I had to go through some pretty deep snow in the JK yesterday, and it handled it perfectly up until I about got stuck. After which, trying to power my way out, i just pinned the accelerator and tried to power out, but it somewhat violently stuttered/shook. Almost as if the clutch was slipping, suddenly grabbing, slipping, grabbing, etc. The sound it made was pretty similar to violent wheel hop.. but i wasnt even on solid ground really so i cant see wheel hop being the issue no? I'm not really sure where else to look tho. My clutch doesn't seem to slip during road driving so I don't think the clutch is the issue, what else could I check? It also didnt seem to matter if I had the accelerator pinned right to the floor. Jeep would bog down and stall out, I'm surprised at the lack of torque and power in these things. 2012 Sahara Unlimited, 3.6l, manual.
JK stutters and shakes when using 4WD in deep snow
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You might check to see if the underhood insulation might be sucking down over the air intake.
Adding a throttle pedal enhancer will make it feel like it has more power, I use a Pedal Commander brand.
Adding a throttle pedal enhancer will make it feel like it has more power, I use a Pedal Commander brand.
Did you have the traction control on? It could have been that if it was on.
What was the traction control setup like? The Wrangler's ESC uses some cute electronics to monitor and modify wheel speed, applying brake and engine torque to maximize performance. There is also a brake lock differential that works to limit the difference in rotation speed between wheels on the same axle. Jeep specifically recommends turning off ESC in deep snow, if you are in 4H, In 4L it should turn off automatically.
Your rims are probably packed with snow, making your wheels extremely out of balance.
Do not know about the 3.6 manual. But in the thick of the white stuff here, I must put my 2010 into 4x4L, it turns the JK into an automatic ( no need for clutch) and will not stall. I also have my J6 fuse pulled (nanny crap) cause when I learned how to drive in thick snow Circa 1975, there was no such gizmos. Good Times.
the 3.6 has high end torque, not a ton in the low end, but it certainly has enough. The bog down and shut down would tell me to stop doing that and figure out what is stopping the engine from turning.
If you are stuck, first thing to do is put it in 4 low. As stated before that will turn off the traction control, labeled ESC in the dash lights. If it is bogging down in 4 Low you may have something wrapped around a drive shaft and should immediately stop before you break something.
If you are stuck, first thing to do is put it in 4 low. As stated before that will turn off the traction control, labeled ESC in the dash lights. If it is bogging down in 4 Low you may have something wrapped around a drive shaft and should immediately stop before you break something.