Jeep Grand Cherokee (1993-2023) firing order — diagram & guide

Jeep has always been the staple name in the category of SUV-class vehicles, and the Grand Cherokee has been one of the household models for generations now. If you own one of these, we are confident you are familiar with the dependability that most of the engine options provide, but they still require servicing according to the manual.

If you wish to do it yourself, there’s no better way than by going through the Jeep Grand Cherokee (1993-2023) firing order guide. Our team will make sure you get the one you deserve as we go through each of the Grand Cherokee engines used in the previous 30 years.

First-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee (1993-1998) firing order

By taking a look at all the engine options of the Jeep Grand Cherokee in the first generation of this model, you can tell it’s meant for versatility. From straight-six to V8s and some high-capacity diesel options, it had it all and we’ll give you the firing order specs for each.

Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0L firing order

The 4.0-liter straight-six has been one of Jeep’s signature engines of the 1990s and it got featured in the Grand Cherokee as the base engine option. The Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0L firing order is 1-5-3-6-2-4  and this engine has a unique straight-six configuration.

That means the cylinders are arranged in a sequence from 1 to 6 starting with the front-most cylinder near the crank pulley and going toward the rear end of the engine.

Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.2L firing order

As for the V8 option, the Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.2L firing order is 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2  and this one was the only V8 offered for the model at that time.

It also featured a standard Jeep engine configuration for a V8 with cylinders 1, 3, 5, and 7 on the driver’s side, and cylinders 2, 4, 6, and 8 on the passenger’s side, looking at it front to rear.

Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9L firing order

As the first diesel-powered option we’ll discuss for the first-gen Grand Cherokee, we’ve got the 5.9-liter CRD-i engine. The “Cummins” CRD engine was among the most dependable powertrains for the Grand Cherokee long-term.

So, the Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9L firing order is 1-5-3-6-2-4, and it’s interesting how this diesel engine is a straight-six cylinder even though it has V8-capable capacity. So, the cylinders are ordered from 1 to 6 in a straight line from front to rear.

Jeep Grand Cherokee 2.5L firing order

Finally, we have to point out the efficiency of the 2.5-liter diesel engine used in the Grand Cherokee. This one used a firing order of 1-3-4-2 since it was a straight-four engine and the cylinders were laid out from 1 to 4 looking from the front to rear of the engine.

Second-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee (1999-2004) firing order

For the second-gen model, Jeep introduced a few newly-added engine options at that time, but it also kept the 4.0-liter straight-six. We’ve seen the addition of a new V8 engine and a few more diesel options, so here’s what it looks like in terms of the firing order.

Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.7L firing order

As the engine that replaced the previous V8 in the first-gen Grand Cherokee, the 4.7-liter V8 came in as a refreshment. However, the same 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 firing order was used for this one and it also featured a cylinder layout with cylinders 1, 3, 5, and 7 on the driver’s side, and cylinders 2, 4, 6, and 8 on the passenger’s side.

So, you could say that the firing order as well as the cylinder layout matches this one and the previous 5.2-liter V8.

Jeep Grand Cherokee 2.7L firing order

Now we move on to the first out of the two straight-five diesel engines added to this generation of the model. The Jeep Grand Cherokee 2.7L firing order is 1-2-4-5-3, and the cylinders are ordered from 1 at the front end toward cylinder number 5 on the rear end of the engine in a straight sequence.

Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.1L firing order

Just like with the 2.7-liter CRD-i engine, the 3.1-liter is also a straight-five turbodiesel. Because of that, the Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.1L firing order is 1-2-4-5-3 as well, and not only does that match the previous one, but the cylinder layout matches as well.

With that in mind, you just have to pop the hood and raise the cover to see the first cylinder right at the front end near the radiator, while the fifth cylinder is located at the rear end of the engine.

Third-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee (2005-2010) firing order

As much as the diesel variants are associated with this Jeep model, the third-gen Grand Cherokee lost all the diesel engines and in return got a few more gas V8 options. There was also a base petrol V6 used in the Wrangler of that time, so let’s check out the respective firing sequences.

Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.7L firing order

As the first one of the bunch, the 3.7-liter V6 was used as a base Jeep Grand Cherokee option. The Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.7L firing order is 1-6-5-4-3-2 and it’s a unique firing pattern for Jeep’s V6s of that time. To be exact, the cylinder layout is also pretty specific, since cylinders 1, 3, and 5 are on the driver’s side, while cylinders 2, 4, and 6 are on the passenger’s side of the engine.

It’s important to note that the cylinders in both banks are numbered front to rear, so that will help you figure out the firing positions.

Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7L firing order

At this point, the Grand Cherokee was also updated with a few HEMI V8 options which are high-performance renderings of the Chrysler Group’s small-block V8s. As one of the most common options, the Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7L has a firing order 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2.

The first cylinder is on the driver’s side as the front-most cylinder near the radiator, with the rest going from 1, 3, 5, and 7 at the rear. On the other hand, the cylinders 2, 4, 6, and 8 from the passenger’s side bank are also arranged front to rear.

Jeep Grand Cherokee 6.1L firing order

The remaining option among the third-gen Grand Cherokee engines is the 6.1-liter HEMI V8. Just like with the 5.7-liter one, the Jeep Grand Cherokee 6.1L firing order is 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 and the cylinders are also arranged in the same way.

So, odd cylinder numbers 1, 3, 5, and 7 are on the driver’s side, while even cylinder numbers 2, 4, 6, and 8 are on the passenger’s side.

Fourth-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee (2011-2020) firing order

The fourth-gen of the Grand Cherokee saw the return of the six-cylinder turbo-diesel engine option, along with another HEMI V8. However, it kept the base 3.7-liter V6 and the 5.7-liter HEMI engine, so we won’t be focusing on those two as we’ve already covered them.

Jeep Grand Cherokee 6.4L firing order

The 6.4-liter HEMI V8 found its way into Jeep’s lineup as part of the special-trimmed Jeep Grand Cherokee TrackHawk edition. The SRT-8 model had a Jeep Grand Cherokee 6.4-liter firing order 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2.

As for the cylinder orientation, the first one could be found on the driver’s side of the car along with cylinders 3, 5, and 7. On the other hand, the opposite side bank housed cylinders 2, 4, 6, and 8.

Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0L firing order

Finally, we have a diesel engine that returned for the fourth-gen of the Grand Cherokee. The Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0L firing order is 1-4-2-5-3-6 and this one is yet another CRD-i engine used in Jeep’s lineup.

The cylinders are arranged in a different pattern this time since unlike the previous diesel straigth-five’s, this one is a regular diesel V6. That means you have cylinders 1, 2, and 3 placed in the same cylinder bank on the passenger’s side, while cylinders 4, 5, and 6 are on the driver’s side, looking at the engine front to rear.

Fifth-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee (2021-present) firing order

As the still ongoing generation of the Grand Cherokee, we have the fifth-gen model and this one also saw a significant change in the offered engine options. To be precise, the diesel engine has been removed and we were left with a single 5.7-liter HEMI V8 and two new engines.

Since we’ve already covered the HEMI one, we’ll be focusing on the new V6 and the four-cylinder turbo for this generation.

Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.6L firing order

For the base engine option in this generation of the Grand Cherokee, we’ve got the 3.6-liter V6. So, the Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.6L firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6 and the cylinder layout is once again different when compared with other V6s.

So, the first cylinder is on the passenger’s side this time, along with cylinders 3 and 5. The driver’s side cylinders are 2, 4, and 6 front to rear.

Jeep Grand Cherokee 2.0L firing order

Finally, the Jeep Grand Cherokee 2.0L firing order is 1-3-4-2 and this one is a turbocharged petrol engine in the form of a four-cylinder. Identifying the cylinders of this one is pretty easy – they are ordered from 1 to 4 in a straight sequence from the front end of the engine toward the back end.

Our take

Overall, the Grand Cherokee as a model is a treasure trove of dependable and even iconic engines made by Jeep. Now that we’ve gone through them all, we hope that this guide will save you time and trouble when doing some DIY repairs and that it will help you diagnose misfires and replace spark plugs much easier.