Scott_Sport99

How are you all doing. I just purchased a used 99 XJ 4.0. it is a few miles shy of 200K and the body, tranny , engine are all solid.
It has a few issues I hope I can get some help with.

1-The alternator is putting out 16-17 volts and sounds like a stereo with a bad ground(it has the speed sensitive whine like a bad ground) so I am guessing alternator is shot.My testor says 16-17, the gauge in the truck says normal 14.

2- The housing in the upper front of the block that has the upper rad hose has a drip, I am guessing the gasket is shot and hoping it was not overtightened and cracked..is this a common thing?

3- OMG the valve cover gasket. I heard that is a normal leak and reoccurs very quickly, true? There is oil on everything and I am not into that lol.

4- passenger side window, no movement from either switch. Seems like a wire is off or motor to me.

5- power door locks..nada ziltch zero.. from either switch.

6- the interior smells like wet dog but I can work that one out with some effort.

7- the truck has a powered sunroof.. the gears just make a grinding sound..was this a factory installed thing or are they aftermarket?

8- the drivers seat is jerked! need a new one or weld the frame? it rocks and wobbles and twists on the right lower side.

I also own a 2002 supercharged VW passat stick as my daily driver. The jeep is for going up to Pa and for the winter when it snows(the passat is lowered)
I am a moderator on a site called PassatWorld and hope to get as much info on this forum as I have off that one. So if you know of anything that can help and any other common things to check out please feel free to direct me to links, info etc.
I will greatly appreciate it and hope to help out here when I learn more.
Thanks for whatever help you can offer

blinkbears

Nice XJ. None too happy that I wasted bandwidth on those passat pics in the XJ tech forum

Scott_Sport99

ok are gone

wasted bandwidth, get off of 56k!

brutalxj

Your alt is toast
Yes the T-stat housing will crack if over torqued however check your hoses before a new gasket. And to be honest I use ATV instead of a gasket.
windows and locks could be the regulator or bad wiring and or motor switch ext.
Have to do some digging on that. Meaning take the panels off.
Sun roof could go ether way.
The seat I bet a bolt broke. Easy fix if not pick up a new one at a JY


Welcome to the form and don't forget about the search icon.

brutalxj

Oh ya as far as VW's what till mine gives me problems one more time. I'll post picks of me running it over!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Scott_Sport99

I use search, you guys may want to upgrade the vBulletin for the google search on top and bottom of every page, it rocks. also thanks for the help!

spazzyfry123

My seat does the same.

We'll just leave it at "whoa big girl".

Rudy

For the power door locks and windows check for a broken ground wire inside the rubber tube that runs between the drivers door and the door frame. The wire you are looking for is a black one and it's quite common for this wire to break given the number of times the drivers door opens and closes. When you find the broken wire, don't just join up the ends,it's better to solder it and then wrap with shrink tube.

excess650

For the power door locks, check the fuses.

The thermostat housing has been known to crack if over tightened.

As for the alternator, what voltage is your battery seeing at idle and various RPMs. I think the voltage regulator is in the ECU and not in the alternator. Trust what you see with your VOM and not the factory gauge.

Scott_Sport99

it is 16ish at idle. goes up some if I rev it.

excess650

If you're seeing that much voltage at the battery, the regulator isn't getting its job done, and your battery is soon to be cooked. I'm pretty sure the voltage regulator is in the ECU and not external.

blinkbears

Lol. Just giving you crap. No 56K but next step up. Satellite internet and the FAP policy FTL.

CharlesS

The ECM regulates the charging voltage by the voltage sensed on the Field connections on the back of the alternator towards the bottom. Check to see if these connections are loose or dirty.

CharlesS

As others have posted.... If the previous owner was a larger person then he problem is definitely a broken frame.... It can be rewelded; just make sure to reinforce the broken area and look for other stress cracks.

Scott_Sport99

Correct me if I am wrong, there is a separate voltage reg on a 99?
where is the little bugger located exactly.
The whine is crazy on this thing, can hear it inside.
I want to change the battery but don't want to cook it so the charging system gets first priority.
Thanks again for the help.
I have been on here for 2 days reading and it is 2 steps forward one step back lol.
I cannot believe how all the nuts and bolts on American cars rust the way they do, been a while since I last had my Monte SS then went German.
Is the fuse panel that thing by the lower pas kick panel? mine has had some prying hands in there

I just did more reading and seen that I have to change the computer to fix this charging problem.
Is this true or is there a fix for it.
where is the ECU located?