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Jeep Cherokee Bad Ground Symptoms: Dimming Lights/Low Voltage/Dead Battery/Start Failure

Failure to understand or pay attention to the most common Jeep Cherokee bad ground symptoms may lead to some major troubles or issues with your vehicle.

Suppose you drive a Jeep Cherokee, and you experience sudden or unexpected issues with your vehicle. In that case, the first thing you need to do is find out if these issues are associated with a breakdown in the vehicle’s ground.

This is why everybody who owns and drives a Jeep Cherokee must know how to diagnose and analyze bad ground warning signs.

What are jeep Cherokee bad ground symptoms?

Technical problems such as an unresponsive battery, low voltage, or dimming lights are some of the signs that inform you that your Jeep has ground issues.

How the bad ground problem occurs?

The most crucial component in your Jeep Cherokee’s electrical system is the ground wire. Other names for the ground wire are ground strap or cable.

This component’s function is to control all the Jeep’s electrical flow. So, when the ground wire fails to function efficiently, operating your Jeep becomes a big problem.

In a situation where your Jeep’s circuit is not well-designed, this may cause the ground cable to get damaged or worn out easily.

Common Jeep Cherokee Bad Ground Symptoms

This part of the article will look at some major or common symptoms of a bad ground. These symptoms are what every Jeep Cherokee owner should have a good knowledge of.

In most cases, especially if you are experiencing any of these signs or symptoms for the first time, you may see them as minor.

Failure to find solutions to these symptoms may lead to serious problems.

Identifying issues related to bad ground is not difficult. To understand or perceive these symptoms, all it takes is a simple observation.

We advise that you take any form of electrical problems you may experience in your Jeep seriously.

Below are some bad ground warning signs you need to look out for if you drive or own a Jeep Cherokee:

01. Dimming lights

Once your ground wire or cable is bad, the electrical circuit will be unable to distribute power to your Jeep’s headlight.

Since the distribution or delivery of power is restricted, you will possibly find out that your headlights flickers or dims from time to time.

This issue continues as long as you left it unattended. In some situations, the ground cable may not be faulty; instead, it may just be disconnected or needs to be tightened.

Solution: If the ground wire or cable is loose, make sure you tighten it. In this situation, there is nothing much to get worried about.

Nevertheless, ensure you follow the necessary precautions. In a situation where the ground cable is bad or damaged, you must ensure you replace it as soon as possible.

02. Low Voltage

In a situation where there is electricity in your Jeep, but it appears not to be as powerful as usual, you must examine the battery’s voltage. Low voltage in your Jeep affects the efficiency of the fuel pump. This, in turn, results in low-energy supply or distribution.

Once you realize a sudden decline in your Jeep’s natural speed, you should troubleshoot or conduct a voltage test. You can make use of a digital multimeter to carry out this test.

This tool (digital multimeter) job is to know the amount of voltage distributed or delivered from the battery terminals.

If you get a report of about 12.6 volts, this reading is considered normal, and a reading below 11.5 voltage may be a sign of bad ground.

Solution: Ensure you find out what the issue is. First, start by checking the ground wire or cable.

In case the problem is a result of a bad ground cable, you may need to talk to a professional instead of attempting to fix the issue yourself.

03. Dead Battery

There are instances that your Jeep battery may stop charging unexpectedly. When this happens, many people immediately assume the battery is dead, damaged, or bad. This assumption may not be true.

First, you need to understand that your Jeep’s charging system’s functionality depends on the ground’s condition. Once the ground is not in good condition or state, the battery won’t charge.

Another reason for a dead battery may be a bad or damaged alternator or issues with the cable that connects the alternator and the battery.

Solution: When your vehicle’s battery stops charging, make sure you conduct a full check on your vehicle to know exactly what the problem is.

In case you find out that the battery and the alternator are in good condition, if the battery is still unresponsive, you may need to check the ground cable to find out if it is loose or damaged and take necessary actions.

If you find out that the battery is damaged, make sure you seek a replacement as soon as possible.

04. Start Failure

There are numerous reasons why your Jeep may fail to start. In case you experience any of the previous symptoms, you may find it difficult to start your Jeep as time goes on, even sooner than expected.

In a situation where your ground cable is faulty or damaged. When you pay attention, you will possibly perceive a lot of tapping noises.

These disturbing sounds are generated as a result of frequent opening and closing of the solenoid, an indicator that the solenoid isn’t getting adequate voltage.

A solenoid is one of the most important components that make up your Jeep’s engine. This component can be found in the starter, and it is connected to the battery’s negative terminal.

The terminal distributes the needed power that the solenoid needs to function, thereby allowing the vehicle to work.

In some cases, the cable found between the battery and the starter may get disconnected or loose, which may cause start failure.

Solution: Whenever you experience this problem, ensure you conduct a proper check on the cable connection to determine the issue.

Check if the ground is damaged, as this may prevent your vehicle’s solenoid from absorbing the needed voltage from the battery.

05. The A/C of your Jeep doesn’t come on

A damaged ground cable causes disruption to your Jeep’s entire power supply system. In the process, the A/C in your vehicle may as well be affected- it may stop working suddenly.

Think about how frustrating and disturbing this may be, especially if the A/C goes off while you are on a long journey.

If this happens, do not panic. Instead, take the car off the road and conduct a quick inspection around the cables to identify any signs of damaged or worn-out wires.

Solution: If you found any broken wire, attempt to get it fixed straight away. If it appears or looks too big to fix or correct on your own, consult a professional.

Failure to get this problem fixed immediately could lead to another problem, which may become complex or very dangerous to your Jeep.

06. Windows may become frustrating and irritating

Although this happens on rare occasions, it is important to discuss it. This is a situation where your windows lock unexpectedly, or you may find it very difficult to operate the control system. In this situation, you won’t be able to open and close the windows as usual.

Although many issues can contribute to this problem, you may want to check the ground first to determine if the problem results from there or if you need further checks by an expert.

Solution: Make sure you attend to window issues as soon as possible. If you find it difficult to figure out the exact problem, talk to a professional.

Also, you can remove the door frame and carefully inspect the connection and vehicle. In case you find where the fault is, ensure you get it fixed as fast as possible.

 07. The Dash gauges may stop

One of the major reasons why your Jeep’s dash gauges may stop working is due to bad ground. Jeep Cherokee has three different dash gauges.

These are the fuel gauge, speed meters, and temperature gauge. Whenever you notice that any of these gauges stop, this may indicate that the ground is faulty.

Solution: Since there are several other reasons why the dash gauges may stop working, it may be a great idea to know what exactly the problem is before you make a final decision on what to do next.

Having clarity about the exact issue makes it very easy to come up with what to do to solve the problem.

08. Noticeable ground cable damage

If you want to know your ground cable’s true state, you need to conduct a physical inspection.

When you look at the ground cable and notice any physical damage signs, it is a good idea to consider an instant replacement.

Whenever you notice any of the symbols we have discussed in this part of the article, check your ground strap.

Tips to avoid a bad ground problem

While you can fix bad ground issues whenever they occur, try as much as possible to avoid them. Below are tips you can follow:

  1. Ensure you take proper care of your vehicle
  2. Ensure you conduct checkups from time to time

FAQs Bad Alternator Ground Symptoms

  1. How do I find out if my Jeep has a bad ground cable?

We have discussed the most common symptoms of bad ground in this article.

These symptoms are, dimming lights, dead battery, Jeep start failure, Low voltage, unresponsive air-conditioning system, and gauges may stop working. You may as well notice or see that the ground cable is worn-out or damaged.

  1. What are the effects of damaged ground?

When a ground cable is bad or damaged, it may lead to disturbing sounds in the audio system. The electric fuel pump may become hot, and it may also affect the electronic engine controls’ performance and function.

  1. What are the effects of a low voltage?

When the voltage drops excessively, this results in an increase in the amperage. When this happens, this may cause your Jeep to malfunction (a decline in speed).

  1. How do you find out if the alternator is bad?

When you start your Jeep’s engine, and it goes off immediately, this may be because the alternator is not charging your battery.

  1. How do you find out detect if the battery is bad?

In a situation whereby your engine fails to start, and you jump-start it to keep the vehicle running. Later, if the vehicle fails to use its own power again, the battery is possibly dead.

  1. What is the cost of fixing a faulty alternator?

On average, it cost between $500 and $1200 to replace a faulty or damaged alternator with a new one. The price mentioned in this paragraph includes the labor cost.

  1. What is a ground cable?

A ground cable is known as the thick cable (black), which links your vehicle’s negative battery terminal to the chassis. This cable is known as the basis of your Jeep Cherokee’s electrical system.

  1. How long can the engine stay on with a faulty alternator?

Jeep Cherokee relies so much on its battery and charging system. Hence, when the battery is not charged or dead, the engine won’t come on.

  1. How long does an alternator last?

Typically, an alternator has a life span of about 7 years. In terms of distance covered, that should be about 100,000 miles.

  1. How soon does a faulty alternator drain a vehicle’s battery?

On average, this takes between 1 to 3 hours.

  1. How do I avoid bad ground problems?

The easiest way to achieve this is to ensure you perform a routine check on your Jeep from time to time.

Verdict

When you experience any of the symptoms we have discussed in this article, you may take them lightly or even decide to ignore them.

By ignoring these symptoms or problems, they may eventually result in complex issues that may be more expensive or difficult to solve independently.

Now, you can see the extent of damage to your Jeep as a result of bad ground. So, ensure these issues are corrected immediately before it gets out of hand.

If it looks like something you can’t do or figure out on your own, do not hesitate to seek help from a professional or expert.

You may read our other article:

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