ryanfels Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 So the grande has started to play up Ive noticed the last few times ive driven it that my all my dash lights are flashing up from time to time and then last night i noticed it did it whenever i touched the brakes (brake lights went on) and indicated. it would also do it randomly while driving aswell. My factory voltage guage would also drop and you could hear the fuel pump slow down. It would also do this after the car has warmed up and the idol has dropped when you come to a stop. Im guessing its got something to do with the alternator or battery but the fact that EVERY dash light lights up when this happens, not just the charge light, is why im here asking you guys what you think. No i havent put a volt meter across the battery yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
be4ver Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 I don't know about your car in particular but some cars have a few dash lights that come on when there's a charging fault. Not usually all of them tho. Is it the handbrake light too? They all on full brightness or a bit dull? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanfels Posted December 12, 2011 Author Share Posted December 12, 2011 No not the handbrake from but all the rest including my washer bottle light Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KKtrips Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Sounds like the alternator is starting to pack up - most probably only needs a set of brushes and you'll be back up and running sweet as - pull it off and get it to Andrew (R100) for a test and rebuild.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanfels Posted December 12, 2011 Author Share Posted December 12, 2011 Cool, ill pull it out tonight and try some more bushes that i have here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KKtrips Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 brushes not bushes aye... brushes bushes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanfels Posted December 12, 2011 Author Share Posted December 12, 2011 lol thats what i ment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KKtrips Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 sweet - would lol if you replaced the bushes and it did nothing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slacker.cam Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 I'm not so sure that it's the alternator. Sounds like a faulty connection to me. Possibly one of your battery termials is working loose or you have a ground strap that has come unbolted. I cold totally be wrong but I can't see why all the dash lights would come on due to low battery voltage. What voltage are you seeing at maximum and at minimum? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuel Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 my GX61 did similar when my earth connection was coming loose - every single dash lamp was coming on and the tacho was going haywire etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanfels Posted December 12, 2011 Author Share Posted December 12, 2011 I havent touched the earths in ages but ill check they are all good before pulling the alternator out. Now that you mention it, the earth terminal on the battery has always been a little suspect Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuel Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 ^^ I would say that would be your problem. Always start with the basics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R100 Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Earth terminal on battery shouldnt cause dash lights to flicker. If the alternator is charging correctly you should be able to disconnect the battery while car is running with no effect to the way it runs, anyway.. Sounds like worn brushes. If it is, get them replaced asap as you could spike the regulator and it will cost ya even more. Wip the alternator off and drop it into me dude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slacker.cam Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Earth terminal on battery shouldnt cause dash lights to flicker. If the alternator is charging correctly you should be able to disconnect the battery while car is running with no effect to the way it runs, anyway.. Sounds like worn brushes. If it is, get them replaced asap as you could spike the regulator and it will cost ya even more. Wip the alternator off and drop it into me dude. How do worn bushes cause dash lights to flicker? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KKtrips Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 I'm assuming that Ryan means the dash warning lights not the illumination lights.. But all the warning lights have a tendency to flicker when the alternator is packing up (specifically the brushes).. I'm not an auto sparky so I have no idea why its just something I know from 13 years of mechanic-ing. edit - normally when only the main charging warning light comes on its the regulator packed up or the belt has come off.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuel Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Earth terminal on battery shouldnt cause dash lights to flicker. If the alternator is charging correctly you should be able to disconnect the battery while car is running with no effect to the way it runs, anyway.. Sounds like worn brushes. If it is, get them replaced asap as you could spike the regulator and it will cost ya even more. Wip the alternator off and drop it into me dude. How do worn bushes cause dash lights to flicker? He said brushes. If the brushes are worn, the alternator cannot transmit energy from the rotating assembly to the alternator body. Even if the bushes are worn, it could cause excess slop in the shaft in such a way that the brushes may no longer make contact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuel Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Earth terminal on battery shouldnt cause dash lights to flicker. If the alternator is charging correctly you should be able to disconnect the battery while car is running with no effect to the way it runs, anyway.. Sounds like worn brushes. If it is, get them replaced asap as you could spike the regulator and it will cost ya even more. Wip the alternator off and drop it into me dude. It can and it did exactly that on my GX61 Mark II Grande (ie same car as Ryan has sans the 2JZ-GTE) when the earth terminal on the battery worked its way loose and was giving a poor connection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanfels Posted December 12, 2011 Author Share Posted December 12, 2011 I'm assuming that Ryan means the dash warning lights not the illumination lights.. Yup just the dash lights from what i could tell. I havent driven it in the dark yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KKtrips Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Conclusion - check your battery to body then body to block earths are clean of corrosion and secure. Then recheck the light situation and if still no good - do alternator brushes.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slacker.cam Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Earth terminal on battery shouldnt cause dash lights to flicker. If the alternator is charging correctly you should be able to disconnect the battery while car is running with no effect to the way it runs, anyway.. Sounds like worn brushes. If it is, get them replaced asap as you could spike the regulator and it will cost ya even more. Wip the alternator off and drop it into me dude. How do worn bushes cause dash lights to flicker? He said brushes. If the brushes are worn, the alternator cannot transmit energy from the rotating assembly to the alternator body. Even if the bushes are worn, it could cause excess slop in the shaft in such a way that the brushes may no longer make contact. Yeah my bad. I meant brushes. I understand how an alternator works. I just can't see how a failing set of brushes could lead to the washer bottle low level warning light coming on. That to me looks like the earth lifting at some point and therefore getting different earth potentials across different points of the car. It sounds like R100 is an auto sparky so I'm hoping he may be able to enlighten me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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