Ok so I bought this 07 JKU with a rod knock, rebuilt the engine, and I was able to get enough drive cycle monitors to run so I could register/title the damn thing.
Running great, but I'm still breaking in the engine as it sits.

Then I start having little issues, most of it started after I started improving the grounds.
I even added a big one to the engine block and to the frame directly from the battery.

Seems like issues start creeping up as I did it, so me thinking "fix more grounds!!"
As I did that issues got really weird.

Then I start looking into this "TIPM" thing, it really sounds like it, except for my windshield wipers, windows, radio, and lights work fine.
I do keep having this issue where it's a long crank before it starts, making me start to wonder if it's the fuel pump relay in the TIPM being slow...

So I get this wild idea a few minutes ago, disconnect the alternator plug on the side.

like a magic wand the issues stop.
running just fine w/o any lights on the dash, I plug it in and it lights up like a Christmas tree.

Disconnect, and not much changes, until i shut it down and restart the engine.
Then everything is fine with the alternator plug disconnected...

wtf?!

Maybe the alternator has issues, or could it all be part of the classic "TIPM" issues these things get?

Thoughts?

 

You need to place a voltmeter not ammeter on the battery and record voltage with key on engine off, then start it and see the voltage rise. If the regulator circuit plugged in and is not working then it won't see a voltage rise. Cannot verify if it is the TIPM over the internet.

 

Yeah, I'm thinking I'll need to use a scope to see what the charging looks like.
I did locate my voltmeter last night, I actually put it away for once!
Weird.

I'm thinking I'll try the voltmeter later to see what it looks like, maybe I'm getting an over volt.
If everything looks good, then I'll try disconnecting the alternator again, then running a jumper cable over to my Tahoe (running) to see if that clears it up.

This thing is getting a winch and some lights anyways, so an alternator upgrade might be a good idea.
The current one looks like a somewhat recent AutoZone replacement alternator.

I'm not against loading the parts cannon, but it sure would be nice to complete some engine break-in miles.

 

I did a voltage test today, showed nearly 15 volts.
and the voltage swing wasn't really steady...
For the heck of it, I ordered an alternator on amazon, if all else fails I'll just return it after seeing if i have the same results.

Looking at the FSM, it says the alternator will go into "Default" mode and run like a normal alternator.
But when I disconnected it, the voltage dropped like it wasn't running.
letting the cooling fans come on, I saw it drop way down under 12v...

So, it feels like it's worth a shot.

 

Well, the new alternator came.
took about 5min to swap it out.

with the alt off, I also did a restart of all modules via jscan.
I did the TIPM reset/learn procedure just in case when connecting the battery...

And so far, it's a success!

I'm getting a single airbag code that sounds like the occupant sensor.
And since I drenched the seat via a power washer at the wash bay, it makes sense that I probably fkd that thing.
voltage reading is also much closer to what i would expect, under 14.5 volts.

I also managed to get my keys to lock and unlock the doors via remote.

I assumed that the key required a battery in order to allow the jeep to run, so for fun I took the battery out of the remote and ran the jeep.
Took the chip out of the key and put it on the seat, and the engine shut off.
Wouldn't really restart and run w/o that chip.

So, I tossed another battery into the remote, and it's now working!

I'll take it for a drive a little later tonight to see if the issues are resolved.

 

I drove it a good 100 miles last night, and I didn't have any issues except for that one occupant sensor.
Crazy that the alternator could do that...
I'm sure a TIPM is in the future of this thing, however I'm happy enough for now.

300 miles to go before the third oil change on the rebuild.
Then I get the diagnose death wobble!
So far, I'm fine as long as I keep it under 55mph...

I found the spark plug wires were original, and by the look of the plugs, they were probably original as well.
So, I'm going to guess that it also has the original ball joints.