My one complaint about the 2.0

[NWJeepr]

This is heavy. I've never liked (enjoyed?) 4-cylinder engines, but after the 3.6 had multiple head failures in my JK, I wasn't going to buy another. Several years ago I got to experience a 2.0 first hand in Moab and it was impressive! I got to compare my 3.6 to it side by side. That paved the way for eventually replacing my JK back in 2023 with my current JL with a 2.0.

It's noisy, this 2.0. Specifically, if it's been sitting for a few days, it makes a terrible noise when it starts, likely the timing chain tensioners letting the chain fly until they pump up with pressure again. If this is normal, why? Other engines with hydraulic tensioners don't do this, so why is it acceptable for the 2.0 to do it? It's embarrassing.

And then it rat-tat-tat taps like the lifters are bad, while it idles cold. They're not, but either they aren't fully pressurized or the timing chain is still making noise. "It's just a noisy little motor!". This is "noise" I'd expect from a 1991 Ford Escort with infrequent oil changes and 150k on the clock, not a brand new Jeep Wrangler. The noise is also embarrassing, "uh, it just needs to warm up".

I don't mind the direct injection noises, the turbo noises (rattle), the whooshing, the screeching, but the mechanical slapping and tapping - that gets to me.

The Jeep has 8,700 miles as of this morning and I feel like I'm done with it. I literally hate Stellantis, not just for this, but for my JK, for the stream of bullshit coming from them over the past handful of years is like yeah, yeah...I don't have to love the parent company to enjoy my Jeep. But I already went through hell with a 3.6 and Jeep's little funhouse of crooked dealer service departments. I would loathe trying to get a/any Jeep dealer to properly diagnose and fix whatever problem this 2.0 has. Dare I say the Wrangler is actually junk?

Should I go through hell pursuing the issue with a dealer?

Dump it? I still love wheeling, and if/when I go back to Moab I'll need to rent a Jeep...

Sponsored

 

[WI_Sarge]

392, problem solved. JK, I also have the 2.0. Made sure I got the mopar extended warranty as I don’t trust either engine. IM not much help at all regarding the inner workings as you mentioned above. I do actually like the 2.0. My first GDI.

if its under factory warranty, now would be the time to bring it in would be my thought.

 

[Brad Hearing]

This is heavy. I've never liked (enjoyed?) 4-cylinder engines, but after the 3.6 had multiple head failures in my JK, I wasn't going to buy another. Several years ago I got to experience a 2.0 first hand in Moab and it was impressive! I got to compare my 3.6 to it side by side. That paved the way for eventually replacing my JK back in 2023 with my current JL with a 2.0.

It's noisy, this 2.0. Specifically, if it's been sitting for a few days, it makes a terrible noise when it starts, likely the timing chain tensioners letting the chain fly until they pump up with pressure again. If this is normal, why? Other engines with hydraulic tensioners don't do this, so why is it acceptable for the 2.0 to do it? It's embarrassing.

And then it rat-tat-tat taps like the lifters are bad, while it idles cold. They're not, but either they aren't fully pressurized or the timing chain is still making noise. "It's just a noisy little motor!". This is "noise" I'd expect from a 1991 Ford Escort with infrequent oil changes and 150k on the clock, not a brand new Jeep Wrangler. The noise is also embarrassing, "uh, it just needs to warm up".

I don't mind the direct injection noises, the turbo noises (rattle), the whooshing, the screeching, but the mechanical slapping and tapping - that gets to me.

The Jeep has 8,700 miles as of this morning and I feel like I'm done with it. I literally hate Stellantis, not just for this, but for my JK, for the stream of bullshit coming from them over the past handful of years is like yeah, yeah...I don't have to love the parent company to enjoy my Jeep. But I already went through hell with a 3.6 and Jeep's little funhouse of crooked dealer service departments. I would loathe trying to get a/any Jeep dealer to properly diagnose and fix whatever problem this 2.0 has. Dare I say the Wrangler is actually junk?

Should I go through hell pursuing the issue with a dealer?

Dump it? I still love wheeling, and if/when I go back to Moab I'll need to rent a Jeep...

yeah - its the little things that will get you over time for sure. feels from this read like you just had bad luck with a 3.6 then learned the grass isnt greener on the other side. People do love the turbo but the same things you mention above would be the same things that would get to me as well to the point of possible regret over the entire purchase.

 

[Aonarch]

My 2.0 is SO loud at start up, not an identifiable bad noise, but just loud in general. It acts like it cold starts at WOT.

 

[Punkn89]

I had the same noise in my 19 JL. It sounded like someone was trapped under the hood banging to get out upon startup. Took it to the dealer multiple times, said it was normal for this engine. Dumped it for my JT. Haven’t had any issues with the 3.6 so far and I do enjoy the longer wheelbase.

Otherwise I do daily my 21 GC WK2 Hemi which will absolutely outlast the JT I’m sure.

 

[Wbino]

You'll have zero issues with something you don't own, so the grass is not really greener on the other side.
Go on any other vehicles forums and they are awash with people having some type of issues with their vehicle.
As long as your not stranded along side the road, you'll always have to deal with some issue coming your way.
My worst car experience was with an Audi A4, and I thought I finally bought something made well.
i have a 26 year old 4 cyl turbo that is noisy on startup but it simmerers down on warmup..I had to replace the turbo on that after owning it 15 years.
There is no such thing as a perfect car company, though the Benz dealer has a better experience when I walk in for scheduled service.
I sit down with my advisor, chat a bit a then fill up on the coffee machine and they usually if you tell them in advance have a loaner car available, even just for a couple of hours while the car is being worked on.

 

[NWJeepr]

You'll have zero issues with something you don't own, so the grass is not really greener on the other side.
Go on any other vehicles forums and they are awash with people having some type of issues with their vehicle.
As long as your not stranded along side the road, you'll always have to deal with some issue coming your way.
My worst car experience was with an Audi A4, and I thought I finally bought something made well.
i have a 26 year old 4 cyl turbo that is noisy on startup but it simmerers down on warmup..I had to replace the turbo on that after owning it 15 years.
There is no such thing as a perfect car company, though the Benz dealer has a better experience when I walk in for scheduled service.
I sit down with my advisor, chat a bit a then fill up on the coffee machine and they usually if you tell them in advance have a loaner car available, even just for a couple of hours while the car is being worked on.

This is true, all cars have problems. The great ones have fewer problems.

But, this is more about not listening to someone rattle a coffee can full of marbles when it starts and regretting what a cheap piece of junk it sounds like.

When it’s warmed up, yeah, it sounds like it should. It’s otherwise a good engine, power, economy, etc.

 

[munkeymike]

Yea it's noticeable and probably the most common complaint about the 2.0. I put a louder exhaust from AWE and I notice it less . Sounds better too.

 

[Odyssey USA]

You may not like the idea but you could try a 0w-40 like Mobil 1 Supercar. I’m not sure it would get the oil to the tensioner any quicker.

If you do, I’d change your oil with the normal weight, see how it sounds and promptly try another to compare new oil sound to new oil.

That said, I seemed to notice things were more quiet coming from Mobil 1 5w-30 syn to Valvoline Extended Protection 5w-30 in my 2.0. My 2.0 May not have been as bad as others though and opinions are subjective so take it fwiw.

I actually enjoyed some of the antique engine-like noises coming from it. Reminded me of the old Willys 4 cyl’s.

 

[The Last Cowboy]

You may not like the idea but you could try a 0w-40 like Mobil 1 Supercar. I’m not sure it would get the oil to the tensioner any quicker.

If you do, I’d change your oil with the normal weight, see how it sounds and promptly try another to compare new oil sound to new oil.

That said, I seemed to notice things were more quiet coming from Mobil 1 5w-30 syn to Valvoline Extended Protection 5w-30 in my 2.0. My 2.0 May not have been as bad as others though and options are subjective so take it fwiw.

I actually enjoyed some of the antique engine-like noises coming from it. Reminded me of the old Willys 4 cyl’s.

I have to agree here. 0w40 will not do any harm, more likely good, and is great for turbo engines. I use the 5w40 Euro spec in my 3.5 EcoBoost f150. It will quiet those lifters quite a bit.

As with all modern engines in the last nearly 2 decades, especially since EPA regs tightened, every gram of weight they can save inside matters. Some things seen these days (not all are on Jeep engines) are hollow cam shafts with welded on lobes, low tension rings, lighter weight pistons, connecting rods and crankshafts. Lighter, and thinner block castings, steel liners in aluminum blocks being done away with in lieu of plasma arc lining, plastic intakes, plastic oil pans, exhaust integrated into head castings, etc. Almost all of these weight and drag reducing innovations came at the expense of reliability and durability. I would gladly give them all up for a 2 MPG hit. But the OEMs can't afford the massive penalties that come from losing those 2 MPGs in the fleet average.

As far as your engine, try the 0w40, and keep driving it. Or, you could send it to Rubitrux and have a 5.7 Hemi installed for what it would cost to buy a new 2 door Sport.

 

[Dusty Dude]

This issue is exactly why I didn’t get the 2.0 after reading about it all over this forum. I could have put up with it being more complicated than the 3.6, but the noise and the turbo were a “no go” for me.

You might be hearing piston slap, but that is just speculation, as I haven’t listened to a cold startup in person.

Regardless of what is causing the noise, you should try changing oil viscosity like @Odyssey USA and @The Last Cowboy mentioned. It has worked on a number of different engines of all makes. Not a fan of these thinner oils. I just don’t think they are as good for long term engine life. (The GM 6.2L comes to mind)

 

[Deleted User 38384]

This is heavy. I've never liked (enjoyed?) 4-cylinder engines, but after the 3.6 had multiple head failures in my JK, I wasn't going to buy another. Several years ago I got to experience a 2.0 first hand in Moab and it was impressive! I got to compare my 3.6 to it side by side. That paved the way for eventually replacing my JK back in 2023 with my current JL with a 2.0.

It's noisy, this 2.0. Specifically, if it's been sitting for a few days, it makes a terrible noise when it starts, likely the timing chain tensioners letting the chain fly until they pump up with pressure again. If this is normal, why? Other engines with hydraulic tensioners don't do this, so why is it acceptable for the 2.0 to do it? It's embarrassing.

And then it rat-tat-tat taps like the lifters are bad, while it idles cold. They're not, but either they aren't fully pressurized or the timing chain is still making noise. "It's just a noisy little motor!". This is "noise" I'd expect from a 1991 Ford Escort with infrequent oil changes and 150k on the clock, not a brand new Jeep Wrangler. The noise is also embarrassing, "uh, it just needs to warm up".

I don't mind the direct injection noises, the turbo noises (rattle), the whooshing, the screeching, but the mechanical slapping and tapping - that gets to me.

The Jeep has 8,700 miles as of this morning and I feel like I'm done with it. I literally hate Stellantis, not just for this, but for my JK, for the stream of bullshit coming from them over the past handful of years is like yeah, yeah...I don't have to love the parent company to enjoy my Jeep. But I already went through hell with a 3.6 and Jeep's little funhouse of crooked dealer service departments. I would loathe trying to get a/any Jeep dealer to properly diagnose and fix whatever problem this 2.0 has. Dare I say the Wrangler is actually junk?

Should I go through hell pursuing the issue with a dealer?

Dump it? I still love wheeling, and if/when I go back to Moab I'll need to rent a Jeep...

Sounds to me like you bought the wrong engine.

I never hear complaints from the 392 guys, and I never hear complaints from the diesel guys (at least the ones who drive it like it should be driven).

I don't have any issues with my engine. Plenty of power, plenty of torque, plus if I ever do delete it, who knows how long my engine will last. It's anybody's guess!

I've never been a fan of these four-cylinder turbos. If I were to ever buy a vehicle with a four-cylinder turbo, I wouldn't be keeping it more than five or six years.

Jeeps are like that though, they're finicky.
If I were you I wouldn't buy another jeep. Clearly you don't have good luck with the brand, maybe better just to try something else.

Go get you a 4Runner or a Land cruiser or a Lexus gx, those guys have the biggest egos on on the planet! On the flip side their engines are pretty good quality. That's what happens when Nissan makes your engine!

Go Asian, man. You can't go wrong with the Asians!

 

[dstevens]

First, make sure it is not the wastegate actuator arm, which is a known problem. Changed for the 2024 so I can't tell you much more.

The timing chain tensioner has a ratchet so that it can't loosen off. It uses oil pressure mainly to provide a cushion to stop the plunger from moving around more than it needs to. So I don't believe it is related to oil.

DI engines have additional noise from the injectors and high pressure pump. But no other DI engine on the planet is as noisy as the fiat engine.

What I have noticed is that the massive ignition retard from cold (-12 degrees or more) in order to light the cat off creates a secondary piston motion. ie not up and down. This seems to be the rattle sound to me.

It also could be a secondary injection event, again to light the cat off. Again moving the piston around.

My engine was dead quiet for about the first 1000 miles. That is actually more disturbing to me because it hints that it could be the piston barrel shape as well. Which should not change ever over the life of the engine.

 

[MayThe4x4BWU]

I don't like either of these engines. It was the lesser of two evils for me when I decided to order mine.

Test drove both engines and seriously was tempted to order a 392 instead, but I might as well have kept my SRT GC which was a far better performance vehicle than any 392 Wrangler could ever be...but that's another conversation lol

Listening to that proverbial "sewing machine" make its "tick" "tack" sounds at cold startup vs the sometimes strange noises that come from my V6 at cold startup, that make me think the engine is gonna grow legs and walk out...I dunno which is worse

It's such a love/hate relationship with this thing

 

[siggy]

This crushes my heart. I just sold a kidney after researching the 2L on here. I think I read it does 0-60 in 2 seconds, only takes unicorn juice, and once you get above 1k feet, it's Elon approved as a rocket ship. I even read people prefer the 2L sound over a V8 so I went ahead and removed the 392 from my search. Wonder if I can get a refund on my kidney?

Sponsored