my lights dim

[mx3chom]

hey guys,<P>im having a problem. my lights dim when ever i hit the brakes. my cock dims when i turn on the light. i was wondering what this was, and how to fix it.<P>thanks,<BR>dominic

[canadian_ice]

Any aftermarket stuff on there?<P>I'm having the same problem

[mx3chom]

i have a cold air. cd player, american legacy 1000 watt amp,alpine 12" type r sub. white face gauges that glow blue at night, blue windshield washer lighs, blue underbodys.<P>but this happened ever sice i got my car<P>dominic

[canadian_ice]

yeah man same problem! its 4 cylinders - we have smaller batteries and alternators.<P>Im getting a new battery next month...hope it fixes it

[mx3chom]

let me know if that battery fixes it<P>dominic

[white94mx3]

If your RPMs Drop, that sounds like a Vacuum problem, or your Distributor timing is off, as for the lights dimming it's either because of an Old battery not holding enough charge, or an old Alternator not charging the battery enough, I had the Same Problem with my car, Put a new battery in, and it stopped the problem, and then when I added my system, it started again, so I put on a aftermarket Alternator, and then that problem was fixed

[THStrumpet]

I have the same problem with my lights, but as for the gauges dropping that happened to me onece. And a little while later my car cut off on the off ramp. It ended up being just residue crap on the battery terminals!

[monty73741]

mine dim a little........when i idle <BR>but my mechanic said that was fine......<BR>jason

[mx3chom]

white94mx3,<P>do those hurricane headers make much of a difference. is it noticiable?<P>thanks,<BR>dominic

[RanMan]

OK Guys/Gals, I HAD this problem too, but I resolved it. I have 4 sidemarkers, LED washer nozzles, 2 JL 10W1 subs, and a Punch 250aII amp. We drive those subs HARD (DAMN HARD) and we noticed the lights dimming even when NOT pushing the system hard. It was really bad when you would step on the brakes when the headlights, stereo, and LED's were on. A few times, the cars Tach and Speedo would just drop to 0 and then come back up. We replaced the alternator and that resolved the problem for 1/2 day. We replaced the battery (and cleaned the terminals REALLY GOOD) and have not had a problem since then (knock on wood). We did this about 6-8 months ago, so I assume that it is resolved now. I would replace your battery (get the largest one that will fit in your battery holder) and clean the terminals real good (on the battery AND on the cable ends). It might also be a good idea to remove your alternator (real pain in the a--) and have it tested at an auto parts store to see how many volts it is putting out. I think that they need to be at least 12-14 volts (the more the better). Just a hint, if you take out the alternator, you will need to unbolt the exhaust pipe from the exhaust manifold (there are 3 bolts) and that will allow you to remove the alternator from below rather than trying to disassemble the top half of the engine to remove it.

[RanMan]

Oh yeah, the clock getting dimmer is normal when you turn your lights on (as long as it gets brighter when you turn them off).

[LUIS]

I put new battery fwew months ago and is not a problem,check the alternator maybe go down,verify the volt.13v-15v on,good luck<P> suren

[white94mx3]

Yeah, I noticed some what of a Difference, but not much...they maybe helped out with about 3-5HP? but I was able to tell that there was an airflow increase, cause I slightly noticed alittle bit more torque and I stopped hearing the backfire due to too much air going in, and not being able to go out as fast

[MattsGirl9500]

yea when the bass hits in the car (have 2 jenson 12's and a sony explo 800 amp)(plus even when there was only a 10 in there) the lights dim, we figured out that its the alternator/and the battery terminals.... once i went out to the car and the car wouldnt start cuz they acme loose and they are corroded sort of....