New Wrangler toad ?

[ezgoin]

Hi all. We just purchased a new 2016 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited for towing, and since it's my first 4wd Jeep, I have a question. When shifting the transfer case into Neutral, will the shift handle feel loose and have some play in it similar to the feel when putting a manual transmission in neutral? I know to check by putting the tranny into drive/reverse to check, I just want to make sure I'm not just partially into neutral and have it pop back into gear while towing.

Also, any tips or tricks for a new Jeep owner would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Bill

[msmith1199]

ezgoin wrote:
Hi all. We just purchased a new 2016 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited for towing, and since it's my first 4wd Jeep, I have a question. When shifting the transfer case into Neutral, will the shift handle feel loose and have some play in it similar to the feel when putting a manual transmission in neutral? I know to check by putting the tranny into drive/reverse to check, I just want to make sure I'm not just partially into neutral and have it pop back into gear while towing.

Also, any tips or tricks for a new Jeep owner would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Bill

I had a 2002 Wrangler so I don't know if the tranny system changed at all or not, but on mine the transfer case went into neutral and there wasn't much play. My memory is fading, but I think to get it out of neutral you had to push it to one side against the spring tension so there was no way it was going to "pop" out of neutral. I know on mine the instructions said to put the tranny in park which is pretty standard. The reason for doing so was to stop some things in the transmission from spinning that wouldn't get properly lubricated if you left the tranny in neutral. A few years back there was a guy on here who had said he always left his tranny in neutral because he was worried about hitting a bump and the transfer case shifting back into gear. I tried to convince him that wouldn't happen and he was damaging his tranny, but he didn't want to hear it.

[MaverickBBD]

The wobble problem was just with the Cherokee's Jeep Cherokee wobble while towed, Wobbling 2014 Jeep Cherokee. I traded my '14 Latitude for a '15 Wrangler so as not to take a chance then Jeep came out with a fix. Oh well love the Wrangler.

[Community Alumni]

When you lift the handle you will or should feel the gears disengage there will be minimal play up or down with play side to side and the dash lights will tell you also. Mine is a 1999 Wrangler.

JimR

[BobGed]

Blaster Man wrote:
I'd call Jeep. They are having serious wobble issues with one model...don't think it's the Wrangler, but I'd check it out. Also you might Bing or Google "jeep wobble."

The "wobble" issue only affects the 2014-2016 Cherokee, and has to do with the electric power steering .

It is NOT an issue with the new Wranglers or Grand Cherokees.

[Monkeyrun]

Oh, tips, I forgot.

The Wranger JK began in 2007, I had a 2008, 2014 and now a 2016. Admiral drives a Grand Cherokee. You may experience hood bounce when passing heavy trucks, don't be shocked, it won't go beyond the safety catch. There are several aftermarket fixes for this, I place a black zip tie around the rubber latches, that fixed the issue. The greater share of them have water leaks, most people don't realize this because it lives in the carpet so they don't see it. There are several entry points, the most common are the door gaskets, from there the water runs down the inside of the gasket, under the plastic kick panel and into the bottom of the carpets. I gave up on the dealers replacing the gaskets and fixed my 2016 the same way I fixed the others, with some duct seal behind the gasket at a particular point of leakage.

[Monkeyrun]

Have not heard of the death wobble in the newer Wranglers but who knows. My latest is a 2016, but not enough room here to list them all LOL. When you shift to 4L you have to go past neutral in the case, you should feel left to right movement as in neutral with a standard shift.

[Blaster_Man]

I'd call Jeep. They are having serious wobble issues with one model...don't think it's the Wrangler, but I'd check it out. Also you might Bing or Google "jeep wobble."