They can, but only if it's in run position, otherwise it cranks and then dies. Same as if you were to push start an older car with no key in the ignition. No key = no spark. So you need at least enough battery to put it in Run in order to push/roll start.
Yep roll started mine... battery was charged ignition was on run. Can't get ignition on run with out enough battery charge which is only something like 11 volts.
I'm positive he's correct. It'll only push start if the vehicle is in the run position. Otherwise it cranks, sputters and dies. No spark. It makes sense though. When you think about it. Push starting the Jeep, by the way would be very difficult without a hill to roll down. It's heavy; But it will do it. I've done it on hills. Only works in run. on a lighter vehicle, it's still useful, because the battery won't usually be completely dead, so you can still get it to the run position.
Again, these are not like older cars anymore. You need to get enough of the proper voltage to the computers to get them to boot up before it will even think about running. And that system needs to recognize the FOB in order to turn on and boot up to a runnable state. This isn't like an old system where getting enough from the alternator to get the ignition to spark was all you really needed. Different animal here.
Yes my Tacoma TRD Pro has a keyed ignition, but proximity requirement. It’s a good theft deterrent.
Even my old 1973 won't run without the key in run if you try to push start it. No key, no spark, unless you hot wire it first. It'll turn over for second and then die.
Sorry, I don't doubt it needs to be in run but the fact that it can be push started is my point.
My thought would be, like someone said above, the proximity key, or at least the chip in the fob, would need to be hidden somewhere in the vehicle. From there, it should be easy to do. If you put it next to the steering column or wherever the dead battery fob battery area is on these jeeps, it should work. Then you'd need to wire a keyed ignition switch. You'd lose the little security a chipped key provides though.
We've been explaining the hurdles to this. You need to know and acknowledge these hurdles before you can ever hope to overcome them. There's no real way to do this without either massively reprogramming the Jeep or completely tearing out every system and making new standalone systems.
We're educating you in this thread, are we not? Is that not something you are open to? We've also given many options to get around this without going all out on tearing your Jeep apart. It just seems like the true reasons you want to switch it over are not actual reasons.
I agree that would be easier but I would like to replace the proximity ignition with anything else. That is the point of the thread.
I am open to education... just not pessimism. I acknowledged many times this is hard and not a easy nut to crack.
