I have a 1981 F100, lately when I've been driving at night I notice my headlights, dash lights, and charging light will flicker at the same time, and even sometimes my headlights will flash on and off by themselves.
View 2 RepliesSeries 7 , 82 model, light switch drama. I think they worked fine before I had removed the dash but it has a multi plug that I never interfered with but the truck had been in water and the contacts on it were rusty and I know the unit has been submerged.
Anyway, the unit clicks and sort of buzzes and the headlights and side lights flicker and the rear LED lights barely flicker, need to watch closely. I have cleaned and used contact fluid all connections under the truck as I washed it the other day too.
Brake lights work perfectly, indicators too, just associated lights from this pull switch. The unit gets hot, not burning hot but hot enough not to hold for too long. So, thoughts ?
Need new unit ?
Touched something ?
Water ingress finally making unit fail ?
I have a 1997 F250 that I am fixing up. The issue is this... The dash lights now flicker off when I place the transmission in Drive position. I can slightly move the slack in the gear selector and the lights come back on. When the transmission is in Park, the dash lights work correctly. Not sure why there is some type of switch to control the dash lights buried within the steering column?
View 2 RepliesWhile driving I turned on my headlights and my car became possessed. My warning lights started to flicker on and off, my car was dinging out of control. The speedometer, gas, and RPM gauge went to zero. My brights light would not come on. My dinging for the lights being left on, or the key being left in the ignition, after the car is parked, and the door is open, will not go on either. I turned my lights off and all was well. Turned them on again and the same thing happened.
Now, the following day, it is doing this periodically every couple of minutes while I'm driving, whether the lights are on or not. My radio and head lights work fine. I checked all my fuses and they all seem to be AOK. I disconnected my car battery and reconnected it to see if it would reset and it still did the same thing. One other strange occurrence. The last month or so while I've been driving my battery light came on for a few minutes. I had the battery checked and it is not bad. Then last week my gas-cap warning started to randomly appear. I changed my gas cap, and guess what.....it still came on, at random.
I *think* I'm having trouble with the alternator on my 2002 Navigator with the 5.4L DOHC engine.
A year ago in Feb 2014 the alternator quit charging. I thought the headlights were a little dim, but when the radio turned itself off and then the heater fan did the same, I noticed that the alt light was on. Then the engine shut down about 1.5 miles from home.
I'd heard of war stories about rebuilt alternators so I sprang for a brandy new one. I also got a voltmeter that fits in the cigarette lighter so I can monitor the system voltage. All seemed good and the new alternator put out 14.2 to 14.5 volts. Except that the battery never seems to be fully charged. If I check the battery voltage with the engine off it typically reads 11.9 to 12.2 volts. I had Interstate Batteries check the battery. They thought it was okay, but offered to put a new battery in to keep me happy.
Six months and 8,000 miles later I'm up in Ontario back country (on vacation - no tools in the truck) and I notice the engine idles at 900 RPM instead of the usual 650 +/- RPM. Oh-oh, I also notice the volt meter is reading 11.9 volts and drops a tenth about every 10 miles.
Found a shop that was open and they installed a rebuilt alternator and it was putting out 14.2 to 14.5 volts. All was good (except for my wallet!).
Now, here we are six months and 5,000 miles later and the rebuilt alternator is struggling to put out 12.5 volts this afternoon. At a steady 50 MPH with the cruise Control on, the radio, and the heater fan on low, the voltage is bouncing between 12.2 volts and 12.7 volts.
Now to my questions:
1. Shouldn't an alternator put out 14.2 to 14.5 volts all the time? Not just when the alternator is new?
And
2. Is there anything on my truck that could be killing these alternators? Or am I just unlucky in the alternator lottery?
This AM noticed the D2 driving lights appeared to be "on" the brightness was about 10% of the norm. Went into cab and flipped the switch on and the lights lit up normally. Turned off. Looked again and lights were "on" in a dimmed way with a noticeable "flicker" Disconnected wire from power source. These are 2 months installed. Is this an internal fuse in the wiring harness or the cube shaped relay? other?
View 1 RepliesMy headlights and dash illumination lights will intermittently flicker when I use the turn indicator to signal a right hand turn. Is it possible that there is a short in the turn indicator/high-low beam headlight control switch that is causing this?
View 5 RepliesStart out, drive about 20 minutes, get on the Interstate and the battery light comes on 2008 F 150 5.4L 4X4 - 57K miles..... get to my destination, went about 20 miles, turn around to come home, without turning the truck off because of the battery light being on and I notice the charging gauge drifting down to the left, get back on the Interstate and the wipers are slowing down and lights on the dash are dimming.....go around 15 more minutes I lose all lights on dash, wipers, defroster everything, charging gauge is now pegged all the way down to the left and the truck is starting to act up running like crap so I barely make it off the Interstate and call a flatbed, I guess I was about an hour into the trip ..... battery is only about a year old and it started fine that morning and the day before when it was about 12 degrees ...... dealership had the truck, just gave me a call and said they can't find anything ?? ..... never a days problem since I bought it new in late 07' ....
View 5 Replies1997 3.2 2WD 299,000 miles original alternator
3 times in the last month when I start up first thing in the morning dash warning lights are lit up and the electrical system is not charging. AC doesn't work and windows operate very slowly. A simple rev of the engine has resolved the problem. However, the belt is very tight (and I mean very) and there is no indication of it slipping.
This morning, a rev didn't solve the problem. I only work a few miles from home and my mechanic is also very close so I just figured to head that direction. About 1/4 mile later charging kicked in and everything worked just fine.
I hate Intermittent electrical problems Where to start.
So I recently bought a 1997 7.3l F250. It is in fairly good condition, but it has some problems with the lights working. The turn signals and hazards all work, as do the tail lights and headlights. However, when I hit the high beam switch, the headlights cut off entirely. Also, the brake lights do not work at all. Ive checked the bulbs and since they all work Im not sure what the issue is.
View 3 RepliesWondering if there is a way to program the headlights and running lights so they DO NOT come on when I open the doors?? And to turn OFF when the switch is off??
2014 super duty lariat
Have a 06 and the dome lights stay on all the time. I had to pull the bulbs out of all of them. They would come on during the night and run my battery dead. The lights just come on while driving down the road and won't go off either. I can hear a clicking in the dash while driving where they are coming on and off from a really or something. Sounds to me like it's coming from the instrument cluster.
View 5 RepliesI replaced my alt. because in the morning the bearing would squeak and the head lights flicker. It was a life time alt. Put the new one in now it wont charge. Took it back and got another, same thing. Also replaced the starter relay and battery. I checked the fusible links and replaced a terminal connector. The wires look good. There is 12v on the alt lug and pins 1 and 3 on the connector with the key off. Turn key on and 12v disappears form pins 1 & 3. Also checked all fuses in both boxes. I ohmed out the wire harness from the alt back to the connectors, all good. What am I missing? This is a 99 f530 5.4l.
View 9 RepliesI have a 1991 idi diesel f250. My dash lights have entirely gone out and i cannot seem to figure out why, i checked the fueses under the driver dash and under the hood for that matter and nothing is blown.
At the same time, the dome lights, door lights, cab lights, stereo, windows, ever the light in the ash trey etc, work perfectly fine. Could a wire have come loose behind the dash cluster and shorted out everything in the driver area?
I still get the high beam signal, check engine, engine, wait to start, and water in fuel light in the cluster. but no back lighting (when turning the key to the on position)...
Dash lights are not working in my 78 F150. The climate control lights come on and are dimable with the headlight switch. I pulled the cluster and the Blue/Red wire has voltage. Which might be the ground? The Seat belt light comes on at start and the left turn signal will blink. What am I missing. Oh the cluster is deteriorating. some of the bulb holes are chipping out.
View 1 RepliesLooking for a schematic on this truck,standard cab diesel. I have a dead short on exterior lamp fuse. I have no tail lights, running lights, door ajar light is also on.
View 4 RepliesOK, I just got done replacing the alternator on the wife's 05 escape 3.0 V6, after it started on fire. The 3 wire plug was melted onto the alternator, so I had to replace the pigtail. I'm 99.9% sure that I got the wires in the right place. But now, after putting it all back together, it idles sporadically, when I drive it seems almost like it's trying to start out in 2nd gear, and shifts oddly. And there are no dash lights or gauges. Headlights work fine. And everything worked normally before I took it apart.
View 1 RepliesI had the windshield wiper control replaced on my 91 F150 today and found out that the genius who did the repair (and, I might add, broke the wiper control in the first place) forgot to reconnect the dash lights. This was this particular garage's last chance. Everything else works -- idiot lights, hi-beam indicator, running lights, taillamps, hi-beams -- everything BUT the dash lights, so I know it's not the fuse.
View 4 RepliesI have a 2000 Ford F250 lariat 7.3 .... This vehicle has an aftermarket double din stereo pillar gauges for Pyro meter and transmission temp and has also had a snowplow attached but since re moved since I purchased it. It also has H ID headlights, which are run by the passenger side headlight connection.
The problem I'm having is that whenever I turn on the parking lights it is blowing the number eight fuse under the hood. Which is giving me no dash lights running lights parking lights or taillights. Initially the fuse would last for a few minutes and then burn out. I should also add that the trailer wiring harness doesn't work either and the driver side headlight will work sporadically.
The battery light is on in my dash. To test it I probed the car battery with a multimeter. Car off the battery reads 12.5 volts. With the car running and no headlights on, heater fan off, etc the meter reads 15-15.5volts. When I turn everything electrical I can think of on the meter reads 14-14.5volts. Is this normal or is the second scenario overcharging the battery? What else can I test that may be keeping the battery light on in the dash?
View 6 RepliesWhen the 4x4 switch is moved to 4x4 high, what is the sequence of operation?
I note the 4x4 light on the dash has a small delay. Does the switch engage the transfer case and draw a vacuum to the hubs or does the transfer case engage first and then close a relay to light on the dash and engage the hubs? I have hubs that are not working, but no detectable vacuum leak, a dash signal lit for the 4x4, but a wheel still turning freely. My vacuum hoses are all soft and pliable.
I'm trying to figure out what my dash signal is telling me, if anything, before proceeding. Fuse for transfer case is good.