ah2002

Hi, I bought this 2001 Maxima 2 weeks back. It runs great. No engine/AT transmission problems. No charging/starting problems so far.

My question is: What causes all vehicle lights to flicker like :

flickering rate increases with revving the engine.

I asked the previous owner, he said he noticed this flickering many years back!!! He found no answer to the question . He replaced the alternator few month ago & the same problem persists.

It's not really a problem, but I need to know the cause & how to fix
I haven't started any diagnostics yet.

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

That is the brake warning light. There are 3 things that will make it come on.

1) An alternator problem, but the battery light should also be on at the same time.

2) Brake fluid level in the master cylinder. The fluid level could be borderline for making the light be on constant.

3) the parking brake lever. When the lever is pulled up, the light comes on. There is a switch that could be out of adjustment or bad.

check these things out.

ah2002

Thanks for your quick reply. I took the video while the hand brake lever is pulled up. I'm referring to the flickering you see in the odometer backlight. Do you notice it?

foodmanry

iTrader: (15)

The change in light level points me to the alternator since it is so rhythmic. I would also check grounds on the car as well since those are pretty easy to check and make sure they are tight and free of corrosion.

There are known subpar alternators that come out of aftermarket auto stores. Some people end up changing them 2 or 3 times before they get one that functions as it should.

ah2002

My first thought was the grounding. I will check it as I think it's not that good. I will try to clean the contacts of the ground wire & may add additional grounding wires later to check.

If this fails, it may be the alternator, really. But as long as it charges well, I 'm not going to replace it soon.

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

check the main chassis ground. Follow the negative battery cable down from the battery to where it connects to the chassis. below the battery. If you remove the battery, it will be a lot easier.

Check for ripple in the alternator output. Get your voltmeter and set it to AC volts and measure across the battery (actually anywhere, 12 volts to ground) You should have less than one less than .1 (one tenth) volt ac ripple.

While you are at it, measure the DCvoltage too. With the engine running, you should read about 14 volts.

george__

iTrader: (1)

Ground cables
Alternator

ah2002

I've ordered a digital multimeter + 4 gauge wire + new battery terminals.
I will keep you updated