Help!!! Electrical Problems
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 3,452
Likes: 3
From: Spring, TX
Help!!! Electrical Problems
My car has always flickered a little. Now it is doing it even when the headlights are off. Now I get a pop over the radio and the dash lights, A/C and radio dim way down. Even the volume decreases and the car almost stumbles. If I use the power windows the voltage drops to 8 or less. The voltage is fluctuating between 8 and 14 very fast. Recently the DIC has stopped remembering where I had left it set. It will always start at the milage. Am I having a battery or altenator issue or both?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 985
Likes: 0
From: Palm Desert, CA , USA
Re: Help!!! Electrical Problems (gonbad)
The first thing I would check would be the battery connections, especially the ground to make sure that they are tight. It certainly sounds like a grounding problem.
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 144
Likes: 0
From: Montreal Quebec
Re: Help!!! Electrical Problems (gonbad)
An internal short on the battery will aso cause this behavior, but I would also check the power and ground cables. The last thing to check would be the voltage regulator. Take it to an experienced electronics garage to be sure, it is a simple problem to fix.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 3,452
Likes: 3
From: Spring, TX
Re: Help!!! Electrical Problems (Straightpipes 1HD)
I am taking the car over to Frank Parra tomorrow. It was the only place I could get a appt. for Saturday. Kind of pricey for diagnostic work but electrical gremlins on this car are a weak point in my mechanical knowledge. My DieHard may have died hard becuase I am leaning towards the battery being the culprit. My AC Delco leaked and died on a road trip and I was forced to by the DieHard four years ago. I bet the heat and vibration have killed it. Depending upon what they say I will probably be ordering an Optima Yellow after LAPD opens back up from the holidays unless I am buying a new altenator which are also very pricey. I was planning on changing the leaking water pump out tomorrow but now I will be eyeing new Vettes on the lot.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 19,304
Likes: 85
From: San Diego CA
Re: Help!!! Electrical Problems (gonbad)
The Yellow-Top is a marine-type, deep-cycle battery - not the best choice for cars. A better choice (if the battery, in fact, the culprit) is the new ACDelco AGM or an Optima Red Top.
A bad battery can cause the symptoms you describe, although a bad alternator/voltage regulator may do the same.
Good luck.
A bad battery can cause the symptoms you describe, although a bad alternator/voltage regulator may do the same.
Good luck.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 3,452
Likes: 3
From: Spring, TX
Re: Help!!! Electrical Problems (Dave68)
Thanks, I just bought a Optima Red Top from the local Pep Boys for only $109.00 plus tax and $8.00 core charge. Figured my current battery is over 4 years old so why not. Still going to the dealership in the morning. I was not getting a charge fault message on the DIC so I am still thinking its the battery.
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Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
Likes: 2,402
From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
Re: Help!!! Electrical Problems (gonbad)
Frank Parra is a great place to purchase a new car. I flew in from CT and drove my 02 ZO6 back to CT from Texas. They had the BEST price on my ZO^ period!!! I have also heard that their service is excellent. As always get everything in writing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What you think you told the service writer and what he herd is sometimes TWO TOTALY DIFFERENT THINGS :eek: $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
I would have to suspect the alternator as being linked to your problem. prior to getting a brand new battery and calling the problem SOLVED, have them check out the ALTERNATOR. Make sure they check:
DC output
AC Ripple voltage
Current output
If all of these things are good then the ALT is GOOD
Bill C
I would have to suspect the alternator as being linked to your problem. prior to getting a brand new battery and calling the problem SOLVED, have them check out the ALTERNATOR. Make sure they check:
DC output
AC Ripple voltage
Current output
If all of these things are good then the ALT is GOOD
Bill C
Drifting
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 1,908
Likes: 0
From: Manassas, VA, USA
Re: Help!!! Electrical Problems (Bill Curlee)
At the risk of reverting to the simplest possibility: have you checked your battery terminals for corrosion yet?
I'm not trying to be insulting, but I have "fixed" all kinds of voodoo electrical problems by cleaning the terminals. Seems like people always want to jump to the worst possibility, without checking the easy things first.
I'm not trying to be insulting, but I have "fixed" all kinds of voodoo electrical problems by cleaning the terminals. Seems like people always want to jump to the worst possibility, without checking the easy things first.
