Teriyaki Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 Hey, So i've noticed that my all my lights, exterior and interior get dimmer when I step on the brakes. Not sure if this is normal or not for you guys? If not, wondering if it could be fixed with a battery or alternator. Both are pretty expensive though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesA Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 First step, is to get the battery and charging system tested. That will give you more info to know if something is going bad. You can do this yourself if you have a multi-meter. Any other symptoms? Is the car hard to start in the morning? Are you driving mainly short trips? How old is the battery? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyRuu Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 What would be the second step after getting tested? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matty2Hotty Posted March 21, 2017 Share Posted March 21, 2017 Start replacing your engine wiring harness/possitive/negative and add a few more grounds in the engine bay. Put it in neutral rev it up to about 2500 then press the brakes at the same time... bet they won't dim with higher rpms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyRuu Posted March 21, 2017 Share Posted March 21, 2017 Original poster, Do the rpms bog down as well when the lights dim? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teriyaki Posted March 31, 2017 Author Share Posted March 31, 2017 @MilesA Yea, my trips are usually pretty short around town. So, I actually just had my regular oil change done and they did some the regular tests. I see that in the notes of my service, marginal battery CCA at 380. Recommend to replace the battery now? Aside from the light issue, i've never had any issues cranking it in the cold and we just finished our coldest winter yet in a while! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sketchjtl Posted April 14, 2017 Share Posted April 14, 2017 Wouldn't be a battery issue. The purpose of that is to start the car, your alternator takes over after its started and recharges the battery. If it's not pushing out what its suppose to you could have those issues. Have that checked out and go from there. I've seen issues with low voltage messing up all kinds of things on a suby. Do you have a sound system setup in your car? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RumbleRumble Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 You probably have rusty or corroded grounds. Clean all the ones on the firewall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thatgarrett Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 Original poster, Do the rpms bog down as well when the lights dim? Mine do that! Would that also be the grounds? I know the battery is at least 4-5 years old but still cranks fine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RumbleRumble Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 A battery is only used to start the car! While the car is running, it runs off the alternator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thatgarrett Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 I have heard so many different things on whether or not the battery powers any of the accessories while the car is running so I thought I would at least give it a shot. I will probably clean the IACV soon and see if that helps the rpms stay more stable at idle, and the spark plugs are on their last legs too. If that doesn't clear up the voltage I will try cleaning the grounds and adding a few more grounding points. Unlike the OP, there seems to be no connection with applying the brakes and is only noticeable at idle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RumbleRumble Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Plugs and IACV won't help with voltage at all. Cleaning your ground on the firewall will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thatgarrett Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 Plugs and IACV won't help with voltage at all. Cleaning your ground on the firewall will. Great, that is the first thing I was going to try. I am hoping to do that this afternoon. The red scotchbrite pads to clean and then seal with liquid electrical tape right? And I how many grounds should I be looking for? I poked my head in the engine compartment and can see 8 or so at first glance. Will that cleaning method also work on the negative terminal? I see some build up there as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RumbleRumble Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 Wire brush or sand paper(250) them all. Clean the terminal otherwise it will travel down the battery wire. If anything put some dielectric grease OVER the connection after you put them back on if you want protect them. Just clean any grounds you see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thatgarrett Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 I just did that to as many grounds as I could see. I was cleaning and regrinding a lot of the leads in the engine bay today to help rectify a really bad case of idle dropping and lack of acceleration/shuddering between 2-3k. I managed to get to at least 6-7 ground points and clean and protect them, but I came across a wire that is grounded on the triangular structure behind the airbag. I didn't take a picture there but if you are looking behind the air box there is a grounding point in the middle of the triangle nub that sticks out with two wires, and to the left of it is a single ground wire. It appears that one end of the wire was some sort of plug/slide on attachment like you might see in a wiring pin or something, though it was solid blue and not likely doing any good. Where does this go? I also did not manage to remove and clean the head on the drivers side of the manifold but cleaned the other end, so that might be the culprit for the shuddering. Additionally, the positive battery terminal is loose and will not tighten all the way, I am not sure if this is due to corrosion that I cleaned off or what. On a possibly related note, my drivers side headlight went out (the turn signals and high beam still work) and the opposite side one does too, it might have just been the bulb, I will switch them to make sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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