Flashing lights, bad alt?
12-20-2007, 10:12 AM
#1
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Flashing lights, bad alt? When I start the car and it is not at operating temp, the air pump is running, lights are on, blower at level1 or 2, Sirrius on, the head lights and all the interior lights pulsate a little. It looks like when an alternator is going bad. When the air pump is off it seems to stop so some of the load is off the electrical system.
when it is doing it even bringing the engine up to like 2500 doesn't seem change anything including the frequency of the pulsing.
I saw this before a once and now a SES light is on, which I am going to check today, that might have had some thing to do with it.
Any thing I should look at?? grounds(where are they)? or do I have to pull the alt and have it checked?
Every two weeks some thing seems to go bad and i give it time and do a little maitenance and it just goes away.
when it is doing it even bringing the engine up to like 2500 doesn't seem change anything including the frequency of the pulsing.
I saw this before a once and now a SES light is on, which I am going to check today, that might have had some thing to do with it.
Any thing I should look at?? grounds(where are they)? or do I have to pull the alt and have it checked?
Every two weeks some thing seems to go bad and i give it time and do a little maitenance and it just goes away.
12-20-2007, 10:42 AM
#2
Mine did that off and on for a while and steadily got more often and worse. If your volt gauge is jumping it's probably the alt. but check it anyway. If it gets too bad (like mine did) your a/c and air pump will quit working and throw codes. Voltage swings too wildly and it shuts them down to save them, nothing permanant in my case.
12-20-2007, 12:08 PM
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What happened to yours? Was it the alt?
My gage runs steady above 13 all the time and doesn't move. I don't know if it will pick up a small Volt flux since most stock gages are super over damped so that they don't move around to make dump people happy.
some times at idle when you step on the brake the lights dim and then come back up. If you bring the idle down to far like creeping in a parking lot it will dim and then come back on.
I will get the code read and then i can see if my battery charger can see if any thing is wrong or if it goes away with it on. then check as many conectors as possible.
I have noticed that the conector on the alt is not that good and I broke a wire changing my brothers out real easy.
My gage runs steady above 13 all the time and doesn't move. I don't know if it will pick up a small Volt flux since most stock gages are super over damped so that they don't move around to make dump people happy.
some times at idle when you step on the brake the lights dim and then come back up. If you bring the idle down to far like creeping in a parking lot it will dim and then come back on.
I will get the code read and then i can see if my battery charger can see if any thing is wrong or if it goes away with it on. then check as many conectors as possible.
I have noticed that the conector on the alt is not that good and I broke a wire changing my brothers out real easy.
12-20-2007, 01:41 PM
#4
Yeah, it was the alternater. It acted up intermintantly at first, so I ignored it. Then my A/C quit and the SES light came on so I had it scanned, wiring/alt checked, the alt. replaced. it's fine now.
Could just be a bad connection on yours though, don't just throw parts at it.
Could just be a bad connection on yours though, don't just throw parts at it.
12-21-2007, 06:42 AM
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Got the codes read and there is one, 0410, secondary air system.
Could the alt be causing this if the current is low.
this one has been coming on for a year now. I can tell you that every thing in the system is good. The only thing I can think of is if the pump has lost efficiency or the valve is not open the whole way. It moves air real good when running at the exhaust manifold.
The battery was replaced 2 years ago.
Help!
Could the alt be causing this if the current is low.
this one has been coming on for a year now. I can tell you that every thing in the system is good. The only thing I can think of is if the pump has lost efficiency or the valve is not open the whole way. It moves air real good when running at the exhaust manifold.
The battery was replaced 2 years ago.
Help!