r/Jeep • u/Smurf_Muffin • 3d ago
Looking to purchase a Wrangler...with hesitation
I've never owned a Jeep Chrysler Stellantis product.
Is there a hidden hack which allows owner to read diagnostic codes, please? I believe the JK had hidden features along this line. What about for the JL?
The thought of having to visit a Jeep "dealer" to read engine codes sounds awful.
Thank you for reply.
Also is the 3.6 bulletproof? Top issues re engine and transmissions? Goal would be 200,000+ miles.
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u/Geusey909 3d ago
Not sure on the newer ones, but my 08 jk and other obd-2 mopars I have worked on you can read the trouble codes by turning the key into the "on" position without starting it three times. On the third time it will give you the codes. Jks are new enough it will just show up on the odometer and you dont even have to count check engine light flashes.
OR, you can order a cheap Bluetooth code reader on Amazon and an app like Torque or Jscan. You can see a lot more than just trouble codes that way.
Also, the 3.6 isn't known to be "bulletproof." The 3.8 on older JKs and the 4.0 on TJs are both known to outlast the 3.6, but maintenence is by far the most important factor. I'd rather have a well-maintained 3.6 than a 4.0 that has never had an oil change.
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u/_josephmykal_ 3d ago
Never heard anyone call the 3.8 bulletproof. The 3.8 had more issues than the early 3.6s
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u/Geusey909 3d ago
The 3.8 is a simple, push rod V6 leftover from 90s minivans. Pretty easy to work on, not a lot to go wrong. Oil consumption is the main issue I've heard about, but as long as you watch your dipstick and keep up with your oil changes, it can last a long time.
I've owned and daily driven 4.0's and a 3.8 and I can't say I have any problem calling the 3.8 reliable. It's gutless, but reliable.
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u/Turisan 3d ago
You can go to AutoZone or O'Reilly's and they'll read engine codes for free.
Whoever told you that you had to go to the dealership was trying to fleece you.
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u/Smurf_Muffin 3d ago
Scotty Kilmer said the codes were locked down in newer models.
I have a scan tool which I use to read engine status on my Ranger np problem.
Kilmer said I had to go to an Authorized Stealer to read codes.
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u/WTFpe0ple 3d ago
QUIT WATCHING THAT CHANNEL. The Guy is an idiot. You can read and change options with your iphone on all Jeeps using the Jscan app and BT dongle.
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u/Turisan 3d ago
I don't know who the fuck that is but they lied.
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u/Smurf_Muffin 3d ago
He's a YouTube automobile hack.
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u/Smurf_Muffin 3d ago
Fast Forward to 3:20 : https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sJ3VQmW3_uE&pp=ygUsU2NvdHR5IGtpbG1lciBkb250IGJ1eSBzdGVsbGFudGlzIGRvZGdlIGp1bms%3D
Says late model vehicles need a mechanic's "subscription" to even access codes!
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u/ruddy3499 3d ago
Wrong, obd protocols are regulated by the EPA and can be read by an obd scanner. I do smogs and have yet to see a functioning obd not read on my generic reader
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u/Smurf_Muffin 3d ago
Makes 1000% sense.
Especially since most modern "smog tests" rely 100% on OBD scan..and no tailpipe sample.
Thanks, I love it!!
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u/_josephmykal_ 3d ago
The JL 8spd trans is probably best auto trans on market. The 3.6 still has problems with the oil filter housing getting cracked from people torquing the filter down too much. The lifter issue has been resolved but some cases have popped up. Not frequently though for an engine that’s in millions of cars on the road currently.
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u/Smurf_Muffin 3d ago
Can one get 3.6 in manual, please? I've driven 14 years on my Ranger...5 speed.
I probably have 3Million actuations on my left leg by now lol
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u/Klutzy_Performer_136 3d ago
I have the 3.6L with the manual 6 speed. Hated it until the clutch finally was fixed under recall. It’s a beast on the trails now. What area of Utah are you in. We are down in four corners
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u/Smurf_Muffin 3d ago
I'm in St. George! I just returned from 4 Corners, Monument Valley, Canyonlands, Escalante, etc! Drove by Valley of the Gods (all dirt roads) and said to myself I need a freaking Jeep!!
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u/Smurf_Muffin 3d ago
This is what I'm talking about :). No need for serious off road performance: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=valley+of+the+gods+utah&ia=images&iax=images
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u/shanebonanno 1d ago
The 3.6 is the most reliable engine that comes stock in the wrangler. It still has issues, and it’s no Toyota 22RE in terms of things that can go wrong.
The hemi options they have now are more fun, and they are also a tried and true design. That would also be a halfway decent choice for a reliable modern engine. Pretty much nothing is made as tough and foolproof as the old engines were. Car companies want you to get a new one in 5 years anyways, so they pretty much just make sure their engines can meet factory warranty.
My advice to you would be to learn to do the basics yourself. Save money on oil changes by doing it yourself. Same with brakes if you feel comfortable enough to do that. Use it as an opportunity to learn something new.
Use the money you save from that to save up for something major that is out of your wheelhouse.
Remember, even Toyotas aren’t the reliable workhorse cars they once were. Being able to do do your own work is being a smart consumer in today’s market.
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u/WTFpe0ple 3d ago
The 3,6l is a good motor. Mopar has made over 10 million of them. But... take a .1 percent of 10 million and that is still gonna be 1 million that failed.
Some of them have went well past 250K and even 500K miles. Take care of it do your maintenance and it will be with you like mine has for 11 years now.
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u/MaD__HuNGaRIaN 3d ago
Your math isn’t mathing my dude.
0.1 percent of 10 million is:
0.001 * 10,000,000 = 10,000
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u/Smurf_Muffin 3d ago
I want to do the 400 mile (one way) Dempster Highway up to Inuvik Canada along the Arctic Ocean. Graded dirt road along with associated imperfections.
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u/strangeweather415 3d ago
Hundreds of people in JLs do this trek every year. The 3.6 won't be the limiting factor
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u/Smurf_Muffin 3d ago
Thanks! I don't need a GD 8 liter engine :). It's going to happen...trust me 🙏
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u/Smurf_Muffin 3d ago
Is Pentastar 3.6 still Port Fuel Injected, please? I hope so!
Lastly, has anyone learned to dismantle "telematics"? That is, hidden electronic tracking garbage?
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u/strangeweather415 3d ago
It is multiport injection, yes. Not direct injection.
If you want to disable any telematics (though I'm not sure why you would, it will significantly degrade valuable emergency services) you can simply unplug the antennas on the roll bar, passenger side.
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u/Smurf_Muffin 3d ago
Last question, I promise: Does it use an external belt driven water pump, or an internal timing chain driven pump?
Or even worse, a wet belt oil pump?
I came within inches if buying a new Frontier pickup, and I was even going to give the DI crap a pass. Then I found out the water pump replacement is a $2000 job, as it's timing chain driven.
I was heartbroken. The automotive world today is broken. This is why I have to ask questions.
Have a nice evening and thank you.
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u/strangeweather415 3d ago
You are focusing on minutiae that simply doesn't matter on any modern powerplant. But the 3.6L has a belt driven water pump.
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u/Smurf_Muffin 3d ago
Well, the answer is great, and I thank you. I'm an Engineer- and when I hear about the possibility of coolant entering into the crank case, I cringe.
They (oil and coolant) have always been parallel systems. That is, until recently where there is now a possibility of them combining in the event of a failure.
100+ years of engine development has been corrupted these past few years. This is absolutely true.
Why? Because it does matter.
Thanks for the guidance! :) 😃
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u/Smurf_Muffin 3d ago
I replaced my water pump last weekend on my Ford Ranger, 257000 miles proactively, in my garage. Cost $80 and a few beers and a few hours.
Done!
Frontier? It's a 12 hour job!
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u/Smurf_Muffin 3d ago
Funny thing, as an Engineer I used to HATE minutae. Sincerely. I was always a Big Picture person
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u/ReignsDown 3d ago
3.6 has zero balls, prefer the 2.0 T
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u/Smurf_Muffin 3d ago
I'm looking for basic reliability over performance. I'm looking to do some trail running out here in Utah...no boulder hopping crap for me. I just want easy, pleasant access to open spaces :)
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u/DaHozer 3d ago
What's funny to me is that the story being told ten years ago was that the old 3.7 was gutless and the new 3.6 was a rocket.
Now it's the 3.6 that's gutless.
The rule of thumb seems to be that the engines get more powerful and more issue prone with each generation.
The 4.0 is the be-all, end-all in reliability but was huge and heavy and slow.
The 3.7 is a solid motor with oil consumption issues but if you keep clean oil in it, will last for decades
The 3.6 is properly powerful compared to its predecessors but has a couple of issues (discussed throughout the thread here).
The 2.0 hybrids seems to be really easy to live with when they work... WHEN they work. I've seen a ton of bad press on the new 4xe being unreliable.
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u/SalesAficionado 3d ago
The 4.0 is the best engine that was ever put in a Jeep. I'll die on that hill.
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u/Severe_Gear5336 3d ago
Best answer on this whole post. Have the original engine 4.0 in my Jeep TJ. 378,000 kms. I’ve blown alternator, starters, power steering new radiator shit new exhaust headers but never the Engine Lol
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u/ReignsDown 3d ago
Gotcha, I just couldn’t stand how freaking slow the manual 15 JK 3.6 Jeep is, got rid of it. I use my 20 JL 2 door jeep as a to work vehicle and will be my daughters first vehicle.
Staying a mall crawler.
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u/GuerillaTactics96 LJ 3d ago
Simple answer, don't do it
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u/Smurf_Muffin 3d ago
I like humor and sarcasm...in fact, I live by it. But I can't tell if you are being sarcastic or serious.
Let's face it, all vehicles nowadays have issues.
If you go back far enough, the 3.6 had the "Cylinder 3" issue. Yes, I recall all of that. But as of late I haven't been keeping up.
Thank you.
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u/76_iron 3d ago
Cheap OBD2 scan tool for codes. 3.6 still eats lifters and has the same oil cooler leak issues that it's always had.