Battery gauge question

I just went and replaced the battery in our xj this weekend and now have a weird problem with the volt gauge in the dash. When you first go and start it up the volt gauge will only go up to around 12 on the gauge. As you start driving it will slowly make its way up to 14. Is this normal for when putting a new battery in or is something else going on with it?

Thanks,
Ben

What kind of battery?
New?
Did you charge the battery before installing it?
Did you clean the terminals and cable ends?
Do you have cable end replacements, or at the ends molded?

It was a new battery from napa and i also put new cable ends on it as well.

Best way to check is check with a multi-meter. have it connected before you start it. Then start it and confirm voltage. If your meter reads proper charging voltage then there's something wrong with your gauge/something in between.

based on the following question you posted, I'd guess your belt is slipping and reducing alternator output until it quiets down:


Today, 16:35
Jeepguy91
Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Warsaw, IN
Posts: 421


Squealing under the hood
For a while now we have been having a problem with our 2000 xj having a squealing noise coming from under the hood. I have it narrowed down to either the idler pulley or power steering pump cause that is where i hear it when it first starts up. Now my question is, if the pump was going out, wouldn't that make it hard to turn when you are driving it? We have no weird problems when turning the wheel and it doesn't seem to be struggling to turn the tires. And its not just when it is cold that it squeals. It can be warmed up and when you leave a stop light it will start to squeal. The belt is also i good condition with no cuts or frays or anything on it. Just wondering if it is indeed the pump or maybe something else?

Thanks,
Ben

Lights on or lights off? HVAC blower on or off?

The stock volt gauge with a stock harness is notoriously unreliable, I have seen 15V with the lights and blower off, turned them on, and immediately the reading dipped to 11-12.

This problem only started once i swapped out the battery. It never did this before with the old battery.

Batter cable ends are something you should not take lightly. The old style lead ones with a steel band to hold the cable are not a good long term solution.
Think about soldering on loop ends and installing marine style battery clamps.
Jeep even saw the wisdom of that and that's factory on my 06' LJ.

I saw the post on the squealing belt. The response here on that post is spot on.
The alternator pulley is one of the primary slip points. Under high draw conditions, like charging just after pulling hundreds of amps on start, if the belt is not tight, the belt will slip and not charge well. That belt should be very taunt.

With a new battery, I put it on a charger overnight @2amps or the only time it will get that initial charge is when the Jeep is running.