Jeep 2007 Patriot - Manual (Page 268)

surroundings, then using a tow strap to the vehicle tow
hooks would be fast and easy. If the vehicle is severely
hung up or in a situation where great care needs to be
taken during the recovery, then nothing can do the job
better than a winch. If you are severely hung up on
something you should jack the vehicle up and stack
something under the wheels to allow the vehicle to roll
off the object without causing further damage. This
should be tried before attempting any recovery method.
CAUTION!
Pulling the vehicle off an obstacle, without first
clearing the object, may result in additional under-
body damage.
• Rock Cycling Your Vehicle – Rock cycling your ve-
hicle is one of the easiest, fastest and most commonly
used methods. This simply involves shifting your
vehicle from drive to reverse, while applying throttle
after each shift. During this process, for additional
traction, try turning your steering wheel quickly back
and forth no more than a 1/4 turn. If you are stuck in
mud, sand, or snow try spinning your tires during this
process to clean the debris from the tread and improve
the traction. You want to create a rocking motion with
the vehicle. This helps build vehicle momentum,
which hopefully gets you out. Remember to ease off
and on the accelerator before and after the shift. If after
a few rock cycles your vehicle is not free, stop and try
another method of recovery. Continuous rock cycling
will only cause unnecessary damage to your vehicle
and the environment.
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