Pulsating lights [Archive] - Chevelle Tech

: Pulsating lights


69-CHVL
Sep 6th, 05, 7:07 PM
I noticed that my lights "pulsate" or flicker. This would be the headlights, dash lights, and dome light. Even my LM-1 afr meter which is plugged in to the cig lighter. Its constant and all the time. What would be the things to look for?

Jim Streib
Sep 6th, 05, 7:59 PM
I had a similiar problem with my 77 Nova and it turned out to be a bad battery negative to fender connection. The ring terminal on the fender on the wire only had a few strands holding it together and from what I could tell the reason my lights would get bright and then dim (the blower would also speed up and slow down) was that the chassis of the car was trying to find a connection to the motor and it's ground. When I was troubleshooting mine I had the car running and the lights would dim and then I took a test light and clipped it to the battery negative terminal and then touched the radiator support and when I did the light came on and it shouldn't have. I then found that bad fender connection with the broken strands of wire.
You could also have an alternator kicking in and out.
Jim

JWagner
Sep 6th, 05, 9:18 PM
A voltage regulator can cause pulsating lights. Try unplugging the regulator and see if the lights stabilize. Early Chrysler electronic regulators pulsed a lot and that was a feature, not a defect.

69-CHVL
Sep 7th, 05, 11:30 PM
A voltage regulator can cause pulsating lights. Try unplugging the regulator and see if the lights stabilize. Early Chrysler electronic regulators pulsed a lot and that was a feature, not a defect.

JWagner...good call. I unplugged it and sure enough it stopped pulsating. But when I plugged it back it, the pulsating was still gone!! Must of had a bad connection or something. Maybe I should replace it anyway?

Vince