Let's hear back as to how much this helped cus I have similar problems when I'm driving at night. Like raising both windows at the same time will dim the headlights a bit.
Definitely will report back. The weather around here is kinda cold, might not get in to the garage today (no heat!), but I'll be working tonight, so can at least see how much effect just cleaning up the battery terminals and the one major harness ground had. I'll keep this updated.
Quick update:
Just getting those battery terminals and the one ground cleaned up has already helped a lot.
Headlights aren't flickering with varying engine load, and flipping on the a/c only produces the slightest flicker, and it's much shorter/less noticeable.
Good stuff! Will report back once I've got the other big grounds cleaned up!
So, after running a few nights with the big improvement that I mentioned in my last post, noticed the headlights pulling their old bullshit last night on the way home.
Seems like whenever the car is moving, in gear, and the RPM's start getting kinda low, the headlights dim. When I accelerate and get the RPM's back up, lights come back up to normal level.
Also noticed that popping the clutch, so the car is still moving but no longer in gear/running at low RPMs, the headlights seem to come back up.
Haven't had time to get out and clean up the rest of the grounds yet, so it might just be that, but anyone got other ideas? Seems like kind of a strange symptom...
Have you checked to see if the alternator is on the way out? Or maybe the load sensor (ELD)?
Last edited by Twisted-X; 12-22-2010 at 02:40 PM.
Yeah, I'm wondering if the alternator might be an issue.
Just have to hit the rest of the ground spots see if that clears things up, then go from there.
Haven't had any issues with battery charge though so who knows.
Last edited by frankdogg; 12-06-2008 at 12:08 AM.
The internal resistance of the battery may be going up, how old is it and what type? When this rises it limits the batteries ability to provide instantaneous current.
Made with bits of real panther, so you know it's good.
Ah, that's a thought too...it's a few years old now (3+? Can't remember off the top of my head LOL).
All stuff to look at. Like I said, gonna keep checking shit off the list, starting with the basic work of cleaning those nasty grounds up, and go from there.
Still lovin' the EPHatch folks, you guys are always good!
Hmm...curiouser and curiouser.
So, went to work last night, and had basically zero issues with lights dimming/flickering.
Haven't changed anything, so now I'm really confused. I'm assuming that if the issue were a dying alternator, the problem would be a constant.
Did have a thought, though; anyone think it's plausible that an aging serp belt could be the culprit? I know it's getting near time to replace it, just from the amount of belt material I've seen on the hood. I'm wondering if it's a situation where, when cold, the belt is running tight like it should be, but then as it warms and gets a little more pliable, maybe it's slipping juuuust a little bit, enough to affect how efficiently the alternator and accessories are running.
Dunno, it's a theory LOL. Having trouble nailing this one down.
I'll shamefully admit that I changed my serpentine belt after 90K miles. It made no difference on the electrical system. That being said, there is an arrow and a wear bar on the tensioner to tell you where you stand ;)
Group 51 batteries just suck, period. 3-4 years out of a flooded style cell is really not all that bad. I see a replacement possibly in the future for my stinger, it will be 3 years old, we will see how winter goes, it's just a bit slower to turn over, not as aggressive.
Made with bits of real panther, so you know it's good.
Well, finally got a day of "normalcy" after Christmas, had the battery/alternator/starting system checked. Battery is just getting old, apparently.
Gonna keep "treating the symptoms" and finish getting the grounds cleaned up, cuz they need it anyway, but now I need a new battery.
Any recommendations on that front? Was looking at the Optima yellow top, as I'm considering an amp/sub in the future, figured extra juice wouldn't be a bad thing...but are they really worth the extra cash? They're basically twice as much as the normal battery, so it's a bit of a price jump :D
optimas have gone down in quality in the last few years. i would just get a normal battery for the front and put in a small kinetic or odyssey battery in the hatch area. plus it'll also act as a distro block for you amps.
i have a stock battery up front and a run of 0ga wire to the back battery which is an optima(got it for really cheap) and on full tilt i barely dip into 12v(running 1500wrms)
Fair enough. Eventual system won't be near as beefy, just a modest upgrade, but you never know LOL.
For now, the battery just needs replacing. Currently an Interstate box sitting in there, guess I'll just grab whatever seems most reasonable, since there doesn't seem to be a big difference amongst the offerings for our cars.
Thanks for all the info guys!
Would my battery being old be what's affecting my mileage lately? Or, at least, a factor?
I've noticed a fairly steady decline in miles per gallon the last few months, and I've eliminated all the usual suspects.
Battery a potential culprit?
probably not, the battery is mostly used for starting, then the alterantor picks up from there and gives power to everything
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