ET JEEP

Go to page 8 of the wiring diagram. See the instrument cluster. A3 is the alternator light. The circle with the pigtail shape inside is the light bult for the alternator. Look on the right side where A5 is located and next to it you will see the voltmeter. They work independently but are connected to the same power wire.

You need to check your instrument cluster, on your Jeep, and see if you have an alternator light.

dham99

I just went out and actually looked at the current one and the original (original owner replaced the OEM one with another year one that had an RPM gauge). But Im guessing you mean there might be a light actually up behind the cluster near the firewall or something...cause both gauge clusters have zero lights besides the bulb for the backlight. Let me find that wiring diagram and make sense of the wiring...but i am 100% positive i have no 'visible' lights that i would see without tearing out the cluster. i can go do that though, cause my dash is already apart lol...

ET JEEP

No need to tear anything apart. The alternator light is just a warning light, that should be on your dash panel, that turns on when you turn the key. It turns on with all the other warning lights.

If you don't have any warning lights, then we are looking at the wrong thing.

dham99

you may be spot on!
check this out, here is a pic of my instrument panel unscrewed but set near its location.
then there was this little 'culprit' bulb sitting BEHIND the cluster!
it looked like it was broke off some spot it should have been sitting in, but there are NO bulb spots in the back of the cluster, even by the 'check engine' '4x4 engaged' lights on the left of the driver. so where it was supposed to be, i dont know.

then i looked even closer (pics wouldnt show on my iPhone), but the filament is busted. thus..no connection for the circuit? i tried pulling the bulb but it seems its permenant, and i ay have to buy a bulb, and splice into the black and black/orange wires going to the bulb. its hard to say where they go into the firewall, cause it goes into a big cluster of wiring all taped up.

did we just find the problem? a busted bulb?

freegdr

that looks like dash light bulb maybe for the clock or something im talking about a idiot light you have the gauge

ET JEEP

Ok, if I understand you right, the wires are black and black/orange and the bulb is busted. The wire to the alternator is black/orange is that correct?

We may have something here.

freegdr

the bulb just pulls out of the socket the socket goes in a hole and turns to lock it in

dham99

i tried pulling on it, i think its like the 'xmas lights' where if i pull it it'll strip the bulb out. i guess since the bulb is shot anyways, it cant hurt to try to grip it and yank her out.

the wire in questions from the Alt was more of a light colored tan/black.

black/orange was something that kept coming up but there are tons of black/orange wires in that cluster up front.

this doesnt mean the wiring didnt get spliced in with a different color setup somewhere. but tracing it is too hard unless i yank the whole harness and cut the tape...id rather not do that

it definitely came from somewhere and wasnt meant to just sit there, cause the black plastic around it looksl like it screwed in, like the ones on the left where the check engine and stuff are (but its too short to have reached).

oh..and that wiring diagram also shows a light for the oil pressure, but there is only a gauge. but so far, no other lights that i can find behind the gauge cluster. so what that light is for, i wont know until i replace the bulb.

98jeepsrt6

try just grounding that wire.. Hello and glad to see ur up and running

From pigtail of alt. ground blk/orange to complete its circut.

X2 vvv

freegdr

what im saying is you will not have alight you have agauge instead

ET JEEP

Do a continuity test on that black/orange wire with the alternator wire. Clip a wire with an alligator clip to the pin on the alternator connector. Stick a pin or needle in the black/orange wire by the bulb and connect the meter and see if you have continuity. If yes, that is your alternator wire and alternator light. The black wire on the bulb would then be the power feed.

Do this test and see what you have. Hopefully CONTINUITY.

freegdr

you will not have a idiot light for the alt if you have a guage for it

ET JEEP

That wiring diagram you sent shows both a light bulb and a voltmeter. Since this dash panel has been changed, not sure what he has.

dham99

ive gotta get a set of alligator clamps..but looky what we have here!
when i go pick up some clamps tomorrow or thursday after work, ill pick me up one of these if AZ has one. I just turned and pulled until i thought it was gonna break in my hand, and 'yoink!', out it came

98jeepsrt6

we have a common variable here...

3 wires that control alt.. need a source(yellow) need a signal(Pos from alt eye hole) and ground..

Now same senario with pigtail.. source(yellow) signal(blk/org) and ground after gauge.

If any of these dont not work alt will not do what is suposed to do..

Correct?