[03LL]

I was testing a '12 Sport today that had a 6th speed. I noticed there was some "noise" with the transmission every time I accelerated. It's sort of a blend between a faint "wine" and a slight "ping" noise.

The dealer said that all the 6 speeds sound like that.

Wanting to get opinions from the owners here, though.

Some times, vehicles are like that. For example, if you own many Chrysler's (like a 03' Liberty), you will definitely remember that "buzz" sound every time you put the shifter into gear from park. Totally normal, but was wondering if the above is also the same.

[SubAtomicGenius]

I have a manual '11 and she makes a 'whirring' noise when you accelerate. The test drive manual that I drove did the same. Also heard others say this. Also, the clutch has a sort of faint 'clunk' sound when it disengages. I've been told and I have read that this is normal. While I don't mind the whir, the faint clutch pedal 'clunk' to me is a bit concerning. She don't have no VW GTI manual transmission, that's for sure.

[Max-Q]

Mine has the whir noise but no clunk. Sometimes you can't even feel or hear the clutch engage or disengage.

[TheHuntsman]

I've noticed that the clunk comes when you disengage the clutch quicly in mine. If you're switching between gears when quickly accelerating. It is concerning to me, aswell. Actually, the clutch altogether has been one of the few concerns I've had since getting this new Jeep.

Is it possibly that they didn't accurately account for the fairly substantial horsepower and torque jump that this new powerplant gives the Wrangler? Also, the clutch feels pretty weak compared to how a Jeep clutch should feel to me. Maybe it's because with the exception of my old VW Beetle the two manual vehicles I've driven most in my life were my old CJ7 and a Korean War era Deuce and a Half when I was in the Army. However, it seems like given the power and torque this new engine puts out should be accompanied by a longer and more substantial clutch. Jmo, of course.

The clunk sounds like a universal getting ready to go to me, but I'm no expert. However, if that were the case it should happen all the time. As far as the "whirring" noise I haven't noticed it, but I'm never on a road that would need me to hit 6th gear. If I get a chance I'll get there and post back with wether mine has it or not.

[DavidJeep]

My 2011 Rubicon used to sound like it had 200,000 miles on it when shifted into 3rd AND 4th Now 5th and 6th very quiet also 1st and 2nd were quiet also I asked the service dept I USED to go to about why it was loud and noisy in 3rd and 4th They said in a very dull drone sounding voice " I T 'S N O R M A L " I asked in a sort of meak and inexperienced tone, Sir is there ever anything Not Normal with a Jeep They responded LOUDLY and STERNLY in the same droan voice " NO Everthing is Normal " I just gulped turned and walked away !!!!

[03LL]

Shifter naturally has a faint shake/rattle/whirl/whatever noise (it's not a quiet transmission). It's not loud either, but the Jeep's interior has improved so much that the noise from the transmission will be the only thing you hear much of the time. Maybe I've forgotten how manual's sound in trucks.

Drive two of em' so far.

[Brian_in_MT]

The "whine" noise is because of the way the gears are cut. The simple answer is; The straighter the cut the more noise they produce, the more diagonal the cut the less noise they produce.

Ever hear a Muncie M22 "Rock Crusher"? It whines louder than most old blowers!

[DavidJeep]

Originally Posted by Brian_in_MT

The "whine" noise is because of the way the gears are cut. The simple answer is; The straighter the cut the more noise they produce, the more diagonal the cut the less noise they produce.

Ever hear a Muncie M22 "Rock Crusher"? It whines louder than most old blowers!

A M-22 Muncie is rated at 450 HP ( To handle GM's heavy hitters ) back in the day !! The Jeep 6 speed manual just isn't a quality trans period !
I would like to see which trans would hold up to a drag strip power shifting contest LOL Oh for those of you who do not know what power shifting is, put trans into first gear then after you have let clutch out gas pedal is floored While shifting gears you do not take the gas pedal off the floor you just clutch as fast as you can and BANG those gears as fast as you can Ahhh the good ole days LOL

[Brian_in_MT]

Originally Posted by DavidJeep

A M-22 Muncie is rated at 450 HP ( To handle GM's heavy hitters ) back in the day !! The Jeep 6 speed manual just isn't a quality trans period !
I would like to see which trans would hold up to a drag strip power shifting contest LOL Oh for those of you who do not know what power shifting is, put trans into first gear then after you have let clutch out gas pedal is floored While shifting gears you do not take the gas pedal off the floor you just clutch as fast as you can and BANG those gears as fast as you can Ahhh the good ole days LOL

I'm not sure what that pile of babbling is supposed to mean. I'm in no way comparing a M22 to a current jeep transmission. It was simply used as an example of noise. It is common knowledge among people who know their cars that the gears in the M22 were cut much straighter than gears in other transmissions. That's what gave it it's distinctive whine.

The OP asked what the whine was.

Here's a fact. You can Google it or call your local engineer to confirm this. The straighter the teeth on a gear are cut the more noise it makes. A spur gear is the noisiest of all, you know why? Because it's a perfect straight cut.

The whine you are hearing is because the gears in the current JK manual are cut a little straighter than some other transmissions. There are many reasons to do this, the big ones being the straighter the gear the less heat it produces, it also reduces load on the gear train. Both of those things are good in a street driven vehicle and is more than likely why Chrysler did it.

If you want an example that the younger generation might understand better we can use turbochargers or centrifugal superchargers that advertise "less noise". Look some of them up. They will all have one thing in common, they will have gears that have a very diagonal cut.

It's just basic engineering/mechanics. Opinion and blind love or hate for a brand has no bearing on it.

[DavidJeep]

Originally Posted by Brian_in_MT

I'm not sure what that pile of babbling is supposed to mean. I'm in no way comparing a M22 to a current jeep transmission. It was simply used as an example of noise. It is common knowledge among people who know their cars that the gears in the M22 were cut much straighter than gears in other transmissions. That's what gave it it's distinctive whine.

The OP asked what the whine was.

Here's a fact. You can Google it or call your local engineer to confirm this. The straighter the teeth on a gear are cut the more noise it makes. A spur gear is the noisiest of all, you know why? Because it's a perfect straight cut.

The whine you are hearing is because the gears in the current JK manual are cut a little straighter than some other transmissions. There are many reasons to do this, the big ones being the straighter the gear the less heat it produces, it also reduces load on the gear train. Both of those things are good in a street driven vehicle and is more than likely why Chrysler did it.

If you want an example that the younger generation might understand better we can use turbochargers or centrifugal superchargers that advertise "less noise". Look some of them up. They will all have one thing in common, they will have gears that have a very diagonal cut. On the flip side you can look at a traditional gear drive timing set. The old ones were cut straight, that's why they were so noisy. The newer ones that are a little quieter are cut diagonally, which makes them less noisy.

It's just basic engineering/mechanics. Opinion and blind love or hate for a brand has no bearing on it.

Only thing I hear " Whiiiiiining here is YOU !
of course ( straight cut ) gears will whine Explain though if you will why say for instance my 2011 6 speed only whines in 4th and 5th all other gears are quiet AND my two friends 6 speeds make different sounds in other gears NOT necessarly a whine but still noisey

[Snowbird01]

Funny nobody mention the very reluctant second gear synchros. I ran 3 different 6 speed from 2010 to 2012 for about 3-4000 miles each and all 3 imposed a very slow first to second shift if you don't want a big synchro protest. Quite annoying in city traffic. Also, all 3 had that diffferent noise or vibe going on power or coasting in third gear.

As for gear design, I,m no way an expert. But gear noise should be constant from gear to gear if the tolerances are constant. When I supercharged some Mustangs, I remember early ATI blowers were noisy like a handload of bolts in a beer can and the later model had a pleasant whinning after a gear cut redesign. So yes, gear cut design have a role but IMO, it's just like in a diff: they have to mate perfectly for noise control. A different noise depending on gear choosen means sloppy tolerances to me.

A couple years back, i had 6 different Mustangs in a row from '88 to 2003. All manual, they all had slick, silent, no vibes, short throw and blink eye fast gear change capabilities. Raced them like I shouldn't and never had trouble.

Sorry but that box in our Jeep is just not that great. Chrysler is like everybody said quick to find all that normal but my feel is that all those bearings, assembly parts and gear fork are just a bit loose from one another assembly for one, and some parts design inside the box are just a bit crude.

[CoriolisSTORM]

The transmission is a Mercedes source NSG 370. Blame somebody? Blame the Daimler pennypinchers from when the JK was designed. Sure there's better options out there, but they couldn't get past the pencil pushing kraut overlords. NSG was a Mercedes design, spread its usage around and you end up with a quicker way to recoup the design and tooling costs. Hence, its also used in the Crossfire and a few Mercedes models.

[paul84043]

Originally Posted by Snowbird01

Funny nobody mention the very reluctant second gear synchros. I ran 3 different 6 speed from 2010 to 2012 for about 3-4000 miles each and all 3 imposed a very slow first to second shift if you don't want a big synchro protest. Quite annoying in city traffic. Also, all 3 had that diffferent noise or vibe going on power or coasting in third gear.

As for gear design, I,m no way an expert. But gear noise should be constant from gear to gear if the tolerances are constant. When I supercharged some Mustangs, I remember early ATI blowers were noisy like a handload of bolts in a beer can and the later model had a pleasant whinning after a gear cut redesign. So yes, gear cut design have a role but IMO, it's just like in a diff: they have to mate perfectly for noise control. A different noise depending on gear choosen means sloppy tolerances to me.

A couple years back, i had 6 different Mustangs in a row from '88 to 2003. All manual, they all had slick, silent, no vibes, short throw and blink eye fast gear change capabilities. Raced them like I shouldn't and never had trouble.

Sorry but that box in our Jeep is just not that great. Chrysler is like everybody said quick to find all that normal but my feel is that all those bearings, assembly parts and gear fork are just a bit loose from one another assembly for one, and some parts design inside the box are just a bit crude.

I guess that a "slow shift" is a completely subjective thing based upon your experience. It's not like you're going to stack a short throw shifter on it....
Personally I have had zero issues shifting the three 6 spd standards I have driven ('10, '11, and '12)
I can roll through the gears as quickly as I want and never have a protest.

I have noticed a little more of what I perceive as possibly drivetrain, or even engine noise with the '12, but nothing remotely obtrusive.
After about 10k miles on my 2010, I could really get the transmission moving, shifting was very quick and smooth.

[Snowbird01]

Glad you had better experience than mine. It also help where you live (Utah have a far more warmer yearly average) than where I do. Up here, almost the tundra ! The tranny is working a lot better in the summer so it's quite a bit weather sensitive but not uncommon in the manual box world.

[1AAdam]

odd theat they all seem to do this. u would think they would want it to not make that noise.