Electrical Problem?

ok so i just bought a cherokee about a month ago, and for the most part it has been sitting in the garage as i wait a few more months for my liscence I do however at least start it every day, sometimes drive it around for a little while. A few days ago, I went to start it up, and the battery was completely drained. We jumped it and it ran fine, the alternator kept it charged up. The next morning i went to start it, same thing, completely dead. I took the battery to autozone and they said it was fine. Also the guy i bought the Jeep from said that the battery was about a year old. After autozone charged it up, I dropped it back in the Jeep, and for about a week it started up and ran perfectly like nothing had ever happened. Now today its dead again, so ive decided its time to ask for some help. Could something be shorting it out? Is there something that can stay on after the cherokee is off? (yeah i checked to see if i left an interior light on, im not that dumb ) thanks for any help...


91 limited, 4.0L, power everything

sounds like you have a bad ground somewhere. plus i wouldn't trsut the guys at autozone, get a volt meter and test it too.

I had an old dodge daytona that did that. There was some weird looking flasher thingy on the fuse panel and I noticed that it was hot even after the car had been turned off for hours. I took it out and it stopped draining the battery. Probably not very likely that you have the same problem though.

If all you're doing is starting it up for a short while the alt isn't getting a chance to recharge the battery either. At idle the alt doesn't pack a large charge, it increases with rpm's.

Sarge

Sorry to dig this up again, but i thought i fixed it, but only half way.

Ok, i found it out to be in the ignition, when i turned the xj off, the radio stayed on. So when i pushed the ignition forward, without the key in, it moved about 2mm or so, and clicked, and the radio shut off. So after finding out i could start my xj every day, i thought it was fixed. But after letting it sit for 2-3 days, it was drained again. So im thinking its that ignition, but its just draining a lot slower. So what can i do about this? I dont really want to tear apart the column seeing as i would have no clue what im doing. Any suggestions?

thanks

91Limited said:

Sorry to dig this up again, but i thought i fixed it, but only half way.

Ok, i found it out to be in the ignition, when i turned the xj off, the radio stayed on. So when i pushed the ignition forward, without the key in, it moved about 2mm or so, and clicked, and the radio shut off. So after finding out i could start my xj every day, i thought it was fixed. But after letting it sit for 2-3 days, it was drained again. So im thinking its that ignition, but its just draining a lot slower. So what can i do about this? I dont really want to tear apart the column seeing as i would have no clue what im doing. Any suggestions?

thanks

Click to expand...

The ignition switch is under the dash a new one costs 14.00 at napa.