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258 problems

1K views 11 replies 10 participants last post by  solitudetree 
#1 ·
so I have been having some problems with my 83 cj7 with the 258, I think it might be a short in the electrical system but not sure. my battery was dead the other day so I jumped it, was dead again the next day so I figure battery because after I was jumped the amp meter went back up to normal after a little driving so I think not the alternater. replace battery. starts fine go home next morning starts fine in the morning and go to work. get off work and does not start but clicking comes from starting selenoid battery to dead to work any lights etc. get jump vehicle starts and go back home. amp meter is low but again goes back up to normal. assume alternater fine? and possibly need new starting selenoid and or short in electrical system. any suggestions from you guys as to what it may or may not be?
short?
alternator?
selenoid?
starter?
other ideas?

well thank you for your help I really need to get this fixed as it is my only vehicle :brickwall
 
#3 ·
I check the emmission manifold heater it goes bad stay shot and drains the battery I bought a new battery and found the varoius heaters relays and other emmisions **** drained the battery
 
#4 ·
If you haven't tested the battery, take it to pepboys and have them verify it's good.

If it's good, fire the jeep up and place a voltmeter on the battery posts. At idle, the alternator drives 14.x volts to the battery. If not, your alt is the issue.

If both battery and alt are good to go, disconnect negative cable on battery and put a test lamp between the cable and the negative post on your battery. If it's lit, you have a drain...even if it's a faint, orangy light on the test lamp, there's a drain.

Pull fuses until the light goes out.

I just went through this process to find out that my radio uses 1v draws to keep the radio memory and clock working...it would kill my battery in 4 days.
 
#8 ·
Also make sure you look for any exposed, not terminated wires. Years of people adding and removing things such as radios and lights can turn a CJ harness into a rats nest really quickly. If one of those bare wires happens to be a hot wire and then touches the body it can drain a battery really quiclky.
 
#9 ·
A radio alone might not kill a batt during the working day, but an amp and radio together might do it. Check to make sure your switched and constant 12vdc source to the radio aren't backwards.

Sounds to me like either alternator is being excited when your vehicle is off, or ignition is somehow staying on, or the above mentioned radio.
 
#10 ·
My radio killed my alternator in 2 days. I don't know fully why that is, but after disconnecting it, it's been 3 weeks with no drain.

You could see the 1 volt pulse in the test lamp from the clock and presets memory.
 
#12 ·
What about a stripped bolt? I had the same problem (clicking noise on my CJ). It turned out that the solenoid was bad because one of the terminals had a fairly stripped out bolt on it so there was no connection. That was why I had the constant clicking noise even with a brand new battery. Once the solenoid was replaced, all was :2thumbsup:
 
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