Car Wizard on 3.6L

[Gvsukids]

Bottom line, if someone is making their automotive decision based on a random mechanic's view on Youtube, then that person needs help chewing their food.

This was a helpful review for me,

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[Renegade]

The YouTube guy clearly has attention deficit disorder. He desires more attention at all times.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

The YouTube guy clear has attention deficit disorder. He desires more attention at all times.

Please don't bring ADHD into it - it's a struggle as it is to get narrow-minded people to understand it. It's no joking matter. I lost a son over it.

 

[Jakeyou]

This guy doesn't know what he is talking about the 3.6 is not made by fiat. It was a joint design by Chrysler and Mercedes-Benz.

 

[@californiajeeping]

I have to chime in on here. After being a 3.0l ecodiesel hater for awhile I finally test drove one and oh my god. After 3 pentastar powered Jeeps I have to say the motor is dead to me.
My 3.6l gladiator was so underpowered even stock you don’t realize it until you drive the exact same vehicle with a 3.0l.

all three of my pentastar powered Jeeps had cylinder head and rocker arm issues.

the 2020 gladiator ran very rough at idle since new with the dealer unable to resolve. Then on a hot day if I drove aggressively and got near the speed limiter it would shut down and throw check engine lights and soft codes. In the dunes it had this issue ALOT!

plus the mpg. With a 35” tires the pentastar gladiator got 14mpg hand calculated. Now with the 3.0l I get 25 easy exact same speeds and driving route.

I feel like Jeep just needs to replace the 3.6l with a small hemi engine. A 5.0l or 4.8l hemitype of engine would fix the lack of low rpm torque and would have a minimal impact on fuel economy. They need to just do it. The engine is underpowered and was designed with a horrible horrible laggy response-off idle to 3500rpm. It’s been a complaint I’ve had for years the engines have to be at near redline for any sort of acceleration in a 4000lbs vehicle.

this engine needs to go. You don’t realize how terrible it is until you drive the same vehicle with a real engine.

 

[FloridaMan655321]

I have to chime in on here. After being a 3.0l ecodiesel hater for awhile I finally test drove one and oh my god. After 3 pentastar powered Jeeps I have to say the motor is dead to me.
My 3.6l gladiator was so underpowered even stock you don’t realize it until you drive the exact same vehicle with a 3.0l.

all three of my pentastar powered Jeeps had cylinder head and rocker arm issues.

the 2020 gladiator ran very rough at idle since new with the dealer unable to resolve. Then on a hot day if I drove aggressively and got near the speed limiter it would shut down and throw check engine lights and soft codes. In the dunes it had this issue ALOT!

plus the mpg. With a 35” tires the pentastar gladiator got 14mpg hand calculated. Now with the 3.0l I get 25 easy exact same speeds and driving route.

I feel like Jeep just needs to replace the 3.6l with a small hemi engine. A 5.0l or 4.8l hemitype of engine would fix the lack of low rpm torque and would have a minimal impact on fuel economy. They need to just do it. The engine is underpowered and was designed with a horrible horrible laggy response-off idle to 3500rpm. It’s been a complaint I’ve had for years the engines have to be at near redline for any sort of acceleration in a 4000lbs vehicle.

this engine needs to go. You don’t realize how terrible it is until you drive the same vehicle with a real engine.

I wanted the diesel, but no manual option. I really wish they would offer this.

On the issues you had, what years were they?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

It’s been a complaint I’ve had for years the engines have to be at near redline for any sort of acceleration in a 4000lbs vehicle.

Have you driven any other modern vehicle? The LS in Chevrolet is the same way. I had to wind my Silverado up to 5,000 rpm at times to make hills here while towing - the 3.6 does it a lot more easily, maxing at about 4,300 rpm. I've driven enough modern vehicles to realize - HP comes from RPM these days unless it's diesel.

You also can't compare mpg - the diesel runs dirty and the fuel is more expensive - not to mention the initial costs and maintenance. Not dissing the diesel but anyone who simply compares mpg only isn't being fair.
Pros and cons to each.
Like I said - zero 3.6 issues, and mine tows fine, actually running a bit lower RPM than my Silverado with LS engine did.
It's how it's done these days.

 

[blau iii]

My personal experience with the 3.6 in JEEPS (not Ram, not Dodge, etc.) is unblemished - and the only issue either my wife or I have had with our Jeeps as far as the 3.6 has been with her 2021 Grand Cherokee and it was NOT an engine issue, it was a misfire, yes, but the issue was fixed with spark plugs. So I can't blame the engine as it functions fine - after the WK2 3.6 TSB about misfires and spark plugs was applied.
I've seen all the talk about valve train issues and it won't take much for you to find those here who have personally had bad cam and rocker/follower experiences - just do a search for misfire and cam, etc.
However, I asked the local dealership what they've seen - they haven't heard of cam problems, they've replaced a couple but they weren't under any impression that there were wide-spread issues.
There are 3.6s out there with many miles on them - some way north of 100,000 miles, even 200,000 miles.
The problem with asking about such things in the internet - especially a forum - is that it's ground zero for problems. It's like asking how many people have died in one year in the block of University and 5th Avenue - where Mercy Hospital is. Check a forum and the world is crashing down.
Anyway, we've owned a number of Jeeps with the 3.6 - starting when it first came out, to what we have now, my wife's 2021 and my 2020, both with the 3.6
Ask me again in a couple of years but at this point, zero engine issues, no odd sounds, no excess misfires.

Interesting that it's a MECHANIC who of course gets all of the problem vehicles. He's got to figure "per capita" and not just that he works on a lot of them.
How many sick people does a doctor see a day? Likely all of them are sick......... (or think they are)
That's one of the reasons I'm not always a fan of YT - anyone can make a "do it this way" or "these vehicles suck" video.

Would I buy another Jeep with a 3.6? Heck yes!

You sound like you’re from Pittsburgh

 

[@californiajeeping]

2015, 2017, 2020 3.6 pentastars. All had the heads off before 40k miles.

 

[@californiajeeping]

Have you driven any other modern vehicle? The LS in Chevrolet is the same way. I had to wind my Silverado up to 5,000 rpm at times to make hills here while towing - the 3.6 does it a lot more easily, maxing at about 4,300 rpm. I've driven enough modern vehicles to realize - HP comes from RPM these days unless it's diesel.

You also can't compare mpg - the diesel runs dirty and the fuel is more expensive - not to mention the initial costs and maintenance. Not dissing the diesel but anyone who simply compares mpg only isn't being fair.
Pros and cons to each.
Like I said - zero 3.6 issues, and mine tows fine, actually running a bit lower RPM than my Silverado with LS engine did.
It's how it's done these days.

I’ve owned a few different LS powered vehicles and have swapped them into muscle cars trucks etc. realistically the pentastar requires the rpm to get the cams switched over to the high rpm position. You can feel and hear when the phasers kick over. Part of the issue with the motor is the crappy throttle response coupled with no off idle torque or power. It was ok in my 6 speed manual 2 door jk wrangler but the gladiator weighing at 4650 was just underpowered. They have yet to resolve the issues with the rockers/roller followers failing since 2012. That’s absurd. Then adding egr to the motor which kills idle quality. It’s silly.

short of bumping up displacement adding variable intake runner length or adding two cylinders….the pentastar continues to fall short.

the diesel is absurdly complicated but the power and fuel economy is on another level. 0-60 is slightly quicker but man 60-100 is ridiculously faster. Plus you get a 100k Powertrain warranty.
I’m not sure why they even offer the 3.6 at this point…

 

[NachoRuby]

I’ve owned a few different LS powered vehicles and have swapped them into muscle cars trucks etc. realistically the pentastar requires the rpm to get the cams switched over to the high rpm position. You can feel and hear when the phasers kick over. Part of the issue with the motor is the crappy throttle response coupled with no off idle torque or power. It was ok in my 6 speed manual 2 door jk wrangler but the gladiator weighing at 4650 was just underpowered. They have yet to resolve the issues with the rockers/roller followers failing since 2012. That’s absurd. Then adding egr to the motor which kills idle quality. It’s silly.

short of bumping up displacement adding variable intake runner length or adding two cylinders….the pentastar continues to fall short.

the diesel is absurdly complicated but the power and fuel economy is on another level. 0-60 is slightly quicker but man 60-100 is ridiculously faster. Plus you get a 100k Powertrain warranty.
I’m not sure why they even offer the 3.6 at this point…

It's cheaper. That's why. I don't want to pay for a diesel. I'd do like the diesel, but I don't want to pay extra for it, and I don't want to pay even more extra for the automatic. The pentastar is good enough for its price point. That's why they offer it. Fuel economy is moot because diesel fuel, at least in my area, is $1.20 more per gallon. The gasser is cheaper to purchase, and cheaper to operate, and cheaper to maintain. Nothing wrong with a diesel, but that's why they offer the pentastar.

If they offered a diesel at the gasser price, and a manual, I'd be good. Otherwise, it's kind of like asking why they offer a Cummins Ram, an ecoD ram, 2 different v8 rams, and a V6. Because people buy them. Different strokes for different folks.

 

[Mac]

I’ve owned a few different LS powered vehicles and have swapped them into muscle cars trucks etc. realistically the pentastar requires the rpm to get the cams switched over to the high rpm position. You can feel and hear when the phasers kick over. Part of the issue with the motor is the crappy throttle response coupled with no off idle torque or power. It was ok in my 6 speed manual 2 door jk wrangler but the gladiator weighing at 4650 was just underpowered. They have yet to resolve the issues with the rockers/roller followers failing since 2012. That’s absurd. Then adding egr to the motor which kills idle quality. It’s silly.

short of bumping up displacement adding variable intake runner length or adding two cylinders….the pentastar continues to fall short.

the diesel is absurdly complicated but the power and fuel economy is on another level. 0-60 is slightly quicker but man 60-100 is ridiculously faster. Plus you get a 100k Powertrain warranty.
I’m not sure why they even offer the 3.6 at this point…

100k mile warranty is pretty useless when the vast majority of dealers do have staff that can fix it.

 

[@californiajeeping]

It's cheaper. That's why. I don't want to pay for a diesel. I'd do like the diesel, but I don't want to pay extra for it, and I don't want to pay even more extra for the automatic. The pentastar is good enough for its price point. That's why they offer it. Fuel economy is moot because diesel fuel, at least in my area, is $1.20 more per gallon. The gasser is cheaper to purchase, and cheaper to operate, and cheaper to maintain. Nothing wrong with a diesel, but that's why they offer the pentastar.

If they offered a diesel at the gasser price, and a manual, I'd be good. Otherwise, it's kind of like asking why they offer a Cummins Ram, an ecoD ram, 2 different v8 rams, and a V6. Because people buy them. Different strokes for different folks.

Right now diesel is 20 cents a gallon more but I’m getting 10pm more….

 

[@californiajeeping]

100k mile warranty is pretty useless when the vast majority of dealers do have staff that can fix it.

Agreed. Dealers can’t keep any trained techs long.

 

[MrZappo]

I’ve owned a few different LS powered vehicles and have swapped them into muscle cars trucks etc. realistically the pentastar requires the rpm to get the cams switched over to the high rpm position. You can feel and hear when the phasers kick over. Part of the issue with the motor is the crappy throttle response coupled with no off idle torque or power. It was ok in my 6 speed manual 2 door jk wrangler but the gladiator weighing at 4650 was just underpowered. They have yet to resolve the issues with the rockers/roller followers failing since 2012. That’s absurd. Then adding egr to the motor which kills idle quality. It’s silly.

short of bumping up displacement adding variable intake runner length or adding two cylinders….the pentastar continues to fall short.

the diesel is absurdly complicated but the power and fuel economy is on another level. 0-60 is slightly quicker but man 60-100 is ridiculously faster. Plus you get a 100k Powertrain warranty.
I’m not sure why they even offer the 3.6 at this point…

So you had 3 jeeps with the same engine and all needed serious work before 40,000 miles yet you continued to buy them ? And yet still, thousands of others with the same engine have several hundred thousand trouble free miles.

Hmmm.

Your obviously a serious gearhead type person who runs his vehicles to their limits. And more power to you. Have fun.

But to say with vitriol that the 3.6 is as bad as you are describing is a bit overstated.

I have one. I have none of the needs that you do. I don't and never will drive like you do or where you do it. And most people never will. And it suits me fine.

Do I know what I'm missing ? Nope. Do I care ? Nope. Do most people care ? Nope.

You do. And a small percentage of other serious hi performance minded folks. And you obviously have the knowledge and history to tell the difference.

For the rest of us who are happy because we just don't care that much about cars, we're just fine. No complaints.

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