Jeep Cherokee Alternator Problem

Reader Question

I have a jeep Cherokee.  The A/C hasn’t worked in 4 years, but that is no problem to me.  But come winter time, when it gets cold enough, the jeep will start this loud squealing.  Most of the time after about 5 minutes, it stops and everything is fine.  But recently, it keeps going and going, and the battery light kicks on. 

Now another trick is the headlights and almost going out, and the wiper blades are moving extremely slow.  Any idea?  Is it the alternator, battery, is it possible the dead A/C is causing a chain reaction?  I thought the A/C compressor was locking up, causing the pulley to not be able to spin as well.  But it does not appear to be locking up.

 

Please help,

Kyle

Hey there Kyle,

I would suspect the alternator is either going out OR some other accessory attached to the serpentine fan belt is trying to lock up and not allowing the belt to spin fast enough around the alternator. 

You can remove the fan belt and try to spin the alternator, power steering pump, water pump and a/c compressor clutch by hand to see if one of them is very hard to turn.  Since you’re a/c does not work there could be a chance that your compressor is locking up thus the fan belt is slipping and causing the noise and cant turn the alternator pulley….thus not charging the battery. 

My “gut” guess would be the alternator is the problem though.

Blessings

Austin Davis