Hey guys, read quite a bit about changing battery cables. So I got some new ones from advance, put them on today. They are quite a bit thicker than the ones I replaced.

Reason I replaced them was my voltage was going up to 19 and the check gauge light was coming on.

Anyhow , I had to rig the cables with a crimper and copper fittings so I fit the bolts back on for grounds. After getting it all put together the jeep starts fine. Voltage is about a 12, but I'm getting an electrical burning smell. To me it's coming around the alternator. There is also a whistling sound coming from the jeep now. Any ideas about what might be the problem. I still need to change the valve cover gasket.

Thanks! Larry
2001 xj 170,000 miles.

 

Test your battery and alternator. The dash gauge should show 14 volts when the engine is running.
http://www.2carpros.com/articles/how...-a-car-battery

 

Try to isolate the burning smell.

The two critical components for your charging system are the alternator and also don't forget that the voltage regulator is located inside of the computer.

The alternator fails way more often than the voltage regulator, but a blown regulator can result in "unregulated" charging (high charging rate / high voltage readings on your dash).

 

I could understand bad cables causing a low voltage reading, but not a high reading. Check your battery with engine OFF using a VOM. It should read more than 12v but less than 13v. Start the engine and read again at idle. It should show close to 14v. Increase engine speed and observe the VOM. The voltage may increase slightly, but shouldn't go past 15v. If it does, the regulator may be going bad. If you see more than 16V at any engine speed, your regulator is toast.

A burning electrical smell is not a good sign.

 

Thanks for the advice! I'll be looking into it soon. Do you think the whistle sound might be coming from the alternator as well?

I'm going to look for an alternator online. Never done it before, but I got the Haynes and I'll check the write ups if there is one.

Thanks again for the replies.