GreyDog

Hey everybody,

So I'm driving my stock 99 XJ Sport (I6) to get some Grizzly Wintergreen (yummmm haha) and on the way home (It's like a 20min each way trip to the store... In a different state... haha gotta love living in the middle of nowhere) I get a 'check gauges'.

So... I check my gauges (cause I have all of them wooot) and my battery guage is all the way down, hovering just over 9 (which is low). Prior to today it always stayed at 14, right smack in the middle where it should be. I drove the rest of the way home (about 15 minutes on 45-55mph country roads) and parked her in the driveway.

I shut off the engine, opened the hood and checked around for something obvious (like I would even know....). Turned the Jeep back on and the battery gauge started to climb back up, stopped at just under 12 and stayed there fluctuating slightly.

I took the Jeep for a quick spin (like up my driveway, down the nextdoor neighbors and back). About 2 minutes into this little test trip the battery gauge fell to 9 again (it seems like its hovering just about completely shut off) and the 'check gauges' light came on again.

At this point I parked the Jeep and came inside and posted this thread. My technical knowledge is lacking for sure, but with your help and some troubleshooting I'm sure I can fix this. I just don't really know what I am fixing yet lol

Anyways, thanks in advance for any help you guys can give. (and by guys I mean girls too )

cdf43

More then likely your alternator is on its way out.

GreyDog

More Info:
- The battery contacts were super corroded when I first got the Jeep, cleaned them off and reattached them (this was about two months ago). Both are old and haggard.

- Shortly after cleaning them I was driving and my 'check gauges' light came on. Checked gauges and my battery gauge was all the way up. Tightening the contacts worked and I never saw the problem again. Jeep wouldn't start once it was shut off until I fiddled with the contacts.

- Jeep runs like a champ, and ran fine even when the battery gauge was bottomed out. No flickering of the dash or radio. When it first happened the radio was on, loud, and there was no flicker or weakening.

-Please ask me for any additional info as I might not know offhand what is or is not important.

- Pics can come later (I don't have a cool phone or a camera, gf does) but don't think they will help much either way. Could be wrong

CF ftw!!! (even my VW didn't have this much community support, and those guys might love their company even more than Jeep owners, misguided as they may be )

GreyDog

LAME.

Thank you, though.

cdf43

If you have a autozone or orielys close by they'll test your battery and alternator for free.

GreyDog

I do actually. There is an o'rielys by the gas station. Is it ok to drive there do you think?

GreyDog

The Jeep didn't start. At first it didn't even come on in the 'on' position, but I opened the hood and tightened the battery contacts. After that it would come on but when I tried to turn it over it just clicked then died.

I diconnected the neg and cleared a little corrosion but when I went to put it back on it threw sparks... Which I thought it wasn't supposed to do... And scared the crap out of me.

cdf43

Do you have a voltage meter? Hook it up to the battery and see if you have close to 12 volts. If not you gotta charge it or jump it. Then if you got it running check the battery voltage again. Should be close to 14. If its running and voltage is 12 or below alternator is most likely toast. If you can't get the battery to 12 with it off then the battery is toast. Could also be the cables or the terminals.

cdf43

Also. A little arching is to be expected when you hook the battery up

99redclassic

Sounds like your alternator is going out, my battery gauge did the same thing before i replaced my alternator. Battery and alt tested fine at O'Reilly's initially when the gauge was up to normal, test it while it is down around 9 and they will tell you it's the alt.

GreyDog

I dont but I'll buy one at harbor freight asap.

I just called the dealer about the cables and terminals and they said $250 for the whole wiring assembly and I said thank you for the part number lol

Oriely's has the pos and neg terminals for like $12 apiece, mine are jacked up (like the neg has a screw holding it on tight), so I'm gonna start with those and the volt meter.

In the end it probably is my alternator, which sucks lol

Thank you guys.

GreyDog

Hey, as a kind of side note... I got my oem build list today from Jeep and it says I have an 124amp alt. If I do have to replace it, is there a better one I should get instead?

cdf43

It's probably a good idea to replace the terminals. That will save you a headache further down the road. As far as the alternator. I'd just get what ever is available from autozone or orielys.

GreyDog

ok I got it started with no jump or charge, running voltage (after approx 10 min.) was between 13 and 14. It took a while to get there.

cdf43

Charging voltage should be about 14 volts. I'd start by replacing your terminals since it sounds like they need to be replaced anyway and it's cheaper then the alternator.