what to do to make lights stop going dim?

[sic77]

everytime i turn on my heater or if the ac is on the lights will dim then be back to normal is the ground wire kit the solution or a voltage stabilizer the way to go or both of these? thanks.

 

[baconbitz]

I wouldnt worry about it, not really a big deal. Just be glad your not running anything larger than the stock subwoofer.

 

[sic77]

i have replaced the stock with a 8 jlw3 and i am running 2 stinger batteries one under the hood and one in the trunk. i have 2 amps one is a jl 500\1 and the other is a 300\4. they still dim with the volume not even turned up. like i said its when the lights are on and the ac or heater on they will dim come back bright dim then bright until i turn the air or heat off. i know they will dim with the radio turned up i just dont understand the lights dimming with climate controls. and when i put the 2 10 jlw7's in the trunk i can turn the volume up on them and no lights shining lol.

 

[Rush]

Do you have a capacitor at all?

 

[baconbitz]

I think its just a msp thing, we dont have a very big alternator at all. Hell my lights dim if I put my windows down. Also, with my 12w6v2 and 500/1 the lights dim pretty bad with the music turned up. I need to go out and buy a cap but it hasnt pissed me off enough yet.

 

[sic77]

nah i have a stinger relay to keep the batt. in the trunk to stay fully charged at all times but the lights dim even with the radio turned off just when the i guess compressor kicks in for the air.

 

[baconbitz]

I think its just one of those things that is going to happen no matter what. Did a little reading though and the grounding kit might help out a little with that. Its worth a try I guess.

 

[TimerFX]

at random when im driving my lights dim really bad to the point where they are almost off then back on just enough to make you wonder if they flickered.. im running a 10 sony xplod on stock everything else. but the dim is annoying ..

 

[datoneguy]

wow this is a problem for everyone huh. im running fully stock everything, and my lihgts still dim like crazy. is there a tsb about this?

 

[goldstar]

Check out: http://www.suvlights.com

They sell a heavy duty headlight wiring harness that can reduce or eliminate headlight dimming. I have one installed on my car and find it very effective. Installing it does not require dismantling the OEM harness so you can easily return to stock.

 

[sic77]

did you get the universal wiring harness off this site?

 

[goldstar]

did you get the universal wiring harness off this site?

Yes, I did. The correct harness for the 3rd gen Protege sedan and MSP is the Universal Wire Harness for 9003/H4/HB2 bulbs.

You can find an installation writeup at: http://imazda.com/forums/showthread.php?t=249

 

[03msp_pumpkin]

The only way that you can get rid of that problem is to upgrade your alternator. the stock alternator is really weak and to produce that much power is really hard on it. that or go wit digital amps, those dont require that much current draw (alpine pdx or something along those lines)

 

[benflagg]

Ive been trying to find out about an alternator upgrade for a long time, but I cant find any good information.

 

[mspeedP5]

*subscrizzle*

 

[jeffmsp]

the small alternator doesnt sound like its the problem. The battery doesnt drop to zero then get suddenly recharged by the alt, there is always a surplus of energy. Want an easy way to check, spend 5 mins, remove your alternator belt, start the car flick the ac on off and do whatever else causes it to flicker. It will still do it I bet. Batt usually last me 5-15 mins of normal driving without and alternator before it gets fully drained so dont go for more then a few minutes cruise, have the car already warmed up before removing the belt since it may not do the flicker during warmup for some reason. Make sure you dont fully drain your batt as this will damage it.

 

[benflagg]

Well, i used to have 2 twelves in the trunk, untill they killed about 3 alterantors in a row. When i took out the twelves, I stopped having the problem. Maybe a cap would solve the problem?

 

[jeffmsp]

sounds more like there is something wrong with your alternator wiring unless you had your system pumping so much that you need to have the alternator running a hard duty cycle constantly just to keep the batt from getting too low. Maybe a larger batt or a capacitor would have been better. i bet someone here knows what to do.

 

[benflagg]

Just search alternator, and see what pops up, I have since solved my problem by removing the twelves that took up the whole trunk. LOL . They are not much good since the deck took a crap anyway.

 

[03msp_pumpkin]

im waiting to hear back from a sales rep for ohio genirator (a company that makes high output alt's) ill post any info i get from them. a dim in the lights is caused by a strain on the electrical system. if a high output alt is put in it should solve the problem, adding an extra batt will help but the alt is a good place to start