Battery Charging Voltage

Voltmeter (on TJ gauge) has started creeping up from below 14 volts ( 13.8
? ) and now reads consistently around 14.1 Battery is around 4 years old,
but always birls the engine round quickly. Is this most likely to be an
early warning of battery failure, alternator failure or voltage regulator
( is that in the management system or the alternator ) ?

Dave Milne, Scotland
'91 Grand Wagoneer, '99 TJ

The regulator is in the computer and is really expensive so hopefully
that isn't it. They have a thermostat under the battery that has some
charging control I have read so maybe it is just reflecting winter time?

Other than that, when I see mine crawling up, it always means it is time
to clean my battery cables or to change my fan belt. I find it will put
out a higher voltage when trying to cross compromised connections. Mine
will climb right up to 15V before it gets bad enough to affect starting.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Dave Milne wrote:
>
> Voltmeter (on TJ gauge) has started creeping up from below 14 volts ( 13.8
> ? ) and now reads consistently around 14.1 Battery is around 4 years old,
> but always birls the engine round quickly. Is this most likely to be an
> early warning of battery failure, alternator failure or voltage regulator
> ( is that in the management system or the alternator ) ?
>
> Dave Milne, Scotland
> '91 Grand Wagoneer, '99 TJ

Real Jeeps come stock with Amp gauges, like ALL Hod Rodders have,
and anyone whom wants to know what's happening under their hood:
http://www.billhughes.com/kenworthdash.jpg All a volt meter tells you is
your battery's not dead, YET!
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O


Dave Milne wrote:
>
> Voltmeter (on TJ gauge) has started creeping up from below 14 volts ( 13.8
> ? ) and now reads consistently around 14.1 Battery is around 4 years old,
> but always birls the engine round quickly. Is this most likely to be an
> early warning of battery failure, alternator failure or voltage regulator
> ( is that in the management system or the alternator ) ?
>
> Dave Milne, Scotland
> '91 Grand Wagoneer, '99 TJ

We have had colder weather, so perhaps that is it. I'll clean and slap some
vaseline on the connectors .
Cheers,

Dave Milne, Scotland
'91 Grand Wagoneer, '99 TJ

"Mike Romain" > wrote in message
...
> The regulator is in the computer and is really expensive so hopefully
> that isn't it. They have a thermostat under the battery that has some
> charging control I have read so maybe it is just reflecting winter time?
>
> Other than that, when I see mine crawling up, it always means it is time
> to clean my battery cables or to change my fan belt. I find it will put
> out a higher voltage when trying to cross compromised connections. Mine
> will climb right up to 15V before it gets bad enough to affect starting.
>
> Mike
> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
>
> Dave Milne wrote:
> >
> > Voltmeter (on TJ gauge) has started creeping up from below 14 volts (
13.8
> > ? ) and now reads consistently around 14.1 Battery is around 4 years
old,
> > but always birls the engine round quickly. Is this most likely to be an
> > early warning of battery failure, alternator failure or voltage
regulator
> > ( is that in the management system or the alternator ) ?
> >
> > Dave Milne, Scotland
> > '91 Grand Wagoneer, '99 TJ

I'd much rather have an ammeter than a voltmeter as you say.

Dave Milne, Scotland
'91 Grand Wagoneer, '99 TJ

"L.W. (ßill) Hughes III" > wrote in message
...
> Real Jeeps come stock with Amp gauges, like ALL Hod Rodders have,
> and anyone whom wants to know what's happening under their hood:
> http://www.billhughes.com/kenworthdash.jpg All a volt meter tells you is
> your battery's not dead, YET!
> God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
>
>
> Dave Milne wrote:
> >
> > Voltmeter (on TJ gauge) has started creeping up from below 14 volts (
13.8
> > ? ) and now reads consistently around 14.1 Battery is around 4 years
old,
> > but always birls the engine round quickly. Is this most likely to be an
> > early warning of battery failure, alternator failure or voltage
regulator
> > ( is that in the management system or the alternator ) ?
> >
> > Dave Milne, Scotland
> > '91 Grand Wagoneer, '99 TJ

Hi Dave,
Paint your terminals instead. When you clean them you will notice
the grease seeps down in the connection and makes something like a black
varnish that makes a great insulator. Also use those felt things:
http://www.billhughes.com/battery Washing the battery in baking soda you
probably know neutralizes acid.
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O


Dave Milne wrote:
>
> We have had colder weather, so perhaps that is it. I'll clean and slap some
> vaseline on the connectors .
> Cheers,
>
> Dave Milne, Scotland
> '91 Grand Wagoneer, '99 TJ

On Tue, 22 Feb 2005 12:28:42 -0800, L.W.(ßill) Hughes III
> wrote:

> Real Jeeps come stock with Amp gauges, like ALL Hod Rodders have,
>and anyone whom wants to know what's happening under their hood:

Damn, you mean thats a voltmeter and not an amp gauge on my 2k-tj?

Joe Carroll
2K-TJ

There are some simple truths...And the dogs know what they are."
Joseph Duemer

You should understood that newer CJs that came with alternators also
came with voltmeters, not amp meters. Vehicles with alternators use
voltmeters, vehicles with generators use amp meters. It's all in how
generators vs. alternators work and that an amp meter (ammeter) is not
as useful for determining the condition of the battery as a volt meter
is in an alternator equipped vehicle. Just like a volt meter doesn't
help much in a generator-equipped vehicle.

Why are alternators better than generators? Because they can charge a
battery even when the engine is idling, older generators need the rpms
to be higher for that to happen.

Bill, your senseless continued slamming of anything that is not a CJ is
still causing you to spout out a lot of incorrect information... your
slamming of the use of voltmeters instead of an amp meter when you don't
understand why (or that later CJs came with voltmeters) is just one more
indication of you being blinded by your hate for anything that isn't a
CJ... which just makes some of what you write here pretty ridiculous to
someone with less of a chip on his shoulder.

L.W.(ßill) Hughes III wrote:
> Real Jeeps come stock with Amp gauges, like ALL Hod Rodders have,
> and anyone whom wants to know what's happening under their hood:
> http://www.billhughes.com/kenworthdash.jpg All a volt meter tells you is
> your battery's not dead, YET!
> God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
>
>
> Dave Milne wrote:
>
>>Voltmeter (on TJ gauge) has started creeping up from below 14 volts ( 13.8
>>? ) and now reads consistently around 14.1 Battery is around 4 years old,
>>but always birls the engine round quickly. Is this most likely to be an
>>early warning of battery failure, alternator failure or voltage regulator
>>( is that in the management system or the alternator ) ?
>>
>>Dave Milne, Scotland
>>'91 Grand Wagoneer, '99 TJ

--
Jerry Bransford
PP-ASEL N6TAY
See the Geezer Jeep at
http://members.cox.net/jerrypb/

Exactly, your alternator-equipped Jeep uses a voltmeter... since an amp
meter is not needed for an alternator equipped vehicle like it is for
one that has a generator like hasn't been used in many years.

Joe Carroll wrote:
> On Tue, 22 Feb 2005 12:28:42 -0800, L.W.(ßill) Hughes III
> > wrote:
>
>
>> Real Jeeps come stock with Amp gauges, like ALL Hod Rodders have,
>>and anyone whom wants to know what's happening under their hood:
>
>
> Damn, you mean thats a voltmeter and not an amp gauge on my 2k-tj?
>
> Joe Carroll
> 2K-TJ
>
> There are some simple truths...And the dogs know what they are."
> Joseph Duemer

--
Jerry Bransford
PP-ASEL N6TAY
See the Geezer Jeep at
http://members.cox.net/jerrypb/

Then buy a set:
http://www.stewartwarner.com/Products/prod1.html
http://www.autometer.com/
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
http://www.billhughes.com/

Dave Milne wrote:
>
> I'd much rather have an ammeter than a voltmeter as you say.
>
> Dave Milne, Scotland
> '91 Grand Wagoneer, '99 TJ