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1998 wrangler sport 'check gauge' lite on....

Discussion in 'Wrangler TJ (1996-2006)' started by oldemoney, Nov 26, 2022.

  1. Nov 26, 2022 at 6:11 AM
    #1
    oldemoney

    #1
    oldemoney [OP] New Member

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    my 'check gauges' lite came on for the 1st time yesterday and it showed that my battery was dead. I was driving it in a panic thinking it was going to die along side the road at any minute. Stopped at my friends place. Shut it off. Started it back up and the light went off and my battery showed that it was charged like it had never happened.
    Thought life was good again.... After leaving, just down the road the 'CG' lite came back on. Again in panic mode I drove home (1 hour).
    Anybody have any idea what may be going on???
     
    oldemoney, Nov 26, 2022
    #1
  2. Nov 26, 2022 at 8:37 AM
    #2
    Dirty Dog

    #2
    Dirty Dog Well-Known Member

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    2011 Mago Tango JKU Rubicon - 3.25" Rough Country suspension lift. 35x12.5" Toyo Open Country on 18x9" Rockstar wheels. Vijay front and rear bumpers. Smittybilt 9500lb winch. Poison Spyder Brawler rock sliders. Smittybilt spare tire carrier. Off-road lighting. Voswitch accessory switch system. 10" Android/CarPlay touch screen headunit with Rayoo backup camera. 2013 Crush JKU Rubicon - 5" Rough Country suspension lift. 35x12.5" Toyo Open Country on 18x9" Rockstar II wheels. Vijay front and rear bumpers. Smittybilt 10,000lb winch with bluetooth remote. Poison Spyder Brawler rock sliders. Smittybilt spare tire carrier. Off-road lighting. Voswitch accessory switch system. 10" Android/CarPlay touch screen headunit with Rayoo backup camera. Bullydog GT Platinum.
    Engine operation 101 time...
    Once your engine is running, it runs off the alternator, not the battery. Some of the electronics run off the battery, but not the engine itself.

    Testing the charging system is easy. With the engine off, use a multimeter to check the battery voltage. It should read roughly 12.5V. If it does, your battery is fine.
    Next, you can also load test the battery. Turn the key to ACC, turn on the headlights, and let it sit for 2-3 minutes. If the headlights go out, it's a bad battery. Use your multimeter again. If it reads less than 10V, it's bad.
    But from what you describe, it's probably not your battery anyway.

    Next, test the alternator. Start the vehicle and put your multimeter on the battery terminals. It should read 13.5V-14.5V. If it doesn't, it's not charging and your alternator is probably bad. It may read normal when the light is off and low when the warning light is on.

    In your case, since the light is intermittent, you probably have a bad connection somewhere. Start tracking all the wires and look for loose, corroded connections, frayed wires, etc.
     
    Dirty Dog, Nov 26, 2022
    #2
    oldemoney[OP] and aggrex like this.
  3. Nov 26, 2022 at 8:48 AM
    #3
    aggrex

    #3
    aggrex Well-Known Member

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    Agree with @Dirty Dog ….based on the age and symptoms sometimes it’s the simpler things like discovering a bad ground. Clean up the cables up top to the battery but also check the other end too. C06AB21B-6900-452E-9761-0DBE1AB76A5E.jpg
     
    aggrex, Nov 26, 2022
    #3
    oldemoney[OP] and Dirty Dog like this.
  4. Nov 27, 2022 at 5:16 AM
    #4
    oldemoney

    #4
    oldemoney [OP] New Member

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    Well Guys, I stopped over to the local NAPA & they checked it out. Seems the alternator was not performing properly. So, I picked up an alternator at the local AutoZone & replaced it.
    Thx
     
    oldemoney, Nov 27, 2022
    #4
    aggrex likes this.
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