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help?really bad day

AaronJXJ

NAXJA Forum User
Location
windsor ct
so my battery has been getting really low i know i needed to replace it soon
funally, car wouldent start thius morning for school
so i jumped it w/ my dads jeep and threw the cables in the back thinking i would need a jump to get home today
on the way to school check engin light came on, then when i went to start the jeep after school, battery was dead again
hooked it up to my buddys jeep to jump it, it would turn over, but as soon as i took my foot off the gas, it would die
is this just cause the batterey is so far gone?
or does it seem that aside from the battery, something else has gone wrong
i apreciate any help you guys can offer
 
happened to my friends jeep, and has recently been happening to mine. Mechanic told my friend that his alternator wasn't putting out as much charge as it should, but didn't really need to be replaced. If you hold the RPM's up around 2K or a little over for a little bit, it will be good.
 
Put a new battery in. The Jeep should crank fine with a new battery, but will probably require constant pedal action to stay running. Once the Jeep is running, take it out for a 15-20 minute drive, staying prepared to do the 2 foot action whenever you come to a stop light or stop sign, as the engine will probably try to stall out for the first few stops.

Sounds like the computer's lost its memory from the battery going so dead. had this happen to mine when I left it sitting for a week and my radar detector still on....battery went dead, and required me to drive it around after I jumped it off as it wouldn't idle. A good 15-20 minute drive followed by about 5 minutes of idle afterwards did the trick.

You didn't mention what year the Jeep is...if it's OBD-II (1996 or newer), run it down to Autozone and they can check the codes for free for you, giving you a good idea of what's wrong.
 
2 things to check- corrosion around/on the battery terminal and cables- also get the alternator tested. Every vehicle I've had with the same symptoms has been battery or alterntor caused. Oh- also check if your battery has water in it, if its that type, and how old is the battery?
 
Yeah mine was completely dead a couple of weeks ago (I left an overhead light on), jumped it and it idled but then started driving and it would want to die if I let it go to an idle, so I had to move it to neutral to keep RPM's up but after a lil while of driving it was fine. (Didn't throw a code though).

Sounds like I had the symptoms UNCC had
 
There should be a code logged since the check engine light came. Getting the code will help lead you in the right direction. Good Luck
 
same thing happened to me out in the desert, its the alternator. their iin such a crappy location, low and vulnerable. mine has seen water and mud over its head as well as rocks........anyways i took mine to autozone to get it teted, and the machine kept saying insert alternator now.....as if nothing was even thier
 
Ok, so I have a 1987 Cherokee Chief, 4.0L. I just put a new alt in and its still not charging. I have run into this problem before on other jeeps i have owned. But i dont know whats wrong. can some one help?
 
1fox2go said:
If the battery is dead like that, I would say its the same as disconnecting it, so the computer would reset and you wouldnt get any codes. Am I correct?

Not necessarily. The battery can appear to be completely dead but often has enough power to retain the ecm memory intact. Often disconnecting the battery isn't suficient as there is some residual power left; many turn on the headlights after disconnecting the battery to completely drain the system.

All late model XJs I have had experience with will not idle properly when the battery is dead and you have to jump them. Replace the battery promptly; continuing to jump your truck strains your alternator and you may end up having to replace both.
 
The reason they will not idle after the batery going dead is because the IAC motor is restting itself. There is a method called "idle learn procedure" to keep you from doing the 2 foot shuffle while driving. Which is dangerous.

Start the Jeep,
induce a large vacume leak, (pull the line to the brake booster)
leave it idle high for 20 seconds,
unplug the IAC motor and shut the engine off,
reconect the booster hose and IAC plug,
restart the engine and let it run naturally! DO NOT TOUCH THE GAS PEDAL!
it will relearn the idle on it's own.

This takes about 5 mins at the max to get your idle back and no need for putting your life or someone else's at risk when your Jeep dies and you loose brakes and steering.
 
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