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big problem

DoctorPhate

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Ottawa Canada
Well i bought my jeep and registered it today. Everything worked every time I went to look at the thing. but today as I was driving to work(I work 3pm - 11:30pm) I noticed my stereo didnt work. this is maybe an hour after registering it.

I was thinking about it and I started to worry that when I left work at 11:30 the lights wouldn't work either because when I was driving there my blinkers didn't work. And ofcourse when I left work my lights didn't work. So i figured best bet is to take the back roads with my hazards on. Well my hazards don't work either.

So I drove home trying not to get pulled over by the cops and I finally got home, parked her and turned it off. Then my girlfriend comes out side and tells me to take her for a ride in the new jeep. So I said sure, but as long as its only a drive around the block because I think theres a blown fuse which controls... well everything..

This is the point where I get back in the jeep and turn the key, she turns stuggles and then dies. Now the battery is XXXXing dead.

I need this thing to get to work again tomorrow. I can boost it and get to a parts store but to be honest all i could think of was fuses until it stopped working. Now its what? fuses AND alternator?

Any ideas? its a 98 Cherokee 4L
 
sounds like a short somewhere
 
id check with the fuses first and check for battery cable and connection conditions and recharge the battery.
 
From here and jeepkings.ca I heard fuses and battery connections. I guess thats the first thing Ill check.

Someone else said this though ;

"It's the alternator. Radio gobbles a lot of juice and usually cuts out first, then the turn signals/four ways because there's not enough juice for the relay to switch over.

It stared later because the battery recovered slightly. But if you just boost it, you will be left stranded."

Could he be right? I really hope its not the alternator.
 
Check to make sure battery cables are tight/clean (good connections). try jump starting it and pay attention to were the volt gauge is. A fully charged battery should read 12.5 volts, and a good working alternator should read approx 14 volts while running...
 
Sounds like the alternator is not charging the battery. This is either the wiring or the alternator. You need to take apart the battery wiring connections including the ground wire to the body. You might also have one of those "temporary" battery connections with the two bolt and the piece of sheet metal clamping the wires down. If you do, take that apart and clean the wires and reclamp. Plan on replacing that with a molded terminal. Once all this stuff is cleaned up (sandpaper or scotchbrite and spray with electrical contact cleaner, brake cleaner or spray start and resecured, you can begin testing. If you don't have one already, buy a multimeter ($10). You bought an old car, you need one. Charge the battery if you can. If not, you may have to jump it, but this is second choice. Check across the battery terminals for voltage while running. Should be 13.5 plus. When you turn the car off, it should be about 12.5. If it isn't higher when it is running, than when it is off, the alternator is probably shot. Any auto parts chain will test this for you.
 
unfortunately I just moved into my apartment about 2 months ago and I don't have any tools or anything really. I would have cleaned them this morning but I can't find anything in my apartment that i could use.
 
my brother bought a 93 xj with no lights working, radio or A/C, he found under the driver side floor under the carpet a bundle of wires that rusted into the body,replaced the wires and everything works fine.
after checking the stuff the other guys told you to do, do a quick rust check
 
Theres some rust here and there but overall everything solid. and everything worked perfectly every other time i had gone to see it. thats why I was so puzzled.
 
The battery itself could be the problem. It may not be able to take a charge anymore. I had my battery tested and it passed, but it was bad. Replaced the battery and all was good in the world again. -B
 
First things first--fully charge the battery or you are wasting your time.

Clean all your cable ends and grounds.

After the battery is fully charged, start the vehicle and see if the voltage goes from 12v static to 14v running.

Now drive to the parts store and have them load test the battery and check the alternator output.

If the battery passes the load test, and the alternator's output is good, you either fixed the problem by cleaning the cables OR you have an excessive current draw when the switch is off and need to locate the draw and eliminate it or you will be back in the same position again.
 
Can you get a charger hooked up to it? At least it would be charging until you can get a couple wrenches or (ugly) a pair of pliers. You can use sandpaper to clean the cable ends if you don't have a battery brush.

Go bang on the neighbors door and see what they have in the kitchen drawer.
 
I live in an apartment building about 100km away from 99% of my tools. I do however have a set of wrenches I could use. But no sand paper or battery brush. Ill see what i can dig up.
 
I live in an apartment building about 100km away from 99% of my tools. I do however have a set of wrenches I could use. But no sand paper or battery brush. Ill see what i can dig up.

use a knife to clean the inside of the cable ends, don't get carried away and gouge out huge chunks.

For the battery posts, try a rag with something abrasive in it, like fine sand.
 
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