Jeep Wrangler (1996-2023) firing order — diagram & guide

For all the car enthusiasts looking for the best blend of off-road capable cars, yet reasonably comfortable daily drivers, Jeep Wrangler makes one of the most logical options. It’s a car that’s been in production for quite some time now and Jeep hasn’t gone astray from the original concept and design.

However, the engine options have significantly changed over the years so we’ve decided to make this guide to help with your maintenance routines. We’ll go through the Jeep Wrangler (1996-2023) firing order list including six-cylinder, HEMI, and diesel engines so you’ll be able to combat minor engine issues if they appear in your car.

Second-generation Jeep Wrangler (1996-2005) firing order

Back in the early days of the model, the Wrangler didn’t have that many versatile engine options. However, there was the famous 4.0-liter straight-six engine which is nowadays considered to be among the best powertrains from this period, along with a few other options.

Jeep Wrangler 4.0L firing order

The Jeep Wrangler 4.0L firing order is 1-5-3-6-2-4 and this one is a straight-six engine which means the cylinders are arranged in a straight sequence in a single cylinder bank. In other words, the first cylinder is at the front end of the engine and the rest follow up from 1 to 6 toward the back end.

It’s the signature Jeep Wrangler TJ engine for this generation and if you own a six-cylinder Wrangler from this period you won’t be able to mix it up with anything else.

Jeep Wrangler 2.4L firing order

Along with the 4.0-liter six-cylinder engine that proved to be the most reliable option back in the day, Jeep also introduced a few four-cylinder options. Precisely, the 2.4-liter engine was featured as a base model powertrain option and Jeep Wrangler 2.4L firing order is 1-3-4-2.

The cylinder arrangement is similar to the straight-six, only this time you’d have two cylinders less. So, the first one is at the front of the hood right near the crank pulley, while cylinders 2, 3, and 4 follow right up toward the rear.

Jeep Wrangler 2.5L firing order

The 2.5-liter engine replaced the 2.4-liter one in the facelift Wrangler TJ model so it became the main four-cylinder option. As for the firing pattern, it remained the same since the Jeep Wrangler 2.5L firing order is 1-3-4-2 just like for the 2.4-liter engine.

The cylinder order also matches, so once again we have a 1 to 4-cylinder arrangement from the front to the rear.

Third-generation Jeep Wrangler (2006-2017) firing order

For the third-gen Wrangler model, the company removed the straight-six engine from the offering and now new V6 engines have come instead of it. There was also a base diesel-powered engine that turned out to be remarkably dependable, so here’s what it all looks like when it comes to their firing orders.

Jeep Wrangler 2.8L firing order

The 2.8-liter engine was a four-cylinder CRD-i diesel option added for the third generation of the model. The Jeep Wrangler 2.8L firing order is 1-3-4-2 and it’s not much different from the petrol engines we’ve had in the previous generation.

The cylinder arrangement also matches since you have a straight cylinder sequence from 1 to 4 looking at it front to back. However, there’s a major difference between these since the diesel engine uses glow plugs instead of spark plugs for petrol engines, so the firing order of this one can’t be used to diagnose misfires.

Jeep Wrangler 3.0L firing order

As the first V6 option introduced in the Wrangler lineup, the 3.0-liter engine was added as a base model engine. The Jeep Wrangler 3.0L firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6 and it features the same common cylinder layout as the other Jeep’s V6s of that time.

So, the cylinders 1, 3, and 5 are on the passenger’s side front to rear, while the driver’s side cylinders are 2, 4, and 6.

Jeep Wrangler 3.6L firing order

The 3.6-liter V6 is perhaps the most recognizable Wrangler engine besides the 4.0-liter straight-six. It stuck for a long time in production and the Jeep Wrangler 3.6L firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6, just like for the 3.0-liter engine.

Another common thing that these two engines share is the cylinder layout, so once again odd cylinder numbers from 1 to 5 are on the passenger’s side, while the even cylinder numbers 2, 4, and 6 are on the driver’s side.

Jeep Wrangler 3.8L firing order

As the final engine option for the third-gen Wrangler, the 3.8-liter V6 was introduced with the same firing order of 1-2-3-4-5-6. However, the cylinders are this time arranged differently since it’s a transverse V6 engine.

Because of that, you’ll spot cylinders 1, 3, and 5 in the upper cylinder bank spread left to right, with cylinders 2, 4, and 6 right below these in the lower cylinder bank.

Fourth-generation Jeep Wrangler (2018-2023) firing order

As the current generation of the Wrangler, the fourth-gen JL model still kept the 3.6-liter V6 engine as one of the options. However, we’ve got way more diversity with this one since Jeep also added a four-cylinder turbo along with a HEMI V8 and the six-cylinder diesel, so let’s take a look at these.

Jeep Wrangler 2.0L firing order

The fourth-gen Wrangler was the first time after a while that the model got a four-cylinder petrol engine. This time it was a four-cylinder turbo and the Jeep Wrangler 2.0L firing order is 1-3-4-2 with the cylinders going from 1 to 4 in a straight sequence.

The first cylinder is close to the front end of the engine and the radiator, while the fourth one is at the back end of the engine.

Jeep Wrangler 6.4L firing order

As a special engine option for the “Rubicon” version of the Wrangler, we’ve got the 6.4-liter HEMI V8. The key point here is that the Jeep Wrangler 6.4L firing order is 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 and that this V8 engine has two cylinder banks housing four cylinders each.

That’s why the first cylinder is located in the driver’s side as the front-most cylinders along with cylinders 3, 5, and 7 going front to rear. On the opposite side of the engine, you have cylinders 2, 4, 6, and 8 and these are also arranged front to rear.

Jeep Wrangler 3.0L diesel firing order

Finally, we have the new EcoDiesel engine which is a six-cylinder turbodiesel engine and the firing order of this one is significantly different from the petrol-powered V6s. The Jeep Wrangler 3.0L EcoDiesel firing order is 1-4-2-5-3-6 and the cylinder layout is also different.

If you own a Wrangler with this engine, the first cylinder is on the passenger’s side along with cylinders 2 and 3, while the driver’s side cylinders are 4, 5, and 6.

Our take

The Wrangler has been one of Jeep’s staple models for generations now and with so many different engine options, you simply have to know about the firing orders to do DIY maintenance.

Now that you’ve learned all you need to know through this guide, you can properly address the misfires or spark plug issues in your Jeep and save yourself the trouble of increased fuel consumption and ignition issues.