Lights flickering

fireantz · Post by **fireantz** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 11:24 pm

Lately all my lights (headlights, map light (when it's on), cluster lights) basically all my electrical stuff flickers. I've noticed that it is random as far as I can tell (stereo on or off it's still the same). Does anyone know what would be going bad that would cause this? There isn't like some voltage regulator that would be getting messed up is there, or a sign that my alternator is going out (which I don't really know why, all I have is a 250 watt amp and the stuff for the actuator for my r/t intake which is why I don't think that is the problem). I plan on upgrading all of my grounds sometime soon which might help take care of it but I'm pretty lost as to what would be causing it.

JRM · Post by **JRM** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 11:37 pm

check your terminals

dblsg · Post by **dblsg** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 1:19 am

the regulator is inside the alternator

go to your local autoparts store and have them check out your battery and alternator... its usually free of charge.

BlackRoseRacing · Post by **BlackRoseRacing** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 6:50 am

My 03 did the same thing and under warranty they replaced:
Battery - no fix
Alternator - no fix
Pcm - no fix
Then they told me that the flickering was normal(typical excuse) I later on traded the car in for my r/t, and then a month later the car came back to the dealership again but with a different owner and the same complaint. They spent an entire day(also different tech) trying to figure out the problem and the tech noticed a ground strap that screws onto the sheetmetal below the PDC was loose. He tried to tighten it and all it did was spin, so he relocated the ground strap, tightened everything up and the flickering was gone. Aparently this ground strap is one of the main grounds for the wiring harness, and everytime the motor moved tugging on the wire the ground would be broken causing the lights to flicker.

And as a note taken from DCx:
###############################################
Solution Number K25045568
Vehicle Issue MIC, interior lamps, headlamps all flickering:
The generator may have been replaced, grounds checked and the pcm possibly replaced.
=> In most of these cases it was a loose g101 behind the air box
Year 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000
Model PL - Neon
Category Customer Concern (No DTCs)
System or Component
Illumination System, Dome / Map / Reading Lamps, Headlamps
Symptom Flickers / Flashing
Condition
Verification
Yes - Intermittent
Recommendation In most of these cases it was a loose g101 behind the air box
Modification Date 3/3/05 3:24 PM
############################################

Hope that helps ya

BigDutch · Post by **BigDutch** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 8:42 am

I dont so much have the flickering in my car. but i have power windows and when i roll up or down the drivers side window and let go of the switch the sterio "blips" like a little pause with the volume. Could this be the solution for that too?

I have an 01 R/T with a 200w amp

03sxt · Post by **03sxt** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 9:29 am

fireantz wrote:Lately all my lights (headlights, map light (when it's on), cluster lights) basically all my electrical stuff flickers. I've noticed that it is random as far as I can tell (stereo on or off it's still the same). Does anyone know what would be going bad that would cause this? There isn't like some voltage regulator that would be getting messed up is there, or a sign that my alternator is going out (which I don't really know why, all I have is a 250 watt amp and the stuff for the actuator for my r/t intake which is why I don't think that is the problem). I plan on upgrading all of my grounds sometime soon which might help take care of it but I'm pretty lost as to what would be causing it.

Wow, that's crazy. I was just getting ready to post a thread about this. I noticed my car doing the exact same thing the other night when I was driving and I thought it was my eyes screwing with me. I'm going to definitely check into that ground strap that Chris mentioned.

danman132x · Post by **danman132x** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 7:49 pm

My car does the exact same thing. I'll have to find and check this ground strap. I have an AEM so it should be easier to spot. Does anyone have pictures of the strap?

BlackRoseRacing · Post by **BlackRoseRacing** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 8:36 pm

Its the only ground strap that comes off the harness and mounts behind the intake box or roughly below the PDC...

fireantz · Post by **fireantz** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 1:42 am

Now that I finished my drive from socal to minnesota I'll be able to check that out...hopefully it won't be raining out tomorrow (hopefully it will be snow haha)

danman132x · Post by **danman132x** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 6:30 pm

Alright I cannot seem to find the ground you guys are talking about. My lights still flicker, very bad sometimes to where you can see it on the dash during daylight hours. I have checked: ground strap from battery tray to tranny, ground from neg post to near the fuse box (in front of it next to a bolt sticking up), positive cable from post to fuse box, two grounds that go on the bar in the front near the headlights, and the one on the left side near the motor mount. I wiggled and checked the connection of all of these at night, and cannot "force" the lights to flicker. Is there any ground I'm missing. I don't know which one BRR is refering to by the PDC (powertrain distribution center) All of the ones I have found have free play. A picture would really help. Thanks in advance.

BlackRoseRacing · Post by **BlackRoseRacing** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 7:18 pm

All of the ones I have found have free play

There should not be a single ground on the car with free play. The ground im talking about should use an 8mm-10mm socket to remove it, its located under the pdc. I tried to get a pic of the G101 ground but can only find one for the G102 wich is in a different location....
There is going to be a black wire that is mounted under neath the PDC with a sheet metal srew, thats going to be the G101 ground and probably the cause of your flickering....

danman132x · Post by **danman132x** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 7:27 pm

It's not the ground with free play, but the cables. Thats what I meant by that. To get to the ground your talking about, do I have to move the fuse box to access it?

BlackRoseRacing · Post by **BlackRoseRacing** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 7:44 pm

It might be easier....

TomZ · Post by **TomZ** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 12:58 pm

I'm still amazed by how often this issue (bad grounds) comes up. It's not specific to DCX, it's across the industry. A common problem with the CRX's I've worked on with my son, is the main point where all the F/I grounds meet and ground to the block. I worked on military aircraft avionics for many years (25) and learned to troubleshoot fairly efficiently. ALWAYS...ALWAYS check your grounds. Ensure metal to metal contact and vibration resistant fasteners are utilized. I have three additional grounds on my engine, all 1/2" braided copper straps with soldered terminals then convoluted wire loom to cover and make them look factory installed.

danman132x · Post by **danman132x** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 6:53 pm

Is this the right ground that needs to be checked? (in red circle)

I lifted the fuse box, and no ground underneath it. I'm stumped, and my lights still flicker. Thats a 2 ft long 4 gauge wire from the neg terminal to the spot in the picture. Also it is sanded down to bare metal, along with all other grounds I listed in a post above.

BlackRoseRacing · Post by **BlackRoseRacing** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 6:24 am

Yes, thats the G101 ground...

03sxt · Post by **03sxt** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 7:25 am

Thanks for that pic, danman... I'm going to check mine out later and see how it's doing.

danman132x · Post by **danman132x** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 1:16 pm

Well I'm going to assume something else is bad in my car because my lights still flicker, and visible on the dash during the DAYtime. I rechecked it and it's very tight and sanded down to the bare. My charging system is fine I believe, Puts out a constant 13.8-14.1 Volts while running.

03sxt · Post by **03sxt** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 1:27 pm

danman132x wrote:Well I'm going to assume something else is bad in my car because my lights still flicker, and visible on the dash during the DAYtime. I rechecked it and it's very tight and sanded down to the bare. My charging system is fine I believe, Puts out a constant 13.8-14.1 Volts while running.

Now if you could check what the voltmeter says when it's actually doing the flickering thing...

Post by **jonnymopar** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 10:55 pm

My car has been doing this as long as I've had it. I completely took out all the grounds and installed a ground kit, replacing all the existing grounds as well as adding 2 or 3 more. Didn't change a single thing. I just deal with it. Probably just crappy voltage regulation.

2GN.ORG

Lights flickering

Lights flickering

Re: Lights flickering