howdy gents,

i'm a newby here and feel like i've taken more than i've been able to give to the forum, but your advice has been so helpful(been able to replace fuel filter and cac hose), i can't but ask what to some of you may seem a newby question.

the liberty won't start. it turns over but doesn't fire. nothing sounds irregular about the cranking. we just had a cold snap here in new mexico, so the coldest night of the season preceeded the not starting trick. (replaced the fuel filter perhaps 8K ago.)

any suggestions?

thank you all.

You didn't say how cold it got but untreated D2 fuel starts to gel at 32 degrees Picture your jeep trying to suck Jello through a fuel filter Assuming it has warmed up a bit have you checked for air or bled the filter head? You might want to add some Power Service in the white bottle or another anti gel product to your tank.


Most outlets start selling winterized fuel in advance of colder temperatures but since it's still kind of early for low temperatures may have gotten caught uprepared.

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Atlantic Blue 06 CRD Limited (his)
Joined by a 2000 XJ Classic (hers)

thanks joe. it has warmed since. i'll try bleeding and checking for air and give a report.

so i added power service to the tank and bled the air from the filter - there was a surprising amount, but it didn't want to start. it's still early am, and below freezing, so i'll let it warm up a bit and see if the power service helps.

Never heard of fuel jelling this early in the year? I usually do not treat until it gets in the teens. What is your exact temp? Will it start with the block heater plugged in, is your battery weak?

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2006 LTD Bright Silver loaded with all the needed mods, CCV intact.
Proudly supporting CRD vendors, and their development of quality parts and accessories.
Equipped with HDS thermostat, plenty of heat, faster warm-ups, increased fuel mileage.

may be an actual leak at the heater plug or filter head. Mine would sound normal while cranking, but would not turn over. replaced filter and bled air but that did not help. Had to replace head and harness (I did putty up the heater plug for a week while I waited for the part, and that worked too).

http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=44709&highlight=

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2005 Liberty CRD, 245/75R16, OME CRD Springs front, OME HD rear

How old's the fuel filter?

it's a good idea to put a new one on in the fall - if you've picked up water -
it might not be enough for the sensor - but enough for ice to clog a dirty filter.

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2005 CRD
stuff
Skeptic quod gratis asseritur, gratis negatur

Plug it in overnight and try again... magically got mine running....

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Former CRD owner... now I just sit around and stare at the wall.

been away for the day.... but did try to start after it had warmed into the 50s for several hours and she didn't start. the fuel filter has 5-8K on it - replaced in august i believe. the temperature that preceeded the not starting was probably low 20s at night warming to 40 in the day.

there could be water in the filter, but wouldn't this not be a problem after temps have warmed, meaning she should start?

You'd think so, but the frozen ice water will thaw and not re-mix with the diesel... So the fuel line could be sucking that water in instead of the diesel.

Temporary solution, just to get the engine running again: unhook the passenger-side line from the filter head, and route that hose via an extension into a container of fresh diesel. This is the "iv bottle" method. Crank the engine for a good bit, and she should start.

If so, then the filter / head is the problem. You might have an air leak, or the filter is blocked and saturated with water and filth. This isolates the rest of the system temporarily to at least get the engine and the pump lubed again.

If you have a truckstop nearby, see about getting a jug of Diesel 911 or those bottles of Powerservice White Bottle. (White = winter Silver = summer) as well as the freshest diesel.

thanks for the tip. i live in a pretty rural location though, so getting a temp. extension hose to run the IV is a bit of a jog.

does this logic compute instead: remove fuel filter, drain water, if any, etc, then reprime with power service? i wouldn't have to travel to diagnose.

It could get you going, it certainly wouldn't hurt to remove the filter and pour out anything that you could get from it then refill with Powerservice completely.

Where are you in New Mex? If you need anything I make frewuent runs between DGO and ABQ...

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Former CRD owner... now I just sit around and stare at the wall.

about halfway between abq and santa fe. thank you for the kind offer. let me know if you ever need a beautiful, off-grid, place to crash. (it's a beautiful 13 mile dirt road stretch off I-25)

i drained the fuel filter and refilled with powerservice and found another detail: the filter was very loose - not about to fall off, but very loose. i might have not tightened it well upon the last change, but we also live five miles down a quite bumpy road... this explains all the air in the filter when i tried to pump it previously.

anyhow, got it all back together, primed, and still no starting.

any more ideas?

success!

i guess the battery was too low to kick it off. so, between the last post and this one i had it charging by jumper cable, and in a last attempt before towing her in tomorrow, tried it again.

moral of the story, i guess, is keep your fuel filters tight to avoid air infiltration. the first cold spell could have frozen water, which then didn't mix back with the fuel and interrupted fuel flow, which with it sucking air due to the loose filter, could have not allowed it to start.

thanks to all who contributed on this. the wife sends you all a big kiss.

Yeah, must have been dropping the volts too low to run the computer, fuel pump, and a few other important components. Glad you got it fixed, this is a great forum, and I am glad I paid the $30 membership, a mere pittance for the amount of info here. It would more then cover the tow bill.

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2006 LTD Bright Silver loaded with all the needed mods, CCV intact.
Proudly supporting CRD vendors, and their development of quality parts and accessories.
Equipped with HDS thermostat, plenty of heat, faster warm-ups, increased fuel mileage.