Jeep Compass 2018 Owner's Manual page 157

NEUTRAL (N)
Use this range when the vehicle is standing for
prolonged periods with the engine running. The
engine may be started in this range. Apply the
park brake and shift the transmission into PARK
if you must exit the vehicle.
WARNING!
Do not coast in 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 and have a colli-
sion.
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 Disabled Ve-
hicle" in "In Case Of Emergency" for further
information.
DRIVE (D)
This range should be used for most city and
highway driving. It provides the smoothest up-
shifts and downshifts, and the best fuel
154
economy. The transmission automatically up-
shifts through all forward gears. The DRIVE
position provides optimum driving characteris-
tics 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 to
select a lower gear (refer to "AutoStick" in this
section for further information). Under these
conditions, using a lower gear will improve per-
formance and extend transmission life by reduc-
ing excessive shifting and heat buildup.
If the transmission temperature exceeds normal
operating limits, the transmission controller may
modify the transmission shift schedule, reduce
engine torque, and/or expand the range of
torque converter clutch engagement. This is
done to prevent transmission damage due to
overheating.
If the transmission becomes extremely hot, the
"Transmission Temperature Warning Light" may
illuminate, and the transmission may operate
differently until the transmission cools down.
During cold temperatures, transmission opera-
tion may be modified depending on engine
and/or transmission temperature as well as ve-
hicle speed. This feature improves warm up time
of the engine and transmission to achieve maxi-
mum efficiency. Engagement of the torque con-
verter clutch (and shifts into 8th or 9th gear), are
inhibited until the engine and/or transmission is
warm (refer to the "Note" under "Torque Con-
verter Clutch" in this section). Normal operation
will resume once the temperature(s) have risen
to a suitable level.
AutoStick
AutoStick is a driver-interactive transmission
feature providing manual shift control, giving
you more control of the vehicle. AutoStick allows
you to maximize engine braking, eliminate un-
desirable upshifts and downshifts, and improve
overall vehicle performance. This system can
also provide you with more control during pass-
ing, city driving, cold slippery conditions, moun-
tain driving, trailer towing, and many other situ-
ations.
Operation
When the gear selector is in the AutoStick
position (beside the DRIVE position), it can be
moved forward and rearward. This allows the
driver to manually select the transmission gear
being used. Moving the gear selector forward (-)
triggers a downshift and rearward (+) an upshift.
The current gear is displayed in the instrument
cluster.
In AutoStick mode, the transmission will shift up
or down when the driver moves the gear selec-
tor rearward (+) or forward (-), 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 de-
scribed below.