Originally Posted by NewbJeep

I'm leaning toward a dirty connection behind the cluster. Well known common problem. Chrysler knew it so they sell another connecting adapter for the problem. Pull the gauge cluster, clean the connectors and see whats what. Also, check the C4 connector in the junction box (pass side wall at feet).

Originally Posted by Rambler65

Thanks, I'll check it, have some De-Oxit that I can spray on the connectors to clean them up. Would that or the C4 connector cause the alternator to stop working?

Originally Posted by 1991Jeep_Man

For the terminals? Not the fuses. I have the fuses out. I am trying to remove the actual terminal the fuse goes into. I am modifying a PDC for my accessories, so I will have two of them. I got the relay terminals out and the mini fuses ones out. I just cannot get the MAXI ones out.

Originally Posted by Rambler65

So I'm driving along in my '99 XJ and all of a sudden some of the gauges start going nuts. Most noticeable is that at low speeds the speedometer goes crazy, driving in a parking lot it swings wildly between zero and full scale. Once at road speed (say about 40 mph) it settles down but is still shaky.

This is a full gauge cluster - after a little while the "check gauges" light comes on, and the voltmeter is showing zero volts! Obviously this is a crock because the Jeep wouldn't be running, but something is clearly wrong. So I turn off all non-essential electrical equipment and get home. The other gauges seem to function normally. Trans feels a little funny taking off from a stop while the speedometer goes nuts, delayed engagement and shifting until up to speed.

Just measured voltage at the battery. It's 12.4 V with everything turned off and just 12V with the engine running. So it seems that alternator is probably shot and the electronics might be not liking the low voltage. The alternator underneath the A/C compressor, so probably easiest to remove it from the bottom? (Should be able to search for R&R instructions here.) Anything else I should check before condemning the alternator, isn't voltage regulation controlled by the engine computer?

Originally Posted by NewbJeep

I'm leaning toward a dirty connection behind the cluster. Well known common problem. Chrysler knew it so they sell another connecting adapter for the problem. Pull the gauge cluster, clean the connectors and see whats what. Also, check the C4 connector in the junction box (pass side wall at feet).

Originally Posted by NewbJeep

No. What symptoms lean you toward alternator? I was going with a wonky cluster. Should be able to test the alternator easy enough

Originally Posted by Basslicks

My Jeep is OBDI and it behaved similarly when my alternator was going out. It started with no turn signals, then spiraled into no gauges, abnormal shifting, and then finally there was barely enough power left in the battery to power the injectors and fuel pump. That was a lot of fun, let me tell ya.

Originally Posted by Rambler65

I'm figuring the symptoms are probably due to low voltage. I had similar issues when the alternator went out on another car, as the voltage dropped things just kept getting weirder.

I'm going to pull the alternator, it's not that bad a job, and have it tested. If needed I see NAPA sells a rebuilt one for $134, might be better than Auto Dead Zone or Advance Junk Parts.

Originally Posted by Basslicks

If you can hold out for a few days, get the XJWonders cable upgrade and look for a RAY 2138632 - which is NAPA's part number for the 136 amp XJ alternator. Same thing as the ZJ or Durango 136 alternator, but with pulley has the correct number of grooves on it so you don't have extra pulley sticking out past the belt.

Originally Posted by Rambler65

Tempting, but I need to get this back on the road ASAP - it's my daily driver since the transmission in what was my daily driver crapped out on me. So I'll most likely keep it stock. (I'm not running any kind of special equipment that would need higher amperage.)

Originally Posted by 1991Jeep_Man

For the terminals? Not the fuses. I have the fuses out. I am trying to remove the actual terminal the fuse goes into. I am modifying a PDC for my accessories, so I will have two of them. I got the relay terminals out and the mini fuses ones out. I just cannot get the MAXI ones out.

Originally Posted by Basslicks

When you say "loss of power" do you mean "motor power" like less "umph" or electrical power?

If it's electrical power, that sounds like the motor is going bad. What's happening there is, the motor gets to a "dead" spot and stays there... power is going to the motor and it's trying to turn, but it's working harder than it normally does to get it out of that dead spot.

BTW, the "HEAT" setting on the control panel is the norm in most old-school setups. Hot air rises, so when you turn the setting to "HEAT", the diverter shunts the vents to the floor so that it will warm your feet, and then rise and warm the rest of the inside. You can use the heat setting with your temperature blender at any setting, but the compressor will only kick on with MAX A/C, NORM, Bi-Level, and WINDSHIELD Defroster. Conversly, you can set your blend door to HEAT and put it on any of those settings and it will blow hot air.

To sum THAT up, think of the temperature control as your blend door, and the controls above it as your diverter.... heat just means floor.



This is the most likely possibility... although it doesn't explain the "power loss" thing described.



Ever see an arc jump and hold the arc until the power is disconnected? In a loose connection like what Salad is describing, once the connection is established enough to get things working, it generates an electromagnetic field around it that is just enough to KEEP things going until the power is disconnected -OR- you hit a bump that jars things too far apart for the EMF to remain intact. Now, once you shut everything off, the power is disconnected, and whatever position the loose connection is in will determine whether there's enough of a connection to make things work.

Clear as mud?

Either way, start with your electrical connections. Make sure all your grounds are good and your hots AND grounds are tight. If it's still doing it after that, I'd look at the resistor and then the fan. That lack of power thing has me a little mystified though.



No trick, just gotta pull harder on them... maybe wiggle them a little long-ways. They'll come up, just takes more effort. Remember, the tighter the connection, the better the flow of current... and they've been in there for a LONG time in a tight slot.

Originally Posted by BayouXJ

Hopefully you all might be able to point me in the right direction. '86 Cherokee with a manual tranny original motor was the 2.8 V6. Well the PO has swapped in a chevy 4.3L V6.

Okay to the problem. My Jeep has been sitting for almost 2 years. It was running when parked only major issue was DW. As you can imagine the battery kicked the bucket and the other day I tried replaced the it and new positive and negative wires because mine were old, corroded, and had the terminals just clamped on to the wires. I had no problems replacing the wires but after I connected the positive I went to install the negative. I got a spark (not the first time I have seen this when replacing a battery) before I could get the wrench on the clamp to tighten it on the terminal the positive wire at the starter started glowing red hot. So I ripped the negative off to keep anything from catching fire. I disconnected my ignition relay and tried to hook the battery back up and again positive wire got hot.

So does anyone have any guesses on what could be going on or what to check for? Thank you in advance.

Originally Posted by 93XJeeper

Is the positive and negative terminal on opposite sides than the old battery. I've seen this happen and people will put terminals on backwards. Lol

Originally Posted by BayouXJ

They were on the correct terminals.