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Loss of amp gauge then squeek and smoke

alexgalexg

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Connecticut
Well here I am again. Posting almost daily at this point. So my 1998 Jeep Xj is having an interesting problem. I was driving down the road when I hear this loud squeak. Only happens once and I loose my amp gauge. Roughly one minute later the belt slips for one and a half seconds. After that something under the hood just gained a steady chirp. Mind you every component under the hood is less than 6 months old.... I get home and shut the engine off and some smoke or steam just begins to come out.

Before you come to any conclusions please watch this video I uploaded about it.
https://youtu.be/gCIE1A4uTJA
 
Steam_ Cold ,wet ,rain on hot radiator....heat raises steam flows outside.
No volts,chirp/loud squeal= shot alt or at very least a way too loose belt.
 
Remove the belt, rotate every pulley by hand, you will have a starting point.
 
Thanks guys. It started raining pretty hard so I couldnt get out there today but I will do so tomorrow morning. Id like to see if I have any current going to the battery too. I guess thats what I get for being an idiot and going to napa instead of rock auto :badpc:
 
I will confirm tomorrow. But when an engine with one belt driving everything has a totally seized pulley you are usually greeted with a ton of burning rubber smoke and a very loud shriek. I have a feeling it did seize for a split second in those two instances and is now chirping but spinning. I guess its not producing power anymore either but I will test that tomorrow. Glad I have another Xj to get to my 8am appointment tomorrow!
 
I will confirm tomorrow. But when an engine with one belt driving everything has a totally seized pulley you are usually greeted with a ton of burning rubber smoke and a very loud shriek. I have a feeling it did seize for a split second in those two instances and is now chirping but spinning. I guess its not producing power anymore either but I will test that tomorrow. Glad I have another Xj to get to my 8am appointment tomorrow!



I lose my alt only when crossing deep water/heavy heavy heavy rain or running through puddles. I give it a minute to dry out and I hear a chirp and it’s making power again.


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I've only driven my 2 xjs since 2004. I have even driven through the ocean and very deep in during hurricane Sandy. Never have I lost amps or had to deal with chirping so that is very strange. But either way I don't want my jeep to be squeaky so if the alternator is the culprit I will buy a better one off rock auto

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Started it up this morning and seems the alternator is working again. But I have a very loud chirp going on over there. It's hard to tell if it's the fan, the compressor or the alternator since they were placed so close together. I will have to drive on it a little more but I have a feeling that alternator is going

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
Harmonic balancer de-laminating? Paint a thin, continuous, white line across the front
face of the inside and outside rings. Drive the car and listen for any chirps. Shut down the
engine and check the harmonic balancer. If the painted line is broken, then the harmonic
balancer needs to be replaced (real soon).
 
I have had that issue when the bearing in the rear portion of the alternator goes bad. To help find out, spray each suspected squeak with WD-40. My money is alternator bearing.
 
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