So for the 2nd time driving my jeep topless, parked in the 90+ degree sun all day long...had several weird issues on the way home.
This morning the jeep ran 100% normal, but on the way home...
Started up fine, drove fine but about 5min into the drive, I look down to see my gauges are dead. Randomly a while later, the small gauges are back (batt, gas, oil, water) and continue to work all the way home. After a bit the tach/speedo come back, then die again on their own. I tap the dash at one point and they come back, but die off again, then about 2mi from home come back on (on their own) and stay on the rest of the way. When the gauges were dead, the airbag light was on but signal lights worked fine. Odo worked fine the whole way.
When I get home and let it idle a bit, I test the diff dash lights, signals, lights, etc (all work fine). I notice when I turn the lights on, the batt gauge dips...so I start playing....
If I turn the AC on (lowest fan setting) and spike it up to full blast, I get god awful belt squeak which gets worse applying gas and a good dip in the batt. Kill the fan (even just one notch down), squeaking gone, batt needle centers.
Its never done this before and the only changed variable is that sitting in the hot sun all day. Any of these problems individually would be easier to nail down. Heres my plan of attack per my research so far:
-Going to get the alternator checked
-Going to remove the gauge cluster and clean the connectors (which symptom wise seems right on, but odd thats its coupled with my other issues)
-My battery is only 1000 miles old, so it should be ok, but will test it.
Any other insight?
This morning the jeep ran 100% normal, but on the way home...
Started up fine, drove fine but about 5min into the drive, I look down to see my gauges are dead. Randomly a while later, the small gauges are back (batt, gas, oil, water) and continue to work all the way home. After a bit the tach/speedo come back, then die again on their own. I tap the dash at one point and they come back, but die off again, then about 2mi from home come back on (on their own) and stay on the rest of the way. When the gauges were dead, the airbag light was on but signal lights worked fine. Odo worked fine the whole way.
When I get home and let it idle a bit, I test the diff dash lights, signals, lights, etc (all work fine). I notice when I turn the lights on, the batt gauge dips...so I start playing....
If I turn the AC on (lowest fan setting) and spike it up to full blast, I get god awful belt squeak which gets worse applying gas and a good dip in the batt. Kill the fan (even just one notch down), squeaking gone, batt needle centers.
Its never done this before and the only changed variable is that sitting in the hot sun all day. Any of these problems individually would be easier to nail down. Heres my plan of attack per my research so far:
-Going to get the alternator checked
-Going to remove the gauge cluster and clean the connectors (which symptom wise seems right on, but odd thats its coupled with my other issues)
-My battery is only 1000 miles old, so it should be ok, but will test it.
Any other insight?