Dimming Headlights

[KJThaDon 10+ year member]

I run at 14v and still have the headlights dim on hard hits.. What is the cause of this and how can I fix it?

Everything is 0 gauge

300 amp alt

2000 watts

Click to read more...

 

[brooklynjoy2008 10+ year member]

Do you have any extra batts? What kind of front batt? Big 3? Dedicated ground? Amps you are using? How many ohms? Do you have a volt meter telling you that you are at 14v? The more info you give the more we can help you.

 

[THATpurpleKUSH 5,000+ posts]

It could be as simple as upgrading the wiring for your headlights. A strong electrical system doesn't always solve this problem.

 

[All_Logix 10+ year member]

Have you measured the voltage on your system while the headlights are dimming. Not to insult you intellegence, just that many people are not aware that running at 14V with just the system playing isnt the same as it playing with the headlights on

 

[09civic 5,000+ posts]

Same thing was going on with me...then my alt died.

 

[KJThaDon 10+ year member]

Do you have any extra batts? What kind of front batt? Big 3? Dedicated ground? Amps you are using? How many ohms? Do you have a volt meter telling you that you are at 14v? The more info you give the more we can help you.

Optima D34/78 in the front and back, Big 3 all 0 gauge, dedicated grounds, and Audioque 2200 @ 1.33 ohms..

I have a volt meter wire to my battery, and my car has a built in one...

It could be as simple as upgrading the wiring for your headlights. A strong electrical system doesn't always solve this problem.

Hmm didn't think about that, but I wouldn't think the headlights would need a bigger wire //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/confused.gif.e820e0216602db4765798ac39d28caa9.gif

Have you measured the voltage on your system while the headlights are dimming. Not to insult you intellegence, just that many people are not aware that running at 14V with just the system playing isnt the same as it playing with the headlights on

Yes I have 2 meters running at all times..

Thank you all but I'm still confused //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif

 

[Sine Swept]

Get HID's

 

[KJThaDon 10+ year member]

Get HID's

I've never thought of those much, but aren't they more power hungry?

 

[nateberrier 10+ year member]

Brotha manz, you probably have a bad ground. I dont get headlight dimming off 2k and stock alt with a 31 in the back. If not a bad ground you could be clipping. Also keep in mind that most headlights are pretty sensitive. When I had my Pontiac with a single batt I would drop from 15 to 14.5 and it would dim the lights...

 

[stephens30228 10+ year member]

Brotha manz, you probably have a bad ground. I dont get headlight dimming off 2k and stock alt with a 31 in the back. If not a bad ground you could be clipping. Also keep in mind that most headlights are pretty sensitive. When I had my Pontiac with a single batt I would drop from 15 to 14.5 and it would dim the lights...

Well though I am inexperienced, I have NEVER owned a car that had a stereo system that the headlights didn't dim. I even had a 300watt PoS amp at one time, cant remember the brand or anything, but my headlights even dimmed then, but my voltage meter in the instrument panel never has moved. I thought it was normal to be honest lol, have even had caps and it has never helped.

 

[nateberrier 10+ year member]

Well though I am inexperienced, I have NEVER owned a car that had a stereo system that the headlights didn't dim. I even had a 300watt PoS amp at one time, cant remember the brand or anything, but my headlights even dimmed then, but my voltage meter in the instrument panel never has moved. I thought it was normal to be honest lol, have even had caps and it has never helped.

I know on my first big build we put a second battery in and did the big three and all that good stuff and we had dimming, I re seated the ground on the front battery and it all went away. The gauge on your dash is probably inaccurate. The one on my Silverado says 15v and the truck is at 13.8 though it does move when I raise the plow lol.

 

[murph 10+ year member]

Someone needs to make a '"BIG 3" for the headlights wiring thread. I am sure this would work to stop dimming.

 

[Sine Swept]

My HID's are ON or OFF, no dimming ever. The ballasts run the lights at thousands of volts (though only 35-55 watts) and are the secret to their success

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

Put a cap on the headlights?

 

[Volvowith18psi 10+ year member]

HiD will stop dimming. Also, if your clipping the signal, that will cause significant amount of "extra" dimming also.

Although, I think some dimming is to be expected even with the Big 3 on medium level systems.