Key Ignition Park Interlock; Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock System; Nine-Speed Automatic Transmission - Jeep CHEROKEE 2018 User Manual

CAUTION!
Damage to the transmission may occur if
the following precautions are not ob-
served:
• Shift into or out of PARK or REVERSE
only after the vehicle has come to a
complete stop.
• Do not shift between PARK, REVERSE,
NEUTRAL, or DRIVE when the engine is
above idle speed.
• Before shifting into any gear, make sure
your foot is firmly pressing the brake
pedal.
NOTE:
You must press and hold the brake pedal
while shifting out of PARK.

Key Ignition Park Interlock

This vehicle is equipped with a Key Ignition
Park Interlock which requires the transmis-
sion to be in PARK before the ignition can be
turned to the LOCK/OFF (key removal) posi-
tion. The key fob can only be removed from
the ignition when the ignition is in the LOCK/
OFF position, and the transmission is locked
in PARK whenever the ignition is in the
LOCK/OFF position.
Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock
System
This vehicle is equipped with a Brake Trans-
mission Shift Interlock system (BTSI) that
holds the transmission gear selector in PARK
unless the brakes are applied. To shift the
transmission out of PARK, the ignition must
be in the ON/RUN mode (engine running or
not) and the brake pedal must be pressed.
The brake pedal must also be pressed to shift
from NEUTRAL into DRIVE or REVERSE
when the vehicle is stopped or moving at low
speeds.

Nine-Speed Automatic Transmission

The transmission gear range (PRND) is dis-
played both beside the gear selector and in
the instrument cluster. To select a gear range,
press the lock button on the gear selector and
move the selector rearward or forward. You
must also press the brake pedal to shift the
transmission out of PARK (or NEUTRAL,
when the vehicle is stopped or moving at low
speeds). Select the DRIVE range for normal
driving.
NOTE:
In the event of a mismatch between the gear
selector position and the actual transmission
gear (for example, driver selects REVERSE
while driving forward), the position indicator
will blink continuously until the selector is
returned to the proper position, or the re-
quested shift can be completed.
The electronically-controlled transmission
adapts its shift schedule based on driver
inputs, along with environmental and road
conditions. The transmission electronics are
self-calibrating; therefore, the first few shifts
on a new vehicle may be somewhat abrupt.
This is a normal condition, and precision
shifts will develop within a few hundred miles
(kilometers).
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