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3.6L vs 2.0 turbo?? Pros and cons of both??

jeepsity

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If you use your jeep for hardcore off road use? buy a rust free TJ , if you drive it mostly on the street close to cell service get the JL . Engine dont matter .
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Windshieldfarmer

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I am the owner of a JL Rubicon with the 2.0 turbo in Colorado. I live at 5,000’ elevation and frequently spend time off road at 10,000’ and I regret buying the turbo.

The higher the elevation the greater the turbo lag. I have found myself at 10,000’ having to turn around in a very tight spot – I step on the gas pedal and nothing happens for 2 or 3 seconds, then the boost kicks in and I’m lurched forward.

This is VERY unsettling when you’re on the edge
of a cliff in the Rocky Mountains.


The turbo may be fine at low elevations, but NOT in Colorado.
I had the opposite experience in Colorado. I can’t imagine not having the turbo. Running 80mph up i70 is not doable with the NA v6. That said, when rock crawling I kept in in manual mode to keep the rpms in the sweet spot. My v6 Jk was horrible at altitude...the 2.0l Jl a dream by comparison l.
 

rubileon

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I test drove approximately 50 jeeps for the sole purpose of comparing the 2 motors. The only high stress involved in any of those drives was in the consistent need for the v6 to be high revved to get out of its own way.
I wrote a massive insult here an erased... no one deserves to be insulted like that. :CWL:
 

aldo98229

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I had the opposite experience in Colorado. I can’t imagine not having the turbo. Running 80mph up i70 is not doable with the NA v6. That said, when rock crawling I kept in in manual mode to keep the rpms in the sweet spot. My v6 Jk was horrible at altitude...the 2.0l Jl a dream by comparison l.
There’s no comparison between the 3.6 V6 on JK and the 3.6 V6 on JL. The motor has been thoroughly redone; it is much quieter, smoother and responsive. And the 8-speed completely opens up the motor unlike the old 5-speed ever could.

My JKs struggled to sustain 70-75 MPH; my JL V6 sustains 80-85 MPH effortlessly.
 

GerJL

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There’s no comparison between the 3.6 V6 on JK and the 3.6 V6 on JL. The motor has been thoroughly redone; it is much quieter, smoother and responsive. And the 8-speed completely opens up the motor unlike the old 5-speed ever could.

My JKs struggled to sustain 70-75 MPH; my JL V6 sustains 80-85 MPH effortlessly.
Good to know the 3.6 with 8 speed is better. I always thought the 3.6 with the 5 speed was great compared to the 3.8 with 4 speed.
 

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Also, the JK Pentastar had a compression ratio of 10.2:1

The JL Pentastar has a compression ratio of 11.3:1

I owned a 2012 JKUR and now a 2019 JLUR both with (different) automatic transmissions. The powertrains are vastly different.

You won’t sell me on the 2.0 etorque as it is heavier and more complex than the non-BSG 3.6, but to each their own.
 

BrntWS6

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I don't know how the economy would suffer in the JT, but wouldn't you want the motor with more torque in a truck? If the 3.6 is barely adequate and the issue is the additional weight, wouldn't more torque be the answer? Obviously the 3.0 is the current champion when it comes to torque, but the 2.0 has the highest torque output of the gas motors...


I've done more than a simple search, and the only thing I can find that is close is this quote from 'The Drive' where they came up with their own conclusion without any supporting facts given. To me this reads like speculation, and doesn't qualify as a reason as to why there is no 2.0 JT.

"The Drive reached out to Jeep with that very question, and a spokesman told us it comes down to towing and temperature management. "The 3.6-liter engine can handle the temperatures seen while towing," they said. While no knocks were mentioned against the smaller four-cylinder, it's easy to conclude that it simply wasn't created for the hauling capacity Jeep expects from the Gladiator."​
Same one I have seen. Sounds like they talked to someone at FCA, so I would not say they are coming up with their own conclusions. Putting a small engine in a heavy vehicle is never a good idea for longevity.
 

emptyminded42

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Before you go that far, if we take the two vehicles with the exact same engine, isn't the one that works harder the one that's more likely to fail first? Now imagine if the one that works harder is smaller in displacement and still outputs more? You're burning a candle from both ends.

Also, isn't steady state operation better for engine longevity? A turbo engine goes through a massive range of cylinder pressures thanks to there being no boost at low engine speeds.

Aircraft piston engines are also a very relevant example to this discussion. They are made simpler, they have big displacement, low CR even on avgas... a 6 liter engine with CR of 9 might produce 200 hp. There are people here wanting to use turbos in high altitude areas and you're saying they're perfectly fine but why aren't their used in modern aircraft piston engines more widespread then?

Why do piston aircraft engines with turbos have lower TBO (time before overhaul, for others) than naturally aspirated ones?

Finally, why are we all lying to ourselves by saying manufacturers want us to have reliable things that last longer? Manufacturers are making things more complex to the point self maintenence is increasingly more difficult, they're adding defeat devices and planned obsolescence is not a conspiracy theory anymore but somehow, according to the turbo i4 buyers here, the introduction of highly stressed little turbo engines in recent times is a sign of manufacturers doing things for the greater good and world peace :CWL:
Lol, don't bring aviation engines in to this - they are a COMPLETELY different use case, operating environment, and regulatory environment. Why aren't turbocharged general aviation engines popular? Because change is hard and certifying a new engine is very difficult, expensive, and time consuming. And once you get over what, 200 hp you need a new rating for the pilot? What sort of market is there for increasing specific output? You'd have to re-engineer the aircraft, shop manual, maintenance schedule, certify it for flightworthiness, etc. etc. etc. Why would you bother reinventing the wheel when regulations disincentivize change?

Meanwhile in automotive, regulations are directly responsible for innovation and change.

Like I said, it's a completely, entirely, ridiculously different operating and regulatory environment. Comparing general aviation engines to automotive is absolutely silly. The only comparison is that they both have pistons.

And sure, everything sucks, manufacturers are intentionally engineering cars and engines and infotainment systems to fail just out of warranty to push people into new cars.

Whatever, you refuse to admit that maybe - just maybe - a 2.0T is a better overall engine than a V6 for most buyers/drivers due to their driving habits and the longevity concerns don't matter because most people replace their cars by 100k, even if they are less reliable/durable. Any engine of any architecture can be just as reliable as another but it all comes down to engineering. If you think turbocharged inline 4s are so exotic that FCA couldn't possibly figure it out but they could figure out a V6 with twice the timing components and an extra 50% more pistons and bearings then I just don't have anything else to say.

^^^^^^^ This is extremely true of any direct injection engine. I will say with some relief that fuel is not the concern, hence why some, including myself, do not see much if any performance difference with different octanes. The key to keeping these engines as clean as possible, while heat is a great cleanser, is the oil used and how often. Tow? Change oil even more frequently. Drive like Ricky Bobby coming back to racing? Change it frequently. Use higher octane, drive it like you mean it, get it hot enough on the intake side, and then you can do regular oil change frequencies. Just my .02 after building and owning way to many turbo engines with direct injection.
Not all. My 2.5L Mazda inline 4 is direct injected and does not have carbon buildup problems because they engineered around it.

Looks like the V6 is dual injected vs. direct injection on the I4 turbo, so that would make a difference for carbon buildup (typically). I have 65k on my wife's direct-injected Forester XT without any observed idle or power problems so I can only hope the carbon buildup isn't a big issue on these motors but I know WRX owners that share the same engine worry about it - but they also worry about everything and are constantly bickering about which oil and filters and fuel is best.
 

emptyminded42

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I agree that the 2.0 does not require premium. It requires 87 Regular and recommends a higher Octane.

I just have to ask because I am not so familiar: is there a reason why higher octane gas is either recommended or required in Turbo Petrol Engines? Esp the older ones. Sorry as I do not have an Engineering Background (Finance/Business).
Premium fuel is more resistant to self-igniting when compressed, so turbocharged engines can be tuned to utilize increased boost pressure and spark advance for more power when using premium fuel because it's less likely to self-ignite. It has sensors to detect when thick knocking or preignition happens so it can adjust these parameters in real time and detune itself to run on regular. Gas engines do NOT want self-ingition because it's far more destructive to the cylinders than the self-ignition seen in diesels. Gassers just aren't designed for this type of ignition but diesels are.

I'd strongly recommend to use the recommended fuel grade just like I'd recommend to use the recommended oil grade - the design engineers know what these engines need.
 

Alanaloo

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Hi all,
I am new to the JL fam. I currently am a loud and proud owner of a 2005 TJ with the 4 liter straight 6, but recently have been having issues with it (body rust as I live on the East Coast) and have ultimately decided to put it up for sale and purchase a newer Jeep. I will be outright buying this "new" Jeep, so I can only afford a 2018 or 2019, not a brand new 2020 or 2021. I know that I for sure want a Rubicon. The thing that I am stuck on is which engine to get. I have been hearing great things about the new turbo, but I really don't know what to do.

My question is: Should I get one with a 3.6L or the 2.0 Turbo? What are the pros and cons to both? My primary concern is longevity, I want to keep this Jeep for a long time and have the least possible issues with it. Which engine would be in closest comparison (I know neither one is the same at all) to the 4.0 in the TJ's?

Any thoughts or comments would be greatly appreciated!!
I just bought a 2020 JLU with 2.0 turbo 2 weeks ago. Had to drop it off at the dealership on Saturday and was told yesterday that it need a new engine! It has 600 miles on it. WTF
 

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Punjabi New Yorker

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I just bought a 2020 JLU with 2.0 turbo 2 weeks ago. Had to drop it off at the dealership on Saturday and was told yesterday that it need a new engine! It has 600 miles on it. WTF
Really? What was the reason they gave you?
 
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JEB-A-RONI

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Cylinder 1 misfire due to faulty spark plug installation. The tip of the plug was missing and is apparently somewhere in the engine.
Wow, that would require a whole new engine? I'm not super knowledgable on engines or anything, but a few weeks ago I had a code pop up on my 05 TJ for a cylinder 3 misfire (P0303), and it didn't seem like THAT big of a deal, granted the code eventually left by itself which I thought was weird. I'm gonna get the spark plugs fixed soon.

Anyways, your jeep should be 100% covered under warranty (if bought brand new), it sounds like they sold you a lemon, which should be covered under Lemon Law. Good luck and hope everything works out bc that sucks.
 

Alanaloo

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Wow, that would require a whole new engine? I'm not super knowledgable on engines or anything, but a few weeks ago I had a code pop up on my 05 TJ for a cylinder 3 misfire (P0303), and it didn't seem like THAT big of a deal, granted the code eventually left by itself which I thought was weird. I'm gonna get the spark plugs fixed soon.

Anyways, your jeep should be 100% covered under warranty (if bought brand new), it sounds like they sold you a lemon, which should be covered under Lemon Law. Good luck and hope everything works out bc that sucks.
Thanks. A lemon indeed!! It was bought brand new. I literally ordered it from the Jeep website and waited about a month for it to get here. Drove it off the lot with 47 miles on it and had to take her back at 600 miles. I am now working on getting another.
 

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I remember threads just like this when their was a switch from the 3.8 to the 3.6. Everyone was trying to justify the 3.8...Some people will always be scared of new things. Even when they aren't actually new. A four-cylinder engine is about as simple and basic as you can design. Turbo 4's have been around in the automotive industry for nearly 60 years. There isn't any wizardry to making them work and last a long time. It also isn't as if there is a lot of low RPM load on these engines, as they just don't make enough power below 2K rpms to cause any sort of damage with being in that area of the band. So, that leaves you with issues of having to push the engineto it's redline to make power for towing and just go-ing. That isn't necessary either, as they make plenty of power and torque in the mid range. The 4-cylinder is just fine. It will work and last as long as any other modern engine. If there are issues with it, it is mostly due to a faulty part that happened to be installed, but not due to the architecture of the engine itself.
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