Kmart164

Alright guys, first technical post on nyah for me.

From what I've gathered, the squeaking belt with the heater on is almost normal?

And at a completely cold engine, with the heat on full blast, and the lights on (at night), I will notice the check gauges idiot light turns on, the dash lights dim bad, and the voltmeter will drop until i turn off the heat. Then the check gauges light will turn off, and the dsah lights will brighten back up, along with the voltmeter going back to normal.

That has happened to me about 10 times. very annoying. sometimes turning the heat off wont work, and ill have to pull over and shut the engine off, restart and I'm golden. It's weird. Sometimes with the afore mentioned scenario, nothin will go wrong.

Do I need a new belt? Or an alternator? Both? I'm thinking the belt is so worn, it doesn't have any grip anymore.

Next would be the steering. Again, from a cold start, I live in a culdesac, and park infront of my parents house. In the mornings I pull into to culdesac to turn around to leave, and in this manuver, I turn left, resulting in waht feels like a buckling in the tire sidewalls. It's like a skipping, almost like there's a locker in the front axle, but it's in 2WD. But after it gets to normal operating temp, it disappears. And this only happens in sharp turns, not say a turn at a stoplight, or a 4 way stop.

That happens everytime.

Oh, it's a 1997 XJ sport automatic 4WD.

Bigclubs

Before you condem the alternator as the fault for the dimming lights and gauges, have the alternator checked for bad diodes and bearings. Any of the bearings and pulleys the surpentine belt comes in contact with could be the possible cause for the squeeling and dimming lights. The alternator's low output could be tripping the check engine guage. Check to see if there is a code stored in the ECM? This could point you in the direction to start.

I lived with the squeeling for years until the power steering resevior bearing finally went south. The bearings were probably going bad and would restrict the speed of the belt and cause the squeel. The belt would slow down and the voltage guage would drop on the dash. Once the squeeling stopped the guage would read between 12-14 volts.

If the power steering pump bearings are bad then there is not enough pressure in the lines, that could give you that feeling of the tires jerking while turning hard. Have you checked the fluid levels? There could be air in the lines from low fluid or excess moisture in the fluid. This would cause the fluid to not work properly. It's not very common, but it's something to look at also.

Bigclubs

After reading your post again. Sound like the tire skip happens at a sharp turn from a stop? Maybe its the time to check the front u-joints, If the bearings are frozen, this would make the tire skip and feel like the axles are tring to lock-up.

Kmart164

wow! Thanks man. Much appreciated. I'm away from the jeep at the moment. Gonna have a go at it this coming monday. anyone else care to weigh in?

Kmart164

Bump.

asatxj

If your squeal is at start up with the heat on I'd very very likely that your AC pulley bearing is bad. I replaced mine and now everything is quiet. There's a guy on Feebay who sells them for about $15. Takes about 1/2 hour to do the job. As far as your driveline issue, sounds like a U joint to me. FWIW, mine does that in parking lots from time to time and I have all new replaceable parts in the suspension. Check the usual culprits such as ujoints, TRE's etc.

Kmart164

Okay, sounds good. This is robably going to make you headbutt a wall, but what ones are the u-joints. I have a background in auto tech and service, but cant for the life of me remember what it is.

Man I feel dumb.

P.S. Go Ravens!

asatxj

Ujoint replacement
no Whole bunch of
Ujoints are pretty basic stuff to forget as a service tech. Sure you know what you are doing? First Jeep after a life of econoboxes?

shooter5635

The same exact thing happened to me with the heat and gauges dropping. Check fuse number 21...it's a small fuse, but thats what was causing it for me. Good luck!

Kmart164

Well, when I say service tech, I went to a vocational school half days through a local career center. Regular High school till 12, then Vocational from 12 30 to 2 50. All we worked on was small cars and mini vans really. Took 2 years, and learned alot from it, but just had a massive brain shart.

And yes, this is my first Jeep. had a 95 mazda 62-Sucks. (626). Sold it to my brother, then got this jeep from a Illinois state police auction for 1100.

Thanks guys for the help! Ill look at all of these come monday. Is there a way to check if the u joint is bad? such as play in the driveshaft?

asatxj

put a pry bar in there and check for movement, try to rotate it with the tire on the ground. Movement = Junk. If you do one, might as well do the other, it will go soon also. Don't forget the anti-seize!!! If you ask "where do I put that?" the Jeep will come and harm you!
You are going to have to search for how to remove the hub. The search function is good to use. Try NAXJA too!

Kmart164

haha, alright bud. I'll give it a shot when it starts warming up. Im in Central Illinois and it's colder than a democrats heart here.

asatxj

Nice and warm down there! The are saying warmer today, might see mid 20's! Good thing I like cold! My classroom is usually about 65* Kids shiver so they don't doze off and do school work to stay active.

Kmart164

Haha, gotta love the way teachers do things! What do you teach?

asatxj

I've been Alternative Education for years but now I'm Middle School Special Ed.
BTW I can't control the temp in the room, one day it's hot next day we freeze. Our district has no $$ so stuff doesn't get fixed.