Survey- For those with misfire issues

[oztek]

Another update.

Recap, It’s been nearly 3 weeks since I was told to drive my Gladiator until they have the software fix.
It had a multi-cylinder misfire in cylinders 2, 4.6 and they were able to duplicate it a few times on a cold start.

Since then I have put over 1000 miles on it with numerous cold starts.
I have been always letting the engine idle down below 1000 RPM after a cold start before moving. I also try to always turn off the ESS, but sometimes forget. I have not had the Engine light turn on again.

Not sure if this really means anything, or if my misfire issue is just rarer than some.

On a side note I had to take it back to the shop for another issue and it was there 4 days before they were able to fix it. They wanted to get FCA approval before they opened up the transfer case or something. Does not make sense as something was obviously broken.
There is a local county park I like to drive to that has a few pretty tame dirt/gravel roads with some inclines where I can put it in 4H. Just a little fun. Last time I was out there I parked on a somewhat steep gravel incline, and when I got back in and tried to put in in 4H, it was a little tougher then normal. I definitely did not man handle it, but pulled it harder then I normally do, and I heard a clunk, and the 4W shifter moved to 4H, but the indicator light stayed in 2H. The shifter was stuck there with a little bit of play. Fortunately it drove ok, and I called the dealership the next day.

Turns out the diagnosis was that the shifter cable was not seated correctly, and after they re-installed it all is good.

Makes me nervous that it could happen again. Would really suck if it happened while in 4H or 4L. I haven’t heard of anyone else who has had this happen.

So within 2 Months of ownership I have had 3 issues.
1. Start Stop light issue the day I drove it off the lot
- Replaced the secondary battery and it hasn’t happened again.
2 Check engine light - multi cylinder misfire
- Happened to me once and multiple times at the dealership.
- Waiting on a software fix, but I’m skeptical.
3. 4WD shifter cable became unseated and got stuck in 2H
- Fixed (for now?)

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[OneBadHombre]

As some other have mentioned...it's a software issue, at least according to the Jeep service manager I talked to today.

He said FCA knows what is causing it and what needs to be done...but said something about needing to get whatever software changes approved by the government or EPA. I asked what the timing on something like that was and he said 6-8 months, or sometimes a year for that sort of process.

Obviously no idea when that process started or when to expect the solution to be able to be rolled out.

Would be interested to see if anyone else can get estimated dates.

 

[P.Lo]

As some other have mentioned...it's a software issue, at least according to the Jeep service manager I talked to today......................
... ..................................
Would be interested to see if anyone else can get estimated dates.

I have absolutely no expertise in this subject, but I do wonder, if it was truly a software issue, wouldn't there be a whole lot more of us suffering from this defect, than just the small thirtysomething sample size that's on this forum?

 

[OneBadHombre]

I have absolutely no expertise in this subject, but I do wonder, if it was truly a software issue, wouldn't there be a whole lot more of us suffering from this defect, than just the small thirtysomething sample size that's on this forum?

Valid question, I asked the same thing. Didn't really get a clear answer to that one.

 

[Minnie2011]

As some other have mentioned...it's a software issue, at least according to the Jeep service manager I talked to today.

He said FCA knows what is causing it and what needs to be done...but said something about needing to get whatever software changes approved by the government or EPA. I asked what the timing on something like that was and he said 6-8 months, or sometimes a year for that sort of process.

Obviously no idea when that process started or when to expect the solution to be able to be rolled out.

Would be interested to see if anyone else can get estimated dates.

As of last Friday, my dealership indicated the earliest a fix/software upgrade would be available was mid-July.

 

[jwork435]

So as you can see here, we took that beach trip and 400 miles later-another CEL. The first image is from this past Wednesday when we picked up the Gladiator from the dealership. The second image is from 2 hours ago. I have already spoken to the general manager at the dealership where I purchased this vehicle. I told him this is incident #4 because I live in North Carolina I will most likely use the attorney I have already contacted and require FCA to replace this vehicle. This is why lemon laws exist. I took delivery on May 1st, 2020. The first CEL was May 28th, 2020 and now it’s June 29th, 2020 and we’ve been in the shop most of the month now 4 times with the same issue. For those who have asked-YES-you should consider a different vehicle unless you want these same dilemmas. The only thing that may hold me back is that my dealer has been great so far and he may find a solution but I don't trust FCA and you shouldn’t either. I don’t want FCA’s potential mid-July fix. I want my $40,000 vehicle to run for years and me not have to think about it. I also don’t want some overly perky freakin’ millennial with a degree in social media marketing to tell me “Oh we’re sorry you’re having trouble with your new Gladiator. Please let us know if you want to escalate your concern blah, blah, blah....”

 

[Gameshow]

So as you can see here, we took that beach trip and 400 miles later-another CEL. The first image is from this past Wednesday when we picked up the Gladiator from the dealership. The second image is from 2 hours ago. I have already spoken to the general manager at the dealership where I purchased this vehicle. I told him this is incident #4 because I live in North Carolina I will most likely use the attorney I have already contacted and require FCA to replace this vehicle. This is why lemon laws exist. I took delivery on June 1st, 2020 and now it’s June 29th, 2020 and we’ve been in the shop most of the month now 4 times with the same issue. For those who have asked-YES-you should consider a different vehicle unless you want these same dilemmas. The only thing that may hold me back is that my dealer has been great so far and he may find a solution but I don't trust FCA and you shouldn’t either. I don’t want FCA’s potential mid-July fix. I want my $40,000 vehicle to run for years and me not have to think about it. I also don’t want some overly perky freakin’ millennial with a degree in social media marketing to tell me “Oh we’re sorry you’re having trouble with your new Gladiator. Please let us know if you want to escalate your concern blah, blah, blah....”

Sorry to hear that, but sad to say not surprised. I spent a good amount of time at the dealership today (where I also took note of the build date of my JT - October 2019). The service manager seemed uninformed on the issue and basically chided me for using the internet as a resource, as though I was using WebMD to diagnose my arthritis as terminal bone cancer. They are committed to tearing into my engine to replace both cams, all the rockers on the left side, etc. etc. I was pretty emphatic this was not me vs. my dealership. I have nothing against them, and rather see them as the victims of a corporate foot drag. Folks, I’m not saying to not fix cars - you’re great at it - but this is not yours to fix.

I cannot emphasize enough how much I want to engage FCA on this. Most of those affected have build dates around Sept/Oct of 2019. This is a time-delimited supplier issue out of the engine plant in Mexico. This is not software, or as I and others have noted, the affected field would be larger. @JeepCares has promised to call me by 0818 tomorrow. Seems improbable now at 2102, that’s 9:02pm for those here not of a retired military ilk like myself.

There’s even a JT like mine on the dealer’s lot, plus a few options, which I’d be happy to try - it’s several thousand VIN numbers newer than mine, though I’d certainly check the manufacture date.

 

[jwork435]

Sorry to hear that, but sad to say not surprised. I spent a good amount of time at the dealership today (where I also took note of the build date of my JT - October 2019). The service manager seemed uninformed on the issue and basically chided me for using the internet as a resource, as though I was using WebMD to diagnose my arthritis as terminal bone cancer. They are committed to tearing into my engine to replace both cams, all the rockers on the left side, etc. etc. I was pretty emphatic this was not me vs. my dealership. I have nothing against them, and rather see them as the victims of a corporate foot drag. Folks, I’m not saying to not fix cars - you’re great at it - but this is not yours to fix.

I cannot emphasize enough how much I want to engage FCA on this. Most of those affected have build dates around Sept/Oct of 2019. This is a time-delimited supplier issue out of the engine plant in Mexico. This is not software, or as I and others have noted, the affected field would be larger. @JeepCares has promised to call me by 0818 tomorrow. Seems improbable now at 2102, that’s 9:02pm for those here not of a retired military ilk like myself.

There’s even a JT like mine on the dealer’s lot, plus a few options, which I’d be happy to try - it’s several thousand VIN numbers newer than mine, though I’d certainly check the manufacture date.

I think you’re right. It has to be something with the late 2019 manufacture date. Mine is September 2019. I’m not driving it after having the entire engine torn down. It’s already been 20 days and this is episode #4.

 

[DTrees]

So as you can see here, we took that beach trip and 400 miles later-another CEL. The first image is from this past Wednesday when we picked up the Gladiator from the dealership. The second image is from 2 hours ago. I have already spoken to the general manager at the dealership where I purchased this vehicle. I told him this is incident #4 because I live in North Carolina I will most likely use the attorney I have already contacted and require FCA to replace this vehicle. This is why lemon laws exist. I took delivery on June 1st, 2020 and now it’s June 29th, 2020 and we’ve been in the shop most of the month now 4 times with the same issue. For those who have asked-YES-you should consider a different vehicle unless you want these same dilemmas. The only thing that may hold me back is that my dealer has been great so far and he may find a solution but I don't trust FCA and you shouldn’t either. I don’t want FCA’s potential mid-July fix. I want my $40,000 vehicle to run for years and me not have to think about it. I also don’t want some overly perky freakin’ millennial with a degree in social media marketing to tell me “Oh we’re sorry you’re having trouble with your new Gladiator. Please let us know if you want to escalate your concern blah, blah, blah....”

I’m with you @jwork435. T

I think you’re right. It has to be something with the late 2019 manufacture date. Mine is September 2019. I’m not driving it after having the entire engine torn down. It’s already been 20 days and this is episode #4.

Similar build date as mine. After 3 visits, they are now replacing the engine. Dealer stated FCA was buying back my Gladiator.

 

[Glade8tor]

Do you know the build dates of these two?

You’re the second person on here to say they Lemon’d one, got another and had same issue.

Sorry you’re having to deal with this man, has to be ridiculously frustrating.

I’m with you @jwork435. T

Similar build date as mine. After 3 visits, they are now replacing the engine. Dealer stated FCA was buying out my Gladiator.

my build dates on both of mine are Jan 20. My dealership is convinced that defective phasers were installed in these motors. They bought back my original Gladiator and replaced phasers. After several hundred miles no problems. I will check back with them and post results. The phasers control cam position and timing. I don’t understand why FCA is letting dealers and customers twist on this. Both of my Gladiators cranked under 100 miles.

 

[PJM86]

I hope they figure all this out for you guys. My gladiator build date is Oct 2019, no issues with 1500 miles, but I am following this thread closely. Good luck...

 

[itsdapk]

Hi Minnie2011. As I mentioned earlier in the thread, I’m skeptical of a software fix - in fact, I’m concerned about it. There are thousands of Gladiators out there running the exact same software with no issues, apparently. My concern then comes if this is a means of “turning off the light.” Is something set to be too sensitive? Since some of these issues get worse over time, or if occasional misfires are slowly causing problems - I’d expect a serious increase in the warranty on the engine, like 300,000 miles increase. As I’m still waiting to hear from @JeepCares three days after I contacted them, despite being told I would be called within 24 hours, I am worried they are hiding behind this theoretical “fix.”

There are at least 2 different versions of the Operating System "software". The problem in majority seems to be in the later version of it from what we have seen.

 

[DAVECS1]

There are at least 2 different versions of the Operating System "software". The problem in majority seems to be in the later version of it from what we have seen.

Yeah it looks like they did not do theirs homework on the airflow modeling and shift scheduling. My guess is they tried to do a carry over from the JL and realized the additional mass, different cooling, and rolling resistance where to far off. The second version looks like they tried to fix it but they actually used the airflow modeling numbers wrong and made them bigger which actually narrows your margins of error, as it is a representation of what is physically suppose to be happing not commanded. The second version dialed back about 17% across the board gets things pretty happy.

 

[P.Lo]

Yeah it looks like they did not do theirs homework on the airflow modeling and shift scheduling. My guess is they tried to do a carry over from the JL and realized the additional mass, different cooling, and rolling resistance where to far off. The second version looks like they tried to fix it but they actually used the airflow modeling numbers wrong and made them bigger which actually narrows your margins of error, as it is a representation of what is physically suppose to be happing not commanded. The second version dialed back about 17% across the board gets things pretty happy.

So does this mean EVERY Gladiator is going to need a software update?

 

[DAVECS1]

No, it really is hit or miss. It has adaptive shift and fuel tables and there are several versions running around. Depending were you end up in your driver selection and shift aggressor adaptive tables could be the difference in have this issue or not. That is not to say that something like Cam phazers is not playing into this. A large degree of the tuning depends on camshaft positioning, if this is off the models will be off and it will also flip out. My own personal take, the less aggressive driving modes seem to be have little to no tolerance for torque over run, as I imagine they figured it needed none at low loads and people driving like this want to save fuel. If you have came phazers fighting you, and the truck mass or rolling resistance is off, and you have entered into adaptive tables that have no tolerance, it can get real frustrating, quick. The good news is, it really is not having a hard misfire and no physical damage is happening to the engine, but driveability sucks.

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