The Jeep Compass vehicles are famous because of being so comfortable, luxurious and sturdy as well. It is a good choice for long touring. But it can also be annoying when your jeep compass won’t start in the cold.
There can be multiple reasons why a jeep compass doesn’t get started in the cold. In most cases, it can be a result of a dead battery or wrong oil viscosity.
So, in this article, we will go over the most common causes of why the Jeep Compass won’t start in cold weather. We also come up with the most possible solutions for each problem so you can easily solve the problem and get your car back running. So, keep reading till the end of the article.
Why Won’t Jeep Compass Start In Cold?
In extreme weather conditions like too hot or too cold, the battery of your Jeep Compass can’t control the engine to start. So, it is the most possible reason why your jeep can’t get started. The other possible causes may include:
- Dead battery
- Battery capacity diminished or wrong battery
- Clogged fuel line
- Faulty oil viscosity
- Damaged alternator
- Lack of fuel
- Faulty starter
7 Solutions For Jeep Compass Won’t Start In Cold
So far we have briefly covered the reasons for the Jeep Compass not starting. Now we will know what exactly causes these problems and how to solve them very easily. So, here we go.
1. Dead Battery: Check and Replace the Battery
When your Jeep Compass has been sitting in cold weather for a long time, the battery can lose power to start the engine again. In this case, there are two possible solutions to this problem. You can replace the battery or jump-start your car.
First, start with jump-starting the jeep. To do so, have some jumper cables and a working battery. Then, join the cables to the batteries and start the engine of the working one. After that, start the engine of your jeep compass agnai and see if it starts running. If the problem is still there, it’s good to replace the battery with a new one.
The average cost of a dead battery replacement in a Jeep Compass is between $200 to $280. You should expect to pay $158 to $200 for the parts and $75 for labor.
2. Wrong Battery or Battery Capacity Diminished: Check the Capacity and Change It As Required
The most common reason for a Jeep Compass not starting is a wrong battery. It happens when you purchase a battery in summer with no cranking capacity. As a result, the battery loses capacity to get started when winter comes.
So, when the problem with your jep arrives, look for the battery capacity and make sure that it has cold cranking capacity. If not, remove the old battery and install a new one with cold cranking capacity.
3. Clogged Fuel Line: Clean The Fuel Line
If the fuel line is blocked, the fuel can’t flow to the engine properly and leave the engine unable to get started. In cold weather, the condensation can build up into the gas tank. When it is in an extreme situation, it can get into the fuel line and block it.
Thus, if the fuel line is totally clogged, the engine stops turning over due to the lack of enough fuel in it. So, if you find your battery working but the engine is cranking so fast, check the fuel line if there is any blockage. If YES, clean the fuel line and make sure that the fuel can easily run through the line.
To do so, the easiest way is to use a vacuum cleaner. Place the vacuum cleaner over the line and turn it on. The line will be clear in a second. You can also do it by using a plunger. Put the plunger over the fuel line and push and put it until it becomes clear.
You should expect to spend anywhere about $80 to clean a clogged fuel line. If you have the skill and experience of cleaning the fuel system, you can easily do it with no cost.
4. Faulty Oil Viscosity: Use the Right Viscosity of Oil
Using the oil of accurate viscosity is very important to run the engine properly. Thin oils have lower viscosity that help the engine to start in cold , while the thicker oils are of higher viscosity and useful for hot temperature.
Therefore, if you use the engine oil of higher viscosity, it will naturally stop turning over because of the wrong viscosity of oil. So, when winter comes, check the engine oil and make sure that the oil’s viscosity meets the manufacturer recommendations.
But if you see, you are using the wrong viscosity of oil, discard the oil of wrong viscosity and use the oil of right viscosity as required.
5. Damaged Alternator: Replace the Bad Alternator
The alternator of your Jeep Compass helps the battery to recharge while moving on the road. So, if the alternator fails to supply power to the battery, the battery fails to transmit power to the engine. Thus, the engine becomes unable to launch.
So, if your Jeep Compass doesn’t start in cold and you find the battery is fine, look for the alternator if it’s working. But if you find it completely unable to supply power, remove it and install a new one.
In general, a faulty alternator replacement cost can be between $420 and $752. The labor cost will be around $95, while the parts will be priced between $325 and $657. The prices may vary on the location.
6. Lack of Fuel: Top the Fuel Tank as Necessary
Whether it’s hot or cold, this is a common problem in all types of temperatures. When there is no fuel in the fuel tank, the engine won’t start anymore. It happens when you don’t check the fuel tank and forget to fill it in a while.
Hence, when your Jeep Compass stops starting, check the fuel tank and fill it up as much as it requires.
7. Faulty Starter: Change the Starter
When your Jeep Compass is old enough, the parts of the vehicle start losing capability of working. Thus, if the starter is faulty, the engine fails to turn over.
So, if the problem is with the starter of your car, the only way to solve the issue is to replace the starter with a good one.
The average cost of a starter replacement is between $145 and $440. The labor costs can be between $95 and $112, while the parts will cost between $50 and $307.
How To Test Jeep Compass Battery?
There are a few different ways to check the Jeep Compass battery health. So, we’ll discuss the easiest way to check the battery in which you’re just going to need to get a volt meter. So pick one of these up and then follow the following steps.
Step-1: Turn the ignition switch off
This is the first step to go. Before going to the battery, make sure that the ignition switch is off.
Step-2: Remove the cover of positive terminal
Now remove the cover of the positive terminal of the battery. Check the terminals and clean them if needed. You can clean the terminals using a mixture of warm water and baking soda and a toothbrush or scrubber.
Step-3: Connect the voltmeter’s positive lead to the battery’s positive terminal
After cleaning the terminals, attach the positive lead of the voltmeter to the positive terminal of the battery. The positive lead of a voltmeter is usually red.
Step-4: Connect the voltmeter’s negative lead to the battery’s negative terminal
Now connect the negative end of the voltmeter with the negative terminal of the battery. Generally, the negative lead of a voltmeter is of black.
Step-5: Check the voltmeter
After all, it’s time to check the reading of the voltmeter. If the reading is between 12.4 and 12.7 volts, the battery is in good health.
But if the voltage is less than 12.4, the battery should be charged. Similarly, if the voltage is over 12.7, the battery has excessive voltage which needs to be removed.
FAQs.
By now we know well why the Jeep Compass doesn’t turn over in cold winter weather. But there are also some questions that must be answered so one can know more about this problem which are the following:
How To Know That The Starter on a Jeep Compass is Bad
There are many ways to know that the starter on a Jeep Compass is bad. Among them, the easiest and the most useful way is to check the battery if it is dead.
If the battery is dead, the starter may be damaged. You may also get some unusual sounds when the starter is unable to work.
Is the Jeep Compass Worth It?
Like everything else, the Jeep Compass car has its positives as well as some negatives. There are the reports of fuel consumption and emissions that come with Jeep Compass.
Despite these flaws, it gives value for the money because of its amazing features such as a panoramic sunroof and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.
Why does my Jeep Compass battery keep dying?
The most common reason why the Jeep Compass battery keeps dying is that the alternator is faulty.
Alternator is a small generator that supplies power to the battery. So, when the alternator fails to charge the battery, the battery will eventually die.
When should the battery be replaced?
The average lifespan of a Jeep Compass battery is about 4 years. But it can increase or decrease depending on how often you drive your car. If you use your car occasionally, it may last for 6-8 years.
Otherwise, if you use it frequently, you may have to replace the battery for 2 or 3 years.
How Do I Warm Up a Jeep Compass Battery In Cold Weather?
A block heater will help to warm up the battery when it’s cold. During the winter season, plug in the block heater for at least four hours before driving your Jeep Compass.
This will protect the battery from stress and make it easy for the engine to get started.
Conclusion
If the Jeep Compass won’t start, there are a few different ways you can choose from to fix the issue. But what if none of those fixes work? Then it’s good to take your car to a repair shop or call a mechanic.
It’s very common that your Jeep Compass won’t start in the cold. But you can reduce the further damage of your car and repair costs by regular and routine maintenance or servicing.
However, if you find that the problem is actually from the battery, we recommend you to replace the battery rather than repair it. Because if you repair the battery it may run for a few days only. After all, keep the battery terminals clean for its good health.
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