Hi all,

So I have been reading as much as I can on the 06 KJ I just bought. Between here, jeepforum and jeepkj Ive gotten a pretty good grasp on some of the common problems with this tank, but I still have a few questions.

I bought it used from a Jeep dealership with ~88k miles on it. Looking at the carfax and talking with the dealership, all the maintenance "appeared" to be up to date. Here is where the problems begin.

The jeep is slow to start. Initially I thought it was the cold weather, but Ive noticed it happens on warmer days to, its just not as prevalent. The engine turns over multiple times before it fires up. Never experienced this in any other car Ive driven including my old 98 cherokee. Ive even had it not start on the first try (and that was on a warmer day). Im going to have the battery tested, but the battery in it looks brand spankin new so I have my doubts that that is the problem (unless they used the wrong battery).

Next up. The key fob. This thing drives me absolutely nuts. It works when it feels like it. Best way to describe it. First thing I did was open it up and put a new battery in. No luck. Some days it unlocks the jeep, some days it doesnt do anything at all. Temperature doesnt seem to be a factor. Not sure if the problem lies with the jeep or the key fob.

The suspension creaks an ungodly amount. Yes I know its cold but again, never experienced this much creaking before.

With that said, I love my new to me Jeep. The gas mileage sucks (averaging 16mpg so far) but nothing makes me happier than climbing into it after working 12 hours in the ER.

On a side note, I definitely dont have a high opinion of the dealership I bought it from. When I discovered there were only 3 floor mats, they told me that because I had received a good deal on the car, that I would have to source the floor mats myself. I guess if I had gotten a really good deal they wouldve sold me the jeep with 3 wheels instead of 5.

Thanks for reading guys, looking forward to spending more time on the forum.

it could be a new battery but could as well be sulfated! take it to your mechanic to get it load tested. if its a 660cca battery and only puts out 400cca or around that, replace it. it being cold out obviously tests the batterys limits if its a low rated battery.regarding the key fob, im at a loss of ideas. the suspension creaking, isolate the issue areas. rock all 4 corners of the chassis to figure out what shocks exactly are creaking.

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2012 Jeep Liberty KK 109k miles and stong
4" lift.
Gen 5.5 A-Arms
Maxxis 31x10.50x15
ATS42rle -> Jasper for the long-term win!

Just replace the battery,a 700cca+ rated group 34 will do but the Odyssey PC1500DT and Sears DieHard Platinum P4(both the same battery) is the best with the best warranty but pricey.

The keyfob issue could be electronic interference.Happens to mine a lot around stores with auto open doors.Try holding the fob next to your head and unlock/lock(hey it actually works),if that doesn't work the fob's circuit board maybe worn and you need a new one.


For the noises go to a self serve carwash,put on wash(one with the soap) and spray the front swaybar area for 2 solid mins making sure you hit the mount bushing the most.Do this monthly and the noise should go away,if not you have other issues like dry ball joints.Never spray anything but hot/soapy water on those swaybar bushings,all the other lubes will actually dryroit the bushings faster,may make the noise go away for awhile but will return and worsen.

AS far as the key fob - I solder them up all the time, Most often it's the battery holder terminals that have broken off the circuit board - This gives you a very erratic issue.

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2004 sport 3.7
OME coil lift.
Clevis lift.
Mopar skids.
5-speed manual.
235 70 17 Firestone destination AT'S on stock rims.
Gen 4.5 a-arms

I'll second the battery one.

When I got my Jeep, it almost didn't start when I went in for the test drive. It was a noticeably slow crank. I drove it around for a few weeks after I purchased it and was happy, but there were a few times when it seemed just a bit slow on the up-take.

On a whim, I had the battery checked while I was at O'Riellys picking up some oil. Yep. Bad battery. Turns out it was from 2010, and only had about half it's rated 800cca. I picked up one of their Super Start AGM batteries, it was immediately noticeable. The engine starts a lot easier now.

As for the creaking, I've heard that the front sway bar bushings can do that. Especially when it's colder out. I'd also take a look at your front ball joints, though, as they are a common failure point.

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2005 Liberty Limited 3.7L 4x4