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  #1  
Old 12-14-2007, 04:07 AM
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dash lights

All my dash lights go on when I'm at a stop. The car sometimes shuts down. Sometimes it stays on. New alternator, new battery, cleaned the MAF, no more codes. What else could it be?
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  #2  
Old 12-14-2007, 02:12 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dannmarr View Post
All my dash lights go on when I'm at a stop. The car sometimes shuts down. Sometimes it stays on. New alternator, new battery, cleaned the MAF, no more codes. What else could it be?
Surely not all the dash lights, including gauge illumination. Exactly which lights?

Are you indicating by, “when I'm at a stop”, that this only happens when the engine is idling?

N.B. New alternator, does not necessarily indicate a perfect alternator and this could be your problem.
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  #3  
Old 12-14-2007, 02:52 PM
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I agree with number 3. The way the wiring goes, if your alternator is not pulling its share, the idiot light extravaganza arrives for your viewing pleasure.
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  #4  
Old 12-14-2007, 04:11 PM
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I never had an issue until a remote start was installed. The car would stall while driving with no dummy lights going on. I checked the codes, and came up with no.23 (abnormal voltage from air flow sensor). I cleaned the sensor and I cleared the memory. I also noticed the voltage was going up and down. I have a volt meter hard wired in the car. I had the alternator checked and it was bad. I put in a new (reman) alternator and it reads normal. Now the dummy lights go on at stops while at idle. The strange thing is the car shuts down sometimes but stays running other times with the lights on. No code comes up. Could a bad connection to the ignition wire do this? Stumped.
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Old 12-14-2007, 04:56 PM
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I vote on the alt being a chump too. Where is your volt meter hooked up? Any possible loose or corroded connections? I have had issues with multiple bad alternators from Autozone. After the fourth bad alternator they wouldn't warranty it (lifetime warranty my butt) so an expensive NAPA alternator was put on and all was better. With the alternator being so easy to swap on the SVX I would be inclined to just try a different one.
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  #6  
Old 12-15-2007, 10:07 AM
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I'm going to have my alternator checked. Here is another observation I noticed: When I start the car with the key and the heat on high, the voltage reads 13.7 then drops to 12.7. When I start the car with the remote and the heat on high, the voltage reads 13.2 then drops to 11.5 and shuts down. ??????????????????
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  #7  
Old 12-15-2007, 01:11 PM
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Everything checks out OK except for the battery, it is low due to the previous alternator. It's on charge now and I'll keep everyone updated. Thanks for all your responses.
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Old 12-15-2007, 04:15 PM
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Quote:
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Everything checks out OK except for the battery, it is low due to the previous alternator. It's on charge now and I'll keep everyone updated. Thanks for all your responses.
It would appear that you now have had everything checked out. including the alternator. The indicator lights problem only at idle, would indicate possibly only a single diode is faulty within the alternator. This would not affect output to a marked degree and it is unlikely that a test performed by a an automotive electrician would pick this up.

There is no reason for a low battery to cause the faults you have described, unless it has some strange intermittent internal fault.

On the basis of logic it would seem likely that you have two separate faults. An alternator fault and a fault caused as a result of the installation of the remote start set up.
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  #9  
Old 12-15-2007, 07:27 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dannmarr View Post
I'm going to have my alternator checked. Here is another observation I noticed: When I start the car with the key and the heat on high, the voltage reads 13.7 then drops to 12.7. When I start the car with the remote and the heat on high, the voltage reads 13.2 then drops to 11.5 and shuts down. ??????????????????
It seems to me that either the remote starter installation needs to be gone over.

P.S.: Why would you start a car with the heat on high?
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  #10  
Old 12-16-2007, 08:24 AM
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I was just testing and trying things out. Normally I keep the heat low. I charged the battery all night and it read over 13V. Once I started the car, idled it, shut it down, the Voltage dropped back down to 12.3? Every time I start the car the voltage starts at a low 12V then it shoots up above 14V. The alternator is doing it's job but it seems the battery is not holding the charge. I still have a warranty on the battery and the remote installer is coming over next Saturday.
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  #11  
Old 12-16-2007, 01:10 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dannmarr View Post
I was just testing and trying things out. Normally I keep the heat low. I charged the battery all night and it read over 13V. Once I started the car, idled it, shut it down, the Voltage dropped back down to 12.3? Every time I start the car the voltage starts at a low 12V then it shoots up above 14V. The alternator is doing it's job but it seems the battery is not holding the charge. I still have a warranty on the battery and the remote installer is coming over next Saturday.
Allowing for tolerance in respect of the calibration of your voltmeter and the point of connection, the figures you quote do not indicate that your battery is not holding a charge, all being within reason. Particularly as it would appear that the engine cranks OK.
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  #12  
Old 12-16-2007, 03:24 PM
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I went to two local shops to test the battery and they both said the battery is low. As I said before, the battery was charged all night and I drove the car for an hour. That is why I believe the battery is not holding the charge. Maybe one of the cells are weak?
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  #13  
Old 12-16-2007, 04:13 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dannmarr View Post
I went to two local shops to test the battery and they both said the battery is low. As I said before, the battery was charged all night and I drove the car for an hour. That is why I believe the battery is not holding the charge. Maybe one of the cells are weak?
In view of the confusing information provided, I give up on this problem. Good luck with the local shops.
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  #14  
Old 12-16-2007, 11:22 PM
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Sorry Trevor, here is a simple break down.

1) I had a remote start installed.
2) All my dash lights would come on and the car stalls.
3) I got code #23, I cleaned the sensor and I cleared the memory.
4) All seemed fine, no more stalling.
5) Car starts normal with the key but has a hard time with the remote.
6) I noticed the battery voltage would go up and down.
7) I had the alternator checked and had it replaced.
8) All seemed fine, voltage was back to normal.
9) All my dash lights come on again. Sometimes the car stalls, sometimes it doesn't.
10) This time No codes come up.
11) I had the car checked twice and the alternator was fine but the battery was low even after a full charge.
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  #15  
Old 12-17-2007, 02:38 AM
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Referring to point (11).

“Fine” after what sort of test? As I have explained the output could be acceptable, but a single diode could be faulty. As a result AC present on line would bypass the sneak circuit blocking diodes incorporated in the trouble lamp circuit. This situation, after alleged testing, has been reported previously.

“Low” to what extent? What sort of test was carried out? Test under load, specific gravity of the electrolyte tested?
How could a battery which appears to start the engine without a problem, or for that matter even a low or bad battery, cause the problems you have reported?

I say again --- "On the basis of logic it would seem likely that you have two separate faults. An alternator fault and a fault caused as a result of the installation of the remote start set up."

I could be wrong, but the logic applied is accurate.
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