Intermittent battery light on accelerating
Thread Starter
Driver
Joined: Sep 2022
Posts: 52
Likes: 16
From: California
Intermittent battery light on accelerating
I have been getting my battery light come on recently. It light up whenever I accelerate around 1500 RPM and goes off when I take my foot off the accelerator. There is no noticeable issue or difference on how my car is functioning. Usually it comes on cold start and goes off and it stays off after 5-10 min of driving. Any idea what the issue could be? Just a side note alternator was replaced along with power steering less than a year ago. Battery checked at and it have a good voltage.
I would suspect wiring, either damaged wires or a loose connection somewhere. Something that got disturbed when changing the alternator, and is sensitive enough to change behavior with heat expansion.
You have a bad ground. Remove the ground cable at both ends and clean which means inside the wire at the terminal.
sucking ground potential out of the car accelerating using power with the ign coils causes that
sucking ground potential out of the car accelerating using power with the ign coils causes that
Advanced
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 659
Likes: 155
From: CA
Belt suggestion is also good, maybe it's slipping, I just did some dumb stuff while piecing my car back together. I turned it on and moved it 10 feet, my battery light was on as well as other lights, then it dawned on me that the belt was off still.
Racer
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 1,525
Likes: 354
From: Utah
Seems like the alternator isn't able to keep up with power demands a right when the ignition system is needing amperage the most. So the belt is probably slipping which means it's either worn out or something has contaminated it, like power steering fluid. Either way, a new serpentine belt is your likely solution, probably want to replace the tensioner at the same time. And inspect the old one to decide if it was just old or if something has been leaking on it, and them chase down that culprit
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2021
Posts: 264
Likes: 101
From: Surrey
In fairness it could just easily be something simple, like the belt not being tensioned correctly when the alternator was replaced. That would be my first step anyway (I'm an optimist), and then troubleshoot from there.
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Thread Starter
Driver
Joined: Sep 2022
Posts: 52
Likes: 16
From: California
i will check the belt and tensioner although i doubt that is the issue specially since the belt and all the pulleys and the tensioner were also replaced all at the time of replacing the alternator plus power steering components, i am leaning towards the ground wires, but will confirm.
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Advanced
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 659
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From: CA
Thread Starter
Driver
Joined: Sep 2022
Posts: 52
Likes: 16
From: California
Great, i will take a look at it and see if i notice anything. i drove the car today and the light seem to stay on a lot longer this time and more frequently. still no noticeable change in the car performance . also i noticed my touchscreen Pioneer cut off and restarted when making a tight left turn. very random, never had that happen. just thought it was weird. it works perfectly fine.
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