Hi Jim,
You do not have an automatic belt tension spring as all newer cars
have. See if you can turn the alternator by it's cooling fins or depress
the belt between pulleys more than a half an inch using all the force
one of your fingers can press. Be sure to loosen the idler pulley before
you attempt to adjust: http://www.----------.com/serpenti.jpg
God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
mailto:--------------------

jmastrom@gmail.com wrote:
>
> Greetings all,
>
> I just got back from a pretty rocky trail ride, but nothing that I
> figured would cause any problems later. Well I figured wrong
> apparently. While on the trail I noticed nothing out of the ordinary
> (noises, fluids, etc.) After the trail, during the 2 hour drive home,
> my "check guages" lit up on me. I noticed that my battery indicator
> was way to the left in the "almost dead" range. I really didn't pay
> too much attention since I have had problems in the past with my dash
> wiring. I stopped three times along the way home (with the engine
> off). On the third stop I was filling up on gas and I could not get
> her to start up again. Seemed like a dead battery to me... I proceded
> to check my connections and try again... no luck. I got a jump from a
> friendly passerby and she started right up. But after I got going
> again something just wasn't right... My dash lights were extremely
> dim, my headlights were really dim (almost non-existent), and my
> blinkers were really really slow (they even stopped working completely
> eventually). It felt as if even though my engine was running I still
> had little/no electrical power. Thats not the worst of it... after I
> noticed all this my engine began to sputter when I wasn't heavy on the
> gas. It felt as if it would die if I let off the gas or let it idle,
> and with a "dead battery" I wasn't about to let that happen. I kept
> playing with the gas to keep the jeep from dying all the way home.
> This kept getting worse as I got closer to home, and eventually, it
> stalled (despite my best efforts) in the drive way.
>
> So now I am thinking alternator... I assume that the bumby trail
> jacked something up. Are there a few things I could check myself
> before I go drop $300 for a new alternator?? Could a bumpy ride kill
> an alternator (especially one that is less than 1 1/2 years old)?? I
> plan on getting it up to autozone to get checked tomorrow (if It will
> even go after the engine problems earlier).
>
> I am a jeep novice and really dont have the know-how or the tools to
> do any major work on the jeep myself (i can handle little things). I
> would consider myself a mechanical novice at best.
>
> Anyone have any advice???
>
> Thanks,
>
> Jimmy
>
> 1997 Jeep TJ
> Stock everything except: 4" susp. lift, 33" ATs, new engine,

--
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jmastrom@gmail.com wrote:

> Greetings all,
>
> I just got back from a pretty rocky trail ride, but nothing that I
> figured would cause any problems later. Well I figured wrong
> apparently. While on the trail I noticed nothing out of the ordinary
> (noises, fluids, etc.) After the trail, during the 2 hour drive home,
> my "check guages" lit up on me. I noticed that my battery indicator
> was way to the left in the "almost dead" range. I really didn't pay
> too much attention since I have had problems in the past with my dash
> wiring. I stopped three times along the way home (with the engine
> off). On the third stop I was filling up on gas and I could not get
> her to start up again. Seemed like a dead battery to me... I proceded
> to check my connections and try again... no luck. I got a jump from a
> friendly passerby and she started right up. But after I got going
> again something just wasn't right... My dash lights were extremely
> dim, my headlights were really dim (almost non-existent), and my
> blinkers were really really slow (they even stopped working completely
> eventually). It felt as if even though my engine was running I still
> had little/no electrical power. Thats not the worst of it... after I
> noticed all this my engine began to sputter when I wasn't heavy on the
> gas. It felt as if it would die if I let off the gas or let it idle,
> and with a "dead battery" I wasn't about to let that happen. I kept
> playing with the gas to keep the jeep from dying all the way home.
> This kept getting worse as I got closer to home, and eventually, it
> stalled (despite my best efforts) in the drive way.
>
> So now I am thinking alternator... I assume that the bumby trail
> jacked something up. Are there a few things I could check myself
> before I go drop $300 for a new alternator?? Could a bumpy ride kill
> an alternator (especially one that is less than 1 1/2 years old)?? I
> plan on getting it up to autozone to get checked tomorrow (if It will
> even go after the engine problems earlier).
>
> I am a jeep novice and really dont have the know-how or the tools to
> do any major work on the jeep myself (i can handle little things). I
> would consider myself a mechanical novice at best.
>
> Anyone have any advice???

It may be uncommon, but I had the same failure a month or so back. In my
case it was pretty simple (once I found it): the fuse link between the
alternator and battery was open. I got home by tying the ends of the fuse
link so that the open ends were forced into contact and when I cut it open
after I got home, the link hadn't blown (melted) as expected - it was a
mechanical failure where the wire had broken off right at on connector.
Best I could tell, the long wire from the alternator had enough play that
the motion from getting bounced around (flood zone crossing numerous
washouts and gullies). Like I say, not common, but a cheap check.

--
Will Honea

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

 

jmastrom@gmail.com wrote:

> Greetings all,
>
> I just got back from a pretty rocky trail ride, but nothing that I
> figured would cause any problems later. Well I figured wrong
> apparently. While on the trail I noticed nothing out of the ordinary
> (noises, fluids, etc.) After the trail, during the 2 hour drive home,
> my "check guages" lit up on me. I noticed that my battery indicator
> was way to the left in the "almost dead" range. I really didn't pay
> too much attention since I have had problems in the past with my dash
> wiring. I stopped three times along the way home (with the engine
> off). On the third stop I was filling up on gas and I could not get
> her to start up again. Seemed like a dead battery to me... I proceded
> to check my connections and try again... no luck. I got a jump from a
> friendly passerby and she started right up. But after I got going
> again something just wasn't right... My dash lights were extremely
> dim, my headlights were really dim (almost non-existent), and my
> blinkers were really really slow (they even stopped working completely
> eventually). It felt as if even though my engine was running I still
> had little/no electrical power. Thats not the worst of it... after I
> noticed all this my engine began to sputter when I wasn't heavy on the
> gas. It felt as if it would die if I let off the gas or let it idle,
> and with a "dead battery" I wasn't about to let that happen. I kept
> playing with the gas to keep the jeep from dying all the way home.
> This kept getting worse as I got closer to home, and eventually, it
> stalled (despite my best efforts) in the drive way.
>
> So now I am thinking alternator... I assume that the bumby trail
> jacked something up. Are there a few things I could check myself
> before I go drop $300 for a new alternator?? Could a bumpy ride kill
> an alternator (especially one that is less than 1 1/2 years old)?? I
> plan on getting it up to autozone to get checked tomorrow (if It will
> even go after the engine problems earlier).
>
> I am a jeep novice and really dont have the know-how or the tools to
> do any major work on the jeep myself (i can handle little things). I
> would consider myself a mechanical novice at best.
>
> Anyone have any advice???

It may be uncommon, but I had the same failure a month or so back. In my
case it was pretty simple (once I found it): the fuse link between the
alternator and battery was open. I got home by tying the ends of the fuse
link so that the open ends were forced into contact and when I cut it open
after I got home, the link hadn't blown (melted) as expected - it was a
mechanical failure where the wire had broken off right at on connector.
Best I could tell, the long wire from the alternator had enough play that
the motion from getting bounced around (flood zone crossing numerous
washouts and gullies). Like I say, not common, but a cheap check.

--
Will Honea

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com