Jeep Cherokee Help

PunkJunk1994 · Mar 3, 2011

so I have a 1994 4.0 L engine and i need some diagnostic help. Lately when driving throught rain, puddles, in general if the front of the jeep gets wet, all my electrical things go out. I'm pretty sure it's not the alternator because it only happens when it's wet. Also, i checked my ground (wire?) and it's still very well attached. No loose connections on my battery either. Any ideas?

winterbeater · Mar 4, 2011

What is all the electrical things? Spark, lights, radio. More info from you = better advice.

PunkJunk1994 · Mar 4, 2011

Radio, wipers, headlights, and i'm pretty sure that all gauges dropped... what happened was it was raining and i was drivin home from work, I had just about everything running... then all the above decided to go out

cruiser54 · Mar 4, 2011

I'd be suspicious of the battery main cables for poor connections. Remove them and clean all contact areas, inspecting their terminal/ends for corrosion.

If you lost your alternator for an instant, don't you think the Jeep would still run for a while on just the battery?

jap813 · Mar 4, 2011

cruiser54 said:
I'd be suspicious of the battery main cables for poor connections. Remove them and clean all contact areas, inspecting their terminal/ends for corrosion.

If you lost your alternator for an instant, don't you think the Jeep would still run for a while on just the battery?

also check the positive cable at the starter, the negative should be attached to the engine block. also check the main harness where it enters into the firewall if that is loose it could cause issues, it could also be dirty, which mine was NASTY.

cruiser54 · Mar 4, 2011

jap813 said:
also check the positive cable at the starter, the negative should be attached to the engine block. also check the main harness where it enters into the firewall if that is loose it could cause issues, it could also be dirty, which mine was NASTY.

Very good advice here. It's basic maintenance and only takes a short period of time to do. I will emphasize that you remove, clean, and inspect every connection. Just gandering at them is useless, unless of course you can see electricity.

PunkJunk1994 · Mar 4, 2011

Thanks for all of the advice guys, i'm new to this whole thing. I'll be sure to clean connections and i'll check the main harness. I'd just like to double check everything before getting a new alternator... I don't really feel like wasting money on a new one if i don't have to. Thanks again

birchlakeXJ · Mar 4, 2011

*Clean battery connections. Remove battery cables and clean them and the battery posts until SHINY.

*Freshen engine grounds. Grounds are often overlooked and shouldn't be. They are responsible for many electrical "gremlins".

Jeep Cherokee Help

PunkJunk1994

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