Jeep TJ (2006 year). Manual — part 12

Mix

Outside air comes from the floor and defrost out-
lets. This mode works best in cold or snowy con-
ditions. It allows you to stay comfortable while

keeping the windshield clear.

Defrost

Outside air comes from the windshield outlets
with a small amount being directed through the

floor outlets. Use this setting when necessary to defrost
your windshield.

NOTE:

For improved safety, the A/C compressor is

activated when “Mix” or “Defrost” modes are selected.
This is done to assist in drying the air and it will help in
keeping the windshield from fogging.

Operating Tips

Summer Operation
The engine cooling system in air conditioned vehicles
must be protected with a high-quality antifreeze coolant
to provide proper corrosion protection and to protect
against engine overheating. A 50% solution of ethylene
glycol antifreeze coolant in water is recommended.

Winter Operation
The air from the heater system will heat faster in cold
weather if you use lower blower speeds until the engine
warms up. When operating the system during the winter
months, make sure the air intake, located directly in front
of the windshield, is free of ice, slush, snow, or other
obstructions.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

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4

Window Fogging
In mild but rainy or humid weather, the windows might
fog on the inside. To clear the fog off all of the windows,
turn the mode control knob to the “Panel” position (with
snowflake). Adjust the temperature control and blower
speed to maintain comfort. Direct the panel outlets
toward the side windows. Interior fogging on the wind-
shield can be quickly removed by selecting the “Defrost”
position.

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UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

STARTING AND OPERATING

CONTENTS

䡵 Starting Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182

▫ Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
▫ Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
▫ Normal Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
▫ Extreme Cold Weather

(Below –20°F Or –29°C) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183

▫ If Engine Fails To Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
▫ After Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184

䡵 Engine Block Heater — If Equipped . . . . . . . . . 184

䡵 Transmission Shifting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185

▫ 6-Speed Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
▫ Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188

䡵 Four–Wheel Drive Operation (Command-Trac™

Or Rock-Trac™) — If Equipped . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194

▫ Operating Instructions/Precautions . . . . . . . . . 195
▫ Shift Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
▫ Shifting Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197

䡵 Trac-Lok™ Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198

5

䡵 Axle Lock (Tru–Lok™) — If Equipped . . . . . . . . 199
䡵 Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
䡵 About Your Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
䡵 Anti-Lock Brake System — If Equipped . . . . . . . 205
䡵 Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
䡵 On-Road Driving Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
䡵 Off-Road Driving Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209

▫ When To Use 4L (Low) Range . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
▫ Driving Through Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
▫ Driving In Snow, Mud And Sand . . . . . . . . . . 210
▫ Hill Climbing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
▫ Traction Downhill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
▫ After Driving Off-Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212

䡵 Tire Safety Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213

▫ Tire Markings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
▫ Tire Identification Number (TIN) . . . . . . . . . . 216
▫ Tire Loading And Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . 217

䡵 Tires — General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221

▫ Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
▫ Tire Inflation Pressures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
▫ Tire Pressures For High Speed Operation . . . . 224
▫ Radial-Ply Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
▫ Tire Spinning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
▫ Tread Wear Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
▫ Life Of Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
▫ Replacement Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
▫ Alignment And Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227

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STARTING AND OPERATING

䡵 Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
䡵 Tire Rotation Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
䡵 Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229

▫ Reformulated Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
▫ Gasoline/Oxygenate Blends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
▫ MMT In Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
▫ Materials Added To Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
▫ Fuel System Cautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
▫ Carbon Monoxide Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232

䡵 Fuel Filler Cap (Gas Cap) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233

▫ Locking Fuel Filler Cap (Gas Cap) —

If Equipped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235

䡵 Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236

▫ Common Towing Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
▫ Trailer Hitch Classification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
▫ Trailer Towing Weights

(Maximum Trailer Weight Ratings) . . . . . . . . . 239

▫ Trailer And Tongue Weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
▫ Towing Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
▫ Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246

䡵 Recreational Towing (Behind Motorhome, Etc.) . . 248

▫ Shifting Into Neutral (N) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
▫ Shifting Out Of Neutral (N) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250

STARTING AND OPERATING

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5

STARTING PROCEDURES
Before starting your vehicle, adjust your seat, adjust both
inside and outside mirrors, and fasten your seat belts.

WARNING!

Do not leave children or animals inside parked
vehicles in hot weather. Interior heat build up may
cause serious injury or death.

Manual Transmission
Apply the parking brake, place the gearshift control lever
in N (Neutral) and depress the clutch pedal before
starting vehicle. This vehicle is equipped with a clutch
interlocking ignition system. It will not start unless the
clutch pedal is pressed to the floor.

WARNING!

You or others around you could be injured if you
attempt to start the engine with a manual transmis-
sion in gear — your vehicle will move. Remember,
always push the clutch pedal in fully and shift into
N (Neutral) before attempting to start the engine.

Automatic Transmission
Start the engine with the selector lever in the N (Neutral)
or P (Park) position. Apply the brake before shifting to
any driving range.

Normal Starting
Normal starting of either a cold or a warm engine is
obtained without pumping or depressing the accelerator
pedal. Turn the key to the START position and release
when the engine starts. If the engine fails to start within

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STARTING AND OPERATING

10 seconds, turn the key to the OFF position, wait 5
seconds, then repeat the normal starting procedure.

Extreme Cold Weather (below –20°F or –29°C)
To insure reliable starting at these temperatures, use of an
externally powered electric engine block heater (available
from your dealer) is recommended.

If Engine Fails to Start
If the engine fails to start after you have followed the
“Normal Starting” or “Extreme Cold Weather” proce-
dures, it may be flooded. Push the accelerator pedal all
the way to the floor and hold it there while cranking the
engine. This should clear any excess fuel in case the
engine is flooded.

CAUTION!

To prevent damage to the starter, do not crank the
engine for more than 15 seconds at a time. Wait 10 to
15 seconds before trying again.

Ignition Key Positions

STARTING AND OPERATING

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5

If the engine has been flooded, it may start to run, but not
have enough power to continue running when the key is
released. If this occurs, continue cranking with the accel-
erator pedal pushed all the way to the floor. Release the
accelerator pedal and the key once the engine is running
smoothly.

If the engine shows no sign of starting after two 15
second periods of cranking with the accelerator pedal
held to the floor, the “Normal Starting” or “Extreme Cold
Weather” procedures should be repeated.

WARNING!

Never pour fuel or other flammable liquids into the
throttle body air inlet opening in an attempt to start
the vehicle. This could result in a flash fire causing
serious personal injury.

After Starting
The idle speed will automatically decrease as the engine
warms up.

CAUTION!

Long periods of engine idling, especially at high
engine speeds can cause excessive exhaust tempera-
tures which can damage your vehicle. Do not leave
your vehicle unattended with the engine running.

ENGINE BLOCK HEATER — IF EQUIPPED
The engine block heater warms engine coolant and
permits quicker starts in cold weather. Connect the cord
to a standard 110-115 volt AC electrical outlet with a
grounded, three wire extension cord. The engine block
heater cord is found under the hood clipped to the tie rod
between the radiator grille and the dash panel.

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STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING!

Remember to disconnect the cord before driving.
Damage to the 110-115 volt AC electrical cord could
cause electrocution.

Use the heater when temperatures below 0°F (-18°C) are
expected to last for several days.

TRANSMISSION SHIFTING

6-Speed Manual Transmission
Follow the shift pattern on the gearshift knob.

NOTE:

The backup lights will come on when your

vehicle is in reverse gear and the ignition is in the ON
position.

Manual Shift Controls

STARTING AND OPERATING

185

5

WARNING!

When parking your vehicle, always leave a manual
transmission in first gear and apply the parking
brake fully to guard against vehicle movement and
possible injury or damage. Never use any gear as a
substitute for the parking brake.

CAUTION!

To drive as safely as possible and to prolong the life
of your manual transmission, follow these tips:

• Before shifting from a forward gear into reverse, or

from reverse to a forward gear, stop vehicle com-
pletely. Otherwise, transmission damage may result.

• Do not operate at sustained high engine or road

speeds in lower gears. Engine damage may result.

• Do not downshift into a low gear while traveling at too

high a speed for that gear. Engine, clutch, or transmis-
sion damage may result.

• Do not rest your foot on the clutch pedal. This causes

heat buildup and damages the clutch.

• When you slow down or go up a grade, downshift as

speed requires or the engine may overheat.

• Never hold the vehicle stopped on a hill by using the

clutch pedal. The clutch may be damaged.

• During cold weather, you may experience increased

effort in shifting until the transmission fluid warms
up. This is normal.

• Push in the clutch pedal completely when shifting.

Otherwise, transmission or clutch damage may result.

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STARTING AND OPERATING

• When “rocking” a stuck vehicle by shifting between a

forward gear and reverse, do not spin wheels faster
than 15 mph (24 km/h), or drivetrain damage may
result.

Recommended Manual Transmission Shifting
Speeds

Manual Transmission Shift Speeds in MPH (KM/H)

Engine Speeds 1 to 2 2 to 3 3 to 4 4 to 5 5 to 6
2.4L

Accel.

14 (23)

24

(39)

34

(55)

46

(74)

57

(92)

Cruise 11 (18)

19

(31)

27

(43)

38

(61)

45

(72)

4.0L

Accel.

15 (24)

24

(39)

34

(55)

47

(76)

56

(90)

Cruise 10 (16)

19

(31)

27

(43)

37

(60)

41

(66)

Clutch Interlocking Ignition System (Non —
Rubicon Models Only)
Manual transmission vehicles are equipped with a clutch
interlock safety feature. With this feature engaged, you
must depress the clutch pedal to allow cranking of the
engine. To temporarily bypass this safety feature while
off-road driving (4L range only), which will allow crank-
ing the engine without depressing the clutch, follow
these steps:

1. Locate the Power Distribution Center (PDC) in the
engine compartment. Refer to “Fuse Panel” in Section 7
of this manual. (See page 305 for more information.)

2. Put a 10 Amp fuse in the PDC cavity (#28) marked as
Clutch Override.

NOTE:

A fuse is provided in fuseblock cavity (f19 or

f20) marked as Spare.

STARTING AND OPERATING

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5

3. Be sure to re-engage the clutch interlock safety feature
by following these steps in reverse order when you are
finished off-road driving.

Automatic Transmission
Shifting from D (Drive) to P (Park) or R (Reverse) (or
from P or R to D) should be done only after the
accelerator pedal is released and the vehicle is stopped.
Be sure to keep your foot on the brake when moving the
shift lever between these gears.

Automatic Shift Controls

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STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING!

It is dangerous to shift the selector lever out of “P” or
“N” if the engine speed is higher than idle speed. If
your foot is not firmly on the brake pedal, the
vehicle could accelerate quickly forward or in re-
verse. You could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear when
the engine is idling normally and when your right
foot is firmly on the brake pedal.

Brake Transmission Shift Interlock System
This vehicle is equipped with a brake transmission shift
interlock system (BTSI) that holds the gearshift lever in
the P (Park) position when the ignition switch is in the
OFF position. To move the gear selector lever out of the
P (Park) position, the ignition switch must be turned to
the ON position, the brake pedal and the button on the
front of the shifter handle must be depressed.

Gear Ranges

P (Park)
Supplements the parking brake by locking the transmis-
sion. The engine can be started in this range. Never use P
(Park) while the vehicle is in motion. Apply the parking
brake when leaving the vehicle in this range. Always
apply the parking brake first, and then place the selector
in P (Park) position.

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5

WARNING!

Unintended movement of a vehicle could injure
those in and near the vehicle. As with all vehicles,
you should never exit a vehicle while the engine is
running. Before exiting a vehicle, you should always
shift the vehicle into P (Park), remove the key from
the ignition, and apply the parking brake. Once the
key is removed from the ignition, the transmission
shift lever is locked in the P (Park) position, securing
the vehicle against unwanted movement. Further-
more, you should never leave children unattended
inside a vehicle.

The following indicators should be used to ensure that
you have engaged the transmission shift lever into the P
(Park) position:

• When shifting into P (Park), depress the button on the

shift lever and firmly move the lever all the way
forward until it stops.

• Look at the shift indicator window on the console to

ensure it is in the P (Park) position.

• When engaged in P (Park), you will not be able to

move the shifter rearward without depressing the shift
lever button.

CAUTION!

Before moving the shift lever out of P (Park), you
must turn the ignition from LOCK to ON so the
steering wheel and shift lever are released. Other-
wise, damage to the steering column or shifter could
result.

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STARTING AND OPERATING

R (Reverse)
For moving the vehicle rearward. Always stop before
moving the lever to R (Reverse), except when rocking the
vehicle.

N (Neutral)
Engine may be started in this position.

NOTE:

Towing the vehicle, coasting, or otherwise driv-

ing with the transmission in N (Neutral) can cause severe
damage to the transmission.

WARNING!

Do not coast in N (Neutral) and never turn off the
ignition to coast down a hill. These are unsafe
practices that limit your response to changing traffic
or road conditions. You might lose control of the
vehicle.

Overdrive (O/D)
For most city and highway driving. The transmission
contains an electronically controlled Overdrive, and will
automatically shift from D (Drive) to O/D (Overdrive) if
the following conditions are present:

• The transmission selector is in D (Drive).
• The O/D OFF switch has not been activated.
• Vehicle speed is above approximately 30 mph (48

km/h).

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5

When frequent transmission shifting occurs while using
Overdrive, such as when operating the vehicle under
heavy load conditions (for example, in hilly terrain,
strong head winds, or trailer towing), turning off over-
drive will improve performance and extend transmission
life by reducing excessive shifting and heat buildup.

Overdrive can be locked out by pressing the O/D OFF
switch located on the instrument panel. The O/D OFF
indicator light (on the switch) will illuminate to show
that the switch has been activated. When the indicator
light is on, Overdrive is locked out. Pressing the switch a
second time restores the Overdrive function. The lockout
feature is useful when towing a trailer or carrying a
heavy load.

2 (Second)
For moderate grades and to assist braking on dry pave-
ment or in mud and snow. Begins at a stop in low gear
with automatic upshift to 2nd gear. Will not shift to 3rd.

1 (First)
For hard pulling at low speeds in mud, sand, snow, or on
steep grades. Begins and stays in low gear with no
upshift. Provides engine compression braking at low
speeds.

Overdrive Off Switch

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STARTING AND OPERATING