I'm a femail and i need help
09-01-2009, 10:06 AM
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Model: Cherokee
I'm a femail and i need help
Okay..I have 1996 Jeep Cherokee, I will start with the beginning, my radio went out, i don't know if this has anything to do with the recent problems cause about 5 months later i am now having problems with my battery. The battery light starting coming on about a month ago, so i got a new battery, didn't help. Light still comes on. I was driving to my daughters daycare the gauges started going out, and it was making a funny sound, i left it running and came back out put it in reverse and it died on me. Took the battery with me and chraged it up, jumped it off and got it home. I then took my alternator to Advanced Auto Parts to get it tested, and the guy told me that it tested positive but it made a funny sound (whatever that means), so i had a friend who took it and cleaned it out real good. The light still comes on. Then had a friend change out the wires for the positive and negative on my battery, still no good. Light still comes on. Battery drains very slowly. If this helps, my friend doesn't think it is the alternator because he could start the car, and then take the battery out and it still ran off the alternator. I NEED MY CAR BACK, PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
09-01-2009, 10:23 AM
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Year: 1988 limited
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 litre
Hi, welcome to the forum from fantic.
The radio has nothing to do with the battery light coming on. Did you check your fuse?
If your battery dies slowly and the battery light comes on it means that your alternator is not charging enough or at all.
Since it is making a whining noise i suppose that the bearings of the alt. are gone. It might work for the first 5 min of driving but when the bad bearings get hot it won't charge anymore for the excessive heat.
Never ever disconnect a battery on a MPI fuel injected vehicle, this damages irremediably the diode assembly of the charging regulator of the alt.
Actually it is quite impossible to keep it running with the battery disconnected, it should die immediately.
I strongly recommend you to replace the alt. and tell your friend to keep his hands off a Jeep.
The radio has nothing to do with the battery light coming on. Did you check your fuse?
If your battery dies slowly and the battery light comes on it means that your alternator is not charging enough or at all.
Since it is making a whining noise i suppose that the bearings of the alt. are gone. It might work for the first 5 min of driving but when the bad bearings get hot it won't charge anymore for the excessive heat.
Never ever disconnect a battery on a MPI fuel injected vehicle, this damages irremediably the diode assembly of the charging regulator of the alt.
Actually it is quite impossible to keep it running with the battery disconnected, it should die immediately.
I strongly recommend you to replace the alt. and tell your friend to keep his hands off a Jeep.
09-01-2009, 10:34 AM
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With the vehicle off. Remove the negative battery cable and put a test light between the cable and the battery. If it lights up then something is drawing off the battery. Now make sure the doors are closed and I would disconnect the radio. Though you say it isn't working the radio always draws off the battery to store the memory, thought it SHOULDN'T be enough to drain the battery. One by one remove each fuse and see if the test light goes out. When it does this is the circuit you are having a short on.
09-01-2009, 10:43 AM
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Year: 1988 limited
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 litre
With the vehicle off. Remove the negative battery cable and put a test light between the cable and the battery. If it lights up then something is drawing off the battery. Now make sure the doors are closed and I would disconnect the radio. Though you say it isn't working the radio always draws off the battery to store the memory, thought it SHOULDN'T be enough to drain the battery. One by one remove each fuse and see if the test light goes out. When it does this is the circuit you are having a short on.
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09-01-2009, 10:44 AM
#8
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I have had this situation happen to me on a Ford. It is possible for an alternator to have voltage, but low amperage. That means it is possible to show good on a voltage meter, but not provide enough power to run the vehicle. A new alternator will fix it.
09-01-2009, 11:00 AM
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Year: 1996
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L HO
Funny Noise! What kind of parts store are you going to. The guy behind the counter should have known it was bad even though it tested fine. There testing machines aren't always right, trust me. When you buy the new Alt. have them test it right then and there. Just a small shot of reassurance at best. I have had bad ones out of the box. Try to buy a NEW one with a lifetime warranty. 
09-01-2009, 11:56 AM
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Year: 1998
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 HO
+13 (I think) on the alternator.
I've seen alternators fail where they will still put out voltage and amperage, but they will have odd spikes and drops in amperage and will just act very very strange all together. Those many magnets and wires spinning around that fast and that close to each other can do very weird things when something fails...
Replace it, it's easy...
I've seen alternators fail where they will still put out voltage and amperage, but they will have odd spikes and drops in amperage and will just act very very strange all together. Those many magnets and wires spinning around that fast and that close to each other can do very weird things when something fails...
Replace it, it's easy...
09-01-2009, 12:34 PM
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Year: 1987
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 liter RENIX I-6, DIY Cold Air Intake, 2.5 FM Exhaust, 3 Core Radiator
The auto parts store cannot LOAD TEST an alternator or starter. Even though their tester says it's good, it can still be bad under a load...I.E. when it is trying to start and power your Jeep. Like FiveNDime said, when you told your parts counter idiot that it was making a funny noise he/she should have chalked that up to a bad bearing and immediately told you the alternator needed to be replaced. I also agree with whoever said your friend's troubleshooting skills are flakey. Please don't let him touch your XJ ever again. In this modern day of electronic controlled vehicles, you should NEVER pull a battery cable on a running vehicle.
