Flickering Dash Warning Lights

[rsk_wannabe]

I am sure that this has been discussed but I just looked through "1000 Frequently Asked Questions" and came up with NADA.

Driving to MD (as usual) and the dash warning lights start flickering (alt, radiator, brake.. NOT C/E). I stop and make sure the battery connections are good and the flickering stops. 230 miles later, I hit a pothole and the warning lights start flickering again. I stop to check the battery connections again but the lights keep flickering. About twenty miles later, the flickering stops.

When I reach my destination, I quickly hand-check ps pump belt and alt belt for tightness and they seem to be fine. Car is running great and just passed inspection on Saturday. Battery is new.

Any ideas?

[DrSmile]

When this happened on my 1G it turned out to be loose connections on the battery, namely the wing nut that holds the individual wires to the main ground.

[rsk_wannabe]

I will remove, clean and retighten battery connections tomorrow. Thanks, you EVOIX owner. 8)

I did more searching and found this write-up as well on the CA.DSM board. Anyone share similar experiences?

http://www.ca.dsm.org/cgi/ultimatebb.cg ... 004068;p=0 (http://www.ca.dsm.org/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=7;t=004068;p=0)

And 1000 FAQs did have a section on this...

"My instrument warning lights glow/flicker under acceleration! Is there a fix?
This is often because your battery is sliding around and contacting the top of the hood momentarily. Check your battery and make sure it is secure."

Just have to use the right search words.....

[TurboMike]

Those three lights get power and ground from the battery and the alt at the same time. They're supposed to come on when your alt is not charging.

When you stick the key in the car, the lights get ground from the alt and power from the battery, so they come on. When you start the car the second the alt starts spinning they get 14v from the alt and 12v from the battery so they go out (no ground).

If they flick on quick, then shut off quick, you have a loose connection because as soon as they dont see power from the alt they get ground and flick on.

If they kinda fade in slowly and stay dim, then fade out slowly, then your alt is about to die. When the alt starts putting out like 7volts they have a 5 volts difference and come on dimly so you can see your alt fading in and out.

[91tsiguy]

That would make sense that your alternator could be bad, Joe. Did any power steering fluid leak onto it during the swap or previously?

[rsk_wannabe]

Mike,

Thanks for the answer. It's definitely the flickering as opposed to the fading in and out. Hoping its only a loose connection. Do you know what single wire that goes from PS pump to the alternator does?

Brent,

Yes, PS fluid was always getting in there. Then a lot of brake fluid found its way there as well... Don't ask.

If its not one thing, its another.

So who has a 90 amp alternator for sale?

[Nate Crisman]

yup, sounds like dead alternator to me. Leaking PS pump will kill a dsm alternator fast. Well, just looking at the alternator the wrong way will kill it too.

[hindle]

+1 for the alternator. That's exactly what happened to my laser when the alt. went out on me.

[TurboMike]

The wire you're talking about going from the p/s pump into the wiring harness right under the alt, it doesnt go to the alt. That wire sends a signal to the ECU when the p/s pump is under a lot of pressure to "bump up" the idle a few hundred RPM to keep the from stalling if you're turning the wheel a lot at idle and putting a load on the motor from the power steering pump to the crank pully.

Anyway, if the lights are flicking on and off quickly (no fade) then either you have a loose connection thats connecting on and off with vibration as you drive, a short in the wire coming on and off, or the regulator in your alt is about to die.

I totally cant remember the connectons on a 1G alt, but if you have a 2G make sure the charge wire (12 or 13mm bolt under the red cap) is tight (be careful not to touch anything else metal thats a direct wire to the battery even if the key is out), make sure the 3 or 4 wire harness is plugged into the front tightly, and make sure the ground strap with the 10mm bolt is attached (that comes right off the harness where the P/S pump wire goes into the harness, at the bottom of the alt). Those are all the connections on a 2G alt, other than checking the battery terminals I cant think of what else to check. For shorts run the motor and have someone sit inside and see if you can jiggle with the wires without burning yourself on the manifold or getting your sleeve sucked into the belts have the guy inside tell you if the lights come on and off when you jiggle them.

If none of that is the problem, you might wana just swap the alt or get it rebuilt. If the internal wiring to the reg (inside the alt) is shorting the lights would flick on and off quick like that.

[quasimondo]

It's the alternator. Even a new one will take a dump. Mine pissed on me with less than 1000 miles. The next step after the flickering lights will be your radio shutting off whenever you hit the brakes. Your alternator is past the point of no return when that happens.

[gtluke]

i'm pretty sure i'm on alternator 6. maybe 5 but i'm pretty sure 6.
4 years, 100,000 miles, 6 alternators, 6 turbos.

[rsk_wannabe]

Holy crow, this seems to be a common ailment. I guess I have been relatively lucky with my alternator going 75K+ miles without being changed. That is through a lot of other crap going wrong with the car.

I am hoping it is just a loose connection. When I took a look under the hood in the light of day this AM, I noticed that the single wire which attaches to the PS pump had come loose. It was just dangling there. That may explain why the lights started flickering right after I hit the pot hole (wire was loose and then came off totally). This does not explain why the flickering was happening the first time though.

Not even sure if the disconnected ps pump wire would cause the flickering or was merely coincidental. Yes, I guess I can pull it off simply enough to see if I can recreate the flickering condition, but that would make too much sense. :wink: Just happy that the flickering stopped for now and will keep my fingers crossed that it does not return anytime soon.

Thanks for not calling me lazy....

[Diablooffire03]

Yeh my alterneator is like 2 months old and all of a sudden my battery light and brake light both light up dimly in the car then mysteriously go out. The lights do not come on when I start the car and its cold. This only happens after a long drive and then starting the car up within an hour of time. In order to make them go out I rev the car past 3k rpms, and they don't come back on until I restart my car if it is with in an hour. What you think that can be?

[quasimondo]

Your alternator's is about to take a shit. Mileage matters not with these things. I had a brand spankin' new alternator dump out on me with less than 1000 miles.

[shane]

same thing happend to me. i was wondering why my car was breaking up under boost, my lights were dim, my sub didnt hit for shit (probably caused the thing to go bad). and guess what it was. ALTERNEATOR. is it me or are there a lot of these threads?

[helite99]

i alt went dead after 80k (3 trannys) and the new one has about 15 k (4/5 trannys) on it

[CHRIS]

i alt went dead after 80k (3 trannys) and the new one has about 15 k (4/5 trannys) on it
i reference parts and modifications to my car over the years i've had it. "i bought the clutch 1.5 years ago..."
you reference to trannys, i just cant get over it