Jeep not starting....HELP!

[Zero]

Hey everyone,

First off this is my first time here so I am not sure I am in the right area for this post but here it goes.....

I have a 2005 Jeep Liberty Sport 3.7 6 Speed


So about a month ago I started my jeep one morning and I heard a loud knocking then immediately went away but while driving it would shudder and my mechanic ran his scanner and I was getting a cylinder miss fire, he checked coil packs and they were good so he said it is a rocker arm issue.

Well being a new jeep lover I wanted to fix it myself, so I removed the valve cover and found out all my lash adjusters were stuck, they would not compress. So I took them all out and cleaned them and were like new, after putting everything back together again I went to start it and when I did the jeep shook so bad it was insane, when I would rev it tho it would be fine, so I was told to check all my air hoses, which were fine too. Then was told it could be my tbs, maf or IAT, replaced those and nothing, so I checked the IAC valve and it was nasty dirty. So I went to auto zone and they said try a new one or clean the one I had with carb cleaner, and to clean inside the throttle body as well to get all the gunk out. Well after doing that the jeep would crank but NOT START! So I just got a new IAC today figuring that was the problem and well nope, it was not!

After some research I remember a few months back that once in a while when I would start my jeep it would start but idle rough and then stall, but then would start again...so I checked the camshaft sensor and put a good one in and still nothing, so all I have left for ideas is a possible bad crankshaft sensor?

Now on the fuel rails there is a nozzle with a plunger then I depress and fuel squirts out so I know it is getting fuel, I hear the fuel pump come on when I turn on the key and all my fuses are good.

Like I said when I crank it over, it will crank but not start, once in a great while it will seem like it will try and fire up but wont. Lucky for me my mother has a 2004 liberty so I put my camshaft sensor in hers and hers would not start BUT i put hers in mine and still would not start. I am assuming it has to be the crank shaft sensor?

I am all out of ideas, I really don't want to tow it to a garage because I want to be able to fix it myself. Does anyone have any ideas? I am desperate!

Sorry for the lengthy post but I needed to get everything out.

Any help/ideas/opinions would be much appreciated!

 

[CzarKJ]

Just to put something obvious out there but I am sure you checked it. How are your sparkplugs?

 

[Zero]

I feel like such an idiot, I have not checked those. I was so hung up on it being something major I did not even think about it. I will check them tomorrow and let yall know.

On the off chance it is not the plugs...any other ideas?

 

[uss2defiant]

No CEL?

 

[Zero]

Sorry I am not good with abbreviations yet : CEL= check engine light? The only codes that display on my odometer are for the sensors I unplugged. Once I unplug the neg terminal for 5 mins it clears it out and I do not get any after that.

 

[MarkJ]

Get a mirror and check that cam sensor. I have had them not go all the way in and then sit cockeyed when you tighten the bolt. They sometimes cause a no start condition but usually they throw a code. I would still check how it's sitting with a mirror.

 

[Zero]

I will try that out, I am going to replace all spark plugs regardless because I have no idea when the last time they have been, if they have at all.

Also new camshaft/crankshaft sensor.

You are right tho, when I put my camshaft sensor back in it did not feel right until I heard a click when it seated in...I just looked at the crankshaft sensor and unlike the camshaft one it was not covered in oil. Is that normal?

 

[ltd02]

Hopefully you'll get Mopar sensors. Aftermarket sensors don't seem to do well in these KJs. Go with plain old copper core plugs too. NGK or Champion are good choices.

 

[Zero]

Yea I am gonna go with NGK platinum, they should be gapped to .044 right?

 

[ltd02]

Yea I am gonna go with NGK platinum, they should be gapped to .044 right?

I'd stick with good old copper core. Mine idles way better since I switched back to coppers. Yes on the gap.

 

[Zero]

Oh right, platinum and iridium tend to over heat, definitely do not want that.

Thank you for reminding me lol

 

[CzarKJ]

Yea I am gonna go with NGK platinum, they should be gapped to .044 right?

Stay away from the platinums. Copper is the way to go.

 

[uss2defiant]

regular copper oem NGK ZFR6F-11G
it was either .042 or 0.044 gap. don't remember.

 

[LibertyTC]

From the under the hood sticker! :gr_grin:
52218[/ATTACH]"]

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Zero]

So I will update the situation....

I have not replaced spark plugs yet, I figured put in the new camshaft and crankshaft sensors first since I already had the old ones out. Put them in and nothing...so I know it was not one of those.

Tomorrow I will put in all 6 new spark plugs. I will die laughing it that's been the problem all along lmao

 

[Zero]

While I am waiting for tomorrow I keep racking my brain.....maybe it could be a bad ASD relay?

I will add that it is not throwing any codes with now....but I did just remember that when I try to start it and I turn the key back to the accessories position that the engine light will blink 4-5 times and then stay on (obviously stay on in accessories position normally)

So I looked it up and it says that points at the MAP sensor.

Other Ideas...

Ignition control module, also I just looked again and noticed fluid on top of one of the ignition coils.

I have a lot of testing to do!


Hmmmmm:shrug:

 

[libertybob]

Suggestion...

Just re-read your original post. You say you took out the lash adjusters and cleaned them. Did you prime them in clean oil? If so, one or more may be stuck on maximum lift causing some valves to remain slightly open thereby losing compression. Had this happen once on a Chevy engine rebuild. To check for this, I recommend that you run a compression test on each cylinder. If the engine was running - even poorly - before cleaning the lash adjusters, cleaning them might be the problem due to loss of compression. Basics to run - fire, fuel, compression, and timing. You need to eliminate these one by one as the source of your problem. Loss of compression on a couple of cylinders could also cause the symptom of an engine trying to start but not quite making it. Please let us know the root cause when you find it. Keep going. Patience and perseverance are the key. If you find loss of compression on a cylinder, take out the lash adjuster and remove some oil. The adjusters should automatically adjust with oil pressure from the engine.

 

[Zero]

When I cleaned them, I put a little oil in each one to coat the inside. Yes I will keep going and as soon as I find the issue I'll be sure to post! Ty for the input

 

[Zero]

Update!

So today replaced each spark plug one by one, I would pull the coil and check to see if the old spark plug was firing, then I would check the coil with a new spark plug to make sure the coil was good and then before putting in the new plugs I ran compression test.

Results...

4 plugs would not spark and two had oil on them...replaced them all and I found one ignition coil was not functioning (tested with new plug to make sure)
And I found one compression test would not even move the needle.....

Replaced the bad coil with a good one from my mothers 2004 sport liberty and she fired up! It would run but would not idle, when I would rev it I could hear it skipp and then die if I let off the gas.

The bad coil was the first one on the drivers side closest to the front of the jeep.

The no compression is the middle one on the passenger side.

Now the only code my CEL is throwing when I get the dash board codes is

P2317

Making progress, now I need to figure out how to fix this issue, but atleast it starts now.

Any input on where to go from here?

 

[ftaa]

check the connections and pig tails to the throttle body could be tps