Sahara Lee

From page 260 of my 2010 JKUS Owner's Manual:

"30. Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) Light
This light informs you of a problem with the
Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) system. If a
problem is detected while the engine is running,
the light will either stay on or flash
depending on the nature of the problem. Cycle the
ignition key when the vehicle is safely and completely
stopped and the shift lever is placed in the PARK
position. The light should turn off. If the light remains on
with the engine running, your vehicle will usually be
drivable; however, see an authorized dealer for service as
soon as possible.
"If the light continues to flash when the engine is running,
immediate service is required and you may experience
reduced performance, an elevated/rough idle, or engine
stall and your vehicle may require towing. The light will
come on when the ignition is first turned ON and remain
on briefly as a bulb check. If the light does not come on
during starting, have the system checked by an authorized
dealer."

GJeep

Penetrating oils such as WD-40 absorb moisture, while we want the opposite. They free rusted bolts by chemically softening rust, but they also attack bare metal. In addition, most oils attracts fine particles like fine soil grains or muddy water.

This type of oil protects steel cables (Obviously, in liquid form they cost less than in spray cans) :



Or this type:

MOLYKOTE® L-0115FM GEAR OIL - ISO 150
'High-performance industrial lubricants for gearbox and chain applications'
Link -- MOLYKOTE® L-0115FM GEAR OIL - ISO 150

Captain Obvious

While I'm not saying leave your line dry, I caution you against using wet lubricants (to include grease) without routine inspections of your line. Wet lubricants will attract dirt and rocks that will get into the line and lead to kinks and breaks of not cleaned off.

MotoJeeper

I would just take your Jeep to Autozone or Orilley. They'll test your charging system for free. That way you can see if there might be a problem with the alternator.

ShutterBug

I see a few things here that I would change.

You should be at a higher idle when using the winch. The ProCal is a great option to do this.

I hope you, or a partner, was inside the Jeep with the brake on (foot or parking) and not in park (for an auto). The parking knoll in an automatic transmission is not strong enough for winching.

Instead of winching up a hill, try winching the Jeep to a immovable object with the brakes on. I took the Jeep to a shopping center parking lot. Wrapped a tow strap around one of the concrete light pole bases and attached my winch line to it. Had my wife sit in the Jeep, with it running, on a fast idle, with some pressure on the brakes. I slowly winched the Jeep to the light pole making sure that each revolution was tight and properly seated.

jk_sea

Good advice, and I did leave some details out for brevity.

There were 3 of us, one person inside the vehicle at all times, and the slope was very gentle--so gentle that we did engage the parking brake to make sure the line stayed taught while winching in, and the transmission was in neutral.

And you are correct-- never winch against a parking pawl in an automatic transmission. Our truck is also manual trans, and was parked and secured to be the anchor point. Automatic parking pawls can bend and/or become stuck when too much force is applied. That goes for any vehicle being an anchor point or actively winching.

I now know that )z( (a misleading symbol, at best) is the ETC / Electronic Throttle Control light, so I think the charging system is probably okay and a hiccup with ETC occurred while winching. I will use the Procal next time and I carry it with me on trails. The high idle feature using the interior dimmer switch is pretty slick. It was in the house at the time, and it was beginning to rain, so it was left out for this evolution.