Idling low and parking

[hollysprings]

On the rolling thing, for every car I've ever had or heard of, being engaged in any gear with the ignition off means that the engine and wheels are directly linked, i.e., the engine must turn for the wheels to turn. Since there is internal resistance, this tends to keep the car from moving on slight inclines. Which gear you are in determines how much resistance there is at the wheels. In other words, a lower gear requires a larger engine movement for a one-foot change on the outer circumference of the wheels. I'm pretty sure (but not certain) that the resistance is the same regardless of direction. Thus, since R is usually geared lower than 1, the greatest resistance would be in R whether you are facing uphill or down. The difference is small and since 1 is easier to shift into, I usually put a manual into 1 when applying the E-brake.

However, with today's irritatingly-dumb "smart" cars, there is no reason why they have to work like this. There might be a logic circuit which disengages all gearing when the ignition is turned off. That would seem pretty dumb to me, but I wouldn't put it past them.

I'm curious if that is the case - please post back your conclusion. How steep is the incline where you are still seeing movement when in-gear? Have you tried parking on level ground, engaging R or 1, and pushing the jeep by hand? Does it feel exactly the same as pushing it by hand with it in N?

 

[KJ zGal]

The incline is very slight in the garage, but I have had it happen in our driveway as well where the hill is much steeper. I do know that I don't have to push the clutch in to change gears when the engine is turned off, though I've done so to see if that made any difference as far as engaging the gears goes. I haven't tried pushing it on level ground with it in gear at all.

 

[kj924]

The incline is very slight in the garage, but I have had it happen in our driveway as well where the hill is much steeper. I do know that I don't have to push the clutch in to change gears when the engine is turned off, though I've done so to see if that made any difference as far as engaging the gears goes. I haven't tried pushing it on level ground with it in gear at all.

Well if you have had the KJ roll in gear with ign. off, then either you are loosing compression in the engine, or the clutch and pressure plate are toast. If the compression were that bad, I think you would notice the loose of power. If the clutch disk or pressure plate are that bad, then you should feel some clutch slippage when you accelerate in a higher gear. ( usually more noticable)

 

[KJ zGal]

Clutch slippage? What do you mean by that?

 

[JeepJeepster]

That means your clutch isnt grabbing like it should.. IE, its worn out..

You say it rolls in the garage, are we talking a few inches or a few feet?? If youre on a downhill street does it just roll away in first? Gotta remember, its normal to have a couple inches of slack in the drive-train. That little subaru doesnt have real 4wd like a Jeep so its totally different..

Also just as a note, dont try to roll forward with the ****** in R or backwards in 1st.. Bad things could happen..

 

[kj924]

The clutch disk,which is a friction material sits between the flywheel and pressure plate. This disk is provides the power transmission between the engine and the gearbox/******.

If you are driving along and hit the gas and the engine revs high,but you don't pick up speed, then the clutch is slipping.

 

[KJ zGal]

Alright well I just went outside to test it out again, and she rolled backwards probably a foot or so and then finally caught in first gear. Apparently I just wasn't letting it roll far enough to catch, probably because I didn't want to end up under the garage door??

If you are driving along and hit the gas and the engine revs high,but you don't pick up speed, then the clutch is slipping.

And no, none of that lol.

 

[kj924]

Alright well I just went outside to test it out again, and she rolled backwards probably a foot or so and then finally caught in first gear. Apparently I just wasn't letting it roll far enough to catch, probably because I didn't want to end up under the garage door??





If that is so, then that ain't right. It should roll back an inch or two at most, not a foot.

 

[JeepJeepster]

Yea, a foot is a bit much..

 

[hollysprings]

So how does she fix it? New clutch plate? What other symptoms should she be experiencing as a result of the problem, if diagnosis is correct?

 

[hollysprings]

Also just as a note, dont try to roll forward with the ****** in R or backwards in 1st.. Bad things could happen..

I feel like this is a dumb question, but here goes - what bad things? As long as the key is off, what harm would come from rotating the engine the wrong way a couple times? Doesn't everything move the same? I realize wear patterns are laid down for forward motion, and I can see that maybe the lube functions are designed to work assuming forward motion, but we're only talking one or two rotations backward. Where's the harm?

 

[rockymountain]

I have an idea. I think maybe you aren't getting the ****** into gear fully. If your kj moves back a foot it could be taking this long to make the ****** move far enough to engage the gear. I don't have the manual but I am no stranger to them either. If you are shifting it into gear without using the clutch (while engine is off) it may feel like it is in gear, but really it is only beginning to go into gear. I've forgotten all the terms for the little syncro thingies in a manual, but maybe someone who knows the manual ****** can either correct me or apply some educated knowledge to this. I'll go out on a limb and say you are not doing something right. If it moves a foot, it is not in gear.

 

[KJ zGal]

It's definitely in gear--I never said I was shifting into gear without the clutch, just that I can. When I turn the engine off my foot is still pushing the clutch in while I put it into gear and then release it. Rolls back for a moment or two and then catches and seems fine.

 

[rockymountain]

It's definitely in gear--I never said I was shifting into gear without the clutch, just that I can. When I turn the engine off my foot is still pushing the clutch in while I put it into gear and then release it. Rolls back for a moment or two and then catches and seems fine.

ok, so maybe by no fault of your own, the ****** is not popping into gear completely while it is at rest. Are you actually rolling back a foot? That seems pretty far. Have you actually measured how far it rolls back?

 

[JeepJeepster]

I feel like this is a dumb question, but here goes - what bad things? As long as the key is off, what harm would come from rotating the engine the wrong way a couple times? Doesn't everything move the same? I realize wear patterns are laid down for forward motion, and I can see that maybe the lube functions are designed to work assuming forward motion, but we're only talking one or two rotations backward. Where's the harm?

You would think that since everything is mechanically connected but the valves can hit the pistons if the engine is turned backwards. Whether or not this will happen on a 3.7, Im not sure.. Why risk it though, right?

 

[kj924]

A piston driven engine will run in either direction, the valves will follow the cam which is driven from the crank via the timing belt/chain. So valves hitting a piston is not a concern if started "backwards".