Hey everyone! I'm just getting used to this new engine, and it's quite unlike the V-6 naturally aspirated engine in my Eclipse (2 cars ago, my last manual transmission car). I'm quickly learning the habits I had with that engine aren't the same as this one. What tips do those of you who've had this car for a while have for efficiency and optimal performance with this configuration?
Heya! I had a similar experience to you in that my last manual vehicle was a 99 v6 Mustang, 2 vehicles ago. Like riding a bike . Here are a few of my tips/pointers/stuff surrounding the personality of my Turbo Brick: First and foremost, remember that the Renegade is almost too heavy for the 1.4L engine. You have to shift accordingly. Give it more throttle than you would expect to get going, especially in 4x4 mode. The 1-2 shift is decidedly fiddley. Take the rpms up to about 4k to keep the turbo spooled up between the shift to prevent bogging the engine. THAT took me the longest time to get used too. The Jeep weighs about the same as the Mustang, but the Mustang has a lot more low rpm torque. Once you get past that point, you don't really have to go much about 3k rpm. The lag with the electronic throttle will drive you nuts for a bit. You have to plan your downshifts. With the mustang it was blip/shift. With the Jeep it is blip-------shift. At least that is what if feels like at first . Once you figure out what constitutes a "blip" for the throttle you will be fine. Speaking of turbos, the engine is really grumpy if the turbo is not spooled. Spool up starts around 2.5k on mine and is full boost right around 3.5k. (short ram intake + upgraded exhaust helped a lot) Be smooth on and off the throttle or it will feel like the ECU is arguing with the Turbo (Side note: Upgrade your diverter valve to the GFB one!). 6th Gear is rather useless below 2.5k rpm if the highway is anything but flat. Honestly it is not that useful above 2.5k rpm either. Heavy vehicle + brick-like aerodynamics make it a difficult vehicle to push at highway speeds. I find myself in 5th gear most of the time unless I can get above 65mph or I know I am on a long flat stretch of highway. Change your shift knob, unless you like the stock one. I use a heavy cylindrical one that weighs 1 pound (600ish grams for our metric friends). The transmission is a classic Italian. Nice and light and shifting is a joy. Rowing through the gears at wide open throttle is a pleasure. You will find that the Renegade drives like a chubby hatchback instead of a Jeep because the front and back suspension actually work together. After 11k miles, I am getting 28mpg combined. I do a lot of sitting in heavy Boston traffic and all my highway driving is a rather hilly affair (central MA). The Jeep will idle along in 2nd gear quite well actually. I can get 35mpg on the highway quite easily. Drive around town a lot and you will be lucky if you see anything above 17-18mpg I did end up getting the Madness MAXpower piggyback ECM to help give more oomph getting onto highways, especially when I have the Jeep loaded with supplies. Once you figure out the personality of the turbo and how to work with it, things will be great. Took me about 2 weeks to adjusted to the drivetrain.
Thanks for the tips! I've noted a couple things so far; that, a) high RPMs at low gears don't equal speed at all, and b) ideally shifting and managing speed on the road results in never really feeling any acceleration pull to speak of. However the gearing allows for maintaining speed with very little throttle more easily than my Eclipse. While the Eclipse was for scooting around, the Renegade does have the feel of a Jeep, somehow, despite being much different from other Jeeps I've known. I do very much like the clutch and shifting. Compared to the worn-out clutch in my previous manual, this one is heavenly (though I need to get more used to just the right amount of gas to get it moving).
Awesome write-up! Can you talk a bit more about the diverter valve? Did you install it yourself or have it done at a shop? What are the noticeable differences between it and stock, or is it really more of a package thing with the coil packs and ECM?
Personally, I went and got the diverter valve from GFB because I have a major trust issues with plasticky European OEM Diverter valves based on past experiences (thank you Audi!). I installed it myself in about 30 minutes. I have an installation post over in the write-ups section of the forum. About the only thing I immediately noticed is that it does nothing for the fiddly 1st to 2nd shift. However, once you are past that point, the shifting is a lot smoother because the GBF DV+ allows the turbo to stay spooled between shifts. GFB says this is because their diverter valve can be partially closed where the OEM diverter valve is either open or shut . It DOES NOT make the turbo spool up quicker. Power delivery is not nearly as lumpy, but that is only noticeable at wide open throttle. I don't have a boost gauge so I had to rely on my Butt-Dyno(tm). Still if you only do one thing to your engine, I would get the GFB DV+ because it takes a highly stressed plasticky piece and replaces it with a really solid metal one. If you are planning on getting an ECM, then it is highly recommended you get the GFB DV+ to replace the OEM diverter valve because you will be running more boost. The coil packs are more up to you. I would upgrade the exhaust first. The coils are more of a want than a need. If you are not going to get an ECM, then I wouldn't worry about it. I got them because my Audi TT had Beru ignition coils and they liked to fail every 30k miles or so, and I was looking for some to have on hand as a backup. My experience has been that one will fail when you are in the middle of nowhere. I have the OEM's in the back with a 10mm socket in case I ever have to replace them. Since I had the extra cash I figured why not? The ones from Madness really aren't that much more than the OEM ones. Best to replace those as a set too. Besides, the red color looks neat on my relatively clean engine. They were the last of the items I got for the engine mods.
Yeah, acceleration after 3rd gear is underwhelming. But hey, I didn't get this to go hooning around the neighborhood, that is what I am rebuilding my mustang for!
@Robot Penguin: what exhaust did you get, or its just cut off straight pipe ? Does it feel any bit faster.? Sent from my SM-G900P using ToasterJeep mobile app
@manucrystal: it is a custom job. I Smooshed the stock one on a curb or debris dodging a wrong way driver one morning. I had a spare 4" round Magnaflow tube (not the racing one) with 2.5" inlet/outlet that I pulled off of my Adui TT before I donated it. Had that welded up after the resonator with 2.5" pipe. Fit nicely in the stock muffler spot. See picture! I kept the resonator because there was too much drone in the cabin for my taste when I tested it out. If the Jeep wasn't my daily driver I would have deleted the resonator. Didn't t really notice too much change until i put the short ram intake onto the engine. The turbo now feels like it starts to get going around 2.5k rpm, instead of 3k rpm, and is at full boost at around 3.5k rpm. I'm pretty sure a good aftermarket downpipe/cat will really improve things as well as going 2.5" the whole exhaust. I may find a better resonator in the future. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using ToasterJeep mobile app
Ok yeah, that looks good, i thought of doing a custom made too,at a cheap local shop, and do a straight piece with that resonator on madness site i saw, and any nice lookin tip end, thanks for the impute. Hope the sound would be acceptable inside even tho i like it,my wife may not..so much[emoji1] Sent from my SM-G900P using ToasterJeep mobile app
Yeah, it hangs a bit low, but I am not off-roading it so I am not worried about ground clearance. I would have loved to just straight pipe the thing. The turbo and cat really knock a lot of the sound down. Sounds balls out awesome, but it was REALLY loud inside. The shop I went too didn't have any other appointments that day so they let me try out different exhaust/resonator combos. If the Jeep wasn't my daily driver, I would have definitely straight piped it. I also leave for work at 4:30am and really don't need to let ALL of my neighbors know when I leave.
Hey did you ever got this code p1cea?when you did your custom intake system? I got this code, and i ve disconnected the batt. to reset and came back after400 +miles. Then i reconected the original vacuum connections to the 2Y hoses , cut them off of the airclean cover box in hopes that will do the right air reading but after 800+miles got it back the same code and im pretty frustrated Sent from my SM-G900P using ToasterJeep mobile app
You most likely either have a check valve backwards or didn't reinstall it. That's generally the cause of it. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
Also, in your airbox there is a venturi tee and that's why you still have the code. If that venturi isn't present, you'll get a code. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
Dealer did this valve solenoid change but after 380miles came back, and he did say if comes back i d need to put back the stock air box which after all wasn't terrible but i still don't get it, its a poor designed systems in this platform not to be able to run CAI,pretty disappointed. . Sent from my SM-G900P using ToasterJeep mobile app
Yeah, for my DIY Short Ram intake, I cut the whole venturi t assembly out of the stock airbox and hooked it up. Had to make new vacuum lines for that. I guess you can try to make your own venturi t too if you want.
You can either buy a venturi tee or wait a few more weeks for the Eurocompulsion intake, I'll have my beta unit in the next 2-3 weeks as I understand. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
Im in no hurry i could wait and get the eurocompulsion intake for sure, and yes i tried and i did a connection to the vac lines that i cut off of the venturi T and worked well , but still cel came out after hundreds of miles, like 480 or so;..of course its too late now ,i realized that after ,that i should of cut out the whole round part Y/T thing that has a hole smaller than the other. .and hopefully would of work ,weird crap system! Now to redo it would have to buy a new whole "Air Clean "cover for the stock and to put it all back together, hack No! Eurocompulsion is my rout now! Sent from my SM-G900P using ToasterJeep mobile app
