Jeeps have become one of the most popular SUVs out there with time. Everyone loves the Jeep because of its rugged and robust look and the family-friendly ride that it gives you. Jeeps are known to get you through the roughest off-roading terrains with ease and comfort.
However, as good as they are, they come with their fair share of problems as well that you need to deal with. If your Jeep shuts off while driving and won’t start, you’ll know that it’s one of the major issues that you could face with a Jeep.
This can be dangerous as well if you get stuck in the middle of nowhere. If your Jeep shuts down by itself when you are driving and decides not to start back up, keep on reading on how to fix them!
Jeep Shuts Off While Driving and Won’t Start: Causes and Solutions
Here are some of the most common reasons why your Jeep might shut off while driving and their solutions as well.
1. Faulty Air Flow
One of the most common reasons that can leave the engine of your Jeep to be running in bad shape or just not at all is a bad MAF (mass airflow sensor).
The main job of the MAF sensor is to measure the air’s density that is entering into the manifold of the intake. This information is passed onto the ECU of your Jeep.
Along with other data from sensors, the ECU uses this information to control how much fuel will be entering the combustion chamber.
A bad MAF will cause you many problems, such as not starting the engine, idling issues, decreased mileage of the fuel, and erratic jerking while driving.
How to Fix?
To prevent this from happening, you should regularly clean out your MAF sensor.
It should be in between the throttle body and the air filter. Replace the sensor if it is damaged.
You will know if your sensor has gone bad if it triggers your check engine light and you see an OBD II trouble code.
2. Bad Ignition Coil
The ignition coil (also known as a spark coil) is an essential component of the ignition system, and it helps to start the engine of a car.
The ignition coil acts as a transformer that helps to transform the low voltage of your car’s battery into thousands of volts that your vehicle needs to start.
The spark plug would not create the spark necessary for combustion without the help of the energy from the ignition coil.
As you can tell, your car would not go anywhere without combustion. There are a bunch of problems that come in from a bad ignition coil.
Apart from your Jeep not starting, a bad ignition coil can also cause your Jeep to stall and misfire.
You will also notice your check engine light blinking, and of course, poor fuel economy is a given.
How to Fix?
Get yourself an OBD II scanner if you want to check whether your ignition coil has gone bad or not.
If you see the codes P0362 or P0350, it means that some issues are going on with your ignition coil. It is best to replace your ignition coil if you do find a problem with it.
You should also know that there are different types of ignition coils. Some would require you to look at it physically to check if it is damaged.
The location of the ignition coil varies between each model of the Jeep, so you might want to leave it to an expert to run the diagnosis.
3. Wiring Issues
Electrical problems come with every vehicle. Despite the Jeep being a solid and reliable vehicle, it does eventually go through these problems sometimes.
Most Jeep owners have reported that their Jeeps stopped working and did not start after driving around 50,000 miles.
The owners reported that the entire electrical system managed by the TIPM (Total Integrated Power Module) went down.
This caused everything controlled by the TIPM to stop working—for example, the air conditioners, windshield wipers, the lights, and the radio.
How to Fix?
If you want to solve this problem, you need to replace the Total Integrated Power Module or the TIPM of your Jeep. It can be a bit of an expensive repair, so you should make sure that the problem is only with the TIPM.
If you are looking to troubleshoot to make sure that it’s an electrical problem, you can do so using an ohm scale or a voltmeter. The repair cost for the TIPM in your vehicle can often be around $1500.
4. Bad Temperature Sensor
A coolant temperature sensor, which is also referred to as a coolant temperature switch, is a sensor used to manage the engine system that helps to monitor the temperatures in the engine’s coolant.
You may also read: How To Add Coolant On Jeep Liberty
Most of the coolant temperature sensors out there measure the coolant’s temperature with the help of electrical resistance.
Your Jeep can perform at its optimal state when the signal from the coolant temperature sensors is sent to the computer. It helps to make changes to the engine’s fuel calculations and timing.
It’s essential since a warm-up engine requires less fuel and a cold engine requires more fuel.
As you can tell, temperature management plays a critical role in the performance of your engine. This is why your engine can suffer from performance issues.
It can also cause a lot more problems for your Jeep, such as your engine overheating, poor fuel economy, black smoke from your engine, and of course, your check engine light will be on.
How to Fix?
If your coolant temperature sensor is not working, you should get your Jeep inspected immediately since it is an important part of your vehicle. If it’s not fixable by the mechanic, replace it as soon as possible to avoid any hazards.
5. Issues with Fuel Pump
Another cause that could make your Jeep not work or not start in the middle of driving could be a bad fuel pump. The fuel pump of your Jeep is what is responsible for transferring high-pressure fuel to the fuel rails.
If the pressure of the fuel is not high enough, then your engine can eventually die.
If you are thinking of checking the check engine light of your Jeep to understand whether the fuel pump has gone bad because of it or not, then simply it would not work.
Because the fuel pump is usually not monitored by the engine of your Jeep, which means it does not activate the check engine light when it does not work.
How to Fix?
A strong sign that your fuel pump must have gone bad is if you don’t hear anything when you start your engine. It might mean that your engine will likely die while you’re in the middle of the road.
To avoid it, get your fuel pump checked by a professional mechanic and fix it on an urgent basis if you don’t want to be stranded in the middle of nowhere.
Final Words
Jeeps are amazing vehicles that have a huge fan base. But, when your Jeep shuts off while driving and won’t start, you’ll end up hating this beloved vehicle.
To make sure it doesn’t happen, get your Jeep checked every now and then. We hope this guide helped you understand what you need to do to prevent these issues.
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