Dimming from stock?

[85Caprice4d 10+ year member]

I had a 10" jl and a crappy boss amp in my car.

I noticed dimming and was going to do the big 3.

Things changed so I pulled the system out of my car (all except an old pioneer deh-225(i think thats the model))

Anyways, so now I have stock EVERYTHING except the hu.

When i click the blinker, hit the automatic locks, or even just have the radio up loud, the headlights, dash lights, and lights on the hu dim//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/confused.gif.e820e0216602db4765798ac39d28caa9.gif

I was thinking maybe my alternator is going bad...but im no mechanic or electrician

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif

Click to read more...

 

[_JaY_ 10+ year member]

go take it in to local repair\mech shop or even autozone might test your battery and alt for free.

 

[doyoshuffle5 10+ year member]

sounds like it could be the alt. try to see at night with ur head lights its a dead give away but check the voltage on ur batt if its still high ur alt is doin its job

 

[doyoshuffle5 10+ year member]

go take it in to local repair\mech shop or even autozone might test your battery and alt for free.

agree as well

 

[jdawg 5,000+ posts]

85 caprice? I had a 89. The factory wires were all old and shit. Do the big 3, car being old it will help even stock stuff out, put a good battery in there too. Go to the boneyard and rip a 120amp alt off a police car. I did all this and didnt have any dimming, even running a lil over 1000w rms.

 

[85Caprice4d 10+ year member]

wow you guys were prompt.//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif

haha thanks for all the responses.

I tried my battery already - i let it charge over night and the problem kept going.

I will try the voltage thing.

I have taken this car apart to bear metal and have checked all the wires- this car was babied until it was given to me:up2somet: and even now that i have it I still dont beat on it....

granted some of the wires I saw were dirty every thing i checked wasnt grounded, or broken or frayed or anything...

I plan on getting a new battery soon anyways - so even if its not the problem, it cant hurt haha...

yeah Ill check the volts at batt - but what do you mean to test it? test volts before night driving and then test after/ with them on?

 

[jdawg 5,000+ posts]

turn EVERYTHING on and check voltage. My 89 was in good shape too but being old they were kinda green inside the insulation. I did the big 3, well this was a long time ago so it wasnt even called big 3 yet, I redid the factory charging system wires, and added a gel cell. Even with just that everything worked better, power windows worked faster, turn signals blinked faster, etc. Then just for some security I got a alt off a police car, running 1600w and 4 12's I had no probs. The alt was like $30 at the boneyard.

 

[85Caprice4d 10+ year member]

i dont have power windows //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif hahaha but yeah ill look into all of it and get back to ya

 

[mlstrass 5,000+ posts]

Could also be a bad POS or NEG battery wire as you can't see what they look like under the jacket...