Hey guys, the Jeep has been parked for about 3 months now and hasn't been started. It's a 3.6. Whenever I've started it after it's been sitting for a long time, it sounds awful, real clattery and ticky. I assume all the oil drained back into the sump so it's pretty much starting dry. I always check the oil level, and it's properly filled.

Is there a way, like with old (carb/ non-EFI) cars to turn the engine over to get the oil moving, before starting? It used to be you just pull off the distributor cap and let it crank. I don't know about all this electronic stuff, and I'm afraid if I start pulling wires, I'll end up setting 10 billion check engine lights, or who knows what.

So if there's a way to crank it but not start it, let me know, I'd like to give that a try this time before starting her cold and dry.

 

Pull the fuel pump fuse and you'll get the same result

 

It will start until the fuel pressure bleeds off. (If there is still any pressure.)

 

Just start it. I've left my Jeep sitting for both a 9 month deployment and a 7 month one, and it runs fine. Cutting fuel and cranking it is going to cause the same wear as just starting it. The oil will circulate again within a couple seconds before it gets hot enough to damage anything.

 

Hold the gas pedal to floor and crank the engine. Seriously. It will not start, but the starter will crank the engine over until you turn the key off. Make sure the pedal is all the way to the floor or it will start and rev your engine.You can hear a slight change in the sound of the engine cranking once it builds some oil pressure. This isn't just on jeeps, but on all OBD II vehicles.

 

I have rebuilt engines that have sat for much longer than that and when you pull them apart they are still coated with oil where they need to be. Modern oil is pretty neat stuff. lifters will bleed down and cause valve train clatter until they are pumped up but that does not hurt anything.

 

Next time I'm in a rental car, I'll give that a whirl.

It would make sense that the computer system would prevent a start at full throttle, but it's not something I want to test, especially on an engine that's been stone cold for 3 months!

If it's just the lifters (sure sounds like it) this makes sense, but gahhhh...the sound. The Jeep often sits 1-2 weeks between drives, so it's cold-started like this a lot. Just thought maybe there was a way to make it easier on the engine, or prolong the life somehow.

 

I work overseas on a 90 day on 30 off rotation and do it every time I come home when I start my jeep for the first time. It's nearly impossible to screw it up. Gas to floor, turn key, and absolutely the engine will not start. If I were home, I'd post a video showing it. Short of doing this, or taking stuff apart, you only other option is to just start it and go.

 

Well I'll be... I just saw this and I'm driving a rental car so I had to go downstairs and try. To my surprise it worked. It's a Chevy Malibu with auto crank so the car keeps cranking for about 5 seconds and it stops.

I tried it again but released the pedal while it was cranking and it started.

Cool trick to prime the oil pump.

 

It actually does work on the jk as well except it won't start. It's not the method I'd go with but it works. Fun fact since we're already here- the starter won't engage if the truck is already started. Again, not something I'd recommend you try on your jeep but if someone else is driving then it's good peace of mind.