Stutter in transmission when accelerating
Asked by ChaplainMac Nov 11, 2020 at 10:02 AM about the 2014 Jeep Patriot
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
I have a 2014 Jeep Patriot and the transmission seems to stutter on
occasion when accelerating.
Usually this means low transmission fluid, in my experience anyway, yet the
Patriot doesn't have a dipstick and is factory sealed, so it would seem that
this was not a concern of Jeep when they made it.
This typically happens when the tranny is colder, but occasionally when hot
too (usually heading up an incline).
Any ideas?
4 Answers
How many miles on it ? At what miles did you service your CVT last time ? If it has more than 100k, have you already flushed your Anti- freeze coolant ? (never mix the coolant with another brand, stick with Mopar) Did your CVT ever ran into heating problem?
ChaplainMac answered 3 years ago
Gurwinder, I just bought it, used, in July. Other than last oil change (prior to my purchase) and tires, not sure what other maintenance has been done.
Do you have the Hyundai automatic or the Jatco CVT? Look online or on youtoob for how to videos regarding checking the fluid level.
ChaplainMac, since CVTs are very sensitive, so service at proper interval is highly recommended (its every 60k miles in the Jeep Patriot Manual). But, for stuttering or shuddering, do not directly jump to transmission, since there are so many underlying causes for that. You need to pay close attention to those symptoms. You need to keep note that at what speed you feel that shudder, at what rpm, and if you are going uphill, then at what speed and rpm etc. etc. Does it happen only during the load, does it go away once you take your foot off the accelerator ? Pay attention to all these things. *** Quick check whether its transmission or something else ? Once you have noted down the speed and rpm at which your car shudder, try to duplicate it again. **Once you start experiencing shudder, slightly press break paddle with left foot while right foot still on the accelerator. If the shudder goes away, that means its the transmission shudder, basically torque converter. (when you just put your foot on the break paddle, and with very slight press, the signal goes to torque converter to dis- engage) With dis- engaged torque converter, if you still experiencing shudder, that means your transmission seems okay, the problem is somewhere else. The following things could also be contributing towards the shudder: (1). Engine misfire: check spark plugs and ignition coils properly. (2). Closely pay attention to your wheels. Swap the front wheels to the back and the rear wheel to the front. Check for proper wheel balance and alignment. If you notice some changes in symptoms, well, that means you need to look into your tires and all. (3). Check your axles. (4). Check your motor mounts (with these cars usually shake at stop lights) (5). Check your oxygen sensors too, bad oxygen sensors cause rough idling and louder engine noise.