2014 manual trans wont climb hills

xcaret · Mar 8, 2016

I have a 2014 Patriot 4x4 with manual 5 spd trans , it has no low range. The other day I tried climbing a icy rather steep hill. It seemed like the engine was bogging down, I couldn't get the wheels to spin,. it was as if I was in third gear.
I hear the ones with the low range do this to prevent tire slippage , but didn't hear one without low range did it too.
I had it in 4x4 but didn't turn off the anti skid button , maybe I should have .
Any ideas ?

Trueblueriot14 · Mar 8, 2016

You might have more luck turning the esp off or partial off to be able to get more wheel spin.

nth256 · Mar 8, 2016

Brake Lock Differentials.

The Patriot was never equipped with LSDs or lockers of any sort; instead they used a computer controlled system that modulates the brakes in order to engage the standard open diff once it senses wheel spin. In some cases, it works great. In others, well, you end up not climbing icy hills. This is the "third gear" feeling you were experiencing, as the computer system tried desperately to find grip among the four wheels.

Also, the ESP system is a bit heavy-handed once it's been activated by the computer. Disabling it partially (or entirely) may have helped you some.

However, truth be known, tires make all the difference on ice. I, like an idiot, parked my Pat (on street tires) at the top of an icy hill one winter, and almost got myself and my son pinned between it and a tree as it slid down the hill towards us. Luckily, it hadn't built up much speed, and there was some rock edging along the driveway that caught the tires and stopped it before it got to the tree.

Get some decent ice/snow tires, and that hill will likely be a piece of cake.

silverflash · Mar 8, 2016

what he said. and turn off the ESP stuff fully off (hold in button for 5 seconds till it beeps and lights up on dash)and try again too...

Ignatz · Mar 9, 2016

This situation is not related to your transmission. It would happen with a CVT, conventional automatic, or a manual.

I'm with nth256: the bogging down you are feeling is the ESP system braking the wheels that were slipping. That's just as well, because the tires that were slipping weren't contributing to your forward traction. If you did make it up that hill, its because, in spite of the braking, the tires that weren't slipping had in fact found enough traction and were doing their job.

If you find yourself in frequent ice, again I'm with nth256 -- I suggest you get a dedicated winter tire. All-season tires are really 3-season tires. Even manufacturers admit this:
https://www.goodyear.com/en-US/tire-guide/winter-tires-vs-allseason-tires.
http://generaltire.com/latest-news/...news-article/all-season-vs.-winter-tires-the-differences-of-a-cold-climate-tire
Here's a link to Edmund's test: http://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/features/tire-test-all-season-vs-snow-vs-summer.html

I should add that dedicated winter tires still aren't magic and there is no substitute for prudence.

Just google "winter tires vs all season tires" and you'll get 1000 hits all saying the same thing.

Wooden Dog · Mar 15, 2016

I have a 5-speed and I've climbed ice-covered , steep , long driveways last winter outside Roslyn and had no trouble at all. I did it several times, for fun. Once without changing anything, once with 4WD "Locked", once with ESP partially disabled. No problem in any case.

milspectees · Mar 15, 2016

When are people going to get that the Patriot is not an off road vehicle, it's an AWD car.

silverflash · Mar 15, 2016

it's not a "car". It's a small suv. It has 9" of ground clearance- my fd1. Cars have 4/5 or 6 at most. And it's a step above AWD. It has a lockable center diff and will then allow a true 4wd hi experience. it's just lacking a low 4wd. it also normally runs in AWD which is cool for traveling on wet roads and such- no need to lock it in 4x4 like larger suv's that are normally rear-wheel drive and more dangerous in marginal road conditions.

most AWD's don't allow you to change anything regarding what torque goes where..and you can't disable anything like we can- turn esp off for example. We have lots of options they don't.

also, define "off-road". I have had it off-road numerous times going up to my camping spot in the mountains where your average "car", awd or not, would never make it due to low ground clearance. I have also had it on the beach in deep, soft, sand. i am not talking hard packed sand. Deep, soft sugar sand, tires aired down and locked in 4wd, again where no car based awd would work due to the low clearance at least.

Is the patriot a rock crawler? no way. but can it go where alot of people want to go normally to camp or on the beach? Yep. i've done so.

Its the best small 4x4/awd vehicle in the price range. Good enough off-road ability, excellent gas mileage for what it is, and great looks......

milspectees · Mar 15, 2016

Try reading posts before you make stupid comments, no-one called anyone a butthead.

You're obviously in a relationship with your car and can't see the wood for the trees.

silverflash · Mar 15, 2016

I don't really care what you think....

Ok, let's only post things here that are relevant to this thread from this point forward.

silverflash · Mar 15, 2016

as far as pulling a steep hill, i frequently go up a 32%/18 degree gravel road no problems in 1st gear and 4 locked with esp full off. I am doing that about 10mph or less. Further below, where it's really rocky and quite bumpy, i am forced to crawl up it at 5mph. That area is somewhat less steep but way rockier so that's why i can only go 5 mph otherwise it may shake the patriot to death. It doesn't lug the engine and i don't touch the clutch and it pulls fine at about 1200 rpms or so. I wish the 1st gear was a tad lower so i can take the climb slower but it just passes in my book which is fine.

bd1 · Mar 16, 2016

A 6-speed with wider "truck" gearing would have been interesting, but then pavement drivers might complain about the ultra-low and "useless" first gear range. The other problem with low range and such is that the rest of the drivetrain has to be able to support it. You don't want to twist the differentials or axles apart, for example.

(Years of power shifting a Mustang gave it a twisted driveshaft, which resulted in a heavy vibration around 80mph, just when Montana had "prudent and reasonable" as their speed limit in the daytime in the middle of nowhere. Nothing quite like being stuck at 70 and having a Crown Victoria blow past. A Ford Motorsport HD driveshaft took care of that problem for the rest of the life of the car.)

2014 manual trans wont climb hills

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