Every summer our 2017 Renegade Trailhawk 2.4L sits in a garage in Arizona while we are away. We have had the following issue for three years in a row now: After sitting unused for 5-6 months on a battery tender, the Renegade refuses to start. It cranks just fine, and after a while I can smell gas in the garage, but it takes at least 30 minutes before I can get it started.
So on the first attempt I press the start button and the engine cranks. Everything on the dash looks normal but the engine will not start and the start sequence times out after 10-15 seconds.
After this I have to turn off the ignition and then repeat the sequence - still no start. After 4 (or maybe 5) attempts it refuses to even crank (possibly the starter getting to too hot?) and I have to turn it off and leave it sit for 20 minutes or so. And by this time I can definitely smell gas in the garage so it does not seem to be a fuel issue.
After sitting for about 20 minutes the Renegade allows me to try again. So I crank it and eventually I can hear a cylinder fire, but not enough for the engine to catch. After a few more tries I can really hear the engine trying to catch, and finally on the eighth or ninth attempt it starts. Once it does start, the engine runs perfectly for the next 6 months until the next time it sits for the summer. I do not recall seeing any check engine lights during these failures, but next year I will have my OBD reader handy.
If anyone has any ideas for this behavior, I would love to hear from you.
Charlie
So on the first attempt I press the start button and the engine cranks. Everything on the dash looks normal but the engine will not start and the start sequence times out after 10-15 seconds.
After this I have to turn off the ignition and then repeat the sequence - still no start. After 4 (or maybe 5) attempts it refuses to even crank (possibly the starter getting to too hot?) and I have to turn it off and leave it sit for 20 minutes or so. And by this time I can definitely smell gas in the garage so it does not seem to be a fuel issue.
After sitting for about 20 minutes the Renegade allows me to try again. So I crank it and eventually I can hear a cylinder fire, but not enough for the engine to catch. After a few more tries I can really hear the engine trying to catch, and finally on the eighth or ninth attempt it starts. Once it does start, the engine runs perfectly for the next 6 months until the next time it sits for the summer. I do not recall seeing any check engine lights during these failures, but next year I will have my OBD reader handy.
If anyone has any ideas for this behavior, I would love to hear from you.
Charlie