things are lit up like a xmas tree...
 

so i'm driving along...and all of the sudden the little warning lights on my dash flicker on. there were five...steering, battery, stop lamp, brake, and abs. they flickered on and off pretty much at random...and all at the same time (was driving to friend's house). this confuses me, and freaks me out. leaving my friends house, they are all off for the first few min, then all of the sudden they all pop back on again at the same time. i don't feel anything wrong with the steering...battery isn't dead...all my stop lamps are working...brakes feel fine...and i believe my abs is working. i'm thinking something is shorting out...but i don't know for sure. again, this is kinda freaking me out with all these warning lights going off...so i'm hesitant to drive my car. if anyone could provide any insight about this asap, it'd be great! thanks!

THEY KNOW!!!
 

Our SVX's know what's going on here...it's all about the meet!

Actually it's either the plug to to alternator is loose or else it's the alternator itself.

Mine just started doing that a couple days ago as well. Mine also makes a noise under the dash when the warning lights are flickering.

I was at the dealership today and he figures the noise is the ignition relay and that the alternator is probably on the way out.

I don't know if you're going to the meet but I am and I'm positive my car knows this and is trying its best to stop me.

Re: THEY KNOW!!!
 

... and now it knows that you know.... :D :rolleyes:

i had a sneaky suspicion...
 

...that it was my alternator. i'll take the thing out tomorrow and go have it tested. anyone recommend any non-oem parts?? i know the stock is kinda wimpy and likes to go out, and i'd like to try to avoid that in the future. oh...what kinda price ranges am i looking at for a new alternator...and should i go rebuilt or just new? sorry my questions are so naive sometimes...lol...and sorry this is in general. shoulda put this in technical...but i wanted a quick response to soothe the nerves. :D

Re: i had a sneaky suspicion...
 

I was quoted prices on new and rebuilt alternators from my dealership. Too bad I can't remember the prices as that was last year. I would go with whichever has the longer warranty. I believe the rebuilt alternators are built better than factory however the warranty was less.

Does anyone here know if by doing the alternator mod whould it void any warranty on the alternator. Common sense tells me it would.

One last question I have for anyone willing to answer...of the 3 wires involved in the alternator mod, which one would be the most important?

Check your ground. If your alternator is good, your ground might be bad. Your alternator should be putting out around 13.5-14ish at idle.

As for the mod, you do not need 3 wires. You only need 2 and you need both of them. There is one that runs from alternator to the +ive side of the battery. That carry the current. You need that since the wires that currently carry the current are POS. You will also need to re-ground the car. That is also needed since the ground that we have is bad and just makes me wonder less if I am going to screw up the wiring before I go to bed.

Lwin

I posted this same problem about a week ago, I've been trying lots of random things, and nothing has worked so far. I took mine into have the alternator tested and they said it was 100% plus it should still be under warantee, so I'm not that worried about it.

Have you noticed other things dimming at random times?

I remember back in the day on *gasps* yahoo that the electric god in the north knew of a place that would rebuild alternators to make them better and have more output... Larry, Aredub? any thoughts?

Re: things are lit up like a xmas tree...
 

Seraph is correct in his diagnosis of a bad ground wire.
The ground wire can be found at the back of the engine and is attached from the engine to the fire wall.
It has a connector that becomes coroded over time and needs to be replaced. It is best if you replace it with a multistrand wire without the connector.

Re: things are lit up like a xmas tree...
 

Talk about your 8 year old thread revival...:eek:

Re: things are lit up like a xmas tree...
 

The zombie threads have risen..... :eek::eek:

Re: things are lit up like a xmas tree...
 

I could have posted a reply to the oil spill in the gulf thread but I can't see how that will help someone fix their SVX.

Re: things are lit up like a xmas tree...
 

That's why its in the "not exactly SVX" forum...
Don't worry, just havin a little fun. Clearing up info in threads is useful for people trying to search though.:)

Re: things are lit up like a xmas tree...
 

how tuff is it to replace that gound wire at the back of the motor going to the firewall?

Re: things are lit up like a xmas tree...
 

It's very easy. It takes about 15-20 min. and you can make your own wire or purchase a universal grouind from any auto parts store. Eliminate the factory connector, it will only cause trouble down the road.