Jeep Acting Strange Going Uphill

JohnnyCash · **Posted:** Sun May 13, 2007 8:40 pm

Does anyone else have this issue:
When going uphill on a windy road where you slow and then accelerate repeatedly,
the transmission seems to get stuck, or confused, or something.
Instead of getting a dowhshift and the nice throaty engine sound, it refuses to accelerate and makes a weird, weak noise.

I don't think it's the same as when you're on the highway and it doesn't want to downshift to pass someone. I don't get the strange noise then.

Possibly the strange noise is because it's staying in the wrong gear while at the same time trying to go up a fairly steep hill?

Is this normal? Anyone know why it does this?

(I sort of asked this before, but not sure if I described it properly: Once I figure this one out I'll be a happy Liberty owner

)

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Sun May 13, 2007 9:06 pm

Push the button on the side of the gear shift before going up a hill that requires the tranny to downshift.

The tranny seems to be programmed to stay locked in 4th to save gas. :wink:

JohnnyCash · **Posted:** Sun May 13, 2007 9:13 pm

Jeepjeepster wrote:

Push the button on the side of the gear shift before going up a hill that requires the tranny to downshift.

The tranny seems to be programmed to stay locked in 4th to save gas. :wink:

I forgot to mention this was with "overdrive" off.
I was hoping this would solve the problem, but it's the same as it was with overdrive on.
I'm not going fast enough to get into 4th gear anyways when this happens.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Sun May 13, 2007 9:27 pm

What speed are you going? There is a dead spot when you have overdrive off. From what Ive experienced with my liberty, when I have O/D off it holds it in 3rd longer and doesnt like to unlock the torque or downshift into 2nd. I would think this is to keep down heat in the tranny when towing a load.

Anyway, youve just got to be alittle aggressive on the throttle if you want a response when going up a hill. Sometimes I will leave O/D turned on since it will downshift easier when I get on the gas(Over 55mph). If I am going to be going under 50mph for some time(back road/country roads or in the city), I will leave it in 3rd since it doesnt need to be in 4th and it gives a better throttle response.

It will feel and sound like its lugging going up hills if you are going around 40-45mph with it locked in 3rd gear. I just get use to it and if I REALLY need to speed up, just give her alittle more throttle. :twisted:

I dont do this that often, but I had to lay it slap to the floor today. My mom had went to see her mom and I decided to go about an hour after she left. I was following this old guy and I had been behind him for at least 10-15 min. He was only going 45mph in a 55mph and I couldnt stand it any longer. I came to a passing zone and I gave her some gas and went out to pass when someone came around a curve. I laid it to the floor and it was basically a game of chicken and the people coming the other way slowed down and got off the road some. I probably had around 20feet before I would of hit them when I got over. I dont like doing that.

JohnnyCash · **Posted:** Sun May 13, 2007 9:39 pm

Jeepjeepster wrote:

What speed are you going? There is a dead spot when you have overdrive off. From what Ive experienced with my liberty, when I have O/D off it holds it in 3rd longer and doesnt like to unlock the torque or downshift into 2nd. I would think this is to keep down heat in the tranny when towing a load.

Anyway, youve just got to be alittle aggressive on the throttle if you want a response when going up a hill. Sometimes I will leave O/D turned on since it will downshift easier when I get on the gas(Over 55mph). If I am going to be going under 50mph for some time(back road/country roads or in the city), I will leave it in 3rd since it doesnt need to be in 4th and it gives a better throttle response.

It will feel and sound like its lugging going up hills if you are going around 40-45mph with it locked in 3rd gear. I just get use to it and if I REALLY need to speed up, just give her alittle more throttle. :twisted:

I dont do this that often, but I had to lay it slap to the floor today. My mom had went to see her mom and I decided to go about an hour after she left. I was following this old guy and I had been behind him for at least 10-15 min. He was only going 45mph in a 55mph and I couldnt stand it any longer. I came to a passing zone and I gave her some gas and went out to pass when someone came around a curve. I laid it to the floor and it was basically a game of chicken and the people coming the other way slowed down and got off the road some. I probably has around 20feet before I would of hit them when I got over. I dont like doing that.

Your driving method sounds perfectly safe to me. :shock:

I would say I'm going close to 30 mph when this happens the most. Happens with overdrive on and with overdrive off. I can make it do it here in my neighborhood. There is a hill on the way to my ladyfriend's house. If I back off the pedal in the middle of the hill and then get back on the pedal slowly it will happen. I have noticed if I'm more aggressive I can usually avoid it, but not always.
The weird thing is when it does it, if I get off the pedal and then back on it, it will go back to normal.
Do you think the strange noise it makes is the engine lugging?

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Sun May 13, 2007 10:04 pm

JohnnyCash wrote:

Your driving method sounds perfectly safe to me. :shock:

I would say I'm going close to 30 mph when this happens the most. Happens with overdrive on and with overdrive off. I can make it do it here in my neighborhood. There is a hill on the way to my ladyfriend's house. If I back off the pedal in the middle of the hill and then get back on the pedal slowly it will happen. I have noticed if I'm more aggressive I can usually avoid it, but not always.
The weird thing is when it does it, if I get off the pedal and then back on it, it will go back to normal.
Do you think the strange noise it makes is the engine lugging?

Hmm, thats alittle odd that it does it when you have O/D off at that speed. Usually the torque converter doesnt lock up till around 35mph-40mph.

On the other hand, when you have O/D on and you let off the gas, it shifts back into 4th. Then when you need to get moving again, its got to shift back into 3rd to get you going.

JohnnyCash · **Posted:** Sun May 13, 2007 10:14 pm

Now that I think about it some more, I'm probably going under 30 when this happens. Coming around a really sharp corner then needing to accelerate back up a steep hill. Switchbacks is the correct description of the roads where this happens the most.

Probably something to do with that stupid "electronic throttle control" they added on the '07's.

JohnnyCash · **Posted:** Mon May 14, 2007 11:38 am

I was just reading a thread from a while ago where I asked about this same thing and someone asked:

Quote:

What noise does it make? Is it ping from the lugging or is the tranny grinding (not enough line pressure to shift a low throttle?).

I think it is the tranny grinding due to not enough line pressure.
Is this normal?
Is there something I can do to stop this from happening?

jason thompson · **Posted:** Mon May 14, 2007 7:19 pm

2 was to get an auto to shift when you want

1) push pedal to floor ,FWOT will kick in and force down shift (Full Wide Open Throtle)
2) Push the PRNDL thingy back to next lower gear ( Park Reverse Neutral Drive Low) in a KJ it would be shifting to #2 gear
This will also require more gas to keep speed cause it will force more RPM

From the sound of things you are driving like an 80 year old woman in the hills and you are scared that the road is missing on the other side where you can not see :lol:

The KJ has a good high reving V6 and is probably OK at 5K rpm
I know that I find the revlimiter in my TJ more than I like and when I found it in the KJ the engine was cranking out some RPM's
wich means that you will not "blow it up"

JohnnyCash · **Posted:** Mon May 14, 2007 8:52 pm

jason thompson wrote:

2 was to get an auto to shift when you want

1) push pedal to floor ,FWOT will kick in and force down shift (Full Wide Open Throtle)
2) Push the PRNDL thingy back to next lower gear ( Park Reverse Neutral Drive Low) in a KJ it would be shifting to #2 gear
This will also require more gas to keep speed cause it will force more RPM

From the sound of things you are driving like an 80 year old woman in the hills and you are scared that the road is missing on the other side where you can not see :lol:

The KJ has a good high reving V6 and is probably OK at 5K rpm
I know that I find the revlimiter in my TJ more than I like and when I found it in the KJ the engine was cranking out some RPM's
wich means that you will not "blow it up"

I'm not sure what it is. I thought I was driving like a Granny so I tried to be more aggressive with the pedal and it does help some.
Where the problem really gets me is on a steep, switchbacking, uphill mountain road.
The kind where you can't possibly get to a very high speed. It's maybe 30mph tops, then slow way down for a sharp corner,
then back on the pedal to climb another hill, then slow way down for a sharp corner, then back on the pedal over and over.
It's when I get back on the pedal that something seems stuck. To prevent it I have to either:
-take my foot off the pedal when it happens and then reapply
-anticipate the hill and be aggressive before the hill arrives so it will have already downshifted
It's weird. Not sure what is getting stuck or what is happening.
Hope it goes away. Definitely don't want the dealer touching my transmission. That would be a death wish !

jason thompson · **Posted:** Mon May 14, 2007 10:10 pm

JohnnyCash wrote:

jason thompson wrote:

2 was to get an auto to shift when you want

1) push pedal to floor ,FWOT will kick in and force down shift (Full Wide Open Throtle)
2) Push the PRNDL thingy back to next lower gear ( Park Reverse Neutral Drive Low) in a KJ it would be shifting to #2 gear
This will also require more gas to keep speed cause it will force more RPM

From the sound of things you are driving like an 80 year old woman in the hills and you are scared that the road is missing on the other side where you can not see :lol:

The KJ has a good high reving V6 and is probably OK at 5K rpm
I know that I find the revlimiter in my TJ more than I like and when I found it in the KJ the engine was cranking out some RPM's
wich means that you will not "blow it up"

I'm not sure what it is. I thought I was driving like a Granny so I tried to be more aggressive with the pedal and it does help some.
Where the problem really gets me is on a steep, switchbacking, uphill mountain road.
The kind where you can't possibly get to a very high speed. It's maybe 30mph tops, then slow way down for a sharp corner,
then back on the pedal to climb another hill, then slow way down for a sharp corner, then back on the pedal over and over.
It's when I get back on the pedal that something seems stuck. To prevent it I have to either:
-take my foot off the pedal when it happens and then reapply
-anticipate the hill and be aggressive before the hill arrives so it will have already downshifted
It's weird. Not sure what is getting stuck or what is happening.
Hope it goes away. Definitely don't want the dealer touching my transmission. That would be a death wish !

Our '03 does the same thing
I just shift it my self
I found out when driving up some roads out of gatlinburg TN when I got lost and found that it works better when you shift for it

JohnnyCash · **Posted:** Mon May 14, 2007 11:15 pm

Quote:

Our '03 does the same thing
I just shift it my self
I found out when driving up some roads out of gatlinburg TN when I got lost and found that it works better when you shift for it

It is truely a unique automatic transmission that Chrysler has developed.

jason thompson · **Posted:** Mon May 14, 2007 11:19 pm

JohnnyCash wrote:

Quote:

Our '03 does the same thing
I just shift it my self
I found out when driving up some roads out of gatlinburg TN when I got lost and found that it works better when you shift for it

It is truely a unique automatic transmission that Chrysler has developed.

Not realy
My '02 TJ with a 3 speed does the same thing on the same road
I treat it the same force it to do what I want

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Mon May 14, 2007 11:23 pm

Im hoping a shift kit and a program from B&G will fix things.

JohnnyCash · **Posted:** Mon May 14, 2007 11:36 pm

jason thompson wrote:

JohnnyCash wrote:

Quote:

Our '03 does the same thing
I just shift it my self
I found out when driving up some roads out of gatlinburg TN when I got lost and found that it works better when you shift for it

It is truely a unique automatic transmission that Chrysler has developed.

Not realy
My '02 TJ with a 3 speed does the same thing on the same road
I treat it the same force it to do what I want

Well at least I feel better now (sort of) since mine isn't the only one that does it.
Is the sound I'm hearing probably just the engine lugging? I'm used to hearing my old truck lug once in a while because it was a manual and it was an obvious sound, but I'm not sure what a lugging Liberty sounds like. I don't feel the extreme shaking that you get when you have a manual truck in the wrong gear.
If it is lugging you would think the Liberty's computer brain would be programmed that "If lugging, downshift now !!!".
Even I could write that program.
I don't understand what the heck it's doing, but I hope it isn't harming anything.

Jeep Acting Strange Going Uphill

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