RoyJ

DO NOT PULL THE BATTERY CABLES WHILE IT IS RUNNING!!!! This was OK
advice on older cars, on new cars with all the electronics you take the
chance of frying multiple computer boxes! The battery moderates all the
nasty voltage spikes coming from the alternator.

Herb Leong wrote:

> In article <JAUPf.1068$C7.682@bignews2.bellsouth.net>,
> KJ.Kate <KJ.Kate@dub.dub.dub.com (please ask)> wrote:
> #
> #"Harry Palmer" <nope@nope.com> wrote in message
> #news:UaOPf.57480$dW3.44298@newssvr21.news.prodigy .com...
> #: Hi there
> #:
> #: My wife has a 2002 Jeep Cherokee grand and just drove it 20 miles from
> #: college. She drove it into the garage and shut the engine down. As she was
> #: getting out she noticed that the seat didn't roll back to let her get out
> #: easily. She also noticed that she couldn't open any of the other doors (
> #the
> #: drivers was already open.) No lights were on at all and when she turned
> #the
> #: key in the ignition nothing and I mean nothing at all happened. No lights,
> #: no starter nothing at all. Anyone know what might be happening here
> #pleaes?
> #
> #The guys have a good starting place with the battery and after you check it,
> #head towards your alternator. Did the alternator die or did you break an
> #alternator belt? It may be that it has gone bad causing your wife to drive
> #home on just the juice of the battery and making it go completely dead.
> #
> #When you figure it out, let us know wouldya ?
> #
> #KJKate
>
> A 2002 would have a serpentine belt on it. If that died or was dying, you
> would *know* it as your hood and everything else around the belt will be
> getting loudly b!tch-slapped by chunks of belt.
>
> To see if it is a dead alternator, jump start your engine, then remove the
> negative connection from the battery. If the engine dies, then it's the
> alternator. That happened to me on the road and the tow driver was nice
> enough to let me do that experiment even though it meant jumping me twice.
>
> /herb

RoyJ

DO NOT PULL THE BATTERY CABLES WHILE IT IS RUNNING!!!! This was OK
advice on older cars, on new cars with all the electronics you take the
chance of frying multiple computer boxes! The battery moderates all the
nasty voltage spikes coming from the alternator.

Herb Leong wrote:

> In article <JAUPf.1068$C7.682@bignews2.bellsouth.net>,
> KJ.Kate <KJ.Kate@dub.dub.dub.com (please ask)> wrote:
> #
> #"Harry Palmer" <nope@nope.com> wrote in message
> #news:UaOPf.57480$dW3.44298@newssvr21.news.prodigy .com...
> #: Hi there
> #:
> #: My wife has a 2002 Jeep Cherokee grand and just drove it 20 miles from
> #: college. She drove it into the garage and shut the engine down. As she was
> #: getting out she noticed that the seat didn't roll back to let her get out
> #: easily. She also noticed that she couldn't open any of the other doors (
> #the
> #: drivers was already open.) No lights were on at all and when she turned
> #the
> #: key in the ignition nothing and I mean nothing at all happened. No lights,
> #: no starter nothing at all. Anyone know what might be happening here
> #pleaes?
> #
> #The guys have a good starting place with the battery and after you check it,
> #head towards your alternator. Did the alternator die or did you break an
> #alternator belt? It may be that it has gone bad causing your wife to drive
> #home on just the juice of the battery and making it go completely dead.
> #
> #When you figure it out, let us know wouldya ?
> #
> #KJKate
>
> A 2002 would have a serpentine belt on it. If that died or was dying, you
> would *know* it as your hood and everything else around the belt will be
> getting loudly b!tch-slapped by chunks of belt.
>
> To see if it is a dead alternator, jump start your engine, then remove the
> negative connection from the battery. If the engine dies, then it's the
> alternator. That happened to me on the road and the tow driver was nice
> enough to let me do that experiment even though it meant jumping me twice.
>
> /herb

RoyJ

DO NOT PULL THE BATTERY CABLES WHILE IT IS RUNNING!!!! This was OK
advice on older cars, on new cars with all the electronics you take the
chance of frying multiple computer boxes! The battery moderates all the
nasty voltage spikes coming from the alternator.

Herb Leong wrote:

> In article <JAUPf.1068$C7.682@bignews2.bellsouth.net>,
> KJ.Kate <KJ.Kate@dub.dub.dub.com (please ask)> wrote:
> #
> #"Harry Palmer" <nope@nope.com> wrote in message
> #news:UaOPf.57480$dW3.44298@newssvr21.news.prodigy .com...
> #: Hi there
> #:
> #: My wife has a 2002 Jeep Cherokee grand and just drove it 20 miles from
> #: college. She drove it into the garage and shut the engine down. As she was
> #: getting out she noticed that the seat didn't roll back to let her get out
> #: easily. She also noticed that she couldn't open any of the other doors (
> #the
> #: drivers was already open.) No lights were on at all and when she turned
> #the
> #: key in the ignition nothing and I mean nothing at all happened. No lights,
> #: no starter nothing at all. Anyone know what might be happening here
> #pleaes?
> #
> #The guys have a good starting place with the battery and after you check it,
> #head towards your alternator. Did the alternator die or did you break an
> #alternator belt? It may be that it has gone bad causing your wife to drive
> #home on just the juice of the battery and making it go completely dead.
> #
> #When you figure it out, let us know wouldya ?
> #
> #KJKate
>
> A 2002 would have a serpentine belt on it. If that died or was dying, you
> would *know* it as your hood and everything else around the belt will be
> getting loudly b!tch-slapped by chunks of belt.
>
> To see if it is a dead alternator, jump start your engine, then remove the
> negative connection from the battery. If the engine dies, then it's the
> alternator. That happened to me on the road and the tow driver was nice
> enough to let me do that experiment even though it meant jumping me twice.
>
> /herb

Herb Leong

In article <yfYPf.2064$x94.613@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.n et>,
RoyJ <spamless@microsoft.net> wrote:
#DO NOT PULL THE BATTERY CABLES WHILE IT IS RUNNING!!!! This was OK
#advice on older cars, on new cars with all the electronics you take the
#chance of frying multiple computer boxes! The battery moderates all the
#nasty voltage spikes coming from the alternator.

OK, then it's the voit meter, I guess...

Thanks for the update. I did not know that.

/herb

Herb Leong

In article <yfYPf.2064$x94.613@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.n et>,
RoyJ <spamless@microsoft.net> wrote:
#DO NOT PULL THE BATTERY CABLES WHILE IT IS RUNNING!!!! This was OK
#advice on older cars, on new cars with all the electronics you take the
#chance of frying multiple computer boxes! The battery moderates all the
#nasty voltage spikes coming from the alternator.

OK, then it's the voit meter, I guess...

Thanks for the update. I did not know that.

/herb

Herb Leong

In article <yfYPf.2064$x94.613@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.n et>,
RoyJ <spamless@microsoft.net> wrote:
#DO NOT PULL THE BATTERY CABLES WHILE IT IS RUNNING!!!! This was OK
#advice on older cars, on new cars with all the electronics you take the
#chance of frying multiple computer boxes! The battery moderates all the
#nasty voltage spikes coming from the alternator.

OK, then it's the voit meter, I guess...

Thanks for the update. I did not know that.

/herb

Herb Leong

In article <yfYPf.2064$x94.613@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.n et>,
RoyJ <spamless@microsoft.net> wrote:
#DO NOT PULL THE BATTERY CABLES WHILE IT IS RUNNING!!!! This was OK
#advice on older cars, on new cars with all the electronics you take the
#chance of frying multiple computer boxes! The battery moderates all the
#nasty voltage spikes coming from the alternator.

OK, then it's the voit meter, I guess...

Thanks for the update. I did not know that.

/herb

Harry Palmer

"Harry Palmer" <nope@nope.com> wrote in message
news:UaOPf.57480$dW3.44298@newssvr21.news.prodigy. com...
> Hi there
>
> My wife has a 2002 Jeep Cherokee grand and just drove it 20 miles from
> college. She drove it into the garage and shut the engine down. As she was
> getting out she noticed that the seat didn't roll back to let her get out
> easily. She also noticed that she couldn't open any of the other doors (
the
> drivers was already open.) No lights were on at all and when she turned
the
> key in the ignition nothing and I mean nothing at all happened. No lights,
> no starter nothing at all. Anyone know what might be happening here
pleaes?
>
>
>
> --
> Stand firm in your refusal to remain conscious during algebra. In real
life,
> I assure you, there is no such thing as algebra.
>
>

First up thank you all for such speedy and numerous answers. I decided to
drive the piece of ---- down to my favorite four wheel drive expert Thom's
Four wheel drive in Chicago see below for details.

he took it in immediately, despite many trucks ahead of me, and dispatched
me down to the White dove diner for brekkers. I got back in about an hour
and he was still running tests. They sat me down in front of the tv with
coffee and newspapers where I caught up on Mail Call, that B52 is an amazing
craft isn't it? Anyway he came back and said that the ONLY thing he could
find was a rusted ground connection. He checked the battery, the driving
output of the alternator etc and nothing was wrong. He mentioned that it
might have been the fact that my wife had the headlights on, the rear
windshield heater, the interior heater set at 70f so drawing much more power
than normal. We used to have the drivers seat set to glide back on exit but
this takes power straight from the battery, we will never use the heated
seats again because they A) don't really work B) can cause shorts. The
drivers side heated mirror seems to be on the blink so we won't use that
again, instead we'll just open the window and clean it by hand.


I still think the thing is a pile of ---- and probably will dump it in the
next few weeks on Carmax, where I bought the @##king thing in the first
place. So far , in ONE year, I have had to replace the window motor
assembly, the heater control module, replace two tires due to blow out. I
have driven it 5000 miles around town. Contrast this with my old Jeep
Cherokee 1988 I bought for $700 nothing for four years, not a damn thing!!!
I really am considering buying a Jap car next because all my friends own one
and have had NO trouble with them at all. Anyway thanks again for the great
advice and warnings, I hope this helps someone else.

Harry Palmer

"Harry Palmer" <nope@nope.com> wrote in message
news:UaOPf.57480$dW3.44298@newssvr21.news.prodigy. com...
> Hi there
>
> My wife has a 2002 Jeep Cherokee grand and just drove it 20 miles from
> college. She drove it into the garage and shut the engine down. As she was
> getting out she noticed that the seat didn't roll back to let her get out
> easily. She also noticed that she couldn't open any of the other doors (
the
> drivers was already open.) No lights were on at all and when she turned
the
> key in the ignition nothing and I mean nothing at all happened. No lights,
> no starter nothing at all. Anyone know what might be happening here
pleaes?
>
>
>
> --
> Stand firm in your refusal to remain conscious during algebra. In real
life,
> I assure you, there is no such thing as algebra.
>
>

First up thank you all for such speedy and numerous answers. I decided to
drive the piece of ---- down to my favorite four wheel drive expert Thom's
Four wheel drive in Chicago see below for details.

he took it in immediately, despite many trucks ahead of me, and dispatched
me down to the White dove diner for brekkers. I got back in about an hour
and he was still running tests. They sat me down in front of the tv with
coffee and newspapers where I caught up on Mail Call, that B52 is an amazing
craft isn't it? Anyway he came back and said that the ONLY thing he could
find was a rusted ground connection. He checked the battery, the driving
output of the alternator etc and nothing was wrong. He mentioned that it
might have been the fact that my wife had the headlights on, the rear
windshield heater, the interior heater set at 70f so drawing much more power
than normal. We used to have the drivers seat set to glide back on exit but
this takes power straight from the battery, we will never use the heated
seats again because they A) don't really work B) can cause shorts. The
drivers side heated mirror seems to be on the blink so we won't use that
again, instead we'll just open the window and clean it by hand.


I still think the thing is a pile of ---- and probably will dump it in the
next few weeks on Carmax, where I bought the @##king thing in the first
place. So far , in ONE year, I have had to replace the window motor
assembly, the heater control module, replace two tires due to blow out. I
have driven it 5000 miles around town. Contrast this with my old Jeep
Cherokee 1988 I bought for $700 nothing for four years, not a damn thing!!!
I really am considering buying a Jap car next because all my friends own one
and have had NO trouble with them at all. Anyway thanks again for the great
advice and warnings, I hope this helps someone else.

Harry Palmer

"Harry Palmer" <nope@nope.com> wrote in message
news:UaOPf.57480$dW3.44298@newssvr21.news.prodigy. com...
> Hi there
>
> My wife has a 2002 Jeep Cherokee grand and just drove it 20 miles from
> college. She drove it into the garage and shut the engine down. As she was
> getting out she noticed that the seat didn't roll back to let her get out
> easily. She also noticed that she couldn't open any of the other doors (
the
> drivers was already open.) No lights were on at all and when she turned
the
> key in the ignition nothing and I mean nothing at all happened. No lights,
> no starter nothing at all. Anyone know what might be happening here
pleaes?
>
>
>
> --
> Stand firm in your refusal to remain conscious during algebra. In real
life,
> I assure you, there is no such thing as algebra.
>
>

First up thank you all for such speedy and numerous answers. I decided to
drive the piece of ---- down to my favorite four wheel drive expert Thom's
Four wheel drive in Chicago see below for details.

he took it in immediately, despite many trucks ahead of me, and dispatched
me down to the White dove diner for brekkers. I got back in about an hour
and he was still running tests. They sat me down in front of the tv with
coffee and newspapers where I caught up on Mail Call, that B52 is an amazing
craft isn't it? Anyway he came back and said that the ONLY thing he could
find was a rusted ground connection. He checked the battery, the driving
output of the alternator etc and nothing was wrong. He mentioned that it
might have been the fact that my wife had the headlights on, the rear
windshield heater, the interior heater set at 70f so drawing much more power
than normal. We used to have the drivers seat set to glide back on exit but
this takes power straight from the battery, we will never use the heated
seats again because they A) don't really work B) can cause shorts. The
drivers side heated mirror seems to be on the blink so we won't use that
again, instead we'll just open the window and clean it by hand.


I still think the thing is a pile of ---- and probably will dump it in the
next few weeks on Carmax, where I bought the @##king thing in the first
place. So far , in ONE year, I have had to replace the window motor
assembly, the heater control module, replace two tires due to blow out. I
have driven it 5000 miles around town. Contrast this with my old Jeep
Cherokee 1988 I bought for $700 nothing for four years, not a damn thing!!!
I really am considering buying a Jap car next because all my friends own one
and have had NO trouble with them at all. Anyway thanks again for the great
advice and warnings, I hope this helps someone else.