Cascade Crew

91camaro_rs · Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 11:52 pm Post subject: more headlight issues

so i have been using my halos for about a month or so now and tonight they started to get sorta dim at times and would even flicker now and then, and when i turned the car off and tried to start it again it wouldnt start, took a few key turns to get it to go, i recently put in a new starter but idk if its good or not, anyone know what might cause my headlights to do that?

chevymad · Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 8:21 am Post subject:

Alternator?

aaron_sK · Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 10:17 am Post subject:

Alternator and starter are both a free check at the local Schmucks or Blatozone.

d00012 · Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 10:55 am Post subject:

It's free? I should take both from my 'bird to check them, been sitting for so long, couldn't get it to turn over.

I would check that alternator. Or check the wires/switches for the headlights. Happened in my sister's explorer, the switch ended up frying inside. You could be putting too much load on that switch, especially if you haven't changed it out. Or, your turn signal/high beam switch could be shorting out and causing the headlights not work at times (does it to mine)...but it wouldn't kill the car, so that leads us back to the alternator.

aaron_sK · Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 11:42 am Post subject:

He should be putting far less load on the switch if he wired it properly.

d00012 · Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 12:00 pm Post subject:

Yeah...but accidents happen sometimes. That and failing equipment.

91camaro_rs · Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 1:52 pm Post subject:

all the headlights have been working fine until now and all are wired correctly on Relays, one of my halos did go out so right now i have 3 in and a sealed beam (as hi beam) but its only my low beams that are flickering and dimming. so i have no idea what is going on, i might just take out the halos all together, if i do that can i leave my relays in there and used sealed beams?

Alternator was replaced not too long ago, i wouldnt think it would go out that fast.

and today when i left work the car didnt start, everytime i turned the key the solenoid thing just clicked and after about 5 turns of the key it finally started, could that be that the new starter i got was bad?

d00012 · Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 2:03 pm Post subject:

I did have problems with mine dimming and flickering, thinking it was electrical, turned out it was my fuel pump failing...odd but it happened. Went on for about a month.

I would check that starter, too. As for the headlights...have you tested the connections with a multimeter? I would also check the headlight switch, and make sure any wires aren't damaged.

91camaro_rs · Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 2:30 pm Post subject:

hmmm i wonder if my fuel pump is going bad, in the morning it kinda lags when i give it a lot of gas to get up the big hill by my house, ill look into that

and no i havent checked the connections yet, should i look for the voltage going up and down cause normally it should be steady right

d00012 · Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 4:04 pm Post subject:

Mine would flicker everytime I pushed the clutch in (is your's manual or auto?). The car would start to die, sometimes it would. Eventually it killed my starter, starting it all the time. Test fuel pressure just to make sure.

I would check for any high/infinity/zero ohms through the whole circuit. I don't know the voltage levels for the headlights. Yeah, it should be steady.

aaron_sK · Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 4:09 pm Post subject:

91camaro_rs · Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2010 12:28 am Post subject:

iansane · Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2010 5:17 pm Post subject:

Don't forget to check your grounds and make sure the connection is good at the battery. Plug the terminals off and clean/scuff them up. A bad connection there could easily cause a hard/no start condition. Are the halos LED or 194s or what?

91camaro_rs · Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 12:20 am Post subject:

halos are LED's and its not the halos that are flickering anymore its the actual H4 bulbs, battery cable is good, im thinkin this starter could be bad, havent really had a ton of time to dink around with it yet. but its getting really annoying, have to turn the key like 10 times just to get it started

but whatever is affecting the starter and headlights dimming and flickering i think might be symptoms of the same problem but i dont know, could the alternator be under too much stress ( no idea what from but just a thought)

iansane · Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 12:41 am Post subject:

What's the voltage of the battery? Had the battery load tested at all? Hell, maybe the connections are loose at the starter?

91camaro_rs · Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 8:14 am Post subject:

ok so car has been sitting over night, it normally has to sit for awhile to make it not want to start, im gonna go take the voltage of the battery when the car is off, and on, and with the headlights on. and ill tighten the starter connections and we'll see what happens from there.

91camaro_rs · Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 8:41 am Post subject:

ok i tightened the starter connections and made sure the battery connections were tight, and i took readings from the battery at different times

when the car was off it was 12.53 volts
when it was on it was 14.73v

when i had the headlights(lo beams) on when the car was off it was 11.23v (11.09v with hi beams)
and with lights on and car on it was on it was 14.70v (14.60v with high beams)

aaron_sK · Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 9:54 am Post subject:

Was the 12.53 number taken after the battery sat overnight, or did you run the car, then kill it and read the voltage?

Were the starter connections loose at all?

91camaro_rs · Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 10:01 am Post subject:

12.53 was taken after leaving it over night, last time it was on was at midnight

starter connections were okay, they were tight

Twilightoptics · Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 10:22 am Post subject:

Sounds like the alternator is working.

I've heard the H4 will fry the stock wiring and or the headlight switch.

It's running alot more amperage than the stock beams.

I ran relays and an 8ga wire for the low beams and a separate 8ga wire for the high beams.