What RPM should I be shifting at?

Hook_62 said:
One of the first things I did when I got this TJ, removed the gauge cluster and pulled that stupid bulb out. Nothing more than an idiot light.
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I think it's a little more than an idiot light but not much. When I regeared from 3.07 to 4.56 it kept telling me to shift when I was already in 5th gear. Ended up resetting the PCM to erase the settings for it to "relearn".

I usually shift between 2500 and 3000 depending on road and traffic.
 
Between 2500 and 3000; higher as needed.
I ignore the damn light because it’s not the boss of me. 🤣
 
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pagrey said:
You have to with an automatic right, shift light means auto shifts.
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Not much of a choice, is there? :)

Do both the 3 speed and 4 speed autos shift with similar behaviors? My sense is that the 3 speed is the one Jeep spent the most design time on, so I'm the most interested in what that one does.
 
jjvw said:
Not much of a choice, is there? :)

Do both the 3 speed and 4 speed autos shift with similar behaviors? My sense is that the 3 speed is the one Jeep spent the most design time on, so I'm the most interested in what that one does.
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Back when I was a kid manual transmission vehicles were often assumed to have better mileage. Today automatics get better mileage on average. Primarily because people don't pay attention to the idiot light. People should drive however they want but why they have to suggest that their opinions are somehow the right way to do things is beyond me. There's a light on the dash telling you that you are doing things the wrong way. How much simpler can they make it for you?
 
If anybody has the slightest concept of what driving for economy meant the shift light would never come on at all. Think about that, it's an idiot light, what does it mean when it comes on?
 
Like I said, I don't understand how it is possible to drive in any way that is tolerable by following the shift light. Maybe other vehicles got it right. But that doesn't appear to be the case on mine.

And keep in mind that with some effort I know how to get 18mpg on this thing.
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Come drive my Jeep with the shift light. You will start to drive normally after about 2 attempts. It is virtually impossible and clearly not the right way.

Automatics “shift” at lower RPM because the torque converter is often not locked up. It is similar to slipping the clutch. I could probably drive by the shift light if I slipped the clutch for 5 or so seconds after every shift. But what’s the advantage to that? Burning out my clutch?

I don’t claim to know the right way, but I do claim to know the wrong way.
 
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I have had two manual transmission wrangler and none with a shift light, what years had them ? It would be hard to shift if the light came on because the RPM's were a bit high 🤠

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The light exists as early as 2003.

Does the shift light factor speed into it's calculations? If it does, I'll share a fun tidbit that undermines the allegedly perfect design of the Jeep engineers.
 
jjvw said:
The light exists as early as 2003.

Does the shift light factor speed into it's calculations? If it does, I'll share a fun tidbit that undermines the allegedly perfect design of the Jeep engineers.
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My speedo was broken on the way back from Colorado and the light still lit up. The fact is still comes on when the speedo is reading 0 means that it doesn't factor in speed to me. It uses speed to determine what gear you are in, since my light kept coming on in 5th (which it doesn't do when the speedo works).

It definitely uses throttle position and RPM.
 
jodomcfrodo said:
My speedo was broken on the way back from Colorado and the light still lit up. The fact is still comes on when the speedo is reading 0 means that it doesn't factor in speed to me. It uses speed to determine what gear you are in, since my light kept coming on in 5th (which it doesn't do when the speedo works).

It definitely uses throttle position and RPM.
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Was the odometer still ticking away even though the needle wasn't working?
 
jjvw said:
Was the odometer still ticking away even though the needle wasn't working?
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Nope. According to my odometer, Chicago is about 10 miles from Denver (since my speedo would flick up and down every once in a while).
 
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