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First time going with automatic

Rachel Ruby

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Any advice please for taking a automatic off road do’s and don’ts . Do I need to worry about over heating the transmission is there a temp gauge etc. I have always driven manual Jeeps off road so I know exactly what gear to be in when in 4 low . With automatic in 4 low do I put it in drive or 1st or2nd gear? When going down a steep hill in a manual off road in 4 low I always put it in first gear and keep my feet off all the pedals and let the engine do the braking, so what is the correct way in a jlu Rubicon with the v6 automatic in 4 low going down a steep hill? Also is the factory skid plates good at protecting the automatic transmission or should I put aftermarket skid plates on
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Reinen

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Any advice please for taking a automatic off road do’s and don’ts . Do I need to worry about over heating the transmission is there a temp gauge etc. I have always driven manual Jeeps off road so I know exactly what gear to be in when in 4 low . With automatic in 4 low do I put it in drive or 1st or2nd gear? When going down a steep hill in a manual off road in 4 low I always put it in first gear and keep my feet off all the pedals and let the engine do the braking, so what is the correct way in a jlu Rubicon with the v6 automatic in 4 low going down a steep hill? Also is the factory skid plates good at protecting the automatic transmission or should I put aftermarket skid plates on
It's a burly auto trans and you do drive them different mentality. I'm on my first auto trans in 30 years and it's great. You can focus a lot more attention to where and how you're wheeling than how you're driving. My biggest problem was remembering to put it in Park when I turn it off. I also recommend getting a dead pedal so your left foot has somewhere to be and doesn't unconciously look for a clutch occasionally.

I wouldn't go so far to say you don't need to worry about overheating the trans but you don't need to watch it like a hawk either. There's a Trans Temp gauge in your dash display, get to it by flipping through the pages with the arrow buttons.

You can control what gear the auto trans is in by moving the trans selector to the left and using +/- to select gears. You can also go into the settings and turn on displaying the gear you're in next to the D. It doesn't show your gear by default. Coming from a manual, having the gear displayed is very helpful.

The best way to go down a steep hill in an automatic JL is by using SSC (Select Speed Control) or HDC (Hill Descent Control), you'll have one or the other depending on the year/trim. It's the button that looks like a duck (once you see the duck you can't unsee it). It's like 4WD LO cruise control that will automatically control all 4 brakes individually to keep you at the speed you select using the +/- manual controls on the shifter (0.6 to 5MPH). It provides more control than using engine braking or the brake pedal. I've gone down very gnarly slick hills with it. It can crawl down them slower and with more control than I ever could in a manual. SSC will go up & down hills, HDC will only go down hills.

The factory skid plates are pretty good but it really depends how often and how hard you smack into stuff. Some people never do more than kiss a rock and factory plates are fine, some people have to smack hard into everything and need Fort Knox down there.
 
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Rachel Ruby

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It's a burly auto trans and you do drive them different mentality. I'm on my first auto trans in 30 years and it's great. You can focus a lot more attention to where and how you're wheeling than how you're driving. My biggest problem was remembering to put it in Park when I turn it off. I also recommend getting a dead pedal so your left foot has somewhere to be and doesn't unconciously look for a clutch occasionally.

I wouldn't go so far to say you don't need to worry about overheating the trans but you don't need to watch it like a hawk either. There's a Trans Temp gauge in your dash display, get to it by flipping through the pages with the arrow buttons.

You can control what gear the auto trans is in by moving the trans selector to the left and using +/- to select gears. You can also go into the settings and turn on displaying the gear you're in next to the D. It doesn't show your gear by default. Coming from a manual, having the gear displayed is very helpful.

The best way to go down a steep hill in an automatic JL is by using SSC (Select Speed Control) or HDC (Hill Descent Control), you'll have one or the other depending on the year/trim. It's the button that looks like a duck (once you see the duck you can't unsee it). It's like 4WD LO cruise control that will automatically control all 4 brakes individually to keep you at the speed you select using the +/- manual controls on the shifter (0.6 to 5MPH). It provides more control than using engine braking or the brake pedal. I've gone down very gnarly slick hills with it. It can crawl down them slower and with more control than I ever could in a manual. SSC will go up & down hills, HDC will only go down hills.

The factory skid plates are pretty good but it really depends how often and how hard you smack into stuff. Some people never do more than kiss a rock and factory plates are fine, some people have to smack hard into everything and need Fort Knox down there.
I forgot to mention it will be a 2022 Rubicon unlimited extreme recon package with the v6 e torque which I ordered today
 

Rangemaster

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I forgot to mention it will be a 2022 Rubicon unlimited extreme recon package with the v6 e torque which I ordered today
Go auto, I am on first auto jeep in 30 years and it wheels offroad so much better then manual.
 

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Reinen

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I forgot to mention it will be a 2022 Rubicon unlimited extreme recon package with the v6 e torque which I ordered today
Nice! In that case you'll have SSC, which is better.
One day you'll show off to your friends by kicking on SSC, leaning back, sticking your feet out the window as you sloooowly crawl up and down gnarly hills with one finger on the wheel. Something you could never do in a manual.
(Legal Disclaimer: Don't follow this highly dangerous reckless suggestion. Always wear a helmet.)

The automatic trans is also SO much better in rock gardens. No more feathering the clutch. Also, while Adaptive Cruise Control is quite arguably unnecessary, it's great. With an auto trans it will take you from 90 MPH to a dead stop and back to 90 MPH again all depending on what the vehicle in front of you is doing.
 
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Rachel Ruby

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Nice! In that case you'll have SSC, which is better.
One day you'll show off to your friends by kicking on SSC, leaning back, sticking your feet out the window as you sloooowly crawl up and down gnarly hills with one finger on the wheel. Something you could never do in a manual.
(Legal Disclaimer: Don't follow this highly dangerous reckless suggestion. Always wear a helmet.)

The automatic trans is also SO much better in rock gardens. No more feathering the clutch. Also, while Adaptive Cruise Control is quite arguably unnecessary, it's great. With an auto trans it will take you from 90 MPH to a dead stop and back to 90 MPH again all depending on what the vehicle in front of you is doing.
Thanks for getting back to me
 
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Rachel Ruby

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If it doesn't hurt to much you will find your left foot works very well on the brake pedal and right on the gas. That gives you great control when crawling.
I have been driving manuals all my life of course now I am in my fifties first ever going to automatic and I have being hearing good things about Jeeps new 8 speed automatic so I hope i will be not disappointed
 

BDinTX

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I need to read up on SSC.
The off-road pages has one page that shows all engine gauges which is kinda nice if you don’t need your front camera or levels.
It might be specific to the larger screen Uconnect, not sure.
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