Why Won’t My Jeep Liberty Start?

Jeep Liberty is not your cup of tea if you are a city dweller looking for a daily driver. The Jeep Liberty was made to handle anything from flooding, icy roads, and thick layers of snow.

It is a great off-road vehicle and something that you should consider when looking for an all-terrain vehicle.

All that being said, the Jeep Liberty also has a variety of issues that make you go, why won’t my Jeep Liberty start?

Unfortunately, like most available cars, anything can go wrong.

Battery issues are quite common, but other drastic problems can also occur, such as electrical faults, ignition issues, and even engine failure.

The main issues that you will face in the Jeep Liberty are:

Dead Battery
Bad Starter Motor
Engine Failure
Electrical Issues
Alternator Problems

All of these starting issues can be a pain to diagnose and fix. For this reason, I have taken the liberty to talk about them in-depth, so make sure you read this article’s contents.

Table of Contents

What Would Cause A Jeep Liberty To Not Start?

Car problems are rare, and it can be sad to see your beloved car struggling to turn on.

The plethora of reasons your Jeep Liberty does not work anymore can range from simple battery issues to full engine failure.

Let’s talk about all these problems and those that come in between.

1: Dead Battery

If you have been driving cars for a while, you should be no stranger to battery-related issues.

The job of the battery is to provide power to the engine and other components, but the fact is that batteries are also extremely high maintenance.

They can easily lose their charge, thus preventing them from supplying the correct amount of power to the engine.

Car batteries are probably the number one reason there are vehicle issues, and getting them recharged can be a hassle.

All of this, combined with their moderate lifespan of 4-5 years, means that you are guaranteed to get some sort of battery-related issue at least once in your Jeep Liberty’s lifetime.

Additionally, you need to ensure that the battery retains its charge, so you will have to keep it in a secure location and make sure that the battery does not weaken.

What Should You Do About It?

Start by carrying out a voltage test. This will let you know if the battery is low on charge. If you are getting less than 12 volts, your battery is low on charge.
Now that you have determined your battery is not well, you should check how long you have had it.
A battery that is older than five years should not be jumpstarted. Instead, I would recommend that you get yourself a new battery.
If you have recently gotten the battery or if it is less than four years old, you can attempt a jumpstart. You will need a working car and a battery to do this.

2: Bad Starter Motor

You need a good and working starter system to get the engine rolling. The main component you need to keep in mind is the starter itself. This part comprises many smaller parts.

The part I will discuss in this section is the starter’s motor. Since the crankshaft needs to be turned at speed to start the engine, you need a competent motor.

If your motor is faulty and does not generate the necessary speeds, it will not be able to turn on the engine.

As a result, your Jeep Liberty remains stationary. Various recorded cases of the starter motor going defective or showing problems.

This is usually due to faulty or loose wiring but can even result from some corrosion on the battery. Oil leaks are also known to bring this issue along with a busted relay or fuse.

What Should You Do About It?

You should start by taking a look at the starting system.
Be on the lookout for some loose wiring and see if you can make the proper connections.
Also, look for signs of corrosion as well.
You should also check for signs of damage as you might be able to spot them if they exist.
Detach the starter and test it without the engine; if you hear some rough noises, the starter is defective.
If your starter motor does not work, then you should also check the fuses and relays.
Make sure that your safety lock is not perfectly disengaged as well.

3: Engine Failure

The engine is the heart and soul of your car, and if anything happens to it, good luck moving your Jeep Liberty.

Just like the battery, you need to make sure that the engine is given a good amount of maintenance.

A lack of maintenance and care can easily cause the engine to degrade in health and eventually stop working.

Additionally, many people try to push their engines to their limits. This results in the engine overheating and then not being able to start.

You should avoid any behavior that can damage the engine as it can easily cause irreparable damage.

This will have you spending thousands of dollars on getting a replacement engine. Lubrication is important when dealing with the engine.

Oil levels need to stay at optimal levels. Otherwise, you risk the engine failing. (Also, check the Jeep Liberty 3.7 engine issues).

What Should You Do About It?

Pop open the Jeep Liberty’s bonnet and check the engine for any damage.
You should also check to see if there are any loose wires or connections that can cause engine malfunctions.
Check your oil levels and fill them up if they are too low. You should also keep an eye on the engine light for oil.
This will help you ensure that your oil levels are always optimal and your engine does not suffer due to the lack of it.
Once you have given a good look at the engine, you should leave it to the professionals and have a mechanic take a glance at it.
Worst case scenario, you are looking at engine replacement. In the best-case scenario, you have to pay for a few fixes here and there.

4: Electrical Issues

The electrical system in any car is quite complex, and even the smallest issue can have catastrophic issues.

When thinking about electrical issues, you might think of the lights or the AC. In reality, the electrical components are everywhere in the car, from the starter to the ignition system.

All these systems rely on their electrical components and will not work if there is any fault. This fault can be in any form, from loose wires to corrosion in the wires themselves.

If you are unfortunate, there is always the chance that a rodent or a mouse chewed up some cables.

This is likely to happen if you are gone camping or generally keep your Jeep Liberty outside.

What Should You Do About It?

Look for any loose, severed, or corroded wires. If you find any, you can attempt to replace them yourself.
The better option is to have the car checked out by a mechanic.
A professional mechanic should be able to determine which area has the electrical fault and how they should fix it.
You will likely not be able to check all the nooks and crannies of the car to find the issue, so visiting a mechanic is a good choice.
Employ methods to keep rats and other rodents away from the wires.
Also, make sure to keep the wires free from corrosion.

5: Alternator Problems

The alternator is responsible for keeping the battery up and ready to work. You can imagine the issues you would get if your alternator is busted.

You will not be the first if you get your attention drawn to the battery instead of the alternator.

Many people confuse alternator problems for battery issues and get the battery jumpstarted or replaced.

This does not do anything, as the battery not getting a charge was simply a byproduct of the alternator not doing its job.

A faulty alternator can be very hard to diagnose unless you are keeping track of how long your battery is alive. Additionally, the causes can also vary from poor maintenance to overheating.

What Should You Do About It?

Keep track of your battery life between jumpstarts. If it does not last even a day, your alternator is faulty.
You can inspect the component for external issues, but the best way to go about it is to visit a mechanic.
Have the alternator replaced to get the most out of your money, as fixing it may result in more issues.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Why Won’t My Jeep Liberty Start With New Battery?

Alternatively, it could be that the battery is not the cause of the issue unless, of course, your new battery is damaged.

Q2. Why Won’t My Jeep Liberty Start Even With A Jump?

A jump should be good enough to fix any battery charge issues. If you find yourself in need of another jump, then you might have an issue with your Jeep Liberty’s alternator.

If the alternator is working fine and a jump still does not fix the issue, the battery is fine, and the issue lies elsewhere.

Q3. Why Won’t My Jeep Liberty Start But Lights Work?

The lights of your Jeep Liberty do not require much power to start. For this reason, even low-charged batteries can start them. They will, however, struggle with starting the engine.

You can get this issue resolved simply by jumpstarting the battery. If you want to, you can replace the battery as well.

Q4. Why Won’t My Jeep Liberty Start But Cranks?

Your car’s electric system is working fine if it can crank, but there could be various other issues that could prevent it from starting.

The ignition system could be at fault, or something could be wrong with the fuel system. Anything from the injection system to the fuel pumps could also be damaged.

Q5. Why Won’t My Jeep Liberty Start Just Clicks?

There is a possibility that the connection between the battery and the starter has been weakened. It would be ideal for checking this connection first.

Alternatively, there could be issues in the starting system or the ignition, which could be keeping the engine from cranking as it should.

Q6. Why Won’t My Jeep Liberty Start In The Cold Weather?

The cold weather has serious effects on the health of a car which prevent them from working properly.

The battery loses its output power, and the spark plugs cannot produce a charge to start the engine.

Moreover, the engine also takes longer to heat up, and the oil also tends to thicken up. All of this can make it really difficult to start the Jeep Liberty.

Q7. Why Won’t My Jeep Liberty Start After I Get Gas?

If your Jeep Liberty does not start with a recently filled tank of gas, then you should check to see if the car is even getting the gas at all.

Chances are that you are dealing with a blocked fuel system or a leakage. This might be preventing the engine from getting the required amount of fuel needed to start.

Q8. Why Won’t My Jeep Liberty Start But Radio Works?

The radio is also a low-power gadget inside your Jeep Liberty. It can be powered by a low-charged battery. However, that same battery will not be able to power the engine.

Once again, you can choose to either get the battery jumpstarted or replaced. Your decision should depend on how old the battery is.

Conclusion

The Jeep Liberty only saw two different generations before fading away in 2012 from the production lines. While it had a good run, it had to be left behind in favor of the Jeep Cherokee.

It was, however, able to leave a lasting impression on the people that supported the lineup. This was despite all the issues it came with.

These issues were many and annoyed a lot of people. Luckily for you, the next time you have to ask “Why won’t my Jeep Liberty start?”, you can refer back to this article.

It should help you figure out the problem your Jeep Liberty is facing and how you can aim to fix it.

Tahir Azam

I am Tahir Azam, and I have been writing amazing articles for TaxiHack for as long as I can remember. I know everything that is to know when it comes to automobiles and is always on top of industry news and developments. While I am not an expert by any means, I pride myself on knowing the ins and outs of many different problems and, of course, their solutions. The articles on our website are some of the best and well-researched content that you will find, and I spend countless hours making sure this remains to be true. This is why I ask you to take your time out and read some of my articles, especially if you find a topic that resonates with you or is something you are looking into. This way, you will find the perfect mix of information and tips on your desired topic. Learn more about Tahir.