Volt Gauge going way low, Help

My volt gauge will start at 14 in the morning and by the end of the street it's at 12, driving last night in traffic, the gauge was reading about 10-11.
When I stopped to get gas and turned the jeep off, the radio power was cut off and the CD ejected out.
My question is the alt bad and not charging the battery or is the battery not holding the charge?
Optima Red Top, 6 months old and Autozone LifeTime War. Alt. I'm ready to replace one of them but I don't have my multimeter at home this weekend to really check it out. Any ideas? thanks Juice

start with cleaning all your bat connections and checking all the grounds. You'd be amazed at how better the system works if you clean all the major connections.
You can have your alt and battery tested for free at most part stores.

Also, since you've got a RENIX, check the engine ground strap to the firewall. That's known as the "RENIX Killer" - and a lot of electrical problems on pre-1991 4.0s are traced back to it.

Since it's an open braid, it tends to attract crud and crap, and this degrades the efficiency of the conductor. While you're about it, take the firewall end off and clean a spot down to bare metal, about the size of a postage stamp, centred on the bolt. Clean the ring lug and apply Ox-Gard on reassembly - check your hardware store, electrical section.

If that doesn't do it, you're probably due for new cables anyhow - but that's really the first thing to check when you have electrical issues. If the regulator is shot, it's inside the alternator, and you service it as a unit.

If you'd like information on replacement cables and alternator, and want something better than stock or better than the local parts house, click the link in my sig. I do battery cables, and I built a small section for a local shop (San Jose Generator) that I use - since I've now got him talked into doing mail order. Other people here have used him with solid results.

5-90

My volt gauge did the same thing for a few days and one morning it finally dumped into the red zone. My alternator went out. I had the same symptoms you did in the few days before it went out.

I tried Auto Zone alt. 2 times before going to dealer, solved the problem for me anyway. Sometimes Auto zone good sometimes not. Good Luck!

Chains buy them by the Gaylord - for pennies on the dollar. That's why they offer a lifetime warranty - they know they're shite.

Most smaller shops might not offer a lifetime warranty, but you'll be dealing directly with the guy who does the rebuilding and testing, and you'll get a better part as a result. Oddly enough, you might also get it for less than the chain store (since they've also got to pay to ship all that crap back and forth.)

There's a very good reason or three that I just don't bother with the big chains for anything other than fluids anymore...

5-90

Your belt is loose