Flickering lights?
 

Yep another post/quiestion by me. I have already posted about the speedometer thing but here it goes:

When I crank up my car, all the lights flicker, when I turn on the headlights and the car is running, that anoying chime keeps going off, half my speedometer went blank all items on the tachometer side. The speedometer gives random readings such as at idle its telling me im doing 50 mph. I know I tried with the stupid thing Took the whole dash out cant find any loose wires or corrosion....WTF, why is my whole car flickering. No codes either. So? Even my headlights flicker. Its so annoying. My whole dash flickers too. My CD player"pioneer" when I hit a speedbump it goes blank for a second and all music cuts off then it comes right back on. I dont know how to trace the short. It must be connected to the whole car for all these things to go out.

I replaced the CD player, AC relay, Working on replacing the climbate control because I took the old one out because it just went completly out. My warning lights flicker too like when I crank up the car and they come on you can see them flicker. I took out the whole dash part and checked for loose wires, put some in electrical tape so they wouldnt be flopping around so much nothings messed up. I took it to this audio place because I wanted them to check it out before my new speakers got put in. They said they didnt know what was wrong and they DID NOT want to put the sytem in because they were scared it would blow out....So any ideas? Also I DONT know how to check grounds.

Also I checked all fuses and none are blown...:willy:

nevermind the fuses---that sounds like a gx problem or alternator problem. pop your hood, if you have a meter put pos wire on altern power wire and gx on gx source and see what your alt is putting out (WITH the engine running of course), then check battery output, then look at some of the gx locations (They are located on driverside down below the exhaust output, you'll see several black wires bolted on side of engine block) See if that bolt is loose. ALSO, check the wire connector on your alternator and see the connector is dirty/corroded. Thats about all I know to look for.

I put a voltage meter on my "fairly new" optima battery a couple weeks ago because I have been battling this constantly for over 2 months. Just trying to tinker with it but its becoming more annoying. The battery voltage was 14.3 12.0 11.3 13.4 just jumping around on the voltometer and that was postitive/negative cables. I cant tell if its doing that on the digidash as its inaccuarate....Should I take my alternator to autozone and get it checked? Tomorrow once the family gets done, me and my dad are going to start ripping stuff out, aka throttle body digidash ect....:lol: Sounds fun....NOT:cheers:

now check the voltage on the Alt with that meter and then check the black neg cable on battery (follow that cable down to the engine block and make sure its tight....

Engine idling, lights flickering, unplug the connector on the alternator. If the flickering stops (it will), you have just proven that your voltage regulator in the alternator is oscillating and causing all your other problems. Cure is to replace the voltage regulator, or replace the alternator. Cheapest way is to take the alternator to an auto electrical shop and have them replace the regulator if you don't want to do it yourself.

I just got my alternator beefed up/rebuilt last week for $85 to 200 TRUE Amps....Idles at 165 amp according to their bench test--more than enough amps for the sound system/led underbody kit and my other accessories. A friend of mine owns an auto electric shop and cut me a deal...

Yeah, I would take the alternator off and take it to a Alternator/Starter shop for them to check it out. Some will say to leave it on and take it to Autozone and have them check it...which is fine too. That would be the first step with this problem. Next I would take the battery out and check the power post behind the battery. The one with all the red/orange wires going to it. Take them off and clean the connections good. Reinstall in reverse and make sure the battery connections are good and tight.

For the stereo, it sounds like a ground problem. I had a Dodge truck that I installed a stereo in and about a year later the stereo would cut off for no reason. I used a voltmeter and checked for power and ground. Found out that the factory ground was intermittant and ran a new ground and fixed the problem.

Autozone cannot check for an oscillating voltage regulator. If the testor is not comotose, he/she/it will notice the voltage jumping around all over the place and tell you that the alternator is defective and needs replacing. It would be cheaper to have the voltage regulator replaced.

I agree, autozone checked my alt on there machine and could only tell me it passes there test, when in fact the gadgets inside were bad..

The battery is a descent 'shunt' for a bad alternator.
I think the internal resistance of those Optima batteries is way,way down like .01 Ohms.

It's pretty hard for the alternator to pull or push the systems voltage more than a couple of volts.

I may be wrong but this sounds like a bad connection(s) or bad ground
(s).

Look under the battery, there are a boatload of fusible links and connectors under there and the battery sits right above them.
Not a good environment.

There are a couple of ground lugs out under the hood above the vacumn ball on the chassis. Make sure they are good.

BTW, the highest voltage you 'should' see at the battery terminals when the engine id running is 14.0 volts. 13.8 would be better.
If it's jumping above 14.0 then the regulator is 'fwyed'.
It WILL also 'fwy' your battery if the reg. is bad.

Partial Quote from VetNutJim:
BTW, the highest voltage you 'should' see at the battery terminals when the engine id running is 14.0 volts
________________________________________ ___________________

This is not correct. The design center voltage from the alternator is 14.7 volts and GM says it can safely be as high as 16 volts. It should be steady though and v3tt3's voltage jumps. Defective voltage regulator!

PARDON ME!!!!:eek: :bs

Partial quote by VetNutJim:
If it's jumping above 14.0 then the regulator is 'fwyed'.
It WILL also 'fwy' your battery if the reg. is bad.

If it goes to 16 volts........... SOMETHING is W-R-O-N-G.

BTW...jtb.......................... CHILL

My dad took off the cable to the alternator last night and it stopped flickering so he ordered a new one from NAPA today and should arrive tomorrow morning. So I will see what happens and post back. Thanks everyone.:cheers: I really hope this clears up everything. It's amazing how fun thse cars are to drive but when you find out what your problem is its a damn good feeling.:lol: