battery light flashes, battery drains

I just read through the entire lights dimming VIP thread and didn’t see anything that pertained to my issue. So, here it goes. A month or so ago, I was driving and the battery light came on. I thought nothing of it and kept driving. After that I never saw it again until a few days ago. The battery light came on about 5 minutes into driving and started flickering when I hit about 3800rpms. Then it would stay on solid until about 4200rpms, then shut off. As soon as the rpms dropped back down, the light came back on. I drove around for a few days with the light on and no issues, I just thought it was my DA being weird like it tends to be. Then, I was driving and the radio shut off, then the clock went dim, then the car died on the side of the road. I got it jumped and made it home. I connected an electric battery charger to the battery overnight and the light didn’t come on again until about 5 minutes into driving. I drove around all day (probably 3 hours of driving in total) with no issue until tonight, when I was driving home and my headlights went dim and my accessories began shutting off one by one. I drove the car home with no lights on so the battery wouldn’t drain.

The car is a 90DA with a b20z swap. The alternator and battery were changed less than a year ago. I have a small sound system (300w amp with one 12inch sub), but I pulled the fuse out this morning so it would not be a drain on my battery.

What the heck could be causing this? I added a ground from the negative battery terminal to the body and ran another from the transmission ground to the body as per the lights dimming thread.

Sounds to me like the alt. is on it’s way out.

Have the charging system checked, any batt./alt. shop will do it for free, it only takes a few min, maybe the shop you got the alt. and batt. from.

If you have or can borrow a multimeter you can do a basic voltage check, a fully charged batt. will be about 12.5V, that should go to about 13.5V when the car is started and higher, [no more then 14.5V when engine RPM is up. 94

Do you think it’s just the brushes not making contact? Can I clean them?

Battery Light

Battery light = low volts

It could be the brushes, take them out and and see how much “meat” is left on them. I don’t remember if you have to pull the alt. out to do that. They have brush kits on ebay cheap.

BTW, if you’re driving around with a battery light on, be prepared to buy a new battery soon.

Hi, This problem you describe is usually a brush issue. When they are low or have bad contacts the warning light reacts to engine speed just like you’ve experienced. I’m not sure why this would happen to you in 2 years though unless it was a used part?

There’s some other things you can check, but it would be easiest to take your vehicle into a starter/alternator place and have them check it, around here they charge $10 to do this. They also sell the brushes you will probably need,… cheap! I paid $5 bucks for my last set for a honda alternator which was a solder in type.

If your going to do it yourself there are several scenarios that you might find…

Check the alternator field wire for battery voltage/corosion or loose contacts. If the voltage on the field wire is lower than 10.6v then a perfectly good alternator will not turn on and will not put out a charge and the battery light will be on. If this is the case and you have less than 10v at the field wire then there is a voltage drop somewhere. Check the Dash fuse box (Fuse 24 its a 15amp) where the wires come in at the back for fuzzy corrosion, and voltage. if you have battery voltage here, but not at the alternator then the wire to the alternator is bad (the Black/Yellow one). This is the wire that provides the current to the brushes, and may react to engine vibration and harness movements.

Also check the main battery clamps for corrosion fuzz and voltage drop, and the power wire at the alternator. If there is a voltage drop on the Alternator cable before it reaches the Main Fuse box (fuse 30, 70amp) Then the warning indicator should come on because the voltage regulator is not seeing the alternator voltage output. This is not likely because your problem reacts to engine speed… but if your stuck it’s something to check. This would normally have low battery voltage at the field wire, and 14v+ at the power cable going to the battery and the light would just stay on.

No problems with the wiring? again, I would NOT normally do the first step I mentioned above UNLESS there is no or low voltage on the field wire! I would check everything with a volt meter and if I got the same voltage on the alternator output cable as is on the field wire I would pull the alternator and continue below…

Take apart the brush housing and inspect the copper armature that the brushes ride on. They rotate with the rotor and wear slowly… slower than the carbon brushes which stay sationary, but they do wear out and can corrode if you wash your engine with unusual cleaners. A little grey scotchbrite pad can be used to clean them if it’s not too bad. At the same time your brushes will be visable, they are spring loaded (don’t loose the springs). under 1/4" left from the braided power cable, they don’t contact very well and should be replaced (you’ve come this far). New ones vary in length, but should be between 1/2" to 3/4" long. But if you have the new ones available you’ll know how long they should be. Also look at the carbon brush wear pattern… it should be clean and intact (no chips or missing parts) and should not be mirror finished or glazed. You can clean the brushes aswell with the grey scotch brite carefully. I wouldn’t use chemicals to clean the brushes because most automotive cleaners are designed to dissolve carbon.

This should help you find your problem… Good luck.

Thank you very, very much for the awesome reply!!! I will be taking the alternator out and apart tomorrow to see how the brushes look.

For clarification: which wire is the field wire? Is it the black wire that attaches to the alternator via a bolt or is it within the alternator?

Thank you again!!

You’ll see a large wire, thats the alternator output and a connector with smaller wires, in that connector is the wires you want.

I have some diagrams,… send me your email and I’ll send you them if you need. usually the fattest wire is the field.

[QUOTE=m0ebius;2010796]You’ll see a large wire, thats the alternator output and a connector with smaller wires, in that connector is the wires you want.

I have some diagrams,… send me your email and I’ll send you them if you need. usually the fattest wire is the field.[/QUOTE]

my email address is garrad21 at oneonta.edu. Thank you!!!

Something interesting happened today. I drove the car for 5 mins, the battery light came on. I kept driving another 10 mins, parked it and then restarted it 5 hours later. I drove for 5 mins and the light came on again… then drove for another 15 mins. 2 hours later I drove for 5 mins, the light came on, then the check engine light came on, very faintly, and began to flicker. I parked the car and drove it again about 5 hours later. I drove for 15 minutes and no light came on.

Is there any possible explanation for this???

Battery Light

[QUOTE=ivegotbawls;2011109]Something interesting happened today. I drove the car for 5 mins, the battery light came on. I kept driving another 10 mins, parked it and then restarted it 5 hours later. I drove for 5 mins and the light came on again… then drove for another 15 mins. 2 hours later I drove for 5 mins, the light came on, then the check engine light came on, very faintly, and began to flicker. I parked the car and drove it again about 5 hours later. I drove for 15 minutes and no light came on.

Is there any possible explanation for this???[/QUOTE]

Dude, fix your alternator!

Ive read this thread Im having the same problem with my da, my alt is putting out 14.5v when running and my light has been doing this for 6 months but i just started having issues…I replaced my alt and the same thing is happening…

Im wondering if there is grounding issues with our cars under the dash? in for more replys

Can you send me the wire diagrams that you have having exterior lighting and the battery in dash light coming on during high RPMs thank-you.
jamies.halstead@navy.mil