Dead ZJ

[Cottontail]

So my ZJ died about a week ago. You can see a previous thread about a ticking noise for a lot of background.

Anyway, the thought was that my ticking was just a relay that was stuck becuase the battery wasn't fully dead.

So today I use the WJ to jump it off. It started up pretty quickly. I drove it for 45 minutes. Got it back into the garage and shut it off. Tried to start it right back up and it was dead.

I am thinking alternator. 45 minutes is more than ample to charge a battery. Tonight I will pull a fully charged battery from the XJ and try it in the ZJ to see if it starts....or just put the ZJ battery in the XJ for the same affect.

Can an alternator be checked for fauliness while in the Jeep or does it need to be removed?

Not a lot to go on, but any thoughts?

 

[Cottontail]

UPDATE:

Put the good battery (well, the one I know to be fully charged) from the XJ into the ZJ. The ZJ starts right up.

Put the ZJ battery into the XJ. The XJ starts right up. However, the ZJ wouldn't start with that same battery.

 

[RCP Phx]

45 minutes is more than ample to charge a battery.

Get real,you could barely charge a watch battery in 45 minutes!

UPDATE:

Put the good battery (well, the one I know to be fully charged) from the XJ into the ZJ. The ZJ starts right up.

Put the ZJ battery into the XJ. The XJ starts right up. However, the ZJ wouldn't start with that same battery.

That has bad cables written all over it !

 

[87manche]

Get real,you could barely charge a watch battery in 45 minutes!

That has bad cables written all over it !

I agree. just moving it around probably fixed your terminal issues, at least in the short term.

clean and inspect.

 

[Cottontail]

Get real,you could barely charge a watch battery in 45 minutes!

Ok...you couldn't fully charge it in 45 minutes, but 45 minutes is more than ample to get the battery enough juice to start the truck the next time you tried (especially 15 seconds after shutting it down) assuming there isn't any other problems.

I was always taught to jump a vehicle, let it idle for about 15-20 miuntes and you should be go to go. Never failed me in the past.

That said, the positive cable did have some build up on it. I'll wire brush it, clean it, and put some terminal spray on it....or I'll just go pour some Coca Cola on it and let that eat it away. The negative cable has a crack in the terminal head where the screw tightens it also. I'll replace that when my arm comes out of the sling.

Thanks for the input fellas.

 

[kastein]

UPDATE:

Put the good battery (well, the one I know to be fully charged) from the XJ into the ZJ. The ZJ starts right up.

Put the ZJ battery into the XJ. The XJ starts right up. However, the ZJ wouldn't start with that same battery.

My bet is on corroded/bad terminals like the other guys.

Get real,you could barely charge a watch battery in 45 minutes!

you're kidding right?

I would get a good set of solid brass terminals (the ones from AZ are good except all the hardware is just plated, so it rusts through, I'd get some from a marina) and crimp ring terminals onto the cables. Use a good hydro crimper or lever/ratchet crimper not pliers. The HF crimper works on stock cables but those are about the largest it'll go, I have used it on a couple jeeps now. #4 AWG terminals fit the stock cables iirc.