Does it say Fuel Oil Refresh Mode or Cabin Cooling or Heating?

 

One time it said “oil fuel refresh mode” but the several other times it simply said “electric mode temporarily unavailable”

 

Sounds like you're in FORM then. It'll typically display electric mode unavailable" and then fuel oil refresh mode if you scroll.

 

My 2021 4xe "Electric Mode unavailable, Cabin heating or cooling" message comes on starting a few days ago and I cannot access electric mode and hybrid is apparently all non-electric. how can I fix this? Dealer says I can get an appointment in 3 months, but want to address sooner. Appreciate any advice.

 

Dealer says I can get an appointment in 3 months, but want to address sooner. Appreciate any advice.

Find a new dealer

 

I have had my 4XE for 18 months and in the first year I may have had the "Electric Mode Temporarily Disabled" notice once. I have had it probably every 4th drive for the last 4 months and now it has been stuck in that mode for a month. The dealership says I need to drive it on the highway for 20 min - 2 hrs in order to properly refresh the fluids. This is a local drive vehicle for me and I almost never go on the highway. I do local driving and was able to have 70% of my mile run under Electric for the first year....Not happy with the vehicle or the fix the dealership is offering. I have to assume that engine gets to temp within 15 min of driving (or sooner) and problem solved...so is this a software issue?

 

Look at your messages - it probably says it is trying to perform FORM.

 

I’m in same situation. Don’t want to drive the car for 2 hours using gasoline. Live in a cold climate. Bought car for local drives. Car now permanently displays ”Electric Mode Temp. Unavailable .” Earliest dealer appointment is end of Feb for me. Not impressed. Don’t buy this car if you live in rural area.

 

This is driving me crazy. What’s the point of a hybrid if the electric motor doesn’t engage.
Having to drive it two hours to refresh the fluids is ridiculous.
Plus if drive it in hybrid mode, it basically depletes the battery 100% before engaging the engine. It’s either 100% gas, or 100% electric until you deplete. It’s just bad software running the entire Jeep.

 

That's what FORM is for. It protects against specific driving habits that would harm the engine. The engine takes a while to warm up and the huge grill doesn't help. Look at your oil temp. 20 minutes of driving won't cut it unless you keep the revs up and drive the piss out of if. Get it over 210F. I have the front end cover and it really helps. I drive all electric unless it gets to 15F or so. You can't buy a plug in and expect to never use gas. 3 RAV4 plug ins on my street and its all the same.

 

This is a programmed auto setting that when your using the electric drive continually, it creates a pause until you srart the gas burn and remain there for e ram days. If you can add 4 gallons of fresh gas it will reset

 

I will just say that your understanding of FORM is not correct. There are a lot of resources on this forum and others regarding FORM and might be pretty interesting to you.

 

I suppose the argument would be that adding more gas dilutes the stale gas sufficiently. Makes sense I guess, but with FORM activating for 100s of reasons, who on earth can drive in electric mode only for months at a time lol.

 

who on earth can drive in electric mode only for months at a time lol.

Most people not in the winter or those in more temperate climates, as long as their daily driving requires minimal gas use. FORM for oil dilution is very seasonal/regional. You'll see FORM questions go silent in a month or two and then a few start to pop back up in the summer.

 

I hope I am included in that lower count lol. We should have been the ideal use case for the Jeep EV, sticking primarily to local city driving 5-10 miles at a time. But now for over a month our ICE kicks on every drive just about. Beyond frustrated with it, but not enough to raise a big ruckus with our dealer, who may not have a clue what we are complaining about anyway. I will have one of the grill covers for next winter, though.

 

They definitely know about it.
I have tried to speak with someone at Stellentis but they will not take calls. They say you cannot talk with anyone related to manufacturing the vehicle about this issue. They refer you back to the Jeep dealer. They flat out sai they sell it to them, then it is their issue. Obviously, that is not the case, but easier to get you off of the phone and hope you will not file suit or talk about it enough that they have to fix the problem. Essentially, someone with Stellentis believes that it should now be acceptable to only drive your car using the electric mode (the major reason you purchased your car) in 'warm enough weather'. That is a major thing to either not disclose when selling, or to not fix after the problem is realized by a manufacturer.
Here is the known problem:
Case Number: S2208000020 REV. A

Release Date: August 2022

Symptom/Vehicle Issue: Electric Mode Temporarily Unavailable, Cluster Message Displayed Vehicle in Fuel Oil Refresh Mode (FORM)

Customer Complaint/Technician Observation: Owner complains the vehicle will not go into Electric Vehicle (EV) mode. Technician observed no Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC’s) and the message for FORM during the initial startup for 5 seconds and the vehicle is not entering EV Mode during drive test cycles.
Discussion:

Operator Choices that can inhibit Electric Mode - and what to do about it
Transmission in Manual Shift mode - Shift to Drive to use Electric mode.
Heavily depressed accelerator pedal position, requesting high power demand - Beyond the limits of the electric drivetrain, will cause engine to run, enabling the powertrain to produce its full combined power available in Hybrid mode.
Sustained high speed operation in Electric mode - Using the engine is more efficient for high speeds than Electric drive.
Transfer case and drive mode selection - eSave mode almost always runs the engine. Hybrid mode, in 4WD Low, will also run the engine.
Electric range is depleted - You need to recharge to enjoy Electric mode, or you can continue normally in Hybrid.


Hood open (or a hood switch fault) - This is to prevent unexpected engine starts with the hood open.
Thermal Protection that can inhibit Electric Mode - and why
Engine, transmission, or engine starting belt too cold - Some systems require warm-up to function properly if the outside temperature is below 32°F (15°F in Electric drive mode).
Electric cabin heating capacity limits (or electric cabin heater fault) - Unlike Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV's), the PHEV Wrangler can warm the cabin more efficiently with engine heat when operating below 15°F outside temperature.
HV battery, motors, or contactors over temperature - This is a temporary hardware protection feature. Vehicle performance will resume once protection is no longer required. If the vehicle performance is accompanied with a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) .
Component Protection that can inhibit Electric Mode - and what to do about it
HV battery undervoltage - Sustained EV operation at high speed, especially with aftermarket wheels and tires, can induce this.
Other electric propulsion system faults indicated by a MIL service required. Fuel And Oil Refresh Mode

FUEL AND OIL REFRESH MODE Since it is possible to operate this vehicle for extended periods without running the gas engine, the fuel within the tank can become stale and/or the engine oil’s lubricating properties can be reduced as the vehicle’s engine is not operating under its normal engine operating temperatures.


To prevent engine and/or fuel system damage due to stale fuel, or lubrication, this vehicle is equipped with a Fuel Oil Refresh Mode (FORM). The vehicle will automatically enter the Fuel Oil Refresh Mode to minimize these conditions. When operating in this mode, the gas engine must operate at its normal operating temperatures, no EV propulsion (electric only operation is inhibited). A reminder message will be displayed within the cluster during initial start-up whenever Fuel AND Oil Refresh Mode is active. The vehicle will automatically exit the Fuel Oil Refresh Mode when conditions have been satisfied for adequate run time of up to 2 hours.
If the vehicle enters Fuel Oil Refresh Mode, due to stale fuel, the engine will run during this mode, no EV operation until the low fuel level warning is achieved. If desired, it is possible to exit the Fuel Only Refresh Mode by adding a minimum of four gallons of new fuel to the vehicle.

NOTE: If the vehicle enters Fuel and Oil Refresh Mode to maintain engine lubrication, adding fuel will not exit the mode sooner. If the vehicle enters Fuel Oil Refresh Mode for lubrication requirements, the engine must operate at maximum operating temperatures until accumulated engine run times of 20 minutes to 2 hours. This can be best achieved by engine running at highway speeds above 50 mph for extended periods. If the vehicle is shut down without the proper accumulated engine only run time, the engine will run without entering EV mode on subsequent trips.

NOTE: Frequent short trips without (max engine operating temperatures) usually triggers the lubrication-based oil refresh mode. If the engine run time is not met in-between the oil change intervals, changing the engine oil, and resetting the service reminder is the recommended option.

DO NOT RESET THE OIL INDICATOR WITHOUT CHANGING THE OIL FOR THIS CONDITION.

 

Guaranteed you need part # 68443445AC, electric coolant/battery heater. This is a huge problem, our jeep has been doing this for 2 months, the new part is back ordered and we just got another delay on it today for another week or longer. My wife is now been driving a very inefficient vehicle that occasionally shuts off ICE on a highway in Hybrid mode for 5 minutes or so. We bought if specifically for the short trips, useless now. I just made a deal to trade this piece of junk off for a Mercedes GLS 43 this weekend. We have had 5 jeeps, going to take a break now.

 

No, our message does not indicate the error that generally requires that fix. Our Jeep likely just needs to let the engine oil get warmer for longer. We are not getting any sort of heating or cooling messages.

 

There is a part for the heater element that has just come out. If you continue to have the problem go to your local dealer and ask them about it. I just had mine fixed and it was amazing. Even in cold weather I no longer get the cabin heating or cooling notice.

 

I've only had form activate lately after 3700 miles but my Jeep goes around 25 miles to work and back, but I noticed that happened with the temps down into the teens, and after sufficiently driving around using the gas engine for multiple trips, form ran it's course and electric mode was available again

 

Noticed that Electric mode was not available yesterday and defaulting to Hybrid only with gas engine on right after filling up with a full tank of gas. The tank was previously close to empty with low fuel warning on, but functioning just fine in electric only. I live in San Diego and temps during the day are typically 60 degrees plus in the winter. I also drive on the freeway for at least 20 min once or more a week so the gas engine does run routinely. This problem happened right after filling up with gas and I am still not able to use Electric mode today. Has anyone encountered this problem right after pumping gas?

 

More than likely purely coincidental

 

Well its 1 year exact today from delivery day and in FORM purgatory for over a week now with a 10 gallon fill up few days ago, and running in manual on Hwy getting oil temp up to 210 repeatedly and still not solving it out of a 60 degree garage. Seems to not run in Hybrid either because the 10 mile trip to work still shows battery at 98%.

 

In my case, I had to get the oil up to temperature and then keep it there for about an hour to come out of FORM. It is not cumulative such that 10 10-minute trips will do it. You need a long drive at temperature to clear it, if it is the same form of FORM I had.

 

ugh starting to regret my new jeep. just bought it. and its been 3 days, and now the FORM. not even 200 miles. it hasnt been that cold..

 

First time posting here, in part because I've been thoroughly enjoying my first but possibly last Wrangler. I do a decent amount of research before purchasing/leasing a vehicle and my process approaching the 4xe was no different. I found the 4xe to be a great option for my use case as we have a large vehicle for transporting the family and towing, and the Wrangler is the fun vehicle used for trips around town which were once on battery-only (outside of the winter months). The vehicle was updated when I picked it up from the dealer back in August '21 and hadn't been back for service of any kind until about a month ago to address the 'Loss of Motive Power' recall. Prior to that visit, the vehicle would operate in Electric mode (or on battery-only in Hybrid mode) when you might expect it to, which was the majority of the time in the spring, summer, and warmer fall months. That operating experience is exactly what I expected, and we loved it. Since my visit to the dealer for the recall work/updates, the vehicle has been "stuck" in FORM mode, constantly running the ICE for the duration of every trip. Last week temperatures in my area were in the 70s and low 80s so I pulled the top and had the heating/cooling system off, once prime conditions for operating in battery-only mode. Unfortunately, the vehicle would not exit FORM mode automatically or manually (using the Electric button on the dash) at any point during the trip which was over an hour at highway speeds in warm temperatures, with fresh fuel and oil. In the past, if temps were above 40-50 degrees, the vehicle would operate on the battery and only kick on the ICE when the battery range was depleted or under "heavy" load (occasionally due to A/C or heat operation, rapid acceleration...etc). I'm not taking the time to write this to vent or claim I've been duped by FCA/Stellantis' marketing dept. but, I certainly understand the thought process of those involved in the filing of the class action suit against them. I elected to commit to the Wrangler with the understanding of how it operated then, not now. The electrification method originally in play was part of what made this PHEV unique and a great addition for many who already loved the Wrangler lineup. Probably a tl;dr story for some but I'm hoping it might be seen by someone concerned and responsible for the 4xe lineup's longevity. I can't say I'd purchase another vehicle from the 4xe lineup if the current operating experience stays as-is and I do believe interest from others looking for new and used will likely wane.

Also, 12k miles seems a bit early for death wobble to start and that has progressively worsened as we've neared 18k miles. According to the dealer, all suspension components checked out, so we deal with it. Being required to come to a complete stop on the side of the road to smooth out the wobble before you can get back to driving your $65k vehicle is a bit of an annoying pill to swallow.

Thanks to the creators, moderators, and members of this forum. There's loads of good and helpful information here!

 

All the same problems and feelings here. I found out about the Death Wobble after about a year. 60 mph and I thought I was going to crash! I could barely keep it in the lane. Way too much money for these things to have these problems.

 

First and foremost, you need a new dealer.

 

An update, already. And one to Mllcb42's point...

I've made calls to other dealers in my area, as the one that completed the latest recall work & updates claimed they would need to troubleshoot the issue I'm now experiencing, and found one that seems confident they can resolve the "stuck" FORM mode issue and claims a fancy revised steering stabilizer from Jeep will clear up my wobble issue. I'm skeptical on the latter but, it sounds like there are other modules that need to be updated in conjunction with the primary core updates their techs are informed of. If the related modules are not completed alongside primary, you can experience a situation similar to mine and apparently those related modules do not present themselves to technicians as ones that are required. We'll see what the next round of updates brings, I'll check back in with an update May 1.

Thanks to all, including scottfisher

 

There are generally only 3 variables keeping people in FORM.

You either have stale fuel, a high level of oil dilution, or a locked out ECH (this one technically gives a electric mode unavailable cabin heating or cooling, but it almost always seems to lock FORM in as well).

Since you say you have added fresh fuel, got an oil change, and have recently had the software updates that should pop a check engine light for a locked out ECH, it would seem that you are in a very abnormal situation... but based on the quality of your dealer interactions, I'm skeptical.


So let's start with some simple troubleshooting and see if we can find out what your problem is.

When did you last get gas and did you put in more than 4 gallons?

When did you last get an oil change and did you verify that the dealer reset your oil life monitor when the oil change was performed?

 

I for the message after adding gas - it was close to 40 miles to empty. I filled mine up and now ot won’t go into electric at all.

 

I put in 1/2 tank and it got locked out after that. It was close to 12 gallons. Once a month I put in about that. I have to drive about an hour each way on the weekends. I guess that's not enough for it? Lame...

 

I've had my GC 4xe since May 23 and I got the FORM message today for the first time. I put 12 gallons of gas in this morning and this afternoon, FORM kicked in, does it work the same in the GC and Wrangler?

 

If form is showing up after a recent fill up, it is likely form for oil dilution and requires some time running with the engine hot. Spend some time with it in sport mode.

 

I've now had FORM kick in 3 more times since my last post. Is this due to oil dilution or possibly a sensor problem? I'm bringing it into the dealer in a couple of weeks for the rear spring recall and had planned to bring it to their attention, but I'm very curious and thought someone here might know.
Thanks in advance!

 

Is this due to oil dilution

More than likely. When you're clearing form by driving, you're just getting below a threshold, not starting from 0, so it isnt hard to get back over the threshold.

 

And two weeks later, it's in FORM again! This is really a stupid system.

Potentially stupid question: does the fuel type matter, as in 87 vs 91?

 

Fuel type doesn't matter.

It's most likely the way you're driving leading to oil dilution. What does a normal drive look like? What mode are you in? How much of your drive is done with the engine running?

The problem gets exacerbated in situations where most of your drive is with the ice off, but it comes on for short bursts. Every time the ice fires up, some fuel is added to the oil and then it never gets hot enough, long enough, to burn the fuel in the oil off.

 

Yeah the FORM just turned yesterday when it seemed to get really cold, would that be a reason for that to happen. It started when I had a half a tank and I filled it. Just got my 4xe wrangler a few weeks ago so still learning about it.

 

Cold temperatures definitely exacerbate the oil dilution form is trying to fight, so it's much more likely to show up in cold weather. Also much more difficult to get the oil to temp in the cold weather.