I was driving last night and my dash lights suddenly got really dim and my brake light and battery light came on in my dash. I stopped and checked and my headlights and taillights were also really dim. my stereo started cutting out so I turned it off. I made it home and bought a new battery this morning and put it in. It seems to run fine and all but the brake and battery light is still on in my dash. any ideas?

 

alternator, That happened to e in the highway.

 

Probably the alternator. But a car battery is used sort of as a storage tank at low rpms when the alternator can't make much electricity-so if it was totally defective/dead then maybe you'd see the same thing at low rpm, and with lots of electrical loads-AC, rear window defroster, etc. I bet it's the alternator though. Go to autozone and have them check the battery and charging system.

 

Check your alternator belt first, that may need to be changed. Otherwise like stated before your alternator is going bad.

 

Ok, at least I have somewhere to start. why would my brake light come on though? it is the brake light on the dash like I have my e brake on.

 

Low brake fluid, duh.

 

yeah the brake light could come on with alt problems, and it sounds like it. Check the belt for proper tension (use fish scale), check belt for cracks, look at alt to see if it is properly greased. And just to be sure, check your brake fluid as already suggusted.

 

Perhaps clean your battery terminals...may not be anything but a good maintenence item anyways.

 

excellent. thanks for all the help. how much should i expect to pay for a new alternator?