Jeep JL Engine Problems: How to Fix?
Among all other Jeep engines, the JL engine has some extra benefits. It gives you the best fuel economy, less repair cost, and durable & reliable service for at least 200k miles. Despite all these good things, it’s not a take-for-granted engine. It has some issues that you must know.
So, what are the Jeep JL Engine Problems? An overheated engine, malfunctioning cooling system, and misfired engine are unavoidable problems you’ll face after driving this engine for 100k miles. Even the ticking engine sound and cylinder head issues might also be there.
Don’t overlook any of these problems since a single engine ticking sound can cause serious damage to your JL engine. That’s why you should know about these problems and their solutions accordingly.
About Jeep JL Engine
The Jeep JL Wrangler has a 3.6L Pentastar engine. That means it’s capable enough to give you a reliable and durable engine performance on any terrain. It’s a V6 engine with, on average, 285 HP and 260 pounds of torque power. Besides, the towing capacity is 3500, which is good enough for an off-road automobile.
Key specs of the Jeep JL Engine:
- It’s a 6-Cylinders Engine.
- This engine comes with an 8-speed automatic transmission.
- This engine has 285 horsepower & 260 Lb-ft torque.
Since Jeep JL comes with different engines, including 2.0L, 3.0L, and 3.6L, so you will get different specs. But the problems are all similar, though the 3.6L Pentastar engine is better than others.
Still, if you have queries regarding this Jeep 3.6L Pentastar Engine, you’ll find the answers here.
5 Problems of Jeep JL Engines & Their Solutions
The Jeep Wrangler’s Problems are countless, and it’s okay to have some issues with the off-road vehicle. The same happens with the Jeep JL engines. They also have some issues, and the challenges will appear once you complete riding for at least 100k miles.
Sometimes, the Jeep JL Engines may show you some issues only after 50k to 80k miles. This happens if you don’t care about the engine and even ignore regular maintenance. In that case, the below engine problems will be there only after a few years of getting the brand-new engines.
Overheated Engine
The first complaint against the Jeep JL Engine is the overheated engine. If you go through the forum and ask any Wrangler user, you’ll hear of this problem in one way or another. Mainly, the engine gets overheated after you drive for a while, and it fails to get enough coolant support.
Overheating the engine would be a regular issue when you drive the Jeep JL for 100k miles. You must inspect the engine seriously if you face it for the first time.
Solution: For an overheated engine, you must check the cooling system and check the fuel level & quality. Sometimes, the lack of fuel and coolant might heat the engine in that you can’t even think of. So, check them out before inspecting the entire engine.
Malfunctioning Cooling System
The second culprit of Jeep JL engines is the malfunctioning cooling system. After completing riding for 100k to 130k miles, the cooling system might get damaged. It’ll fail to pass enough coolant or liquid to the engine. As a result, you get the overheated engine as I described above.
Even the check engine light might come off due to the malfunctioning cooling system. It’s a likely thing that users mostly face if they forget to clean & maintain the cooling system regularly.
Solution: For the damaged & malfunctioning cooling system. You must replace it with a new one. Before that, check the damaged coolant part and change the pump if needed. Another tip could be to change the coolant and clean it thoroughly.
Cylinder Head Failures
Since the cooling system is responsible for keeping your engine cool, it may cause cylinder head failures. The cylinder head is a durable engine part, but it can fail and damage the terminal.
You most likely get three reasons for cylinder head failure. They are:
- Overheated Engine
- Faulty Cooling System
- Head Gasket Failure
Apart from them, the restricted or improper coolant flow may also cause cylinder head failures.
Solution: If you get the cylinder head failure, you should first inspect the cracks. Then, pinning & welding could be your best way to sort out the damaged head cylinder.
Engine Misfire
Another common Jeep JL engine problem is engine misfire. It happens for three reasons.
- The cylinder fails to produce power since there are six cylinders.
- Damaged Spark Plug
- Faulty Fuel Injector
Sometimes, the oxygen sensor might cause the engine to misfire, and you fail to start the engine at once. These problems are integrated with most Jeep Wrangler engines and pretty much every vehicle. Luckily, they all have their respective solutions.
Solution: If any particular cylinder fails to produce power, it should be sorted out itself. But the damaged fuel injector and spark plug must be repaired or replaced to start your engine.
Ticking & Other Engine Sound
Because of low engine fuel, lack of oil pressure, and less lubrication can create the ticking engine sound in Jeep JL Engine. While driving the jeep, you must check the fuel level.
Still, the damaged fuel system or gasoline tank may fail to provide enough oil to the engine. As a result, the engine parts won’t be lubricated, creating ticking and other engine noise.
Solution: You know what to do to get rid of the ticking engine sound, right? You need to put the fuel and lubricate the engine parts. It should relieve you from the noise. Otherwise, check the fuel system and repair the damaged part.
These engine problems can be found in the Jeep Liberty 3.7 engine. And you may apply the exact solutions to them.
This video also talks about the Jeep Jl engine issues. So, watch that out if you have time.
People Also Asked
The Jeep JL Wrangler comes with different engines. 2.0, 3.0, and 3.6 are the most popular Jeep JL engines. But the latest one comes with a 3.6L Pentastar engine. It’s more power and reliable engine performance than the first two.
Yes, the Jeep Wrangler JL is reliable. With proper maintenance, this engine can give you secure and optimum engine performance for a long time. At least, you won’t get any major problems in 100k to 150k miles.
A Jeep JL Engine lasts for 200k miles at least. For a 3.6L engine, it may go beyond if you maintain the JL engine with proper care. Otherwise, you’ll face engine problems only after 50k to 80k miles.
Yes, the JL is better than JK in terms of fuel economy. The first one is more reliable & durable than the JK engine surely. However, with proper care, you might get similar engine performance since both are the best for off-road automobiles.
Closing Words
So far, I have shown you all the Jeep JL Engine problems I have faced. Apart from the problems, I also gave you the respective solutions; you don’t need to go anywhere else to get the solutions.
Remember, this JL engine has some great features and can give you the best fuel economy than any other Jeep engine. So, try to solve all the engine issues you face after 100k miles or even 50k miles. Don’t ignore any slight issues.
