This can’t be good Help !

[bmpcamry09]

Sounds like 1 of 2 things
Defective Crank sensor , or a defective TCM .

Either one of those things would certainly throw a DTC, especially the TCM, these are ULTRA sensitive to transmission issues, the TCM will pick up on an internal issue and throw a code for it long before any human will feel an issue. Saw this all the time on early 850RE when I was in the dealership. They would throw a code for "Gear Ratio 3" error, with a CEL. But no drivability concerns. We would pull the valve body and do the air test and sure enough that particular drum would fail and we would catch the issue long before the customer even noticed.

I really hope the OP responds with more details, but it doesn't surprise me the dealer checked for codes and gave it right back,

Sponsored

 

[Frankiestoys]

Picked my truck up yesterday
Diagnosis- they found nothing wrong!?
I guess my brother and I imagined the whole thing lol

 

[ChrisNLA]

OP are you sure the issue your experiencing isn't the VVL going in to high lift mode causing a stutter sensation in the transmission? I talk about this extensively in several of my threads, it manifests as if the transmission is popping out of gear or stumbling, but it is actually within the engine. My brand new JL did it from the showroom and I swore up and down for weeks that I had bad gas or a bad transmission. Mind you, I was both a Mopar tech and a service manager in a past life and I am EXTREMELY sensitive to how my vehicles drive, and even with all my experience, I was thinking the worse thing possible.

On a stock 2024 and newer Wrangler or Gladiator I can get it to do it every single time at light throttle. Happens around 1800 RPM in 3rd gear just before 4th gear. It will also happen at highway speeds although less noticeable.

Long story short this stutter I speak of is the engine going into "high lift" which basically turns the engine into an atkinson cycle engine. It makes the intake valve lift a tad higher and paired with advancing the cam to get the intake stroke to last longer and at the same time it further advances the cam shaft to give the intake cycle more time. It is for efficiency reasons mostly. It will click in around 1800 RPM at light load and shut back off around 2800 RPM or sooner depending on load. Lots of myths surrounding the system as everyone for years claimed it's only used for "high power" but I've proven that wrong. Just wondering if this is perhaps the sensation your experiencing, because anything more severe IE transmission slipping, engine misfiring, etc. would throw a DTC easily.

To confirm if this is what your feeling, do the following:

-Warm up the Jeep all the way.
-Find a smooth paved roadway, maybe even slightly uphill if you can.
-Lightly accelerate to where the transmission is shifting around 2000 RPM.
-Watch your gauge cluster for 3rd gear.
-If you feel this sensation towards the end of 3rd just below 2000 RPM, this is what I am talking about.
-Jeep will always always always tell you that is normal and "as designed"

If this exactly matches your problem, the only fix is tuning. Multiple tickets turned in by master techs over the years ever since the PUG engine came to the JL in 2018, and Jeep refuses to fix it.

If this isn't your issue, I'm sorry for wasting your time lol

No joke, these things drive like garbage at light throttle / low RPM.

I've gotten to just driving more aggressive to compensate, lol. It helps.

One day I'll scrounge for a tune if I still have the truck.

 

[bmpcamry09]

No joke, these things drive like garbage at light throttle / low RPM.

I've gotten to just driving more aggressive to compensate, lol. It helps.

One day I'll scrounge for a tune if I still have the truck.

Yeah it’s pathetic how bad the VVT system is mapped on this. I’ve never seen one on any other platform this bad. Check out this picture.

This is graphic representation of the intake cam VVT mapping from a 2026 Gladiator. Those peaks and flat spots and valleys to the left and then the remaining up and down pattern is part of the cause.

I’ve had several people come to me feeling this on their brand new Jeeps for this reason and some have been to the dealer multiple times but they tell them everything is “normal”.

Stellantis doesn’t map their other 3.6 models nearly this bad, it’s much better on the Grand Cherokee, Ram, and Pacifica, which is why those models you don’t see nearly as many hesitation/stutter complaints on their forums. It’s like the Jeep engineers were drinking when they set this up. But they won’t ever fix it because it would have to go through testing and MPG benchmarking all again and they won’t do that as we are 8 years in to this set up and they are likely to discontinue the 3.6 in the next gen.

Hopefully OP gives some detail if this is even what he is feeling. Otherwise I’m crowding his thread for nothing

 

[ChrisNLA]

Picked my truck up yesterday
Diagnosis- they found nothing wrong!?
I guess my brother and I imagined the whole thing lol

Wouldn't it be crazy if there really is nothing wrong, and the truck is just poorly designed in some aspect and you guys happened to find just the right parameters to upset it.

Man. That would be weird.

If there is no light / DTC's to go off of, and the problem does not represent for the dealer - they cannot do anything / there is no problem.

To BMPCamry's point, you might have found just the right spot at low throttle where these things feel like the trans is falling out of them.

Mine does it sometimes.

These were not tuned and engineered by a team of experts looking to make it perform and drive perfect - they were probably tuned by offshore contractors who have never sat in a Jeep and were trying to hit an EPA number, then tested by folks who said 'yep, good enough'.

I 100% believe you guys experience something that didn't seem right but there is a alot that goes into the 'problem'.

If you have an active DTC or something actively performing bad - a dealer has a problem to hunt.

 

[ChrisNLA]

Yeah it’s pathetic how bad the VVT system is mapped on this. I’ve never seen one on any other platform this bad. Check out this picture.

This is graphic representation of the intake cam VVT mapping from a 2026 Gladiator. Those peaks and flat spots and valleys to the left and then the remaining up and down pattern is part of the cause.

I’ve had several people come to me feeling this on their brand new Jeeps for this reason and some have been to the dealer multiple times but they tell them everything is “normal”.

Stellantis doesn’t map their other 3.6 models nearly this bad, it’s much better on the Grand Cherokee, Ram, and Pacifica, which is why those models you don’t see nearly as many hesitation/stutter complaints on their forums. It’s like the Jeep engineers were drinking when they set this up. But they won’t ever fix it because it would have to go through testing and MPG benchmarking all again and they won’t do that as we are 8 years in to this set up and they are likely to discontinue the 3.6 in the next gen.

Hopefully OP gives some detail if this is even what he is feeling. Otherwise I’m crowding his thread for nothing

A literal graphic representation of how the truck feels.

Right about then is when I get a lurch, stumble, did I lose a gear, what the hell is this truck doing before ope we are on the way now no big deal.

But to your point, only when I'm light footing it.

If I'm wacking down on the gas its been 'fine'.

 

[bmpcamry09]

A literal graphic representation of how the truck feels.

Right about then is when I get a lurch, stumble, did I lose a gear, what the hell is this truck doing before ope we are on the way now no big deal.

But to your point, only when I'm light footing it.

If I'm wacking down on the gas its been 'fine'.

Yep, it’ll essentially “skip” over the trouble area if your heavy in the throttle.

There are about 8 other tables related to this whole thing too and all of them are equally as ugly and I change all of them.

 

[ChrisNLA]

Yep, it’ll essentially “skip” over the trouble area if your heavy in the throttle.

There are about 8 other tables related to this whole thing too and all of them are equally as ugly and I change all of them.

Defintely didn't just message Benny about a spare PCM.

Maybe if I rip this band aid off a little at a time...

 

[Capngeo]

****SNIP***
Hopefully OP gives some detail if this is even what he is feeling. Otherwise I’m crowding his thread for nothing

I know THAT feeling!

Sponsored