Dimming

["David A. Leonard" <dleonar1@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Mark wrote>>>>The problem:
When driving at night the headlights will dim slightly when the a/c kicks
on, then recover.>>

One of the first places I would check with this symptom is the electrical
connections at:

Battery Terminals

Ground Strap...negative terminal to battery, and the OTHER end..where it
connects to the engine block, and the chassis..I'm not really sure on your
car the actual configuration..because I run only old junk..

Also the main wire to the starter solenoid connection can loosen up and
corrode. I would undo all these connections, sand them with emery cloth,
grease them with dielectric grease ..or whatever other grease I got my hands
on when pawing thru the garage..(this assures gas tight integrity on the
connections and keeps new corrosion from developing.) and reconnect them.
It sounds like the A/C is drawing enough current to drop the system voltage
down to the point the lights dim, and it may just be the high resistance of
all the old connections choking the current  off .  The heater A/C  fan
draws a fair amount of current, the Compressor clutch and A/C aux cooling
fan use a bunch of power as well.

If the system recovers immediately, I think it may just be the initial
starting load of all the accessories, which is much higher than the running
loads.

Your Alternator should put out enough power to carry all of these
accessories, and since you had it replaced, and the problem remained ,  I'd
look elsewhere for the problem.

Dave Leonard

A man with too many charging systems!

88 735 (once died from a loose solenoid main positive wire connection,  on
the third alternator @ 225k miles.
91 325ic(mystery electrical intermittent shorts..won't stay broke long
enough to fix!)

92  Buick Roadmaster ( new alternator last year..$75 at auto palace)
89 Suburban(New $75 alternator in the auto palace parking lot with the whole
family waiting on vacation..20 minutes and returned the core before they
closed!
89 Wellcraft ..Alternator froze, stuck the alternator due to salt
water.smoked the belt.lots of wd 40 and a spar plug wrench on the
rotor..freed it up two years ago.
66 Boston Whaler   Doesn't seem to charge, just rebuilt starter motor on the
83 Mercury outboard.. 40 hp..on vacation..no new starter available..Glued
the shattered bakelite brush carrier back together with cardboard and epoxy,
sanded brushes and commutator,  shimmed the armature end with a small piece
of plastic from a coffee can lid.some synthetic grease...and back on the
water!

72 Bellanca  Super Viking 300 Aircraft ( Many hours of charging
troubleshooting..many thousands spent..to find a loose connection on a .10
cent spade connector in the field circuit..replaced regulator, alternator,
ignition switch, and many previous owners had fought the same problem!!  All
to find a loose friggiing connection!! I found it myself after the mechanics
gave up..my best friends after that.."Dave can you come here and take a look
at this if you have a second!")

And a bunch of other old crap..you would think I'd learn by now but I don't
ever seem to!

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