weak battery

[leila]

Hi all,
My battery won't charge. The GW starts well but the volt needle never gets out of the red. Dim lights, etc. Furthermore, the needle does not move regardless of what gear the jeep is in or how high she is revving. Any suggestions? I think the alternator may be failing...the battery cables are on tight and the Alt. belts are well adjusted. Thanks.

[kidatforty]

Sounds like alt./regulator to me. If you have access to a battery/charging tester you should run through the system. Even though you say the battery leads are tight, disconnect them and make sure the posts are nice and clean . Also, be sure that the copper in the cables are not green with acid deterioration. Good luck.

[mark32725]

Start the Jeep and remove a battery cable while it is running, if it quits the alternator is bad..

[leila]

Thanks much...I will let you know how it turns out! Luckily, I still have the receipts for both the alt. & battery.

[leila]

All,
My husband took the jeep to work this morning. When he dropped our 6 month old off at Grandma's the jeep wouldn't start - very, very low juice. I'm thinking it's the alternator...any other thoughts? Also, any suggestions on what new alt. I should get? The GW is an '88 stock. I want to get the max. size alt.? What should I get? Thanks.

[andy d]

this is a wild Great Googley MoogleyGreat Googley MoogleyGreat Googley MoogleyGreat Googley MoogleyGreat Googley Moogleyed guess, check the bypass hose ,the various radiator hoses and the radiator core itself for a pinhole leak that the fan is sucking into the fan belts and causing them to slip. another thing to check is the plug into the regulator. i have had the connection fail there because the tab broke off the regulator. also the right belt size for my 88 is in between the 2 sizes listed for the 88. the delco alt listed for our wags is a 63 amp alt. delco amps come in several larger sizes up to about 90 amps. the case 1/2s come apart and can be rotated to the right configuration. remember to have the seller put on the right dual shiv pulley. good luck

[reddog]

Just take it to your local auto parts and have it tested after you make sure the battery cables, grounds and alt wiring are good.

Kerry