Ok so for the past couple of days my check gauges light has been popping on every couple times i start the jeep. the alternator is a year old (if that) and the battery is 3 years old and I'm still getting good power from the battery. And i don't know if this can help but you know when vehicles are just shut off and cooling down they have a *tick* sound every so often? well mine has that but it sounds like an electrical *zap* every so often while its cooling down and I've never heard this sound from the jeep in the 4 years I've owned it. so i guess the question is what could be 1. making the "check gauges" light come on and 2. be making that zapping sound?

 

When it's running (after warm-up), where do the gauges point?

 

the only one effected is the battery gauge, it points all the way to the left. any ideas?

 

anyone have an idea? it just happened on my way home from for today...