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2020 Renegade Issues

15K views 60 replies 17 participants last post by  Marek K 
#1 ·
I bought a 2020 Renegade last March and from the beginning I have had a shifting issue. Now a year in to this the hard shifting is so bad it causes us to jerk so hard and now when pressing on the gas it takes forever to accelerate. I wish I would of bought a different car.
 
#2 ·
That stinks....Keep bringing it to the dealer and if you don't get the desired results , move on to another dealer. I assume you are under warranty and I would get them to replace the transmission as it sounds you have a defective unit. Don't get frustrated, it can be fixed:) I do notice the shifting logic of the automatics is "different" in the Jeep/Fiat vehicles. I have a 2021 compass as a rental for work and it definitely tries to be in the highest gear all the time..drives me nuts lol.
 
#4 ·
Natti, I am a great advocate of "the Chip", a small piece of electronic wizardry that gets fitted in a couple of minutes to your Jeep. It's available on line and sent to your door so no need to hunt around.

Before I say too much it's name is Go Pedal and many forum members have started using it and similar "chips" but are reporting back ever so dramatic improvements to their automatic gear changing. Reports have been that gear change is smooth, the Jeep is perkier with engine response, fuel consumption is reduced as miles per gallon increases etc etc etc.

Madness Autoworks that use this forum have a variety of "chips" that can be used and its is dependant on your model version.

As I have a diesel Jeep I sourced mine in the UK from a different supplier but cannot emphasise the improvemt I have felt over the last few years.
 
#5 ·
I will agree with everything said here and would like to add something about the way we all drive and the auto start/stop feature.

This is the third vehicle I own with this feature, all of which are Chrysler/Jeep/FCA and have noticed something that I am trying to avoid/test out in my Rene.

When at a complete stop and the auto start/stop engages, when the light turns green, if I hit the throttle right away eventually I will experience a clunk/jump when the tranny kicks in and while shifting during movement.

However, if I just wait a second after the engine starts, nothing. It shifts perfectly.

So far, I have been good as I have been aware of this while driving and I have learned to control my really heavy foot a bit more.
 
#20 ·
Similar chips are available for a variety of makes and models. A welcome addition for any vehicle (y) (y) (y)

Do current manual-transmission Renegades have this?
My manual Renegade has auto start/stop but I keep it turned off. On occasion I must accidently hit the switch and sh1t myself as the car jumps into life at traffic lights.

I believe the current manual trannys do not have it.
My UK model has it, see above.
 
#10 ·
I have a 2020 TH and I have the same problems with the transmission shifting and being sluggish. I noticed when I am at a complete stop and start to go the vehicle hesitates. Also, the vehicle does not shift at the right time both upshifting and downshifting. I have heard about the GoPedal but when you buy a brand new vehicle you expect it to work correctly without having to add extras and spend more money on top of your monthly payment. The dealer checked the transmission and told me it's fine but logged it in my service record. At my next oil change which by the way, the dealer recommends at every 5,000 miles and not 10,000 miles as stated in the manual, I will have them check the transmission again.
 
#18 ·
Yeah, they recommend this because they use cheap oil and more changes means more money. If you use good quality synthetic and a matching filter there is no reason you can't go 8 to 10k between changes.
I am sympathetic of the transmission problem. Keep in mind that any new vehicle has the potential for these challenges. Have heart and good luck working it out.
 
#12 ·
I noticed on my 1.3 turbo 2020 TH the gas saving mode that seems like the engine shuts off when fully braked at a stop, since my 2016 Limited did not have this feature. At first it bothered me a lot, but I got used to it. I learned how to get it ready to go, just before the light turns green, by letting up on the brake...Also if the brake is not fully pushed down you can go quicker from a stop. This is a gas saving mode for city driving and takes some getting used to for sure. At first I thought the vehicle was going to have a seizure since I tend to take off fast. I called the service department and they explained it to me and I got used to it quickly.
 
#22 ·
George since I first seen it's conception many years ago in an old VW Polo that my Bro In law was driving and it left me dismayed and bewildered. Having a car run as normal and then shutting down on me was an alien concept. It is still alien today, to me.

Why on earth does anyone want a vehicle that stops and starts? Stop, stop guys. I don't literally mean that.

I am old school in the way that cars were made. It starts, it runs until you turn it off.

On this occasion my Jeep is the first car vehicle I have had with this function. Some like it, I don't.

I feel your pain! (y)
 
#29 ·
George since I first seen it's conception many years ago in an old VW Polo that my Bro In law was driving and it left me dismayed and bewildered. Having a car run as normal and then shutting down on me was an alien concept. It is still alien today, to me.

Why on earth does anyone want a vehicle that stops and starts? Stop, stop guys. I don't literally mean that.

I am old school in the way that cars were made. It starts, it runs until you turn it off.

On this occasion my Jeep is the first car vehicle I have had with this function. Some like it, I don't.

I feel your pain! (y)
This is the way of the future like it or not...to save gas😉 In US it will only get stricter and stricter to comply with EPA and energy use guidelines.
 
#23 ·
So the UK (or Euro) models are different that way? You can disable the auto stop/start, and it stays off even for subsequent trips?

Not so in the U.S. ... You can press the button to disable for t he current trip only, but then have to press it again for subsequent trips.

And how does it work on your UK manual? Does it start the engine when you lift off the brake pedal, or when you engage the clutch, or when you press on the accelerator? I believe ours (automatic only) do it as soon as you release the brake...
 
#25 ·
So the UK (or Euro) models are different that way? You can disable the auto stop/start, and it stays off even for subsequent trips?

And how does it work on your UK manual? Does it start the engine when you lift off the brake pedal, or when you engage the clutch, or when you press on the accelerator?
I don't use it but here goes from my recollection.

Slowing down as I approach traffic lights and come to a stop. The engine shuts down to whatever start/stop mode you all call it. Raise the clutch with the accelerator and the engine kicks into life and the cycle starts all over again.

Centre column (UK) left side is the switch is the push/pull switch to engage/disengage.

Once disengaged it remains permanently off until actuated.
 
#28 ·
Further on the shifting...mine is automatic 1.3 turbo 2020 so it seems to me the brake acts somewhat like a clutch? make any sense? I was never great with manual as a teen so have always went with automatic trans. I tried to pay attention today on busy rush hour traffic drive home. If the brake is not pressed down hard it does not go into gas save mode I have learnt how to maneuver it just so, kinda like a clutch, I imagine. I have never turned it off and would have to figure that out...but instead figured out how to work it.
 
#44 ·
I turn off the gas saving mode everytime I use the vehicle. The acceleration is worse with it on however turning it off does not improve the hesitation or the transmission issue.
Hello Natti4979 and shells2skis,

Apologies for the late response. We would love to look into both of your concerns separately, please private message our team!

Hannah
Jeep Cares
 
#45 ·
Well, now that I've taken delivery of my 2021 Renegade Trailhawk and searched my USB-based 2020 Service Manual, I can shed some light onto the auto stop/start feature -- at least the U.S. version. Particularly the question about the "second tiny battery."

When driving the vehicle home from the dealership, I noticed a warning on the dashboard -- something to the effect that the auto stop/start system was disabled because its battery hadn't charged up enough yet, or something to that effect. By the time I got home, there was a notice that the system was now working.

Nothing about this in the Owner's Manual. So I just searched through the Service Manual, and found some details on how the system works. Since the weird copy protection prevents me from cutting-and-pasting or even doing a print-screen on anything from the manual, here's an old-school literal screen shot (* grumble grumble pain-in-the-ass *). Hope they don't get me for a copyright infringement (coughJeepCarescough)...:

2396350847


So it looks like there is indeed an "Auxiliary Battery" for the ESS system. I haven't digested all of this yet, but it looks like the Auxiliary Battery kicks in when the engine is automatically stopped, to power all the vehicle's electrical systems so that the Main Battery isn't burdened and is ready to start the engine again. So if the Auxiliary Battery isn't working or isn't charged, the ESS is disabled. Pretty smart.

Also, according to the owner's Manual, there's a long list of conditions that will prevent the ESS from engaging -- high-power-draw stuff like the HVAC system not being at its set level, or seat heating on, etc etc etc -- all to make sure that power isn't drained when the engine is off. Again, pretty smart...
 
#46 ·
Well, now that I've taken delivery of my 2021 Renegade Trailhawk and searched my USB-based 2020 Service Manual, I can shed some light onto the auto stop/start feature -- at least the U.S. version. Particularly the question about the "second tiny battery."

When driving the vehicle home from the dealership, I noticed a warning on the dashboard -- something to the effect that the auto stop/start system was disabled because its battery hadn't charged up enough yet, or something to that effect. By the time I got home, there was a notice that the system was now working.

Nothing about this in the Owner's Manual. So I just searched through the Service Manual, and found some details on how the system works. Since the weird copy protection prevents me from cutting-and-pasting or even doing a print-screen on anything from the manual, here's an old-school literal screen shot (* grumble grumble pain-in-the-ass *). Hope they don't get me for a copyright infringement (coughJeepCarescough)...:

View attachment 2396350847

So it looks like there is indeed an "Auxiliary Battery" for the ESS system. I haven't digested all of this yet, but it looks like the Auxiliary Battery kicks in when the engine is automatically stopped, to power all the vehicle's electrical systems so that the Main Battery isn't burdened and is ready to start the engine again. So if the Auxiliary Battery isn't working or isn't charged, the ESS is disabled. Pretty smart.

Also, according to the owner's Manual, there's a long list of conditions that will prevent the ESS from engaging -- high-power-draw stuff like the HVAC system not being at its set level, or seat heating on, etc etc etc -- all to make sure that power isn't drained when the engine is off. Again, pretty smart...
Who knew? Not me. I love how they say in the NOTE: The terminology on the relays in this procedure can be confusing.....
 
#48 ·
My mother in law drives a Volvo SUV and it has ALL the bells and whistles and she had a bad battery warning pop up, so my father in law replaced it. He said it was a bugger to replace. Within a year the light came back, he thought it was because they don't drive enough. He decided to take it to the dealer, he didn't want to mess with it. That's when he learned of the aux battery for the start/stop. On this vehicle you can permanently disable the start/stop, which he did within one week of ownership, and never thought of it again. Apparently those batteries aren't your standard off-the-shelf batteries (at least in the Volvo) and certainly not under the hood, and most certainly not cheap.

I use my time at stop lights to run a visual diagnostic on my vehicle; coolant/tranny/oil temp check, fuel check, rpm's at idle, tire PSI check. Became habit to check my gauges since I was a Heavy Vehicle Operator (military speak for truck driver) while in the Marine Corps many moons ago.

That Start/Stop feature is definitely one feature I do NOT want.
 
#59 ·
Again, according to the 2021 Owner's Manual: "Software and calibration is refined to optimize the customer’s driving experience and fuel economy. By design, some vehicle and drive-line combinations utilize NINTH gear only in very specific driving situations and conditions. "

Europe was requiring turning off your motor at lights back in the 90's or maybe even 80's.
Reference? We lived on- and-off in more than one country in Europe in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. Never heard of that requirement...
 
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