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Charging issues...

fishboots

fishboots

NAXJA Forum User
Location
FL
1989 compact wagoneer.
Bad Alt?
New battery cables (old ones were shot anyway)
Voltage at battery engine off is 12.
Voltage at batt running 11.5
Under load lights radio wipers etc 10.
The battery however, doesn't seem to be discharging.
Other symptoms seem to be dimmer lights and sluggish to nil turnsignals, all under load.
Kindest regards,
Ron
 
Fishboots..........cool screen name.
Well fish the first thing to always check on any XJ is the grounds. If you suspect that there is an electrical problem it is probably a, or several bad gro
unds.

What Matt said too!
 
Is your sereptine belt loose?

Try adding a ground wire straight from the alternator mounting screws to your negative battery post - it helped me some.
 
Checked the belt with a cricket gauge...it is tight.
I will try the ground from the alt bolt today.
 
Last edited:
I've always had this problem on my 90 xj too, except the battery is 2 years old and sits at about 9 volts when it hasn't been running.
 
Ohhhkayyy....
Jump started the mighty wagoneer this morning as the battery is now discharging.
Tested to hot post on the alt.
Upon start up got widely varying readings from 8-12 for about a minute... then sumarily dropped to zero and died. So I am thinking alt is the problem for sure now.
Next stop NAPA.
 
so do I want the 61, 80, or 100 amp alt...
Price is about the same on all three.
I am also upgrading to 5-90's cables.
Ron
 
If they are all the same price and the same SIZE then get the highest amp rating one they have. Then you will be prepared for future upgrades. JMHO
 
fishboots said:
so do I want the 61, 80, or 100 amp alt...
Price is about the same on all three.
I am also upgrading to 5-90's cables.
Ron
Click to expand...

Probably 80A, the 100A was usually found in Limiteds (with power bloody everything.) If you did have the 61A, you won't do yourself any harm putting in either the 80A or 100A - even the fusible link wire (10AWG) should just be able to handle it. They're all Delco CS-130 units, so they should fit the mounting just fine.

And, I think I'd already heard from you and fired back - but thanks for the mention!
 
YEah the mighty waggoneer has power everything too...
Called for the 100 amp.
Well my problem is nearly solved the alt is in and working...but the swings under load are a bit much.
Getting into the low to mid 13's but not 14+ with any accessories or lights on.
Fully loaded 12 volts barely.
Hopefully the wiring upgrade will help.
5-90...I wasn't expecting the $100 outlay on the alt...will the price you quoted me still be good in a week?
Ron
 
fishboots said:
YEah the mighty waggoneer has power everything too...
Called for the 100 amp.
Well my problem is nearly solved the alt is in and working...but the swings under load are a bit much.
Getting into the low to mid 13's but not 14+ with any accessories or lights on.
Fully loaded 12 volts barely.
Hopefully the wiring upgrade will help.
5-90...I wasn't expecting the $100 outlay on the alt...will the price you quoted me still be good in a week?
Ron
Click to expand...

Should be. Copper has settled down some, and that's a bigger factor in my costs than petrochemistry.

I was wondering why I hadn't heard back from you! I thought you were still absorbing information...
 
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