What Did You THINK Was Wrong w/ Your Gladiator, But Wasn’t?

[WILDHOBO]

Was it a noise that you were convinced was a major problem, but had nothing to do with your Jeep? Was it a feature that confused you and ended up making you feel stupid later, because you didn’t know it existed? Was it a “real” problem, but you definitely caused it? Did you blame the problem on someone else, and then have to eat crow?

Inquiring minds want to know…so we can feel better about our own small brains.

I’ll start it out. Not once, but twice in roughly 4 years, I’ve been absolutely convinced that I either have a tire off balance or damaged, after off roading. Just horrible vibration that makes it feel like it’s going to come apart under me. And the problem that makes me a numbskull, mud in the wheels throwing them off balance. But I was CONVINCED that did gotten it all. It was definitely a problem that caused me to stop at a shop to have it checked. Both times I was hundreds of miles from home. I’m an idiot.

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[Neomonk21]

When I first got my Gladiator, before looking at the manual, I thought the button for the bed lights was the button for my fog lights. Since it came with a tonneau cover I couldn't see that the bed lights were turning on. I was convinced my fog lights didn't work.

 

[WILDHOBO]

When I first got my Gladiator, before looking at the manual, I thought the button for the bed lights was the button for my fog lights. Since it came with a tonneau cover I couldn't see that the bed lights were turning on. I was convinced my fog lights didn't work.

Good one. You reminded me that I did the exact same thing. We are the smart.

 

[Mad Mac]

I thought the cruise control was broken.
Like every other vehicle I had previously owned, I held down the accelerate button until I achieved the desired speed.

After it reached 95 miles per hour in a 70, I tapped the brakes. I was unaware of the 5 mph increment feature. It was new to me and my early 2021 owners manual did not mention it either. So I complained to this forum and got straightened out.

 

[zcashio]

Was it a noise that you were convinced was a major problem, but had nothing to do with your Jeep? Was it a feature that confused you and ended up making you feel stupid later, because you didn’t know it existed? Was it a “real” problem, but you definitely caused it? Did you blame the problem on someone else, and then have to eat crow?

Inquiring minds want to know…so we can feel better about our own small brains.

I’ll start it out. Not once, but twice in roughly 4 years, I’ve been absolutely convinced that I either have a tire off balance or damaged, after off roading. Just horrible vibration that makes it feel like it’s going to come apart under me. And the problem that makes me a numbskull, mud in the wheels throwing them off balance. But I was CONVINCED that did gotten it all. It was definitely a problem that caused me to stop at a shop to have it checked. Both times I was hundreds of miles from home. I’m an idiot.

I did that as a 16 year old 1 month into driving. I had a z71 and went mud riding and on the drive home hit a pothole and immediately the truck started to wobble. I got so nervous and wondered what I would tell my dad. I drove home to tell him and he said “let me drive it and see”. 10 minutes later he came back and said “pressure washer, when that mud gets out it won’t wobble!” Sure enough that pothole broke some mud free and I was good as new.

 

[WILDHOBO]

I thought the cruise control was broken.
Like every other vehicle I had previously owned, I held down the accelerate button until I achieved the desired speed.

After it reached 95 miles per hour in a 70, I tapped the brakes. I was unaware of the 5 mph increment feature. It was new to me and my early 2021 owners manual did not mention it either. So I complained to this forum and got straightened out.

This thread is taking a turn for the “I have a lot to learn”. I didn’t know this one had a 5mph increment. I knew it in my wife’s car. But it’s never happened to me in this one. You hold it down for 5mph?

 

[Mad Mac]

This thread is taking a turn for the “I have a lot to learn”. I didn’t know this one had a 5mph increment. I knew it in my wife’s car. But it’s never happened to me in this one. You hold it down for 5mph?

Yes, for a slow count, "one one thousand".
Or say to yourself "sixty-five, seventy".

 

[WILDHOBO]

Yes, for a slow count, "one one thousand".
Or say to yourself "sixty-five, seventy".

I love learning more about these things. My wife’s car is completely opposite. A single touch is 5mph. You have to hold it for about that same time to get single digit changes. Does it work in both regular and adaptive cruise?

 

[Mad Mac]

I do not have adaptive cruise.
Can't say.

 

[JonMN]

Well, I think this fits: I have a ticking noise as the air conditioning adjusts. Took my borescope and watched the drivers side blend door actuator, and it clicked every time it moved. So went to the dealer, and they replaced it and it still clicked.

Went the next level, to quote from the invoice "
Installed 68541153AA :HOUSING: DISTRIBUTION recovered freon, removed lower dash, removed hvac
housing, swapped heater core and evaporator core into the new hvac housing. installed hvac
housing, installed dash, charged freon and replaced lost fluids"

Still clicks. Next step would require full dash removal. After seeing the video on that, I think I can live with the occasional click!

 

[WILDHOBO]

I do not have adaptive cruise.
Can't say.

I’ll try it. When I use cruise, I always use adaptive. It’s a separate button for normal cruise.

 

[montechie]

Not so much my JT, but my older Wrangler ('05) I've gotten more paranoid about sounds and handling. I had a knock most times I would shift from park to reverse, especially when parked on hills, then wouldn't make a sound. I was convinced some rubber mount was rotted or I had drive-train play, even after inspecting my shafts and mounts I had a mechanic also do a once over with no luck either.

It was this rubber mallet behind my seat, it happened to be stored with the handle upright and would bang the seat mount or rollbar with the wooden handle if I backed up from a parked decline.

The mud in the wheels got me once too, I've mudded the wrangler a fair amount over the years, but apparently not in that pea-gravel+mud stucco or my newer wheels are more susceptible. Got the rims caked in the stuff and thought I had busted something when I got back on the highway.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

When I first got my Gladiator, before looking at the manual, I thought the button for the bed lights was the button for my fog lights. Since it came with a tonneau cover I couldn't see that the bed lights were turning on. I was convinced my fog lights didn't work.

I bet you are in really good company there - it's been a question dating back to 2019 in these forums.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I thought the cruise control was broken.
Like every other vehicle I had previously owned, I held down the accelerate button until I achieved the desired speed.

After it reached 95 miles per hour in a 70, I tapped the brakes. I was unaware of the 5 mph increment feature. It was new to me and my early 2021 owners manual did not mention it either. So I complained to this forum and got straightened out.

There's a good one.
My wife knew about that from her Grand Cherokees.
So we're in the 2020 I had, I was messing around a click at a time with the cruise and all of a sudden I realize I made it go up 5 mph or to the next level divisible by 5.
I made some "hey, that's cool" comment and you can imagine my wife saying "you didn't know that??" like "everyone knows that" sort of a thing.
(I rarely got to drive "her Jeeps" - even her JLU it's a privilege to get to drive it every few weeks)

 

[Janster]

My husband has had Adaptive cruise on his cars for years. We both thought….OH, this is gonna be easy. Should be the same…. …and it is, kinda.

We’d used the Adaptive Cruise before, but apparently…didn’t have the exact situation pop up to take notice.

Traffic slowed down to a stop…... The Jeep came to a stop. We’re talking and the jeep started rolling forward. WTF? Put my foot on the brakes quick…… What was that??? This was only a few months after we bought it…. Now what??
We thought…Oh great, there’s something wrong with the AC.

Come to find out…. All those other cars we’ve owned had Electronic Parking Brakes. The Electronic Parking Brake is what holds the vehicles when stopped.
The JT still has a manual parking brake.

Ahhhhh………...

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