highway driving - slow to downshift

[expatCanuck]

New to Jeep. Driving a 2024 JLU Sport (2.0L turbo).

On the highway, the auto transmission puts the jeep into 8th readily enough, but there's just not enough torque to get up hills when traveling 60-something mph (it's at about 1500 rpm). And it tends not to downshift readily.

I found that I got better performance / responsiveness putting the vehicle in manual and downshifting to 7th or 6th on hills.

Normal? Any way to tweak the auto transmission to improve responsiveness?

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[Heimkehr]

The 850RE is an adaptive transmission. Shift points are adjusted based on prevailing (i.e., historic) inputs. Said differently, a conservative right foot will affect when gear changes occur. That's been my experience.

Scroll down to The Strategy Overview for additional intel. Note that 850RE is the internal designation for the ZF 8HP transmission.

 

[expatCanuck]

Thanks.
So does that mean that my right foot needs to be a little more aggressive when I find the engine laboring given the current conditions/rpms (e.g. - going uphill at 1500 rpm)?

 

[Heimkehr]

So does that mean that my right foot needs to be a little more aggressive when I find the engine laboring given the current conditions/rpms (e.g. - going uphill at 1500 rpm)?

That's the natural solution, yes.

Wanting to experiment a bit myself here, I installed a throttle controller. This allows me to essentially pre-program the signal that the PCM receives, so that the collateral gear changes make more sense in varying situations.

 

[GtX]

I was going to suggest a throttle controller too. I have the Hike It installed and have had no issue with mine. I think I have mine set on C9 and can't remember the last time I adjusted it.

I still feel like mine likes 8th gear a little too much. It'll jump into 8th at 50 MPH. I've gotten used to pulling it into manual and downshifting when needed or goosing the throttle to kick the transmission down a couple gears in anticipation of rolling on the throttle.

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