Scary **** on the way home tonight. I had the feeling that my battery was drained the past couple of nights because of the gauges being dim. But I thought it was just my eyes had to get used to the light.
My Battery light came on tonight on the way home. (following my brother) My gauges and dash faded all the way out. When I would press down on the acelorator, my car would choke and hesitate a whole lot and not acelorate what-so-ever. I turned the lights all the way off and the car ran great. Like there were no problems. The Clock and the check battery light came back.
If you have access to a volt meter, then check the voltage when the car is on and off. Also check the voltage when your headlights and heater and other electronics are on, with the vehicle on. Also try turning on the car, then disconnect the negative terminal on the battery. If the voltage is just fine with the battery disconnected from the circuit, but there is a voltage problem with the battery connected, then your battery is bad. But if the oposite is true, or the voltage gets worse when the battery is disconnected, then you know it’s the alternator going out. This is only if the car off voltage is fine.
Usually if it’s the battery, then it will cause problems like not keep a charge (have to jump start it in the morning) or not work at all. But since it is an intermitant problem, it almost sounds like the alternator.
