personal injury or property damage due to battery explosion.

CAUTION!
Failure to follow these procedures could result in damage to the charging system of the booster vehicle or the discharged vehicle.

1. Connect the positive (+) end of the jumper cable to the positive (+) post of the discharged vehicle.

2. Connect the opposite end of the positive (+) jumper cable to the positive (+) post of the booster battery.

3. Connect the negative end (-) of the jumper cable to the negative (-) post of the booster battery.

4. Connect the opposite end of the negative (-) jumper cable to a good engine ground (exposed metal part of the discharged vehicle’s engine) away from the battery and the fuel injection system.

WARNING!
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.

5. Start the engine in the vehicle that has the booster battery, let the engine idle a few minutes, and then start the engine in the vehicle with the discharged battery.

Once the engine is started, remove the jumper cables in the reverse sequence:

6. Disconnect the negative (-) jumper cable from the engine ground of the vehicle with the discharged battery.

7. Disconnect the negative end (-) of the jumper cable from the negative (-) post of the booster battery.

8. Disconnect the opposite end of the positive (+) jumper cable from the positive (+) post of the booster battery.

9. Disconnect the positive (+) end of the jumper cable from the positive (+) post of the discharged vehicle.

If frequent jump-starting is required to start your vehicle you should have the battery and charging system inspected at your authorized dealer.

CAUTION!
Accessories that can be plugged into the vehicle power outlets draw power from the vehicle’s battery, even when not in use (i.e., cellular phones, etc.).

Eventually, if plugged in long enough, the vehicle’s battery will discharge sufficiently to degrade battery life and/or prevent the engine from starting.

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 DRIVE and REVERSE. Using minimal accelerator pedal pressure to maintain the rocking motion, without spinning the wheels, is most effective.

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.

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!
• When “rocking” a stuck vehicle by moving between DRIVE and REVERSE, 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).

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.

Shift Lever Override

If a malfunction occurs and the shift lever cannot be moved out of the PARK position, you can use the following procedure to temporarily move the shift lever:

1. Firmly apply the parking brake.

2. Using a screwdriver or similar tool, carefully remove the shift lever override access cover, located on the PRNDL bezel.

3. Turn the ignition to the ON/RUN position without starting the engine (engine Off).

4. Press and maintain firm pressure on the brake pedal.

5. Using a screwdriver, reach into the opening and press and hold the shift override lever down.

Shift Lever Override Access