Gauge on Voltmeter Fluctuates... Come Inside
05-09-2009, 09:21 PM
#1
Gauge on Voltmeter Fluctuates... Come Inside 
I had a buddy install my aftermarket switch for my cut and run wiring for my fans.
Now ever since i run the car with the lights on (have not driven it during the day to notice) but the needle on my voltmeter flucuates and dances. It will be normal when driving at about 14v, then when i am approaching a stop light and put the car in nuetral the voltmeter dips to about 10v the lights dim then it will come back up to 14v and the lights will brighten back up. When i am driving the needle dances a bit??????? ALL my lights (headlight lights, gauge cluster lights, HVAC lights and headlights) flicker and dance around. Again i noticed this AFTER i installed the switch plate.
What is causing something to be drawing power? Is my alt going bad? No i do not have an UDP on my alt....
Please someone help me.
Ohh yea i did notice that i had a little bit of rust on + battery cable, but i took a wire brush and got rid of it all. Seem to fix it but now the problem is back
Thanks for the help
05-10-2009, 02:40 AM
#3
I visted my buddy tonight, i started the car (idle) and he saw the lights flickering/dancing.. Then i held the revs at about 1500 RPMs all lighs were on (headlights lights, actual headlights, HVAC, gauge cluster and radio) and he saw again the lights were all flickering/dancing and he saw the voltmeter needle dancing back and fourth. The voltmeter gauge said 14v-15v. I let the idle return to normal, voltmeter dropped to 10v-11v then back to 14v. When it dropped to the low volts ALL lights that i mentioned above all dimmed down and then when the voltmeter raised to 14v again ALL lights brightened up again.
He said that a diode on the alt could be going bad.
Anyone else have anyideas??????
He said that a diode on the alt could be going bad.
Anyone else have anyideas??????
05-10-2009, 12:25 PM
#6
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hello, i'm not driving a camaro but i've got a 2005 avalanche with a 5.3...when i bought it i had the same issue as your discribing, i to thought it was the battery or alternator so after having those replaced under warrenty i found out it wasn't...what i found was the issue is something i've traced to be called a generator control module...guess it works the same as the regulator on the alternator... but anyway, there was a 10 or 12 pin connector going to a black box that sat on my negative batter wire close to the battery. i found out that when they fail they are set to defult to 13.8 volts. so i unpluged it and never had the problem again...now i'm just waiting for my battery light on my cluster to die lol... from GM it's about a $300 part which in my opinion isn't needed
05-10-2009, 01:39 PM
#8
I do not think that it is the battery as i have a Optima Red top that i bought 2/2007 and when i store the car i disconnect it from the car and bring it inside the house.
05-10-2009, 01:44 PM
#9
hello, i'm not driving a camaro but i've got a 2005 avalanche with a 5.3...when i bought it i had the same issue as your discribing, i to thought it was the battery or alternator so after having those replaced under warrenty i found out it wasn't...what i found was the issue is something i've traced to be called a generator control module...guess it works the same as the regulator on the alternator... but anyway, there was a 10 or 12 pin connector going to a black box that sat on my negative batter wire close to the battery. i found out that when they fail they are set to defult to 13.8 volts. so i unpluged it and never had the problem again...now i'm just waiting for my battery light on my cluster to die lol... from GM it's about a $300 part which in my opinion isn't needed
05-10-2009, 05:08 PM
#10
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i don't know. i know it's something GM had put on a number of there vehicles that were harder on gas...there theory behind this box is it would help the life of the battery and "improve" gas milage...
05-10-2009, 09:00 PM
#11
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Sounds like your problem is in the alternator, because the problem changes by RPM.
05-10-2009, 09:37 PM
#12
ive never had any luck with optima batteries. We have replaced many of them at work. Kenetic batteries work decent, but have a had time turing over large cubic inch motors 8.0 liters and bigger.
Sounds like your problem is in the alternator, because the problem changes by RPM.
Sounds like your problem is in the alternator, because the problem changes by RPM.
05-11-2009, 09:19 AM
#13
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From the posts I have read, you want to stay away from AutoZone alternators. They seem to have a high rate of failure. Even though they have a lifetime warranty it still takes time and labor to get them replaced.
05-11-2009, 09:22 AM
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hello, i'm not driving a camaro but i've got a 2005 avalanche with a 5.3...when i bought it i had the same issue as your discribing, i to thought it was the battery or alternator so after having those replaced under warrenty i found out it wasn't...what i found was the issue is something i've traced to be called a generator control module...guess it works the same as the regulator on the alternator... but anyway, there was a 10 or 12 pin connector going to a black box that sat on my negative batter wire close to the battery. i found out that when they fail they are set to defult to 13.8 volts. so i unpluged it and never had the problem again...now i'm just waiting for my battery light on my cluster to die lol... from GM it's about a $300 part which in my opinion isn't needed
EDIT: Dealer confirmed what Highline said on my 07 Avalanche. In an effort to increase MPG they kink the alternator in and out. Good ol' GM quality for ya. There is nothing they can do to fix it. In the newer vehicles this is controlled by the BCM not a separate module. I do not believe the 4th gen F-body does this at all. The new 5th gen might.
Last edited by OhOneWS6; 05-11-2009 at 11:55 AM.
05-11-2009, 11:35 AM
#18
I do not trust the gauge, but i know something is going on when at idle the lights are dancing and wheni give it gas and the idle comes back down and the needlw goes from about 14-15v down past the 13v indicator and ALL the lights dim
07-26-2009, 01:30 AM
#20
I still think it is going to be my alt. Battery is fine..
Here is the kicker sometime my car will be fine where the needle wont move, then it has days were I am coming up to stop sign and the needle will drop to 10v
The next time i have my car out, i will try to take a vid and post it