Headlights dimming

[eg1coupelover]

I have a 93 Civic EX Coupe,while driving the headlights dim and brighten on their own,no check engine light or other light is on.I took the car to a shop and they said the combination switch that controls the headlights and turn signal was bad,they replaced it and I'm still having problems.Any info is helpful. :]
Thanks,
Melanie

 

[DMaldonado93]

I have a 93 Civic EX Coupe,while driving the headlights dim and brighten on their own,no check engine light or other light is on.I took the car to a shop and they said the combination switch that controls the headlights and turn signal was bad,they replaced it and I'm still having problems.Any info is helpful. :]
Thanks,
Melanie

Do u have any aftermarket amplifiers installed?

 

[Autoteck21]

What up, depending on what kind of "dimming" your talking about could be a short, but watch and listen to your engine and cluster lights, a weak battery or corroded battery cables will do the same as well as a alt starting to go bad, do you have a electric cooling fan, try and see if when your fan kicks on does it dim your lights? if so your probably dealing with a battery/charging issue and are they stock bulbs far as "watt's"?

 

[THEDARKONE]

sugesting the alernater?

 

[Autoteck21]

that's what your saying too?
or wondering why i am say maybe alt?

 

[steve.21]

I also think that it's the alternator.

 

[eg1coupelover]

DMaldonado93-no amp is installed.
Autoteck21-Headlight bulbs are stock.
I took the car to Firestone they said they wouldn't touch it cause if both headlights were dimming they thought it might be the ECU.They wouldn't even check the battery or alternator.The guy at the shop yesterday said it couldn't be alternator cause it would kill the car...

 

[steve.21]

Try autozone or wallmart. They have a (crappy) test that hooks up to your battery when you start the car and idle it. But every time my car did that it was the voltage regulator inside the alternator. However, not all the time that test picks everything up.

 

[crash!]

You can also detach the negative battery cable on your battery while the car it's running to test and see if your alternator is bad.

Also, what happens when you turn on extra loads when your headlights are on? (A/C, increase idle, radio...etc)?

 

[eg1coupelover]

the radio stays on,haven't tried it with the a/c on,it only does it on low beam as far as i can tell.It's hard to pin point since it only does it for a sec then the lights are back to normal,haven't noticed the dashlights dimming..could it be a bad ground wire?

 

[crash!]

I would honestly do a load test.

 

[DMaldonado93]

^this

it wont hurt to do it and then u can eliminate that as a possible problem

 

[eg1coupelover]

I'll do that..we just spent 175.00+ on the headlight problem,if it's something as simple as a battery or alt I might throw a fit lol

**Took car to advance auto,they said i needed a battery,but my alt is good

 

[yamaharider324]

like others have said it could be your alternator going bad. Get a battery/alt/ load test done and that should tell you if they are bad or not

 

[Autoteck21]

the radio stays on,haven't tried it with the a/c on,it only does it on low beam as far as i can tell.It's hard to pin point since it only does it for a sec then the lights are back to normal,haven't noticed the dashlights dimming..could it be a bad ground wire?

wait is it a true second or maybe two at most, because if you have an A/C compressor it cycles every few min's even if your A/C is off, that instant compressor engagement then disengagement will accrue faster then your volt/amp draw is recognized by your ECU, then past through to excite your alt to up the amp output or charge to battery, either way still shows weak or corroded battery.

 

[jdreadjdm]

my car did that but when i hit the breaks my lights dimmed a hair, dunno why i just bought a new civic so (: