headlights flickering

[firemanshawn]

morining fellas, I have a problem when driving at freeway speads. my headlights and inside dome lights fliker. Any ideas? I was thinking maybe I had a voltage regulator problem. I'm not sure but I think the voltage is regulated inside the computer. Thank's

 

[illflem]

Ill bet you have a poor ground somewhere, time to break out the Dodge service manual.

 

[JJW_ND]

Watch your voltmeter. Does it also rapidly move around even after the your engine is warm? If so, when it is doing it, removed one of the two heavy wires attached to the grid heaters on top of the intake (right behind the airhorn on top of th engine). Does this fix it? Remove the other... ? If this solves it, your heater grid solinoids on the drivers side fender need replacing. You can verify by removing and shaking. if you here somthing rattling it is the contacts. If everything seems tight then replace the Relay on the firewall for the heater grid system needs replacing.



jjw

ND

 

[firemanshawn]

thanks for the input guys. I'll be out working on my truck... ... . ))

 

[illflem]

JJW, if the grid heater solenoid is sticking wouldn't it give a steady low voltage reading and dimmed lights rather than flickering?

 

[masterstream]

Check the connections (the small wires with a 90 degree boot) on your heater grid solenoids, one of mine was loose and caused the same problem. The boots just push on a threaded post--close it slightly with a pair of pliers and carry on. You're getting good suggestions--JJW or illflem, or both, I can't remember, pointed me to my problem.

 

[JJW_ND]

Not neccessarily!

Bill... . in my case the darn thing would bounce around turning on the power with each bounce. The voltmeter would move so fast you had to really watch. The first few times I though my eyes were playing tricks. After a little trial and error removing the heavy cable to the intake heater studs I isolate the one the eliminated the voltage pulse. When I related the solinoids on the fender you could here something bouncing up and down inside.



jjw

ND

 

[GPrice]

Hi guys. had same problem with lights flickering in summer time when heaters should not have been on. Local dealer worked on truck for three days along with a factory rep. Could not find anything. When I got truck back I started checking connections every where. Unhooked small wire feeding heater relay and took truck for a spin, no light flicker. Hooked wire back up and had same problem as before. Went back to dealer and told them what I did, they called DC, the fix was to replace computer. The amazing thing it FIXED IT. It also solved by low oil pressure problem. When I would stop the gage would go to zero and light would come on. Now when I stop the gage comes down to about 10 psi. and goes back up when you pull away. They had replaced three sending units and I still had the same problem.

 

[fest3er]

Originally posted by GPrice

... Unhooked small wire feeding heater relay and took truck for a spin, no light flicker. Hooked wire back up and had same problem as before. Went back to dealer and told them what I did, they called DC, the fix was to replace computer. The amazing thing it FIXED IT... .

Hmm. I could see this working. The relays have constant B+ voltage applied. The PCM controls the ground path. If the PCM is not fully disconnecting ground, there could be enough current flowing to allow the relay contactor to bounce against the stud contacts.



I recently replaced my heater relays with a pair of Stancor units (detailed in another thread). I haven't had any problems since. Since you mention it, I should check the V/I/R through the PCM to be sure it fully disconnects the relay control from ground.



Fest3er

 

[ADSmith]

I also had the same problem for almost a year. I finally tracked it down to a poor connection on the intake air temperature sensor. I used a small, stiff wire to remove the two pins from the connector and bent them so they would make better contact and then re-inserted them. Have had no problems since then (about a year ago).

 

[carson6]

My 97 flickers when it is warmed up and everything is off(execpt head lights) and it is as if a ground is faulty. (hopefully) flicker is o. k. flames are bad! flames flames

 

[H_D98]

Do any of you with problems have day time running lights? I had a problem with lights flickering on my '96 and traced it down to the day time running light module on the drivers side inner fender.



Just a thought



Kent Siebern



Angola, IN

 

[ADSmith]

Carson6, I had the same symptoms on my truck as yours. Eventually, the grid heaters came on and stayed on during a long trip and fried my alternator before I figured our what the problem was. You might want to try removing the power leads from the grid heater relays for a while to see if the flickering stops.

 

[MuddFlapp]

When the lights in my 97 were flickering it turned out to be the headlight switch. The flickering was accompanied by a bad smell which turned out to be the plastic around the switch melting.

Gene Earl.