PUNISHER

Okay folks..About a week ago I went to start the XJ (97 4.0,AW4) the starter turned over once and then quit. Hit the switch again and she fired right up. Drove it a few miles and brought it back home and parked it. Yesterday while I was working on my Bronco I decided to start the XJ and let it idle. Well, she wouldn't turn over! I can here the relays or what I take is the relays clicking under the hood.

So I grabbed my meter and checked the battery voltage and I got 12.2 volts. Is this voltage to low to start the XJ? I was thinking that I should at least get maybe a slow start/ turn over at 12.2V. I have read where 12.6V is a good charged battery and anything under 12.39V is a discharged battery. I have a Optima Red Top and it is an old battery that I have had for years. I just want to ask before I go out and purchase another battery and that not be the issue. I have had enough electrical gremlins cause me headaches with this rig and I get a little skidish when it doesn't want to start now!!

bakas

Well, 12.2V is not bad, it's not the problem. And Voltage really doesn't mean a lot, you should make a load test and see if it is healthy or not. If it's cranking and doesn't start then check your CPS. There are tons of sources in CF about "no start but healthy cranking". When I had that problem, my battery was pulling 9.8 to 10.2 V and it still was starting after a couple tries, and cranking was pretty good. (Somtimes after 10 mins of crank). But it was not supplying sufficient amount of amperes, so when I changed the battery my problems were solved.

You can always jump start your jeep and see if it's the battery btw.

PUNISHER

Thanks..The Jeep won't hit a lick. No turn over no nothing.. I am going to pull the battery out of my Bronco and try that tomorrow morning.

Cherryokee

Hi Punisher. Your XJ is jealous of the attention to the Bronco, so it's vying for some attention of it's own. This behavior is similar to that of your mate giving you the cold shoulder.

But seriously, keep it simple and do easy low-buck stuff first. Cooler weather is coming and and an ounce of prevention can pay big dividends. Clean the terminations at the battery posts, starter and grounds. Do you have a battery charger? If yes, then put the battery on it and trickle-charge it for an hour or two while doing something else. When all else is done and re-connected, then start & run until warm. Connect voltmeter at the battery to observe charge voltage while applying electrical loads such-as blower (run your A/C on & off too), wipers and headlamps (each alone at first and then vary combinations). Also set the e-brake and put her in gear to load it further. The observed charge voltage, which is regulated within the ECM and not the alternator (as some would think), should stay between 14.4 and 12.6 VDC. Absolute bottom value can drop momentarily to ~12.4 VDC but should never stay that low.

If the above criteria are not satisfied then you may need a battery. Borrow a known good one and repeat the process to confirm the need before spending $$$ for a new one. Also, if never done previously, it may be wise to replace the brushes in the alternator, which should be =<$40 at an auto electric starter/alternator rebuilder or you can do it yourself (it's actually pretty easy to do because it's just a "brush-carrier" module).

One more thing, but this may need confirmation as I'm not sure if the '97XJ has this, in my '99 there's a battery temperature sensor mounted in the bottom of the battery tray (a spring-loaded round disc sits against the bottom of the battery). When/if this sensor fails then it has an unfavorable effect on charging, so it's worth checking the resistance of this sensor against factory spec.

Just remember to continue applying the K.I.S.S. principle. It can save you lots of moolah and lost time. Good Luck!

tiedupgood

Online or Harbor Freight sells the battery testers for $20 in change. I have one and it does a fair job. Puts it under load so it tells you a little bit more. Just a thought.

BlueRidgeMark

I suspect he doesn't care any more. It's a 7 year old thread. You may have been bitten by the "Related Threads" feature that drags up anything and everything that might be related to the thread you are reading, and puts it at the bottom of the page. It can suck you into a different thread before you realize it. If I ruled the world, I'd disable it on the entire site. The good news is, you can disable it for yourself in your profile. I don't recall how, but it's in there somewhere.



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awg

I would have loftier ambitions, starting with my favorite Sports presenter ( Mel Mclaughlin )