I have a little problem with my lights, everything works but all my lights dim when the car is idleing, when i step on the gas they brighten. I changed the wiring harness and its still doing it. Anyone have a clue why its doing that??

 

Have you tested the alternator?

 

sure did, they said it was cool.

 

what other thing might you have running. Like stereo or AC?

 

no ac, no stereo, the only thing thats running is a turbo timer. When i start the car the turbo timer reads the battery at like 13.8 and when the car is warm it drops down to like 11 or 12 volts, and thats when my lights get dimmer.

 

anyone have anymore ideas???

 

anyone?

 

anyone??

 

i just started to have a simmilar problem. everytime i accellerate my lights get brighter and they flicker almost as if i were flicking my brights on and off

 

Let me know if you find the problem

 

I had this same problem last year and it ended up being the alternator. You sure everything checked out fine?

 

I had autozone check test it out and they said it was cool. Im gonna buy a new one just to see if it does the same ish...

 

The problem is the alternator, the thing is that the alternator can handle a small load but you should always check alt voltage with all the loads on lights, radio, wipers, and whatever else you can turn on. this puts a load on the alt and if it cant put out 13.5-14v with all that stuff on then it is bad.

 

yea i had the same problem. it was the altinator. mine aso dimmed whenever i hit the brakes. witch also made my motor idle lower.

and half the time i dont trust what they say at autozone.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by fryguy190 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">yea i had the same problem. it was the altinator. mine aso dimmed whenever i hit the brakes. witch also made my motor idle lower.

and half the time i dont trust what they say at autozone.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I don't either.

 

It's okay. Most of the time the customers are the idiots.

We deal with people coming into the store and dropping random parts on the counter and saying, "I need one of these." We're supposed to know EVERYTHING about ANYTHING that comes through that door.

Because, you know, with all of our extensive vehicle knowledge we'd want to work at Autozone for pennies.

If people stopped acting like Autozone employees should be able to diagnose any little problem over the phone or otherwise without the car or part(s) there, the Autozone experience would be a lot smoother.

 

I am not hating on you cause this is done nationally, but why and I mean why do autozone employees think that hooking up a code reader and pulling codes is enough to sell them the part without REAL diagnostics. atleast everyday i get one but I guess in a way its ok cause I get paid to put on a part that is still good then to diag it and then again to put on the right one so never mind I dont want to rock the boat. just intrest me that places like orielly's dont even pull codes so that they dont push parts on you.

 

I just realized it was an Advance Autoparts store, not an Autozone I went to lol.

 

true !!

but i think it might be ur Alt!! becuz if it dims like dat then it should be that most likely!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by gsrhatch2356 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I am not hating on you cause this is done nationally, but why and I mean why do autozone employees think that hooking up a code reader and pulling codes is enough to sell them the part without REAL diagnostics. atleast everyday i get one but I guess in a way its ok cause I get paid to put on a part that is still good then to diag it and then again to put on the right one so never mind I dont want to rock the boat. just intrest me that places like orielly's dont even pull codes so that they dont push parts on you.</TD></TR></TABLE>
I've never heard of a customer being forced to buy a part after getting the codes read.

Getting the codes read for free is a courtesy. If you want them read at a shop, it's going to set you back $90 or more.

I've never heard of O'Reilly's not scanning codes, but I'm fairly certain Shucks does here. A parts business not scanning codes for free is a bad thing imo.

Of course they WANT you to buy parts. It's our job. Do you think I want to ask if you want hand cleaner, shop towels or fuel injector cleaner? Do you think I care if you (or anyone else) buy anything in the store? I'm there to help you find what you're looking for and to ring you out.

It's very difficult to get fired by Autozone though, so that's why you see some of the people working there that you see. As long as they're not stealing, they're probably not going anywhere.

Still, the company treats all the employees as temporary labor. There is nothing to work for. For example, I was supposed to be made a manager about six months ago, but the store has gone through three different store managers now and well, I have a genetic condition that makes it difficult to make me a manager apparently.
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rarrior23 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I just realized it was an Advance Autoparts store, not an Autozone I went to lol.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Used to work there. Advance Auto Parts is a better place to work for than Autozone, but Advance is mostly on the east coast and midwest.

 

Could be bad grounds or loose grounds...but still sounds like a bad alternator. Screw what their machine says!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by NOFX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Used to work there. Advance Auto Parts is a better place to work for than Autozone, but Advance is mostly on the east coast and midwest.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I can't win, can I? lol

 

advanced autoparts checked my engine light two different times and read it wrong both times. also i had the same problem and yeah it was the alternator but try tightening or loosening the belts.

 

I understand, belive me i like it that they read codes, cause when I am not at work I dont have my scan tool and really have no other way of getting them ( other cars besides honda's) It just seems like every time I talk to somebody they tell me that autozone said this would fix the problem. You also have to realize that 90 bucks aint for reading codes, its for testing componets and wiring and whatever else may be related to the code. its like getting a 02 stuck lean code. does that mean that the 02 is bad or maybe there is a vaccum leak, or resistance in the signal wire. to me a code limits the possibillitys down to under 20 things maybe some day computers will be good enough to diagnois them selfs but even then it still has a fail rate. orielly's dosent read codes in my area but i guess they do otherplaces.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rarrior23 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I can't win, can I? lol</TD></TR></TABLE>
lol
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by palmbayeg &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">advanced autoparts checked my engine light two different times and read it wrong both times. also i had the same problem and yeah it was the alternator but try tightening or loosening the belts.</TD></TR></TABLE>
How did they read it wrong? You plug the scanner in, turn the car to ACC and wait for the codes to show up. Then (at least in Autozone; been awhile since I was at Advance) you can put the code into the computer inside the store and print out the most likely reasons for said code to show up.
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by gsrhatch2356 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I understand, belive me i like it that they read codes, cause when I am not at work I dont have my scan tool and really have no other way of getting them ( other cars besides honda's) It just seems like every time I talk to somebody they tell me that autozone said this would fix the problem. You also have to realize that 90 bucks aint for reading codes, its for testing componets and wiring and whatever else may be related to the code. its like getting a 02 stuck lean code. does that mean that the 02 is bad or maybe there is a vaccum leak, or resistance in the signal wire. to me a code limits the possibillitys down to under 20 things maybe some day computers will be good enough to diagnois them selfs but even then it still has a fail rate. orielly's dosent read codes in my area but i guess they do otherplaces. </TD></TR></TABLE>
Read above.

They ONLY read codes. They DO NOT need to diagnose a vehicle more than that. STOP bringing your car to Autozone thinking we'll fix it or diagnose it all totally for FREE. WE ARE NOT A SHOP.

(Not to you, just customers in general.)

For example, even in the book we have here, if you have the code P0161, the page reads as follows:

P0161
HOS2 22 Heater condition (Heated Oxygen Sensor Bank 2)

Te powertrain control module monitors the oxygen sensor heater. The computer has recognized a failure in this circuit.

Probable causes

1st: Oxygen sensor defective

2nd: Poor connection at oxygen sensor

3rd: Check circuit-fuse