Renegade repair thread

[digitalwanderer]

I decided to do something entirely out of character and gave up playing with it and just called the dealer. She's a 2020 with 23k on her, she's still fully covered under warranty. I just gotta find a ride to drop her off and they'll take care of it. The wife is pleased and I get off easy, win-win!

 

[digitalwanderer]

I just got a call from the dealer and they think they fixed it. There was a software update put out a few months ago that addresses the two codes we were getting. They're going to change the oil and drive it around for a bit to test it then it should be ready. (We just needed an oil change, scheduled maintenance and such)

I'm not sure a software update will do it, I've been smelling coolant for a month and they said they saw it had been blowing out of the overflow valve a bit...but if it breaks again or worse they'll fix it so I'm not gonna worry about what I think so much as what they say and how Renny runs. At least it was quick, if we would have went to the dealer Jeep wanted it would have been 6-8 weeks before they could get to it to tell us it was a quick fix. :/

 

[digitalwanderer]

The software update helped somewhat, it broke down on their test drive overheating and threw some new codes. They think the multiair actuator is bad and have a new one on order.

I've never heard of a multiair activator before, looks like an extremely complicated fuel injector, but I'm glad I don't have to pay for it or install it! The part should be here in 2 days and they can start when they get it. I didn't think a software update would be enough.

 

[digitalwanderer]

The dealership just called and Renny is ready, can't pick her up until tomorrow though and I just bloody borrowed my mom's Prius yesterday to get around in. Funny Prius note; since last time I borrowed it my brother got it new tires...and for some reason he got the top of the line Continental Contaqs and damn does it handle a lot nicer now. So much grip in the corners, freaked at how good rubber can even turn a shitbox sort of fun.

 

[Albuquerque]

Rubber is the only piece of your car that actually touches the road; it shouldn't surprise anyone that better rubber results in a better experience in how your car interacts with the road. Drop a set of RE71R's on there, get 'em good and hot, take a right-hand corner at 90 and it'll damn rip the hubs out of the control arms

Anyway, glad it's all buttoned up. So, back to the original topic of the thread -- you gonna strap the mega-fart-cannon exhaust to it now? Angreee beeeeeeez? We need video clips of the crazy afterfire pops from a shoddy tune! j/k

 

[digitalwanderer]

Running. Right now I just want it back and running.

 

[Albuquerque]

Yeah, can't argue with getting the basics in place first -- being able to drive it at all is better than trying to add five more horsepower to a still-undriveable car haha...

 

[digitalwanderer]

I'm actually more interested in getting its transmission flashed rather than its ECU. It has a 9-speed automatic that is well built but crapilly programmed. It shifts in the wrong places and sometimes just kicks hard. Did some research and it's a common complaint and there's a $500us flasher that locks itself to your VIN but improves the hell out of performance and adjusts to the way you drive. The engine produces enough power for me right now, I'd rather improve on the power delivery first so as not to bust the tranny if we tune moar power through it.

Oddly enough my wife is seriously considering it, she hates how it shifts and has been watching the tranny flasher videos and it's only a matter of time now. LOL

 

[Albuquerque]

I can't speak to the ZFs personally, however I know someone who has a Chrysler 300 I think <?> who hates theirs.

It's completely unrelated, however my step-mother has a tiny turbocharged Mercedes SUV with a 9-speed auto (pretty sure it's not the ZF) and I've had a chance to drive it around a bit. I dunno, it just feels like it's always shifting around even with light throttle modulation. At what point does it make more sense to drop in a CVT and call it done? Not that I'm a big fan of CVT either, but it just felt like it could never make up its mind or something.

 

[digitalwanderer]

I can't speak to the ZFs personally, however I know someone who has a Chrysler 300 I think <?> who hates theirs.

It's completely unrelated, however my step-mother has a tiny turbocharged Mercedes SUV with a 9-speed auto (pretty sure it's not the ZF) and I've had a chance to drive it around a bit. I dunno, it just feels like it's always shifting around even with light throttle modulation. At what point does it make more sense to drop in a CVT and call it done? Not that I'm a big fan of CVT either, but it just felt like it could never make up its mind or something.

Our Renegade has a lot more in common with a Fiat 500XL than any Chrysler products. It's based on the same platform, but the Trailhawk versions suspension and drive is much improved.

 

[Albuquerque]

Yeah, to be honest I'm not good at all with the Chrysler / Jeep / Fiat / Dahmler / whoever else owned that group and their product line. Obviously everyone knows the Jeep name, but holy hell it feels like been through like 13 parents in the last 30 years. It's no wonder they can't always seem to get their shit together

 

[digitalwanderer]

I put the odds at about 50/50 that it's actually repaired, just thought I'd toss that out before going to pick her up and return my mom's Prius.

 

[Albuquerque]

Wishing you the best of luck! I'm hoping to use the upcoming long weekend to get my Miata back in the running. it's been torn down for a prolonged period to build a new motor; sadly work + life + general malaise has resulted in a much longer work effort than originall planned.

Would like to have it fully broken in by the end of June so I can work in-earnest on tuning during the month of July so I can get it on the dyno rollers in August. Hoping for ~600BHP on 25 pounds of boost; should be acceptable for a 2550lb car

 

[digitalwanderer]

Heck I'm happy with 300hp in my 5000lb M35x!

 

[digitalwanderer]

The Renegade made it all the way from Thursday until Saturday night to have trouble. The AC stopped blowing cold on the way home from work for my wife and the blower fan kept revving itself up and down. She's also still running too hot and too rough, she'll be going back as soon as they're open again and we can take it out there.
If nothing else my old Emmy is shining like a star through this whole thing, hasn't had a lick of trouble and still delivers.

 

[Albuquerque]

AC kaput now? If i had to guess, it sounds like the ECU is refusing to enable the compressor due to some other fault. The blower fan acting stupid and the rough running is what makes me think it's a programmed decision by the ECU.

Sucks that it can't seem to keep it together for even a full week

 

[digitalwanderer]

AC kaput now? If i had to guess, it sounds like the ECU is refusing to enable the compressor due to some other fault. The blower fan acting stupid and the rough running is what makes me think it's a programmed decision by the ECU.

Sucks that it can't seem to keep it together for even a full week

Ha! I was saying the same thing to my wife about the fan and the ECU. It's not the blower fan going bad, it sounds like the ECU is sending it commands to ramp up and down.
Taking it in Thursday, again. I'm gonna see if I can get the engine to explode in the mean time, might as well since it's warrantied.

EDITED BITS: No fault codes showing or pending, I got no clue what's up but it's not my problem to figure out and fix.

 

[Albuquerque]

I went back and looked at that multi-air actuator you linked earlier. It looks like the car uses a singular cam but then pneumatic <?!> actuators for the other set of valves? I'm not sure I understand, but regardless the diagram is an exploded view of the cylinder head. Basically it means they had to disassemble the top half of the motor to replace that part, which might mean they had it sufficiently apart to have missed getting a wiring connector re-connected. However, given your description of it still running hot AND rough, it makes me think they probably still didn't fix whatever was actually wrong.

That repair looked mightily expensive to be so useless. Man, as soon as that thing is looking like you might own it out of warranty, I might suggest pawning it off on some other poor unsuspecting shmuck.

 

[digitalwanderer]

I went back and looked at that multi-air actuator you linked earlier. It looks like the car uses a singular cam but then pneumatic <?!> actuators for the other set of valves? I'm not sure I understand, but regardless the diagram is an exploded view of the cylinder head. Basically it means they had to disassemble the top half of the motor to replace that part, which might mean they had it sufficiently apart to have missed getting a wiring connector re-connected. However, given your description of it still running hot AND rough, it makes me think they probably still didn't fix whatever was actually wrong.

That repair looked mightily expensive to be so useless. Man, as soon as that thing is looking like you might own it out of warranty, I might suggest pawning it off on some other poor unsuspecting shmuck.

Yup. They had to rip half the engine apart and it's not an easy or simple one. Lots of weird tech in tightly cramped places. I sort of want to ask them about the costs, but I'll wait until it's actually working.

 

[digitalwanderer]

Did I mention the AC went wonky two days after getting it back and it's engine started running really rough? She's been back at the dealers since Tuesday with no freaking clue on what's wrong with the engine and no idea on when we'll get her back.

Jeeps, they're not just a vehicle but a lifestyle!