Ok, I've been noticing this recently, since it is hard to catch. My whole display, the odometer, all that, plus all the lighting on the dash board, when I brake, they seem to dim a little...there was another thing as well that caused them to dim, but I forgot what exactly. I noticed this originally when I was stopped at a light, and started moving forward a bit, then braking, and then they dimmed just a bit, hard to catch unless you are watching. Is this anything serious? Most likely a battery that needs to be replaced?

 

Clean your grounds and/or add a grounding kit...


/thread

 

How would I go about doing this?

 

Have your alternator checked. Its normal for some cars to have a slight dimming when hitting the brakes, turning on a turn signal, rowing down windows, ect... since they are electrical components that require current. Actually all cars will dim some just some you can notice and others you can't.

 

also check the belt deflection on the alternator belt and the condition.

 

Welcome to the club. This happens with both my Maximas. I'm pretty sure it's normal. It happens on my fully modified '99 with a little Odyssey battery and it happens on my stock '96 with a full size battery.

 

Normal as said before but if it starts causing problems i would add a grounding kit. On my car it got so bad that it would even stall the car. I think you can get a grounding kit on fleabay for like 30 bux.

 

If the only lights that are affected are the dash lights. Check the grounding points for the dashboard. You're going to need a wire diagram.

 

Anything that uses power will dim everything else like your power windows. I had a 97 that did this and my 99 does it as well but it's not as noticeble.

 

It's not normal, it's corrosion that's built up on connectors over the years. First place to look is where two large connectors plug in on the positive terminal. That's where the problem was on my car. It got so bad eventually that it died when braking with lights on. It mimicked a bad alternator because it only showed 13.0 V at the terminals when idleing. After replacing the alternator, no improvement. Pulled those two connectors apart and cleaned with CRC battery terminal cleaner then buffed with sandpaper. Voltage at terminals jumped to 14.5 and it's been fine ever since.

 

Actually it is normal because anything thats using using power from the vehicles electrical system is going to cause a slight drop in voltage. Some cars are going to show it more than others and others may not show any "noticable" dimming but there is some there. I say if the dash lights are losing over 30% in brightness by just hitting the brake pedal then there may be a problem elsewhere.

 

next time you pull up to the garage at your house, step on the brake pedal and roll your driver's side window down. See how much the lights dim. If it is significant, have your alternator checked.

 

Ha you'll never guess....it was the battery! My stepdad grounded me from my car for a month...and of course he didn't drive it at all so it sat for around a month and a week completely dead. So we got a new battery, oil change, etc. And whala...the lights don't dim (barely noticeable, actually not really at all lol)...so I'm guessing it was a battery issue.

 

sounds like a dead battery to me or your driving with the batt totally disconected.

 

WAY OFF TOPIC, But How old are you

 

Hmmmm, my lights/interior also dim when I brake, however I assumed it was normal, as some others have posted.

However, my battery took a dump on me yesterday, and since then I have got a new Duralast (autozone house brand) battery and the problem still persists. Additionally about 8 months ago, I replaced my alternator after the stock one died, again with a rebuilt one from autozone (who knows the quality on those? seems to be mixed reviews).

So I have new components of both addressed issues as mentioned by other posters.

My terminals were pretty corroded, but I only cleaned them with baking soda. When I'm done with classes this week, I'll be sure to clean them up properly and sand them clean and see what happens. Because when I hit the window switches I get a SIGNIFICANT dim of my headlights which, sorta worries me.

 

It's normal, don't worry. Try using all 4 window switches at once - that will really scare you! lol

 

lol....i agree to that one.

 

^ I have the same issue too, it is normal because current is being lowered to that device a little. What is not normal is it if it is too much or too much of a voltege drop. My deck has a built in multimeter(I know what your gonna say not th emost acurate thing out there but it does the trick and it is pretty dead on vs. a real DMM). When I am driving normal it is 14.5v like every car, then when I hit the brakes or roll down windows I see the slight dimming and see the voltege drop a little bit. IMO, dropping more then a volt is pretty bad for brakes, but windows it will do that regardless...

O and to the TP, it could of been the battery but most likely it was you changing the connections to the new battery that made better contact.

 

Two things that will help you.

1. Do the "Big 3" upgrade. Search it, theres tons of how tos.

2. Do this:

 

I agree. On my modded '98 new alti, correct belt tension, big three, sanded grounds, new (9007 converted) headlight harnesses and genuine Nissan battery AND my stocker I30 with Interstate crap battery and normal corrosion on the grounds they both just barely dim. With the brighter headlights I notice it less though.