Yesterday i was driving my car when i stopped at a redlight, and noticed that every 4 seconds or so the idle would shoot up and i would hear a click under the hood. I immediately got it home and looked under the hood...did not see anything obvious. So i went to go start the car again and it would...almost as if the battery were dead. It has the slow and long cranking sound. So i went in the house for an hour or so, came back out and it cranked right up. Well i parked her and decided to pull her out again tonight....not whenever this problem happens at idle my radio shuts off, my gauge cluster lights shut off, and the eps light flickers.

any ideas? I am going to replace tha alternator, the lights in the car have been sort of flickering for a while and hopefully that is it. Has anyone seen this before though?

I recorded it on camera yesterday and i will upload it to youtube i suppose.

 

here is the vid i took...when it first started...not the eps light is coming on whenever it does it, along with the radio going on the fritz and the instrument cluster flickering..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLE5MvElkgU

 

That reminds me of driving my friends Impreza RS. It seems like an alternator problem.

 

It sounds like a problem with your alternator. Check and make sure you have a good connection between the alternator and the battery. As well as the alternator to fuse box. Maybe one of those wires is lose. If not you have a bad alternator.

 

im with them above, its most likely your alternator

 

Sick car :D

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by White Smoke &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">It sounds like a problem with your alternator. Check and make sure you have a good connection between the alternator and the battery. As well as the alternator to fuse box. Maybe one of those wires is lose. If not you have a bad alternator.</TD></TR></TABLE>
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Chris. &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">im with them above, its most likely your alternator</TD></TR></TABLE>

I believe you guys are correct...i hooked some jumpers up to it from the jetta and left the jetta running and the problem went away. I have a lifetime replacement on the alternator (advanced aut parts) so i am going to swap it out when i have some time.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by wjkj08 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Sick car :D</TD></TR></TABLE>

thank you sir

 

Was that the problem?

Today I noticed that when the car's rpms go down and it starts to idle my radio cuts on and off and the EPS/Gauge cluster flickers.

I started the car up and undid the battery to see if the car dies but it didn't so perhaps the alternator is not on it's last leg just yet?? I hope it's the problem and not some other dumb electrical issue.

Will take the autozone for an alternator test to verify.

Thanks in advance.

 

yes, it was the alternator. My alternator took a while to go though...it started off with my tailights and gauge cluster flickering and then got worse.

Mine was at about the same stage yours is, it never got to the point where the car would shut off, but it was close. Seems as if it just wasn't pumping out enough electricity, but enough to barely get by.

 

I still laugh out loud at your PA system vid on youtube!

funny $hit dude..

 

Turns out my battery was dead only after 2 years. I was told the alternator was still good.

The battery had no charge... best part was it was still under warranty so it was a free replacement from AutoZone.

Still a little bit worried since I've never seen the EPS or gauge cluster flicker from my previous OEM battery going dead ... but all is good now.

Thanks again.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by bigmacnfries &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I still laugh out loud at your PA system vid on youtube!

funny $hit dude..

</TD></TR></TABLE>

I will have a sequal coming soon with driving through a neighborhood...with kids running out and not seeing the icecream truck and getting all upset...and their parents cussing. I should of made a vid of it when it was warm out...maybe this weekend

when i shoot it i will post it up

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by S2Kguy512 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Turns out my battery was dead only after 2 years. I was told the alternator was still good.

The battery had no charge... best part was it was still under warranty so it was a free replacement from AutoZone.

Still a little bit worried since I've never seen the EPS or gauge cluster flicker from my previous OEM battery going dead ... but all is good now.

Thanks again. </TD></TR></TABLE>

ah, so your battery must have not been able to recharge. glad you figured it out and it was no cost to you