Hello Fellow Jeepers,
I've owned my Jeep TJ '02, since it came from the factory, with 3 miles on it. It was a custom model that ended up in a showroom until I ordered almost the exact same vehicle, and they offered me this at a discount.
In all of these years, until this year, I've only had two issues. One was the battery and the other was a brake line rupturing. The brake line was the worst, since it happened away from home.
But, since 04/01/26, it has been interesting.
First, I went out for a drive and visual inspection revealed missing lug nuts on the driver's side rear wheel. On closer inspection, two were missing and two were loose, leaving one, the locking lug, tight. The other rear wheel was missing one, two loose, and the locking lug tight. This bothered me since I hadn't messed with the wheels since I did the brakes, almost a year before, and inspection was six months before. It had passed inspection every day since.
Almost a month later, I went out to find four flats. OK, they needed to be swapped out anyway, but that's not the point. Other than a broken belt, which might have been the cause of the "death wobble" I had experienced after the lug incident and a tire rotation, we couldn't find a reason for them to be flat. But, from their appearance, the rims had pinched the tires and it wouldn't be safe to trust them.
Then, almost a month later, I came out for a ride. I was feeling pretty cocky since I didn't see anything wrong. In fact, I actually broke routine and got in without checking the oil and fluids. No problem. I would check lights and then do it, without starting. Everything was fine until...I looked out the windshield. At first, I thought a spider had spun a web over it and the sun was catching it. No such luck. It wouldn't wash or rub off. The windshield was cracked, like a spider web, but no clear impact point. Unless something hit it, during the night while it was parked, nothing was wrong with the factory glass. I hated that, since it was factory and you can't get that now. Still, $400 wasn't bad for glass and tint.
OK, maybe I am paranoid, as some locals say, but I stopped parking where I did, set up security, and questioned my sanity.
SO...The other morning I went out, went through the checks, got in, and turned on the ignition. Nada. My first thought was the battery was dead. And, the battery was more than a few years old. Still, the volts showed good while trying to start it. It didn't click but tried to turn over. Here is where I started having questions.
The day before, it ran fine. The volts stayed green, no starting issues, or anything to give advance warning. When my last alternator died, the volts showed it going down as the battery died. But, it isn't stuck in the Jeep.
After the jump, I took it to the parts store to get the battery tested. It's their brand, Die Hard. She tested OK but it needed to be charged. The alt, however, showed "bad," putting out low, somewhere around 11. Advice? Buy a new alt, which they didn't have in stock. But, I needed to get the expensive one, that was 117amps or something. It would be a re-manufactured alt.
FIRST QUESTION: How do I find what the stock alt/gen put out in amps and do I really need to go up?
I'm running new lights, LED headlights, but the rest are stock. I had an incident with a modified BMO that suggested improved light might avoid a fight.
New "head" unit, consisting of GPS, LED, DVD/CD/AM/FM/Alt stereo, phone, Dash cam/Rear cam, etc. Really only use the GPS and phone since we're a hand's free state. It will also record impact/tampering as part of the security system. Will add more to that later.
Scanner & CB. Scanner needs upgrade but CB is President.
I may add Shortwave, computer set up w/ phone, transponder, and probably security system as funds open up.
The funny thing is, since they had to order the alt, they suggested another place that might have it in stock. So, I went there and they did have one in stock, different make, same cost, same amp, BUT...he said it wasn't the alt but the battery. He couldn't check the alt since the battery was bad. OK, I'm not a tech. But, in my day, we had ways to check things. We didn't have the fancy machines, like now. But I still find it hard to believe they couldn't check the alt without the battery. Am I wrong? Technically a question but not that important.
Anyway, I came home and decided to "sleep on it." In other words, look it up.
First, I found a guy, on GOFUNDME who was having the same problem. And, it would cost him $600 for a battery and alternator too. I feel for him, but I can't help right now.
Second Question: He's not the only other guy to have issues. Snooping around, including the local Walmart and parts stores, there were five or six others who had recently suffered the loss of a battery and alternator. In a month? Could our sudden hot weather have caused this? It has been a little hotter this year than normal, in the last 20, with Jan and Feb being shorts weather instead of snow and now pushing 100*, but before Y2K this was actually cooler for summer, where we would just be getting hot. Winters averaged several feet of snow instead of rain.
Now, more questions with less type.
NEW, re-manufactured, or used? I know it sounds stupid, but New and Re run the same price. The only difference is the New is OEM/Factory Spec and RE is supposed to be that, but can have a higher amp. The two big ones are NipponDenso and ACDELCO. Cheaper options exist, of course. I've even found some used/working and untested, ranging from $60 up. In the past, we either went factory or Advance Auto, but that was before the invasion of the clones.
Battery is pretty much the same. It's a Die Hard, 15 years old. But, Sears no longer carries Die Hards and they don't seem to have the same quality. Even Optima doesn't seem to be what it was. Yet, they all seem to be made by the same place. My problem is, this is the first vehicle I have ever had that eats up and spits out batteries. I did use whatever I could get and afford. But, when I got this one, it tore through flooded batteries at an insane rate. While they were all under warranty, we got tired of pulling them and replacing them, and they got tired of the paperwork. I just happened to be at a SEARS when it spat the last one out and lucked on a Die Hard AGM. It's 15 years old. Honestly, it may still keep going, if it is the alt. But, is there a reason she doesn't like some brands or does like Die Hard?
Last question. Other than the upgrade on amps, I'm being told I NEED to replace a tension device, belt, and wiring (Big 3?). Other that what I've listed, she's stock. The belt still looks fine. Not sure why I would do the wiring since she's running fine stock and it was never suggested at the dealership or by my mechanics since.
So, fellow Jeep Owners, what do you think?
Thanks, in advance. 0500 2026/07/05
I've owned my Jeep TJ '02, since it came from the factory, with 3 miles on it. It was a custom model that ended up in a showroom until I ordered almost the exact same vehicle, and they offered me this at a discount.
In all of these years, until this year, I've only had two issues. One was the battery and the other was a brake line rupturing. The brake line was the worst, since it happened away from home.
But, since 04/01/26, it has been interesting.
First, I went out for a drive and visual inspection revealed missing lug nuts on the driver's side rear wheel. On closer inspection, two were missing and two were loose, leaving one, the locking lug, tight. The other rear wheel was missing one, two loose, and the locking lug tight. This bothered me since I hadn't messed with the wheels since I did the brakes, almost a year before, and inspection was six months before. It had passed inspection every day since.
Almost a month later, I went out to find four flats. OK, they needed to be swapped out anyway, but that's not the point. Other than a broken belt, which might have been the cause of the "death wobble" I had experienced after the lug incident and a tire rotation, we couldn't find a reason for them to be flat. But, from their appearance, the rims had pinched the tires and it wouldn't be safe to trust them.
Then, almost a month later, I came out for a ride. I was feeling pretty cocky since I didn't see anything wrong. In fact, I actually broke routine and got in without checking the oil and fluids. No problem. I would check lights and then do it, without starting. Everything was fine until...I looked out the windshield. At first, I thought a spider had spun a web over it and the sun was catching it. No such luck. It wouldn't wash or rub off. The windshield was cracked, like a spider web, but no clear impact point. Unless something hit it, during the night while it was parked, nothing was wrong with the factory glass. I hated that, since it was factory and you can't get that now. Still, $400 wasn't bad for glass and tint.
OK, maybe I am paranoid, as some locals say, but I stopped parking where I did, set up security, and questioned my sanity.
SO...The other morning I went out, went through the checks, got in, and turned on the ignition. Nada. My first thought was the battery was dead. And, the battery was more than a few years old. Still, the volts showed good while trying to start it. It didn't click but tried to turn over. Here is where I started having questions.
The day before, it ran fine. The volts stayed green, no starting issues, or anything to give advance warning. When my last alternator died, the volts showed it going down as the battery died. But, it isn't stuck in the Jeep.
After the jump, I took it to the parts store to get the battery tested. It's their brand, Die Hard. She tested OK but it needed to be charged. The alt, however, showed "bad," putting out low, somewhere around 11. Advice? Buy a new alt, which they didn't have in stock. But, I needed to get the expensive one, that was 117amps or something. It would be a re-manufactured alt.
FIRST QUESTION: How do I find what the stock alt/gen put out in amps and do I really need to go up?
I'm running new lights, LED headlights, but the rest are stock. I had an incident with a modified BMO that suggested improved light might avoid a fight.
New "head" unit, consisting of GPS, LED, DVD/CD/AM/FM/Alt stereo, phone, Dash cam/Rear cam, etc. Really only use the GPS and phone since we're a hand's free state. It will also record impact/tampering as part of the security system. Will add more to that later.
Scanner & CB. Scanner needs upgrade but CB is President.
I may add Shortwave, computer set up w/ phone, transponder, and probably security system as funds open up.
The funny thing is, since they had to order the alt, they suggested another place that might have it in stock. So, I went there and they did have one in stock, different make, same cost, same amp, BUT...he said it wasn't the alt but the battery. He couldn't check the alt since the battery was bad. OK, I'm not a tech. But, in my day, we had ways to check things. We didn't have the fancy machines, like now. But I still find it hard to believe they couldn't check the alt without the battery. Am I wrong? Technically a question but not that important.
Anyway, I came home and decided to "sleep on it." In other words, look it up.
First, I found a guy, on GOFUNDME who was having the same problem. And, it would cost him $600 for a battery and alternator too. I feel for him, but I can't help right now.
Second Question: He's not the only other guy to have issues. Snooping around, including the local Walmart and parts stores, there were five or six others who had recently suffered the loss of a battery and alternator. In a month? Could our sudden hot weather have caused this? It has been a little hotter this year than normal, in the last 20, with Jan and Feb being shorts weather instead of snow and now pushing 100*, but before Y2K this was actually cooler for summer, where we would just be getting hot. Winters averaged several feet of snow instead of rain.
Now, more questions with less type.
NEW, re-manufactured, or used? I know it sounds stupid, but New and Re run the same price. The only difference is the New is OEM/Factory Spec and RE is supposed to be that, but can have a higher amp. The two big ones are NipponDenso and ACDELCO. Cheaper options exist, of course. I've even found some used/working and untested, ranging from $60 up. In the past, we either went factory or Advance Auto, but that was before the invasion of the clones.
Battery is pretty much the same. It's a Die Hard, 15 years old. But, Sears no longer carries Die Hards and they don't seem to have the same quality. Even Optima doesn't seem to be what it was. Yet, they all seem to be made by the same place. My problem is, this is the first vehicle I have ever had that eats up and spits out batteries. I did use whatever I could get and afford. But, when I got this one, it tore through flooded batteries at an insane rate. While they were all under warranty, we got tired of pulling them and replacing them, and they got tired of the paperwork. I just happened to be at a SEARS when it spat the last one out and lucked on a Die Hard AGM. It's 15 years old. Honestly, it may still keep going, if it is the alt. But, is there a reason she doesn't like some brands or does like Die Hard?
Last question. Other than the upgrade on amps, I'm being told I NEED to replace a tension device, belt, and wiring (Big 3?). Other that what I've listed, she's stock. The belt still looks fine. Not sure why I would do the wiring since she's running fine stock and it was never suggested at the dealership or by my mechanics since.
So, fellow Jeep Owners, what do you think?
Thanks, in advance. 0500 2026/07/05
