jeepanishads

I have a 96 sport that has thrown a CEL code of 17 and 21 (i think that's right) for a while.

~I got a new o2 sensor installed and removed the terminals to the battery and touched them together for a moment then drove on the interstate at a steady pace for a while after letting the engine come to temp (other code).

^this seemed to help MPG (i.e. running rich) nevertheless still throws codes for o2 and not reaching temp. also, the voltage meter in the dash reads low.

~so i could and did live with that for a while, until ..... the other day I drove through some shallow water and the power steering went out momentarily during which the volt meter dropped to the red line.

things i have done to the jeep incidental or otherwise include:
~apn header
~cat and back magnaflow
~big *** fancy hot air intake
~o2 in cat replaced
~ignition coil, wires, points, rotter, plugs blabla tune up crap
~B.D. motor mounts
~guy before me installed radio
~new A.C. compressor
~new radiator, freeze plugs, hoses
~and love

thanks guys this forum has helped me immensely in the past so thanks again and i look forward to your response

SCRebeck

Most likely when you hit the puddle, water splashed up on the belt causing it to slip momentarily, even if it didn't squeal

jeepanishads

i drove through 3 inches of water like an old lady, i should be able to drive through some water in a 4x4 right?

SCRebeck

Do you have all the original splash guards? Also check and make sure your belt is in good condition and at the right tension. If there is any oil or residue on your belt or pulleys it can cause it to slip easily if it gets wet

jeepanishads

i believe i'm up to snuff on all that ( i spend time regularly poking around in the engine bay looking for that kind of stuff). i don't feel like that would kill the electrical system though.

SCRebeck

Just to be clear, you hit the puddle and your power steering and electrical went out at the same time then came back at the same time? How long was it out for?

kennzz05

dont trust the gauge read with a meter, power steering is belt slippage

jeepanishads

key off engine off 12.36v on/on 13.72v but couldn't test during event

ya it was synchronous and momentary for two blocks or so

kennzz05

13.7 is low i believe should be 14.1

jeepanishads

so if on/on voltage is low do you think it is a electrical issue (e.g. bad ground, short) that was worsened by the water? any youtube recommendations for short hunting or is there a common weakness people know about? i really dont think it is a belt issue.

SCRebeck

Where are you taking your reading from? Start the engine, see what the voltage is at the battery. If your getting low volts then you have a bad alternator or bad connection. Also, if your power steering went out for a minute, that means your alternator stopped turning also, thus causing your electrical drop