Crazy volt meter redings, dimming headlights. need help!!
07-01-2007, 10:46 PM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Crazy volt meter redings, dimming headlights. need help!!
Hey guys my car is doing some funky stuff, driving down the road in the day my volt meter is pretty normal. But when driving at night w/ the lights on it's way in the red! Also my headlights and interior lights fade in and out some. I put on a new + wire. Cleaned the ground and re-connected it. I had my alternator checked and it checked good. Any idea's?
Oh btw: 84 camaro z-28.
Did they come stock w/ power windows?
Oh btw: 84 camaro z-28.
Did they come stock w/ power windows?
Last edited by darklord0424; 07-02-2007 at 12:03 AM.
07-02-2007, 12:08 AM
#2
Supreme Member
Re: Crazy volt meter redings, dimming headlights. need help!!
hi welcome to TGO
well it sounds like its just not putting out the voltage it shoud be
lights dimming is the big clue
it really can only be the alternator or a bad ocnnection somewhere in the wiring or at the battery
have you confirmed the charging system is doing fine by taking the car by the battery shop real quick
most shops will check the system with a handheld charging system "scanner" for free
i run tons of vehicles by the shop here all the time
its free
make sure you have ground from engine block to firewall too
if in doubt then ground some more
try adding another ground cable or strap from the engine to the frame rail or from the battery to the body somewhere, firewall, rad support, make sure its bare and not paint, and clean and dry, no grease or dirt or rust at all, any of those will mean bad connection
how old is the battery ?
there should still be a little round sticker somewhre on the battery it will have a letter and a little dash and a number
the number is the last number of the year of the battery, if it is 4 years old or older then i would positively make sure it is still good
i normally junk any battery that is over 4 years old, unless it is just for a spare to test starters and stuff on the bench
it has to be something causing this and i dont think it is anything much more than the alt or a bad connection
did this happen out of the blue or after any recent work on the car, or ?
the voltage dropping with lights on is a definite symptom of one or the other causing it
or battery dying
you need to check more than just the ground cable that you checked
yes power windows was factory
power windows was always a factory option on F bodies since the first ones
very common, my 82 trans am has factory power doors
billions of them do
other than a/c and power steering, power doors are as common as flies on crap
i had an 84 Z-28 it was L69 HO 305 and 700r4 and 3.73 open with aluminum drums and t tops and a/c and so on
also had an 83 Z-28, it also was L69 HO 305 and 700r4 but it had the factory fiberglass Z-28 hood
heres an 82 Z-28 i just had not too long ago
it was LG4 305 and 4 speed manual originall,y but swapped to an old 1979 chevy 350 and old th350 trans
good luck
well it sounds like its just not putting out the voltage it shoud be
lights dimming is the big clue
it really can only be the alternator or a bad ocnnection somewhere in the wiring or at the battery
have you confirmed the charging system is doing fine by taking the car by the battery shop real quick
most shops will check the system with a handheld charging system "scanner" for free
i run tons of vehicles by the shop here all the time
its free
make sure you have ground from engine block to firewall too
if in doubt then ground some more
try adding another ground cable or strap from the engine to the frame rail or from the battery to the body somewhere, firewall, rad support, make sure its bare and not paint, and clean and dry, no grease or dirt or rust at all, any of those will mean bad connection
how old is the battery ?
there should still be a little round sticker somewhre on the battery it will have a letter and a little dash and a number
the number is the last number of the year of the battery, if it is 4 years old or older then i would positively make sure it is still good
i normally junk any battery that is over 4 years old, unless it is just for a spare to test starters and stuff on the bench
it has to be something causing this and i dont think it is anything much more than the alt or a bad connection
did this happen out of the blue or after any recent work on the car, or ?
the voltage dropping with lights on is a definite symptom of one or the other causing it
or battery dying
you need to check more than just the ground cable that you checked
yes power windows was factory
power windows was always a factory option on F bodies since the first ones
very common, my 82 trans am has factory power doors
billions of them do
other than a/c and power steering, power doors are as common as flies on crap
i had an 84 Z-28 it was L69 HO 305 and 700r4 and 3.73 open with aluminum drums and t tops and a/c and so on
also had an 83 Z-28, it also was L69 HO 305 and 700r4 but it had the factory fiberglass Z-28 hood
heres an 82 Z-28 i just had not too long ago
it was LG4 305 and 4 speed manual originall,y but swapped to an old 1979 chevy 350 and old th350 trans
good luck
Last edited by Randy82WS7; 07-02-2007 at 12:14 AM.
07-02-2007, 11:32 PM
#3
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Crazy volt meter redings, dimming headlights. need help!!
Wow, thanks for all your help! The battery tested fine. Another guy had the same problem I did and it was his alternator even though it tested good at auto zone. Yeah I recently cleaned the grounds. I havn't had this car that long but thus far it's been nothing but problems. I'll try more grounds and if still continues and new alternator.
