When driving @ night and I apply the brakes all my lights inside and outside of my car dim for a blink of an eye. Could this be a sign of anything? I have never messed with any electrical just made my corners stay on with the higher wattage. How can I fix this problem? Help.

 

mine does the same thing

i dont think its a problem but then again thats just me

 

mine did this before my battery died.. the battery was so weak that even with the alt charging it was still going to die.. i would go to an autoparts store and have them test the battery for you..

 

Easy, Jsut don't brake

 

Get your charging system examined.

 

You may want to have your alternator and battery tested. Most local auto parts stores would do that for free. You don't have to remove anything for them to test. I had a similar experience with a different car I had. The lights would dim when I brake or at every heavy beat from the subwoofer. A few days later the alternator died.

 

Thanks for the Info. I replaced my battery about a year ago. I'm going to get my alternator checked this weekend when I go home.

 

oh yes... actually yea I did have this problem when my battery was about to die. It hasnt resurfaced again... my battery was dead, wouldnt charge wouldnt do crap... had it jumped and it still would go dead...

 

My lights dim too when braking. It's been like that for at least two years I guess. My original battery is not like 5 1/2 years ago (96 GXE)when bought new, but still strong enough to serve me maybe another year. BTW I only got 37K miles.

 

I have the same problem but it also happens when i put my windows down or up, it doesnt really get on my nerves or anything but my battery or alternator dying would.
Jules

 

Can i test the battery and Alternator myself? If so how can i do this?

 

I don't know the standard test with the tester equipment at dealership or some auto stores, but some simplified and relative test may be performed. Use a volt meter (or multimeter) with its probe on the battery terminals to register its voltage when everything off, all lights on, and when engine is cranking, etc. In general, when all off, the higher battery voltage the better. When all lights on or engine cranking, the less voltage drop the better. Otherwise it shows the battery internal resistance is increasing as it gets old. Compare it to a knew, known good battery ...

 

Jiaxima96 has got the right idea. You can perform your own load test right in your own garage. You'll need a voltmeter (or more specifically - a multimeter). After your engine is warm, with it still running, measure across the two battery terminals. With all accessories OFF, it should read between 13VDC and 14.7VDC. Anything less than 12VDC or over 15VDC, would mean the the voltage regulator in the alternator is fried. Now, turn on your headlamps, HVAC fan to full, rear window defroster and radio. Measure across the terminals. With all these accessories on (unless you have a powerful aftermarket audio setup), the voltage should still read between 12.4VDC and 13.8VDC. The reading should hold steady. If it drops steadily, about .5 volts in a minute, the alternator has gone bad...it can no longer meet the demands of the car's electrical system.

Shut all the accessories down, shut the car off and measure accross the terminals. THe battery should hold a voltage of at least 12.4VDC. Wait overnight, and in the morning, measure again. If the voltage has dropped to less than 12 VDC, then you might need a new battery.

 

Thanks Albertt for lots of detailed info. I never did very detailed test but just compared to my 2000 RX300. After both cars came back from work and everything off, both battery terminal voltages are about 12.5 to 12.6V. Next morning's readings are slightly lower, like 12.3V and that's all I did so far.

BTW, if I disconnect the battery cable, say at the negative terminal, and then connect it back on, the ECU (CPU stuff?) needs to re-learn and then the car will come back to normal right? Should I just drive as normal until it comes back, or should I set up something to let the car operate properly? Haynes manual does not say anything needed to be set up. Thanks for any reply in advance.

 

it just happend to me about a week ago =\ my lights started to dim.... like every damn light in the car.... next morning when i was driving, the car just died on me i tested out my alternator...no problem....so i think it's a battery problem.

 

Disconnecting the terminals for a certain amount of time will reset the computer. But don't worry, it'll be ready to drive. You shouldn't have to set anything up. THe ECU will run all the test it needs to make sure everything runs properly.