dash lights flickering

[CURLEY2]

hello again everybody, i have noticed lately that my speedometer light, radio light and outside temp light all "flicker" rapidly with the rythm of the motor when it is running. all the lights work really bright and it doesn't seem like a big deal but i can't help but think this is not a normal thing and that maybe there is some static interference or loose wire or something like that. does anybody have any ideas or has that happened to you? thanks in advance for any help.:cool

 

[vetteboy86]

Could it be the voltage regulator? Any other things effected?

 

[CURLEY2]

hello vetteboy, everything else seems to work fine. the amps gauge on the dash seems to be full of charge, it goes about 3/4 of the way over while the car is running.when i first got this car about 3 months ago it failed smog because it needed a new (used) ecm. it was doing it then (flickering) and after they put the ecm in and it passed smog it quit doing it. now it is doing it again and i can't figure this out. if it is a voltage regulator, where is this located? is it expensive to replace? i know that the mechanic said my alternator was great, and they also put on a new belt.:cool

 

[vetteboy86]

My 86 has an electronic dash, and I can sometimes see them flicker intensity. This may be a stupid question, but I will ask anyways. Do you have a smooth idle?

 

[CURLEY2]

hello again, it idles pretty smooth to be honest with you. it appears that all these lights seem to be connected so it must come from the same source. not being "mechanically inclined" i am really glad you guys are here. what else do you think it could be? i remember when my plug wires used to cause static on my radio (in my old firebird), drove me crazy until i was told to use a thicker kind of wire. one more question if you don't mind, i have a hypertech chip that was in the car when i bought it but the mechanic took it out (to pass smog). after i put it back in do i have to reset something or just plug it in and go? the reason they took it out was because it was shutting down the egr valve and wouldn't allow my car to pass smog. thanks again for all your help!

 

[LVMYVT76]

could it be a loose ground?

 

[hotshotzny]

could it be a loose ground?

what he said

 

[CURLEY2]

hello, where would i start to look for a loose ground? do i have to look behind the dash speedometer or where? i think everything seems to charge off the alternator, should i try there too? thanks to all of you for your help and once this thing is solved i will reply to what i found.

 

[vetteboy86]

The voltage regulator is in the alternator. If it was fluctuating voltage at steady RPM's this would cause brightness of lights to change. I don't think it would be a ground. With a ground problem, I would think the lights would work intermittently.

 

[hotshotzny]

my lights did the same thing, i had a bad ground at the battery, on top of that i had problems with my interior lights and signals, once i fixed that ground all was well.... the other thought would definetly be the alternator

 

[CURLEY2]

hello again, i will check the ground wire at the battery for sure. a few people at work have told me to check the fuse to see if it is bad or loose, haven't done that yet. the digital numbers don't flash or flicker, it is the background colored light(s) that do it. same with the radio and outside temp gauge. it got a little worse today driving home from work. all other lights work great as well as the other electrical things in the car. thanks again for all your input!:cool

 

[CURLEY2]

any other ideas?

hi everybody, i checked the fuse (ok), the ground wire at the battery (ok, tight) and don't know where else to look. i did notice that the amp meter needle on the dash is also "dancing and flickering" like the other things too! do you think i could be in for a new alternator? the orange needle stays at about 12 or more amps while the car is running which looks to me about 3/4 of the way over. thanks for any help you might give me and have a great weekend!:cool

 

[CorvetteArchives]

vetteboys assessment is most likely right then. Had the car been sitting awhile? Frequently, a low/bad battery overtaxes the alternator which then fails from overheating. Keep in mind you can check voltage at the alternator rather than trust the dash guage.

 

[clok1966]

If all the lights are flickering (including radio /heater controls) You might wanna look at the Headlight switch. Does wiggling it make them flicker also? You may have a bad headlight switch. Just a thought.

Clok

 

[vetteboy86]

I've never thrown a volt meter on the alternator to see what it reads. I would imagine that if the voltage gauge dances around then probably the alternator going south.

 

[tdr1919]

I've never thrown a volt meter on the alternator to see what it reads. I would imagine that if the voltage gauge dances around then probably the alternator going south.

As stated in previous posts, make sure you are not getting into an overcharge situation, use a volt meter and check the charge voltage - 13.8 to 14, if you are getting over 15 volts the alternator/regulator is bad. Also an old battery that constantly has the alternator under load may cause pulsating.
Tom

 

[vette079]

Try this: http://corvetteforum.com/techtips/viewsubtopic.php?SubTopicID=253&TopicID=2 Not sure it is your fix but doesn´t hurt to read.

 

[CURLEY2]

Try this: http://corvetteforum.com/techtips/viewsubtopic.php?SubTopicID=253&TopicID=2 Not sure it is your fix but doesn´t hurt to read.

thank you very much. this looks like something that i will look into for sure. i am going to get a new battery also like someone suggested in an earlier post. thanks again and have a great day!:cool

 

[Ruby Fan]

How's your battery? Is it new or on the old side? I thought I saw a flicker happen on my 93, with sometimes another gauge info appearing at the same time. The next spring(after a winter disconnect) and a battery change, that all seemed to go away. Just a thought.