Jeep Compass Operating Information Manual page 137

CAUTION!
Towing the vehicle, coasting, or driving for
any other reason with the transmission in
NEUTRAL can cause severe transmission
damage. Refer to "Recreational Towing" in
"Starting And Operating" and "Towing A Dis-
abled Vehicle" in "What To Do In Emergen-
cies" for further information.
DRIVE (D)
This range should be used for most city and
highway driving. It provides the best fuel
economy. The DRIVE position provides opti-
mum driving characteristics under all normal
operating conditions.
When frequent transmission shifting occurs
(such as when operating the vehicle under
heavy loading conditions, in hilly terrain, travel-
ing into strong head winds, or while towing a
heavy trailer), use the AutoStick shift control
(refer to "AutoStick (CVT)" in this section for
further information) to select a lower gear ratio.
Under these conditions, using a lower gear ratio
will improve performance and extend transmis-
sion life by reducing excessive shifting and heat
buildup.
During sustained high speed driv-
ing or trailer towing up long grades
on hot days, the automatic trans-
mission oil may become too hot. If
this happens, the transmission
134
overheat indicator light will come on, and the
vehicle will slow slightly until the transmission
cools down enough to allow a return to the
requested speed. This is done to prevent trans-
mission damage due to overheating. If the high
speed is maintained, the overheating may reoc-
cur, as before, in a cyclic fashion.
AutoStick (CVT) — If Equipped
AutoStick is a driver-interactive transmission
feature providing six manually selectable gear
ratios, giving you more control of the vehicle.
AutoStick allows you to maximize engine brak-
ing, eliminate undesirable upshifts and down-
shifts, and improve overall vehicle performance.
This system can also provide you with more
control during passing, city driving, cold slippery
conditions, mountain driving, trailer towing, and
many other situations.
Operation
NOTE:
AutoStick is not available until the CVT
warms up in cold weather.
When the gear selector is in the DRIVE position,
AutoStick is activated by moving the gear selec-
tor side-to-side. Moving the gear selector to the
right (+) will activate AutoStick and shift up to the
next higher manual ratio, unless you are already
operating in or near Overdrive, in which case
sixth gear ratio will be selected. In like manner,
moving the gear selector to the left (-) will
activate AutoStick and shift to the next lower
manual ratio. The manually-selected gear will be
displayed in the instrument cluster.
In AutoStick mode, the transmission will shift up
or down when (+/-) is manually selected by the
driver, unless an engine lugging or overspeed
condition would result. It will remain in the
selected gear until another upshift or downshift
is chosen, except as described below:
• The transmission will automatically upshift
when necessary to prevent engine over-
speed.
• The transmission will automatically downshift
as the vehicle slows (to prevent engine lug-
ging) and will display the current gear.
• The transmission will automatically downshift
to first gear when coming to a stop. After a
stop, the driver should manually upshift (+)
the transmission as the
accelerated.
• If a requested downshift would cause the
engine to overspeed, that shift will not occur.
• Transmission shifting will be more noticeable
when AutoStick is engaged.
• Heavy Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) appli-
cation will disengage AutoStick mode.
• The system may revert to automatic shift
mode if a fault or overheat condition is
detected.
vehicle is