1998 Cherokee Charging/Alternator/Starting Issue
10-26-2016, 11:05 PM
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Year: 1998
Model: Cherokee
1998 Cherokee Charging/Alternator/Starting Issue
My daughters 1998 Cherokee Sport 4.0 is having an issue with its charging system. The volt gauge on the dash will drop from 14 to 12 for no apparent reason. Sometimes it will go down to 9 volts but keep running fine. Checked this driving on the freeway, put the high beams on, radio on, fan on Hi Speed etc and the Jeep ran fine even though the volt meter was sitting dead on 9 volts. Wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't been test driving it after dark.
I pulled the alternator and had it test at 2 different parts stores. They both tested it twice and both times it passes. I put it back in and it ran fine for a day, then reverted back to its old ways. It has left my daughter stranded after dropping to a "true" 9 volts. Jump start and away she goes for a day or so.
I did mess around with the alternator by tapping on the bask of it with a extra large screw driver when the volt meter dropped to 12'ish. By tapping the alternator several times, it jumped back to 14'ish and runs fine.
Battery voltage while engine is off is 12.5 volts unless it dies dead on the sid of the road, then its around 10'ish. Once jumped or charge, battery is strong. Its only 1 year old.
Is this a potential ground issue or alternator issue?
Thanks in advance.
EVHFAN2000
I pulled the alternator and had it test at 2 different parts stores. They both tested it twice and both times it passes. I put it back in and it ran fine for a day, then reverted back to its old ways. It has left my daughter stranded after dropping to a "true" 9 volts. Jump start and away she goes for a day or so.
I did mess around with the alternator by tapping on the bask of it with a extra large screw driver when the volt meter dropped to 12'ish. By tapping the alternator several times, it jumped back to 14'ish and runs fine.
Battery voltage while engine is off is 12.5 volts unless it dies dead on the sid of the road, then its around 10'ish. Once jumped or charge, battery is strong. Its only 1 year old.
Is this a potential ground issue or alternator issue?
Thanks in advance.
EVHFAN2000
10-27-2016, 12:57 AM
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Year: 1989
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 straight 6
i have a 89 cherokee i know that mine is different but my voltage gauge does that same thing sometimes it will appear above the 14 like a half an inch about 14 other times the volt guage will read alil below the middle other times the voltage will appear pretty much in the middle.
When the headlights are on and heat fan cranked i notice the slightly below the middle 14 problem mostly i also run 2 amps for my subs and door speakers.
hope you figure it out. wonder if all jeeps read like that when the alt is going bad.
Have not had trouble starting yet but good luck man i often wonder about my ground aswell
When the headlights are on and heat fan cranked i notice the slightly below the middle 14 problem mostly i also run 2 amps for my subs and door speakers.
hope you figure it out. wonder if all jeeps read like that when the alt is going bad.
Have not had trouble starting yet but good luck man i often wonder about my ground aswell
10-27-2016, 01:17 AM
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Year: 2000 and 1998
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could be any connection. check field conn, wiggle it.
could be field slip rings/brushes. i dont know this particular alt but ive had those problems.
so ez way is put in a new alt.
could be field slip rings/brushes. i dont know this particular alt but ive had those problems.
so ez way is put in a new alt.
Last edited by nujeepguy; 10-27-2016 at 01:36 AM.
10-27-2016, 01:26 AM
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Year: 1989
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? does it appear to run for awhile after a jump start then once you shut the car off no start??
??? if you get it running and she drives it into the night and turns on the headlights radio and heat fan hi ect does it die and seem like it wont start after even if you try jumping it??
If so i would say it is deff your alternator.
My friend had a 98 sport seemed like every other day he would have to have someone jumpstart him before he somewhere.
Picked up a new battery eventually and had planned on going up north camping jeep would not start one day again so we checked all the cables tightened all the cables.
went camping next day drove down a couple trails looking for some spot to setup a tent and the jeep died right in the middle of no where in gods country one of the last places you would wanna be stranded 50 miles in the woods.
Seemed like we hit a couple bumps and it died we shut everything of and somehow it started again and we were able to make it to a campground store that was closed.
long story short we got a jump and got out of there back into some town we figured alternator or battery cables so we figured someone could put a part in for us too bad there was only one part store napa for miles and it looks closed down and might have been open 3 days a week for 4 hours a day at most.
Had a guy come help us and try to jump us and tap on the alt like you mentioned got it to run he mentioned the voltage gauge read really really low and that if we drove out quick before dark and did not try to run anything no radio no heat no headlights that we could make it.
I would go with alternator on this one.
Also if your kid like's to use alot of electrical accessories i would buy something that is slightly better then stock if you have stay 80amp i would go with maybe 100amp
??? if you get it running and she drives it into the night and turns on the headlights radio and heat fan hi ect does it die and seem like it wont start after even if you try jumping it??
If so i would say it is deff your alternator.
My friend had a 98 sport seemed like every other day he would have to have someone jumpstart him before he somewhere.
Picked up a new battery eventually and had planned on going up north camping jeep would not start one day again so we checked all the cables tightened all the cables.
went camping next day drove down a couple trails looking for some spot to setup a tent and the jeep died right in the middle of no where in gods country one of the last places you would wanna be stranded 50 miles in the woods.
Seemed like we hit a couple bumps and it died we shut everything of and somehow it started again and we were able to make it to a campground store that was closed.
long story short we got a jump and got out of there back into some town we figured alternator or battery cables so we figured someone could put a part in for us too bad there was only one part store napa for miles and it looks closed down and might have been open 3 days a week for 4 hours a day at most.
Had a guy come help us and try to jump us and tap on the alt like you mentioned got it to run he mentioned the voltage gauge read really really low and that if we drove out quick before dark and did not try to run anything no radio no heat no headlights that we could make it.
I would go with alternator on this one.
Also if your kid like's to use alot of electrical accessories i would buy something that is slightly better then stock if you have stay 80amp i would go with maybe 100amp
10-27-2016, 05:20 PM
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Year: 1998
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? does it appear to run for awhile after a jump start then once you shut the car off no start??
No, once its charged and starts it will continue to start when shut off - before driving of course.
??? if you get it running and she drives it into the night and turns on the headlights radio and heat fan hi ect does it die and seem like it wont start after even if you try jumping it??
No, it will run fine even if the volt gauge drops to 12. I hit high beams, turned the fan on high trying to use as much power to see if it would effect the gauge or see if the lights would dim and it ran like a champ. Then dropped to 9 volts, still ran fine for another 10 miles.
No, once its charged and starts it will continue to start when shut off - before driving of course.
??? if you get it running and she drives it into the night and turns on the headlights radio and heat fan hi ect does it die and seem like it wont start after even if you try jumping it??
No, it will run fine even if the volt gauge drops to 12. I hit high beams, turned the fan on high trying to use as much power to see if it would effect the gauge or see if the lights would dim and it ran like a champ. Then dropped to 9 volts, still ran fine for another 10 miles.
EVHFAN2000
10-27-2016, 05:23 PM
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I found the braided ground strap that goes from the firewall to the rear of the head on the drivers side. I don't see any issues with it, not frayed or loose.
Where are the other grounds?
The problem is inconsistent and sure acts like a connection issue somewhere where Charging will either be ON or OFF.
The negative from the battery to the inside fender is solid and clean.
EVHFAN2000
Where are the other grounds?
The problem is inconsistent and sure acts like a connection issue somewhere where Charging will either be ON or OFF.
The negative from the battery to the inside fender is solid and clean.
EVHFAN2000
Last edited by Evhfan2000; 10-27-2016 at 05:25 PM.
10-27-2016, 06:10 PM
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Year: 1999
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Freshen all grounds. Disassemble, clean all surface areas, reconnect. Can't tell a thing by looking at them.
The problem though could very well be your alternator. And I think it probably is. Is this the original alternator?
The testing of alternators at parts stores does not come without issues. I have seen more times than I can remember where alternators test good at the parts store and in fact are truly bad. Many of these bench testers are not capable of truly testing the same conditions as when the alternator is "under load" when it is on your vehicle. Therefore, there are "escapes" which means alternators often bench test good when they are absolutely faulty.
Your experience of tapping the alternator and observing a change in the charging rate is your best clue here that the problem is with the alternator itself.
After freshening grounds, if it still continues, replace your alternator. With a new, not a rebuilt one. Or if you have an old school guy/shop in your area that rebuilds starters and alternators, take it there by all means! These guys almost always know their stuff and you'll get a good result.
Good luck and keep us updated!
The problem though could very well be your alternator. And I think it probably is. Is this the original alternator?
The testing of alternators at parts stores does not come without issues. I have seen more times than I can remember where alternators test good at the parts store and in fact are truly bad. Many of these bench testers are not capable of truly testing the same conditions as when the alternator is "under load" when it is on your vehicle. Therefore, there are "escapes" which means alternators often bench test good when they are absolutely faulty.
Your experience of tapping the alternator and observing a change in the charging rate is your best clue here that the problem is with the alternator itself.
After freshening grounds, if it still continues, replace your alternator. With a new, not a rebuilt one. Or if you have an old school guy/shop in your area that rebuilds starters and alternators, take it there by all means! These guys almost always know their stuff and you'll get a good result.
Good luck and keep us updated!
Last edited by tjwalker; 10-27-2016 at 06:18 PM.
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10-27-2016, 06:23 PM
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Freshen all grounds. Disassemble, clean all surface areas, reconnect. Can't tell a thing by looking at them.
The problem though could very well be your alternator. And I think it probably is. Is this the original alternator?
This Jeep has been through 2 of my daughters and was purchased used so I don't know the originality of the alternator. The manufacture is Denso but that's about all I know about it.
Your experience of tapping the alternator and observing a change in the charging rate is your best clue here that the problem is with the alternator itself.
I agree, its just that the voltage dropping to 9 and still ran perfect with out dimming headlights, even ran with high beams for a bit just to see if I need to ditch it on the side of the road or continue on my way.
After freshening grounds, if it still continues, replace your alternator. With a new, not a rebuilt one. Or if you have an old school guy/shop in your area that rebuilds starters and alternators, take it there by all means! These guys almost always know their stuff and you'll get a good result.
Any more grounds other than the obvious braided strap from the firewall to engine head on drivers side?
Good luck and keep us updated!
The problem though could very well be your alternator. And I think it probably is. Is this the original alternator?
This Jeep has been through 2 of my daughters and was purchased used so I don't know the originality of the alternator. The manufacture is Denso but that's about all I know about it.
Your experience of tapping the alternator and observing a change in the charging rate is your best clue here that the problem is with the alternator itself.
I agree, its just that the voltage dropping to 9 and still ran perfect with out dimming headlights, even ran with high beams for a bit just to see if I need to ditch it on the side of the road or continue on my way.
After freshening grounds, if it still continues, replace your alternator. With a new, not a rebuilt one. Or if you have an old school guy/shop in your area that rebuilds starters and alternators, take it there by all means! These guys almost always know their stuff and you'll get a good result.
Any more grounds other than the obvious braided strap from the firewall to engine head on drivers side?
Good luck and keep us updated!
EVHFAN2000
10-27-2016, 06:36 PM
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Year: 1999
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Grounds can be the root cause of many electrical gremlins. Refreshing grounds is NEVER a bad idea, and the investment of your time in this procedure is always well worth it!
You can't tell much of anything by looking at ground connections!! You must remove, scrape, clean until shiny the cable/wire ends and whatever they bolt to. Be sure to remove all paint from any ground connections.
Start with the one on the back corner of the head, and where it attaches to the firewall, as it deteriorates over time and is an area that makes it susceptible to damage. Best to replace that woven cable with a #4 or #2 gauge cable. You can attach the one end to the intake manifold if you would like.
Next go over to the engine dipstick tube stud. Remove the nut and clean the wire ends and scrape the block until shiny at the stud. Reattach tightly.
If you are so inclined, add at least a #6 cable from the negative terminal of your battery to one of the bolts on your radiator support.
You can't tell much of anything by looking at ground connections!! You must remove, scrape, clean until shiny the cable/wire ends and whatever they bolt to. Be sure to remove all paint from any ground connections.
Start with the one on the back corner of the head, and where it attaches to the firewall, as it deteriorates over time and is an area that makes it susceptible to damage. Best to replace that woven cable with a #4 or #2 gauge cable. You can attach the one end to the intake manifold if you would like.
Next go over to the engine dipstick tube stud. Remove the nut and clean the wire ends and scrape the block until shiny at the stud. Reattach tightly.
If you are so inclined, add at least a #6 cable from the negative terminal of your battery to one of the bolts on your radiator support.
10-27-2016, 11:02 PM
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Original alternator? How many miles? It almost sounds like there is a loose connection or worn/sticking brushes in the alternator. Could be that the brush holder or module are loose. The couple of high mileage nippondenso alternators I've taken apart weren't really worth the effort of fixing IMO. Many of the mid 90's and up alternators have components that are either welded or soldered together, so they're nowhere near as easy to rebuild.
You can pull the alternator and remove the rear cover to access the module, brush holder, and rectifier. You'll have to remove the brush holder to check brush length. If it's got a lot of miles on it, you'd be better off to just replace it though.
You can pull the alternator and remove the rear cover to access the module, brush holder, and rectifier. You'll have to remove the brush holder to check brush length. If it's got a lot of miles on it, you'd be better off to just replace it though.
10-27-2016, 11:46 PM
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Year: 2000 and 1998
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dvm for accuracy
bottom line when checking electrical problems. get a decent digital volt meter. i clip one to the batt terminals. you cant be sure of the dash voltmeter.
even the 'free" meter at harbor freight works well unuf.
even the 'free" meter at harbor freight works well unuf.
10-29-2016, 11:09 PM
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So I finally had time today to check my ground cable connections. Took the braided strap off the firewall and rear head bolt. Connections looked clean and solid, ground strap is greasy but not visually worn. Replaced with 18" #4 insulated ground cable. Tried to find #2 but only 1 parts store had them but it was way too long. Another store said we could make one custom but upon looking at the eyelets they had on hand, 3/8" openings were not going to work and the eyelets didn't have enough material to enlarge the hole for the head stud. Needs to be 4.6" opening. Went with a premade as mentioned above.
Took apart the ground connection near the dipstick and it too looked really good inside. Still wiped everything down and scuff it up a bit just to make sure.
Started the engine without any change in previous symptoms. Shopping for a new alternator now.
BTW, I never mentioned that I do have a nice volt meter to verify how the gauge in the cluster reads. It is dead on except when it drops to 9volts. Reading at the alternator with engine running was 11.5ish. Its my assumption that the alternator is not putting out ANY juice hence the 9volt reading and the "check gauges" light coming on and the drop in battery/alternator reading in the mid 11's.
EVHFAN2000
Took apart the ground connection near the dipstick and it too looked really good inside. Still wiped everything down and scuff it up a bit just to make sure.
Started the engine without any change in previous symptoms. Shopping for a new alternator now.
BTW, I never mentioned that I do have a nice volt meter to verify how the gauge in the cluster reads. It is dead on except when it drops to 9volts. Reading at the alternator with engine running was 11.5ish. Its my assumption that the alternator is not putting out ANY juice hence the 9volt reading and the "check gauges" light coming on and the drop in battery/alternator reading in the mid 11's.
EVHFAN2000
10-29-2016, 11:43 PM
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Year: 2000 and 1998
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So I finally had time today to check my ground cable connections. Took the braided strap off the firewall and rear head bolt. Connections looked clean and solid, ground strap is greasy but not visually worn. Replaced with 18" #4 insulated ground cable. Tried to find #2 but only 1 parts store had them but it was way too long. Another store said we could make one custom but upon looking at the eyelets they had on hand, 3/8" openings were not going to work and the eyelets didn't have enough material to enlarge the hole for the head stud. Needs to be 4.6" opening. Went with a premade as mentioned above.
Took apart the ground connection near the dipstick and it too looked really good inside. Still wiped everything down and scuff it up a bit just to make sure.
Started the engine without any change in previous symptoms. Shopping for a new alternator now.
BTW, I never mentioned that I do have a nice volt meter to verify how the gauge in the cluster reads. It is dead on except when it drops to 9volts. Reading at the alternator with engine running was 11.5ish. Its my assumption that the alternator is not putting out ANY juice hence the 9volt reading and the "check gauges" light coming on and the drop in battery/alternator reading in the mid 11's.
EVHFAN2000
Took apart the ground connection near the dipstick and it too looked really good inside. Still wiped everything down and scuff it up a bit just to make sure.
Started the engine without any change in previous symptoms. Shopping for a new alternator now.
BTW, I never mentioned that I do have a nice volt meter to verify how the gauge in the cluster reads. It is dead on except when it drops to 9volts. Reading at the alternator with engine running was 11.5ish. Its my assumption that the alternator is not putting out ANY juice hence the 9volt reading and the "check gauges" light coming on and the drop in battery/alternator reading in the mid 11's.
EVHFAN2000
mine , engine running, just about 14v..flip head lites on/off/hi/lo beam, it follows near 14v. just did it tonite
11-01-2016, 07:41 AM
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Year: 1989
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I would try checking your main battery cable going to the alternator from the battery the positive red cable and see if by some chance it is cracked split or frayed or burnt some where. Rule that out first before replacing alt if you want
10-21-2018, 09:17 PM
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Year: 1996 & 2000
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Clean the battery terminals
I had similar issues and simply cleaned the battery connections and the problems went away. I removed each lead and cleaned with a baking soda solution. Coated the posts and leads with electrical grease when I reinstalled.