Problems with a co workers Jeep...

[NEK5]

Yeah, I know, it's a jeep

Anyhow, figured I'd run this by you guys. Basically it goes like this, he was sitting with his 1998 Jeep Cherokee (I believe) parked, idling, while listening to the radio. All of the sudden his check guages light pops on, and he noticed that his voltage had dropped (to what I'm not exactly sure). So he took it for a ride, and while driving at about 50 MPH he said it 'pinned' all the way over to the other side (again, to what I'm not exactly sure). When ever he wonders back into the vault I'll ask him some more specifics.

Thanks in advance boys.

 

[NEK5]

Correction. When he is parked, motor off it drops down low. When the motors running (alt charging) and he's driving it 'spikes' all the way over?

My first thought is alternator. Any ideas?

 

[Smokinthehippies]

it would seem the obvious choices would be alt, battery, or voltage reg..


which of course means it wont be any of those, and will be probably be something like a faulty kanuder valve or some crap like that.

 

[DEMON44]

I know cherokees are notorious for failing alternators.


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[Deuling]

it would seem the obvious choices would be alt, battery, or voltage reg..


which of course means it wont be any of those, and will be probably be something like a faulty kanuder valve or some crap like that.

Be sure to check the blinker fluid, Oh and be sure to check the muffler bearing too!!! Those darn things always Getchya!!!

 

[Fordum]

Don't know how Jeeps are wired these days, but most voltmeters on truck go pretty low when you turn the key off.
In fact, they usually go all the way down, since they go off with the key.

If it spikes high when driving, then he needs to hang a meter on the battery to see what its actually doing.
If it really is spiking high, he needs to check his grounds, and probably replace the alt if that does not fix it.

 

[chulisohombre]

sounds like alternator to me.depending on year the regulator is internal and will do that when it needs replaced.have him check battery when not running,running,and also when revved up to about 3g and see what it does.pretty sure it is the alternator though.

 

[1BEATK5]

i would check the actual system voltage to verify what the guage reads.

if the guage is tweaking out, but the system voltage is ok. the connection at the back of the cluster is probably covered in this black crap that grows there.

if the guage is correct, then probably the alternator. but remember that the alternator output is controlled by the pcm turning it on and off as needed.

 

[DEMON44]

For sure put a meter on it, thought that's done already. The alternators on Cherokees is historically low mount it eats ALL the road grime and water. Look hard at the alt first after you verify with a meter. There is relocate kits available to out it up high. I'm not much of a jeep geek but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.


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[79rustyk10]

Id guess its the voltage regulator