Volt gauge, starting, dying.

[ParadiseMJ]

Thanks, that's what was talking about when I said...

 

 "I have to move some stuff around to see if adding an extra ground to the blower if anyone thinks that would work.  I read something by Cruiser about that."

 

My overflow (not pressure) bottle is mounted right above the blower.  Not unlike pic number one. It's kind of tight in there, so when I get some time I'll get it out of the way and do the ground in picture 2.

 

Then I'll probably do the alternator case ground too.  I have 8ga wire from alternator to starter relay and 4 ga from relay to battery, with a body ground off the batt..  Power from starter relay to light relays through a circuit breaker and a 30A fuse.  Then each accessory light/plug has it's own relay.

[cruiser54]

Keep us in the loop on the results. 

[ParadiseMJ]

However, Point #2 should be particularly noted. If you think you're having ground trouble (a typical cause for "floating voltage at steady-state operation,) I would suggest making a test lead out of 10AWG or maybe 8AWG wire - make it long enough to go from the alternator case to the battery - post. You may use clips on both ends, or you can put a 5/16" or 3/8" ring on one end - there is a boss on the back of the alternator case, drilled & tapped M8-1.25 (use a 20m/m long screw. Using an overlong screw there can bind the rotor - it's a through hole, usually.)

 

 

 

Can't find the hole mentioned here...I'll keep looking.  Thanks Don.  I have to be at work work today so not much happening on this today.

[ParadiseMJ]

Update on my problems here:

 

So, I've refreshed all the grounds, including fixing the messed up grounds for the switches for all the auxiliary lighting.  The common ground for all the switched aux lights was screwed into a panel screw, not grounded except through the plastic and a fairly loose screw into the metal.  It was barely grounding.

 

I added a ground AT the driving lights which was not there, just a hanging wire, so I spliced the two wires and made a common ground to the "frame".  All the main grounds (dipstick, engine to body, battery to body) were fine, but I took them off and shined them up anyway.

 

Result:  My voltage gauge now stays in the straight up position while running. Turning on any or all of the aux lights barely makes the gauge fall off half of the line to the left.  When my headlights are on, it ticks down a bit and then recovers.  No problem with readings at the battery. The only thing that is still an issue with the volt gauge is when I turn on the blower.

 

So, since the overflow (not pressure bottle) is bolted in directly over the blower motor, I'll need to remove that and do the blower ground ala Cruiser54.  Also, when I do turn on the blower there is still some "mouse nest" type debris making it's way out the vents, so I'll likely take the blower out and clean it and lube it up a bit.  I may even replace it just for S & G.

 

This still leaves the stalling problem.  I don't mean the sputter, cough, sputter type of stalling...just flat out quits.  It only happened twice in the last month, but I'm not trusting it yet.  In my looking around, I found the two wire sensor for the Part Time light from the T-case had gotten fouled up in the front shaft and had been stripped and broken.  all the connectors are still intact, I just have to splice and re-route some new wire (needs doing anyway).  I don't know if that would have any effect on my problem. I tested the CPS and still getting a strong reading from that.

 

Then I need to adjust my NSS, see if the reverse lights are working, the 7.5A TRANS fuse is in and in shape.  The NSS is one in my NSS junkyard rotation.  When ever I see one in decent shape, I take it home and clean it up, to always have a known good spare.

[rocketwheels]

Did you figure out the stall out problem? Was it the nss?

[Hippie66]

Had a similar problem on my '97 ZJ. Ended up being the computer circuit board was cracked. Common problem on them, not sure if it applied on an MJ.