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Freeing a Stuck Vehicle

PyrPatriot

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On p.301 of the User Manual that you download through the Jeep App there is the following section

FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE
If your vehicle becomes stuck in mud, sand or snow, it can often be moved using a rocking motion. Turn the steering wheel right and left to clear the area around the front wheels. For vehicles with automatic transmission, push and hold the lock button on the gear selector. Then, shift back and forth between DRIVE (D) and REVERSE (R) (with automatic transmission) or SECOND gear (2) and REVERSE (R) (with manual transmission), while gently pressing the accelerator. Use the least amount of accelerator pedal pressure that will maintain the rocking motion, without spinning the wheels or racing the engine.

NOTE:  For vehicles with automatic transmission: Shifts between DRIVE (D) and REVERSE (R) can only be achieved at wheel speeds of 5 mph (8 km/h) or less. Whenever the transmission remains in NEUTRAL(N) for more than 2 seconds, you must press the brake pedal to engage DRIVE (D) or REVERSE (R).

 Push the "ESC OFF" switch to place the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system in "Partial OFF" mode before rocking the vehicle. Refer to “Electronic Brake Control System” in “Safety” for further information.Once the vehicle has been freed, push the "ESC OFF" switch again to restore "ESC ON" mode.

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.

What is the "lock button on the gear selector"? Is it literally that huge paddle button on the front of the gear stick? I've never seen that it needed even a press to shift gears from/to drive. Does holding it down do something special?

Is the D-R alternation just for quick switching to rock back and forth? I wonder if there is a video demonstrating this. It wouldn't have helped in my situation, the wheels were free spinning and I had to put down rocks/bricks to crawl out of a flat mud spot.

Regarding the 2nd gear part: I noticed when I was stuck and in 4L the gear was always in 2nd.

Regarding the ESC part: doesn't it go off in 4L? I mean I know it's still somewhat on because I felt it when I slipped and tried turning. But there is a difference between pushing the button (turns off traction control), and holding it down for 5 seconds (turns off stability control). Is there a difference in it off in 4L?

I'm glad out of instinct I didn't accelerate too fast (no idea on speed) and didn't keep it at high-er (well under red-line) for longer than 5 seconds at a time, with good stretches of wind-down and cool down in between.
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ACAD_Cowboy

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The lock button you use to move between gears, they are asking you to move between D and R pretty much as quick as you can to make the most use of the momentum of the vehicle.

The 2nd gear discussion is for the manual and is admonishing you to use higher gears top avoid applying too much torque to the surface that has you stuck, overpowering the snow will form ice, far nastier to escape from.

Now, do bear in mind that the manual is written for everyone and cares not if you know better by putting it in low range to develop higher torque at lower wheel speeds. Ideally you want to tune your power output and rate of output (torque and wheel speed) to the situation. Moar Throttle is not always the answer when you can drop a range and choose more gears.

Now the stability control is alway on in high range unless you disable it, 2 and 4 wheel drive. In low range it disables. Should you find that the system is hampering you ability to unstuck because it keeps cutting power or doing other dumb things when it detects "too much" wheel speed, you can manually disable it to power out.
 

Logan94605

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The lock button you use to move between gears, they are asking you to move between D and R pretty much as quick as you can to make the most use of the momentum of the vehicle.

The 2nd gear discussion is for the manual and is admonishing you to use higher gears top avoid applying too much torque to the surface that has you stuck, overpowering the snow will form ice, far nastier to escape from.

Now, do bear in mind that the manual is written for everyone and cares not if you know better by putting it in low range to develop higher torque at lower wheel speeds. Ideally you want to tune your power output and rate of output (torque and wheel speed) to the situation. Moar Throttle is not always the answer when you can drop a range and choose more gears.

Now the stability control is alway on in high range unless you disable it, 2 and 4 wheel drive. In low range it disables. Should you find that the system is hampering you ability to unstuck because it keeps cutting power or doing other dumb things when it detects "too much" wheel speed, you can manually disable it to power out.
I've crawled out of more stuck situations than accelerated out of them. It's amazing what a bail of hay, a tree branch or some big rocks can do to get you out of a bind.
 

ACAD_Cowboy

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I once sacrificed a can of ground coffee to escape a bad situation with with ice. Almost went down a bad hill, black ice covered with sleet. Stopped before going over but couldn't get enough traction to back up. That can of coffee gave me just enough grab to get back to safety and wait for the county truck full of salt and sand.
 

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I once sacrificed a can of ground coffee to escape a bad situation with with ice. Almost went down a bad hill, black ice covered with sleet. Stopped before going over but couldn't get enough traction to back up. That can of coffee gave me just enough grab to get back to safety and wait for the county truck full of salt and sand.
B_B_But the coffee... I don't know if I can live without that!
 

ACAD_Cowboy

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It was that or wrap a track prepared 635CSi around the rocks, trees and armco. Tough call but I had to make it.
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