So I have a little over 200 miles on my renegade I got about two weeks ago. Coming into work this morning I almost passed up the on ramp to the highway I get on. Made a pretty sharp last second turn to make it on the ramp and my check engine light pops on. I also notice it's not shifting up or down as I get to the stop sign to get on the highway. So I get going and it's not shifting or of third gear. I'm in the highway for about a mile to my exit and I try manually shifting and it still does nothing. I reach my exit and pull over. Shut it off, restart and now it doesn't leave second gear. I run it in second for the quarter mile to my work and park. It does go into reverse. Now I have to wait till 9 when the dealer service opens. About a half hour before I take it for a spin to see if anything changed. Check engine light still on but after a quick run it seems to be shifting fine in auto and manual. I'm guessing it was just a sensor that prevented it from shifting and it reset after a time. Should I just disconnect the battery for a minute and see if the light goes out or could it be a more serious issue and take it in? I don't want to waste my time if it was just a sensor and it's fine.
I'd invest in an OBD code reader or take it to AutoZone, oreillys, etc. where they read for free if you don't want to take to dealer or if they're busy and you don't have time.
Tried it out again on my lunch break and no light at all. Another test drive and seems fine. I'm thinking some sensor went off although I don't know why it would do it just after making a sharp turn. Seems odd to me.
I hope the light stays out. The Renegades do some strange things every once in a while. I think they are trying to see if we are paying attention. Welcome to the forum by the way. You will find a lot of great info here.
When the engine light goes/comes on, in most cases the vehicle goes into 'Limp Home Mode', and in some cases, it won't do anything at all. Usually, turning it off, as you did, and restarting it will allow you to drive normally, but the engine light will still be present. And sometimes, it will stay in 'Limp Home Mode' until you get the codes cleared. Before you get the codes cleared, make sure you ask them (who ever clears the codes for you) what the code(s) are and be sure to let us know. I might help some of us in the future.
I didn't take it in after I saw the light was out and it seemed to be shifting normally. If I ever do have to take it in. I think all the codes that would occur will store in the system and they should be able to tell me what it was. I'll try to remember to ask.
