Jeep Enthusiast Forums banner

04 Liberty Won't Start--Clicking Noise?

58K views 20 replies 12 participants last post by  Billwill1951 
#1 ·
We have an 04 Liberty that as of yesterday afternoon would not start. It was driven around town yesterday morning, but after being parked for a few hours, would not and will not start.

The ignition can be turned to the ON, ACC positions, and the Lights, radio, etc work fine.

When the ignition is turned all the way, instead of the engine starting up, there is just a repetitive clicking noise. It sounds almost like a wind-up car when the ignition is turned.

It sounds to me like this is the Starter. The dash shows a blinking Check Engine Light when the ignition is turned on, after the normal pop-up icons dissappear.

Could disconnecting the negative lead of the battery cable help/ clear the possible code(s) for a while to see if it'll start?

Any help/advice is appreciated.
 
#2 ·
We have an 04 Liberty that as of yesterday afternoon would not start. It was driven around town yesterday morning, but after being parked for a few hours, would not and will not start.

The ignition can be turned to the ON, ACC positions, and the Lights, radio, etc work fine.

When the ignition is turned all the way, instead of the engine starting up, there is just a repetitive clicking noise. It sounds almost like a wind-up car when the ignition is turned.

It sounds to me like this is the Starter. The dash shows a blinking Check Engine Light when the ignition is turned on, after the normal pop-up icons dissappear.

Could disconnecting the negative lead of the battery cable help/ clear the possible code(s) for a while to see if it'll start?

Any help/advice is appreciated.
Almost a sure bet that it's the battery.
 
#11 ·
I actually have the same problem happening in my Jeep Liberty right now. I just bought a new battery and replaced the old one, but it still is not starting up. Any ideas?
What exactly is your Jeep not doing....this is such an old thread it is best to start from scratch.

Does it turn over but not start?

There is a very common problem with the actuator pin that turns the ignition switch breaks off so you get ignition lights on but no power to the solenoid when you try to start it.

Some more details please!;)
 
#9 ·
I sounds like its electrical... my 02 liberty has a flat copper bar (very thin) on the positive terminal connector, plus the positive terminal was corroded and flimsy, I cut the old terminal off leaving about 1-1/12 inch copper bar and bought a brass terminal replacement. Make sure your terminal connectors are clean... I have a corrosion problem with mine and every battery I put in my liberty ended with blue crystals covering the terminals, that stuff is extremely corrosive, if you have that, be sure to buy a can of terminal cleaner that turns pink whereever there is acid and clean it with a hose while your battery is out. Try climbing underneath and getting a good view of the starter, if there is gunk around it (old oil) that could be your problem. There should be a starter motor and a gear kicker on the side that pushes a gear forward, try tapping a hammer on the starter in different spots, don't dent it, but tap hard enough to kick foreign materials loose.
 
#12 ·
When I turn the key over it makes a quick ticking noise, I have already replace the starter, which was terribly bad. However, it was my first time every doing that, so I'm not going to say that I knew what i was doing 100% it was mainly from YouTube. Also, it acts like it wants to turn over, but just never gets that extra energy. It has a half tank of gas, new starter, new batter, all electronics work. Idk what else.
 
#13 ·
Billwill said:
What exactly is your Jeep not doing....this is such an old thread it is best to start from scratch.

Does it turn over but not start?

There is a very common problem with the actuator pin that turns the ignition switch breaks off so you get ignition lights on but no power to the solenoid when you try to start it.

Some more details please!;)
I have the same problem with my 07. It turns over but feels very weak. Some days it will start every time. But sometimes I will be stuck somewhere over 20 minutes trying to start it. The starter doesn't keep trying it turns once then that's it. Has only 75k and a new optima.
 
#15 ·
Also check the negative cable going to chassis is clean and tight and there is a grounding strap connecting engine to chassis....make sure that is clean and tight.


What happens if you remove the Starter Relay and jumper pins 30 and 87 in the relay socket...make sure you are in neutral!

This bypasses the interlocks on the starter relay such as Jeep is in neutral/park and bypasses the ignition switch and the Starter Relay....the engine should turn over.!!

If the engine does now turn over it means: Starter relay bad, interlocks bad or possibly the actuator that operates the ignition switch has broken...a common problem!;)
 
#17 ·
I presume you are refering to "jumpering pins 30 and 87?"

In the fuse/relay box under the hood is a relay marked "Starter Relay"....it is shown on the decal on the box lid usually.

Make sure you are in Park/Neutral so you do not run yourself over if the engine turns over.

Pull out the Starter Relay....you can quickly swap it over with an identical relay nearby...ie. same part number....just in case the actual relay is faulty.

Now that the Starter Relay is removed, flip it over and you will see the pins are numbered...you are only interested in pins 30 an 87. Make a note of where those pins will go inside the relay socket...sometimes the relay socket has pin numbers marked already.

Now with the relay still removed, carefully insert a piece of wire into pins 30 and 87 in the relay socket... a straightend-out paper clip should do.....the solenoid should engage and turn the engine over.....if not then check fuse 8 (40 A) in the same fuse panel.

If this works, remove the paper clip and turn on the ignition key to the last position before the final "start" position. Now jumper the relay socket points 30 and 87 again.....if you are lucky the engine will fire and run so quickly pull your wire jumper out or the starter will stay engaged to the now running engine.;)

If this works then we need to chase the error down with a few more steps but at least you can drive the Jeep.
 
#20 ·
Before you buy a battery. Have it load tested. Most auto parts stores and Walmart will test it free. If it's dead they will charge it first and test it. Don't waste your money on an Optima (I've had a few over the years). A good quality battery will give you years of service. Here in Canada with our winters a good lead acid will last about 3 years on average. I get 5 because I do extra maintenance from a $100.00 battery and I drive daily, in the city with lots of engine starting. I did not find the Optima saved me any money in the long run. Anyway, get a load test first. Cheers Eh!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top