Lumpskie's 1989 Grand Wagoneer Build
- Thread starter lumpskie
- Start date
lumpskie
Independent Thinker
Here's a question for you guys... So, I saw my vehicle voltage was a little low... just above the red zone. Under the hood I found this:
So, I replaced the terminal with this:
Now, I'm at 14 volts at idle. BUT, when I rev the engine up, I get up to the top red zone. So, 2 questions.
1. I get that a bad connection can lead to a lower voltage but, why would the voltage be that high? (that's not normal, right?)
2. The needle touches the upper red region (is that 15v?) when the engine is at max RPM, just before shifting. How dangerous is that behavior? (alternator voltage regulator??)
What do you think, guys?
So, I replaced the terminal with this:
Now, I'm at 14 volts at idle. BUT, when I rev the engine up, I get up to the top red zone. So, 2 questions.
1. I get that a bad connection can lead to a lower voltage but, why would the voltage be that high? (that's not normal, right?)
2. The needle touches the upper red region (is that 15v?) when the engine is at max RPM, just before shifting. How dangerous is that behavior? (alternator voltage regulator??)
What do you think, guys?
Dr. Marneaus
Station Wagoneer
FYI your alt is internally regulated. I know on the other forum somebody mentioned something about replacing the regulator.
as others said, check voltage at battery with a voltmeter, at idle and at a few thousand RPM. Mine puts out like 14.5 at the battery, my gauge inside reads about half a volt low because it pulls a reading from a ways down the line. It never passes 14.5 or 14.7 though.
as others said, check voltage at battery with a voltmeter, at idle and at a few thousand RPM. Mine puts out like 14.5 at the battery, my gauge inside reads about half a volt low because it pulls a reading from a ways down the line. It never passes 14.5 or 14.7 though.
jeepdreamer
Expedition Leader
Not part of your issue but for future reference, I always change my terminals to these. Work way better imho. 
chasespeed
Explorer
You can pull the alt and have it tested.
Could be a voltage regulator. Sounds like a voltage regulator.
Is it a 1 wire alternator?
I would have it checked, don't wanna keep hitting the battery with that if that is the case. If it gets worse, it can start cooking things...
Chase
Could be a voltage regulator. Sounds like a voltage regulator.
Is it a 1 wire alternator?
I would have it checked, don't wanna keep hitting the battery with that if that is the case. If it gets worse, it can start cooking things...
Chase
lumpskie
Independent Thinker
So, drove around town and did a few errands with the Jeep this weekend, to charge the battery up. After that, I checked the battery with the volt meter. On low idle, I'm at 14.4 and high idle 15.3 volts. If I turn on headlights and heater, it drops down to 13.x volts. My alternator is only 2 years old... I wonder if O'Reilly has a warranty on it...
And, I guess you're right. I should probably replace those cables. (Add that to the never ending Jeep to-do list)
And, I guess you're right. I should probably replace those cables. (Add that to the never ending Jeep to-do list)
jeepdreamer
Expedition Leader
You could probably build your own for in heavier duty materials for what the parts store ones cost. I did for my Xj and will for my other vehicles as it's something to cross off the worry list knowing they are overkill.
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lumpskie
Independent Thinker
So, I decided to just replace the alternator on the Waggy. It was O'Reilly's Ultima reman unit and had a lifetime warranty. I swapped alternators yesterday and went for a quick drive. The new unit seems to hold voltage pretty close to 13. I'll have to go on a longer test drive to be sure that the issue is gone, though.
I think I'll buy some Monster cable and do what you did... once I get the time to do it. I've got 4 oil changes that need to be done, I need to buy a riding lawn mower, and I need to prep my Tacoma and Wifey's civic for winter before the snow flies! (Luckily, the Waggy will be in doors all winter long)
I think I'll buy some Monster cable and do what you did... once I get the time to do it. I've got 4 oil changes that need to be done, I need to buy a riding lawn mower, and I need to prep my Tacoma and Wifey's civic for winter before the snow flies! (Luckily, the Waggy will be in doors all winter long)
jeepdreamer
Expedition Leader
I can't say much about monster cable as I only know it's stereo use. My concern would be the insulation...is it strong enough? Most of my wire is welding stuff (or salvaged from damaged military generator cables). It's very fine strand and the sheathing is very stout. I don't doubt big monster cable could carry the load, but isn't the sheathing more supple?
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lumpskie
Independent Thinker
That was my concern at first as well. But, I ended up using 0 gauge Monster cable for the detachable winch setup on my Tacoma over 5 years ago and it is really good stuff. The insulation is easily twice as thick as the original Warn stuff and has held up so well, it still looks almost new! Here's the stuff I used:
I don't have any close ups but you can see it on the left side, mounted on my Tacoma:
