Haley Lawrence

94 cherokee 4.0 automatic. replaced alternator a few months back. had battery tested, came out fine. still no power. wont start. when i jump it it will only show 9 volts on the dash. im at a total loss here. my boyfriend doesnt know either, just keeps saying it could be the computer. he also said something about the voltage regulator. i dont know what im doing, and i need to talk to someone who really does.

Fred/N0AZZ

You did have the battery load tested correct? Have the alt checked also then check all connections battery positive, ground and the starter connections (clean and tight). It could be any number of things including the starter.

ArcticXJ

0

Haley Lawrence

yes, my bf took both out and to parts store while i was at work and they tested them for me. said both were fine. followed all my wires and **** yesterday couldnt find anything weird.

Haley Lawrence

yeah it turns over, and then clicks. i think for some reason my battery isnt charging. idk why tho, they told me it was fine, cuz originally i thought i had a dead cell. alternator is supposedly fine too. its a reman'd one with lifetime warranty, but they tested and said it was fine

dmill89

It is very possible the alternator is bad even if it tests good at the parts store. It is very common for failing alternators to work fine at room temperature, but fail when exposed to the heat under the hood of a vehicle. Most "reman" alternators are little better than what you might find in a junkyard, many remanufactures do nothing more than replace the brushes and clean them up a little (some replace the bearings, but many do not if they are in spec), and they then charge you 70%-80% the cost of a new one (this is how they can offer "lifetime warranties", even if they have to replace it two or 3 times they still make money).


Can you start it with a jump? If you can the alt or battery (or wiring) would be prime suspects, if not the starter, relays, wiring, solenoid, etc. would be the prime suspects.

Haley Lawrence

thank you, it will start with a jump, the voltage stays around 9 on the battery gauge tho. it just hasnt been making any sense to me that it would do this if the alternator is fine and i havent found another explanation for it... so that is almost a relief that it may be the problem after all. i honestly have no idea when it comes to mechanics and all this, so all of your advice is extremely appreciated. thank you so much.

rgr4475

I've had both alternators and batteries that tested good at the auto supply store only for them to be bad.

I had an alternator in my F150 this past year that upon start up would charge the system but after a while would slowly discharge the system. So when I drove to the auto parts store, it tested good because it was maintaining the charge only for it to die later on.

TwistedWrench

If the alternator isn't working, the engine will run off the battery instead of the alternator. Meaning even if you jump it and get it started, it will eventually shut off on its own, leaving you with a completely dead battery. Doesn't sound like this is what's happening. It is also VERY unlikely that the computer has anything to do with your problem.

I would double check to make sure that you have a good connection at your starter, starter relay, battery terminals, engine ground-strap, etc.

If all this checks out, start by replacing your battery cables. These are cheap, and a very common culprit in an issue like this. Just because they look good, doesn't mean they are good. If all else fails, get a NEW high quality battery.

Good luck!

Haley Lawrence

that is kind of what happened, im not very good at explaining this i guess. lol it ran after a jump, only at 9 volts, and then slowly died, first my headlights (i was trying to get home) and the i puttered in to my driveway (i was only like three minutes from home)

Cheddarnut

I would get a new battery, if that doesn't fix it then exchange the alternator. It really sounds like one or the other. Also when Fred mentioned checking the grounds, he didn't mean just visually inspect them. I believe he was suggesting you disconnect each fitting, clean it back to bare metal then reinstall so you are sure to have good contact.

JandDGreens

Check your fuse in your engine bay, might just be a blown 40 amp fuse for your alt.. My son has had problems with both his 94 and 95 blowing that fuse, so he carries a spare at all times.

TwistedWrench

Alternator!

Or a broken wire/connection from the alternator, bad positive cable, etc.

freegdr

Turns over then clicks ....bad connection or cables.

Fred/N0AZZ

I'm still sticking with that till I find out otherwise.