[BlackJack03]

(Look to the left to see what I drive)

About a month ago at night I turned my lights on and the odometer LCD screen didn't light up. I was kinda confused...happened a few times that night and then it was fine.

This weekend I was driving and noticed something odd...looked down and my dash was flickering. It wasn't turning all the way off, but it was going between dim and bright quickly.

Yesterday and today now, while I'm cruising at a steady speed, the battery light will come on. If I step on it, even a little, the light goes off and stays off for a while, but then will come back on once I start cruising after a minute or so.

I'm gonna go to Advance and get a battery and alternator test, but I checked the battery cables and they appear to be solid. When I start up I do hear a different noise that could be the alternator, though I've never heard a bad alternator before so if course it *could* be anything.

Just wanted to hear some suggestions...thanks!

 

[brandnew161]

bad alternator or cable/ cable connections. my 0.2

 

[BlackJack03]

Yeah my guess is the alternator and that's the noise I am hearing. Yay, can't wait to tackle that...might as well replace the serpentine while I'm at it eh?

 

[1sloho]

hmmm...mines been doin this as well but, i just changed the alternator not long ago. i dont hear any kinds of noises like i did when my alt. was goin out. but it does the same for me. once i hit the gas just a lil bit, it will go off and stay off for a bit.

 

[autotec]

That's how my alternator started. The dash lights started flickering and the battery light would come on if I was sitting there and idling. After about 2 weeks, I was driving home and I started losing the radio and cluster functions. Then my car died. I never had a voltage or a battery light come on during all of this. I replaced the alternator and checked the pigtail.

So do yourself a favor, check the voltage at the battery when the car is running, it should be over 13.0 volts.

 

[1sloho]

well my dash lights arent flickering at all. just the battery light comes on and off when it wants. lol. ill hafta go out and check the connections one day. the alt. should not be goin out on me already. i just put it in like 2 months ago....if that. and ive only had the battery for about a year and a half and thats a damn optima.

 

[BlackJack03]

I don't know what kind of maintenance has been done on my car really so I'm just gonna have the alternator AND the battery tested. I'm guessing it's the alternator because she starts up just fine, just seems like she's not getting enough charge or something. I will have it tested one of these nights, hopefully before it dies! Hopefully it doesn't.

 

[BlackJack03]

Alright, turns out the alternator is charging fine AND the battery is holding a charge just fine. Gonna be taking a look at the ground wires. It's also been suggested that I look at the voltage regulator.

Anybody else have a similar problem where it turned out not to be the battery or the alternator?

 

[Doomedsoccer]

My lights flicker too... headlights and spedometer, especially when i crank my subs up lol.... I think my battery is getting bad. Its about a year old. So idk wat mine could be...

 

[BlackJack03]

Anybody else have a similar problem where it turned out not to be the battery or the alternator?

..........? (not an impatient thing, just a filler kinda)

 

[FocusMachOne]

I sometimes run across a related problem with chevy dash clusters
the dash ground comes loose, I charge 50$ reach my hand up behind it and hand tighten it back up, or when space allows a 10# metric and titghten it up. realize this is on s10's and such small trucks not a focus.

 

[1sloho]

well i went out and looked at mine real quick the other day before work. found that my ground wire was a lil loose. i had to move my battery ground so it would reach the new battery. the light was still goin on and off whenever i would hit the gas for a bit but, now its off and has stayed off for a couple days now. *knocks on wood*

 

[1sloho]

edit: owned by the double post.

 

[BlackJack03]

So where are the grounds located that I should be checking??? The battery connections are perfectly tight and fine...am I looking at the engine block, the car body...???

 

[1sloho]

the ground for the battery should be on the right side of the battery.

 

[BlackJack03]

I'm saying the battery connection is just fine...to the actual battery itself...

I'm wondering where else to check grounds...

 

[BlackJack03]

Well the only grounds I can see are right next to the battery there, and they're perfectly fine...I'm figuring there are other grounds in the engine, but what else would make a car do that???

I might try loosening and tightening the ground screws just to see what's up, but I'm guessing either the voltage regulator, alternator, or just a bad cable somewhere I can't see. Rar...I wish the car could talk haha.

 

[X-Rated]

Well the only grounds I can see are right next to the battery there, and they're perfectly fine...I'm figuring there are other grounds in the engine, but what else would make a car do that???

I might try loosening and tightening the ground screws just to see what's up, but I'm guessing either the voltage regulator, alternator, or just a bad cable somewhere I can't see. Rar...I wish the car could talk haha.

There are other grounds in the engine compartment but they are for other components. As far as the voltage regulator, that's an internal piece of the alternator(external regulators went extinct late 70's, early 80's I think), so if you think that's it you can tear the alternator apart and replace it or just replace the alternator itself(this is much easier)especially if it's under warranty.

I have the same problem, just flickering odometer light, nothing else, no battery light coming on etc. However, my alternator is making the typical loud bearing noise(original with 165k on it) so it will be getting changed soon, I hope(very expensive). I have also been told to change out my battery because it's an "Interstate" and they have been having severe problems with them. Since I work at a parts store the battery is no problem but still expensive with my discount (can't believe how much they went up) but the alternator is real expensive, $175 for a reman with core exchange($65), $205 for a new one, no core. Even with my discount it's still high dollar. For all those needing to change the alternator I did find it on Ebay with free shipping (http://motors.shop.ebay.com/merchan..._fromfsb=&_trksid=m270.l1313&_odkw=&_osacat=0) Still high dollar but much more affordable. [burnout]

 

[1sloho]

yeah im still havin this problem. its stayed off for awhile, but am sure its gonna come right back on. im hoping its not the alternator, but thats more than likely the case. ugghhhhh....

 

[rolla711]

im not alone!!!! yeah!!! ok so my focus is somewhat xperiencing the same problems....while driving everything that shows light will flash like the car alarm is goin off or like when u have a dead bulb on a blinker, it even does it when i turn the air on the blower will pulsate like its flashing. and when its not doin that if do a hard acceleration the car sometimes like to lose power mid way ( 3k-4krpms) for a sec and then just come bac out of no where, WHIPLASH!!! I had the battery checked = passed. had the alternator checked = charges fine. whats weird about when the car starts to flash my check engine light will flash with it like the car is tryin to shut off or stall out, its really getting annoying this weekend i am goin to take the power i have for my subs and cut it up to make ground wires out of it, i think its 2 or 4 gauge. if anyone has any advice please let me kno!!!



sorry for thread-jacking i just saw everyone talkin about it and i had to throw my problem in there to see if its the same