Battery lite weirdness
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 873
Likes: 2
From: Whittier ca
Battery lite weirdness
This has happened prior to this, just not often. Holding my 91 L-98 auto in first and accelertating up to about 3800 to 4000 RPM, the battery lite comes on and the engine sputters. Amp gauge shows nothing different. I have not had the opportunity to try to push revs up that high in 2nd, so I'm not sure what happens. It's almost like at 3800, the belt stop turning the alt. Could a weak spring on the tensioner create this challenge? Gator belt is about 9 months old and shows no cracking.
Any ideas?
And as long as I'm on the subject of electrical, since I have owned the car (5 years+) the dash lites pulse. Doesn't change with revs, blinkers or brake lites. Oil pressure guage max's out with the slightest increase in revs. The temp and amp guages seem to work fine. Doesn't seem to affect anything, it's just a minor irratation.
Any ideas?
And as long as I'm on the subject of electrical, since I have owned the car (5 years+) the dash lites pulse. Doesn't change with revs, blinkers or brake lites. Oil pressure guage max's out with the slightest increase in revs. The temp and amp guages seem to work fine. Doesn't seem to affect anything, it's just a minor irratation.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 54,124
Likes: 30
From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
Re: Battery lite weirdness (subman)
At high rpm and some runout of the alternators' slip rings, the brushes are lifted by the wobbling slip rings and the alternator output falls. Another reason could be that the voltage regulator shuts off at such a low pulse width. The faster the alt rpm, the smaller the field needs to be and the voltage regulator shortens the pulse width on the field and can run out of control and shut the alt off.
Your pulsing dash lights can be due to an oscillating voltage regulator in your alternator. You can prove this by unplugging the connector on the alternator with the engine running and observing if the pulsing stops.
Your pulsing dash lights can be due to an oscillating voltage regulator in your alternator. You can prove this by unplugging the connector on the alternator with the engine running and observing if the pulsing stops.
