electrical

Bill, I appologize. I attributed something someone else said in this thread to you, it wasn't you. I'm sorry.

Jerry

Bill, you never cease to amaze me... someone apologizes to you and in your reply you still manage to come off like the an ass.

Jerry

Jees you two. lol, some things never change. KH

Ahh, I see. I used the wrong term for the regulator. It isn't a set of diodes after all, it is something else electronic.

Same point. It costs less than $5.00 and if dead you have to change the computer.

I have a friend in a 2000 TJ with exactly that problem.

Mike

bllsht wrote:

And as a follow-up.

To fix the voltage regulator in that 2000 TJ costs $800.00 for the 'reconditioned' computer plus 15% tax plus labor plus programming.

Well over $1000.00 for an electronic chip worth less than five bucks.

In 'this' case the voltage regulator is dropping out and coming back so we cleaned all the main wires first.

In the OP case it is spiking out. That does not indicate a bad connection or a blown diode in the rectifier because it comes back to normal. That indicates a bad regulator.

If it was mine, I would just put a 'real' alternator in there like the GM one in the CJ's and forget the computer's regulator if that is possible.

You 'say' you are a Jeep tech, what if anything would be needed to put a proper alternator in? Could the computer with the dead chip just be left alone or are these poor suckers stuck getting screwed for big bucks?

Mike

Mike Roma>

Mike, I see used TJ ECMs for sale all the time for $250-300. There's no programming involved, it teaches itself. I've swapped out ECMs before and can vouch for that.

Jerry

Cool, I will get him to look around. The $tealer says it 'has' to be programmed for the VIN which is a money grab as I figured.

Mike

Jerry Bransford wrote:

It teaches itself so long as the ECM is for the same model year, tranny, and engine but that's it. :)

Jerry

Thanks, I had it figured it would have to be pretty close to start.

Mike

Jerry Bransford wrote:

LOL. Like I need you to give me credit.

You poor twisted old man. Have another Ritalin.

He came off exactly like I'd expect an ass to come off. LOL

Don't bother with it Jerry. He's pitiful, really.

OK, so where does the $3000.00 part come into play?

In this case, if it's confirmed there are no other electrical problems, it can get difficult to decide which to blame. I have seen alternators cause the regulator to 'flip out' and not switch properly, even if the original problem corrects it's self. Cycle the key and things are back to normal, maybe for days at a time. There's really no way to tell what's causing it if it won't stay broken long enough. That's the problem with intermittent electrical problems. I will tell you again. Alternator problems are much more common than computer regulator problems.

Not if the regulator is reacting to faulty input. Again, a bad or intermittent connection can cause this.

An intermittent short on the field driver circuit can cause this. Ever done a 'full field' test?

Well, since what I say doesn't really matter, because you don't believe me anyway, I'll just tell you this. If you're prepared to live with a check engine light, go ahead and put the other alternator in. Believe it or don't, no skin off my nose either way.

If that's your only criteria, I'd say you've been lucky.

If you actually expect it to run, and it's equipped with SKIM, it needs programming.

If it's equipped with ABS, and you don't like looking at the ABS light, it needs programming.

Other than that, you can get away without.