Lordy am I perplexed, Please Help!

Hardhatz · **Joined:** Mon Jul 21, 2014 7:58 pm **Posts:** 17

A few days ago, I hit a wheel from an 18-wheeler with my right-side tires. Bounced awfully hard, bent and broke some suspension parts, but made it home.
While i'm waiting for parts, I welded the broken control arm and got it going again.
However, I noticed that it was slightly hard to start.
Maybe 3-4 seconds of cranking, it has always started in about 1 second, no matter the temperature. Figured its my imagination...

Then about 3 days ago, I started it up, and then ran inside to grab my drink & when I came out it had died. Cranked well, Hasn't started since.

Now this evening, (the following Thursday) I found the battery to be utterly dead. Its only a few months old, and the car has never had an issue with discharging before.

So...
I'm baffled as to whether a substantial impact would lead to a problem in running.
At first I suspected a fuel pump safety cutout, but apparently the Liberty CRD doesn't have one.

Online searches about an in-tank pump have been confusing.
Sasquatch offers a "lift pump" while claiming the car was built without one. And yet I see a relay that supposedly operates one...
I don't hear any pumping sound back there. I think there was some sound before, but my hearing isn't great.

Now, the battery discharge adds another layer of mystery.. What is a likely cause of that?

code readings are somewhat erratic. I have seen:
P1261 (glow plug #1 control circuit low)
P0069-BOOST KEY-ON RATIONALITY (I dont know what that means)
P0401-EGR SOLENOID CIRCUIT NEGATIVE DEVIATION (egr is blocked)
P0871- apparently rationality fault with the OD (overdrive) pressure switch. trans has always been good, and showed no changes after jumping the rim.
P0093 - FUEL RAIL PRESSURE MALFUNCTION POSITIVE PRESSURE DEVIATION.

After an erase, several did not return,

Thank you in advance for your thoughts...

WWDiesel · **Posted:** Fri Jul 18, 2025 11:08 am

The 05 & 06 diesel powered Jeep Libertys came from the factory with all the fuel lift pump wiring to under the rear seat, a relay, a 10a fuse, and ECM logic to run an intank fuel pump. But the factory did not install the intank fuel pump as they did in all exported models; go figure.

So to install an intank fuel lift pump, all that is required is to change the fuel tank module with one that has the lift pump and install/update the wiring harness from under the rear seat to the top of the fuel tank to supply power to the intank fuel pump.

CARTER FUEL TANK MODULE WITH LIFT PUMP

WWDiesel · **Posted:** Fri Jul 18, 2025 11:16 am

Where are you located?
Any good mechanic should be able to identify the cause of the battery drain using a voltmeter or test light.
Your hard bump may have shorted out a wire somewhere to the body or engine???

As to fuel problem, have you tried priming the fuel system using the hand primer pump on top of the fuel filter?
You may want to change the fuel filter as the bad bump and jousting to the vehicle may have shook some stuff loose inside the filter?
What DTC code(s) if any are still showing after clearing history?

graycenphil · **Posted:** Fri Jul 18, 2025 2:01 pm

Very strange. The starting problem sure sounds fuel related - longer cranking followed by no start. As WWDiesel says, try priming it with the pump on top of the filter. Adding an intank pump is always a good thing, and might help here, but you’d like to find out what is wrong too. Could he impact have cracked a fuel line or fitting somewhere? Pressurizing the system might show a leak somewhere. The in tank fuel pump would be one way to do this.

The battery is funny too. But it must be something drawing current when the engine is off. Maybe pull off a battery terminal, put an amp meter in series then try disconnecting things, fuses and relays in particular, until something stops the current from flowing.

Hardhatz · **Joined:** Mon Jul 21, 2014 7:58 pm **Posts:** 17

OK, time for an update:

1, Rear suspension: One lower arm, and the upper arm were broken. Replaced with MOOG R.

2. No start: Dropped the tank, (you guys were correct, No pump) and found the inlet screen was blocked with a tar-like substance. I theorize the knock must have rearranged some stuff. Decided to go ahead with pump install.
Went with the Sasquatch option. changed out the fuel filter while I was at it. Cleaned out the fuel tank. Returned to proper operation.

3. Dead battery: Hasn't happened again, no clue whatsoever.

Steering isn't exactly right, will tackle that next with full rebuild.

Thanks for the excellent advice, friends!

Lordy am I perplexed, Please Help!

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