did you ever think of checking the grounding for your lights themselves. Some times that can cause problems similar to the ones you are refering to the reason it stops doing it at higher rpms may be due to the fact the alternator is pushing more power to the lights to be able to jump the gap of the grounding problem. Hope that works out for you. Also check grounding for all equipment leading to the lighting system as well

 

i'm going to re run all the ground wires from stock locations with new connectors and new wire. Not sure how to check the individual grounds for each wire considering its a two wire system and the lights do not ground to the chasis (at least not at each location) I Could see if there are any loose wires, but i think its a combo of dying battery and shitty grounds. I had my alternator replaced earlier this month. Seems like this is a common problem that many had or have.

 

My car has always done this. When the AC is on, putting windows down or up, or even just idling at a stop light. The lights dim and the RPMs drop below 600 for a sec before it comes back. Holding the gas down and raising the idle above 1000 makes it go away.

I've:
-tested alternator several times
-new battery
-checked and regrounded battery/alt
-had Acura open up and inspect the Idle Air Intake valve


Basically I've given up. The car still runs just fine, and its only a minor annoyance.

 

Wow...After reading this post, I start to look at my light. I have exact same problem with all of you 98 CL owner. I asked my uncle who is a mechanic and own a garage. He said he has no idea. The car still run fine thou. weird. This got to be a 98 CL thing.

 

i think i'm going to do the grounding kit this week, and see if i can grab a new battery from costco. I'm almost positive i still have the origional battery in there. has the acura labels on there and everything.

 

holy crap, i have a 98 cl, now i gotta go sit in my car with the blinkers on. you guys got me paranoid lol.

btw, they do make .05 farad caps, theyre 50 milli farad caps used in electronics...

 

But I see that the post is two years old.

The alternator nor any other electrical part is NOT malfunctioning, and is part of the goofy "power saving" feature of this set up for our cars.

I have a print out of a TSB from Acura, that has since been lost, from Oxmoor Acura (Louisville, KY), from when I purchased my 98 3.0 CL (purchased in Ballwin, MO's Honda dealer) from the service techs that state this is NORMAL. I still hate it when it dims when I turn my blinkers on at a stop light but yes, alas, it is normal and nothing can be done about it.

Well, it bothers me so much I'm thinking about getting a 06RL this month or next month so if anyone is looking for a Taffetta White CL 95000 mi with some minor upgrades you can PM me.

The last question is: Tech package or no-tech package?

ACUpuncturRA formerly known as doc30CL.

 

that sucks that its 'normal'.

definitely tech package, atleast if youre a geek like me lol

 

Your lights shouldn't dim dude

 

Got my battery checked at autozone, homie there said it was one of the best batteries he's seen. He mentioned something about a fusable link also.

So that brings me to my next question. WHERE IS IT??

Wilp99 - where ya at?

 

sorry pimp.. been busy in the u.k.

usually the fuseable links are where the alternator wires come from the alternator, to the car. should be a big round plug in the back of the alternator, follow the wires and youll see them. theyll be a rubber lump in the wire. im not sure how many there are on these but im sure theyre there. sorry im not much help. how bad is the dim. it could be normal. mine dimmed till i put a 1 farad cap on the amp. even if the amp was off. gluck slim.

 

yeah the dimming is getting worse, my battery is fine, just had it checked. The headlights dim very noticably, its almost embarasing. I checked that think wire from the alternator, there is nothing attached to it, its goes from the alt -> fuse box under car hood, nothing noticeable sticks out that i could check. The plastic covering around the wire doesn't have a bludge in it, sould the link be small enough to be behind the protective covering of the wire??

anyone else, this is pissing me off to no end, its been a year and a half now.

 

lol wow my 97 has that problem...does anyone elses 97 have the same problem or is it just the 98's and me? well my dad told me to replace my regulater...but he doesnt really have a great understanding of cars...im not sure but after i put in my deck...panasonic it eats up a good amount of power...i think it started dimming and getting brighter all the time...not just when i stop at stoplights and stuff x.x and it seems to be dimming and brightening to the humm of the engine/alternator?...maybe i just need to check my grounds? yea im scarred to put HID's into my car now, because that might kill them? or my electrical systems would like explode on me x.x

 

I haven't gotten around to doing my grounds yet. But i've replace my alt, which to my best understanding houses the regulator. I cant find a fusible link on our cars to save my life, so i'm out of ideas

its not the battery either.

 

hmm i kinda have the same problem, except after my lights dim the car dies sometimes.......and its only at low rpms, its never happend to me about 2.5k. i've had the altenator changed 2 times in less than a month and still no fix

 

A fuseable link should have nothing to do with this.

Mine started doing it worse and worse after this thread originated, and I posted my other response. I still believe the alternator in this car to suck at idle.

However, upon some newly aquired knowledge - I believe the problem to be the multifunction turn signal switch (I forget the Acura part name). Apparently the contacts start going back or something and it actually semi-shorts itself out. Notice that when you turn on the hazard lights (same lights, same flashers, same wires to the lights) that the dimming DOES NOT happen. Only when powered from the turn signal switch does the problem show up. I planned to buy a new one and swap it out, but I haven't got around to it yet. It's like $125 or so.

 

your right, the hazards dont cause it - do you have a link to the switch you are talkn about from www.oemacuraparts.com or something like that?

 

It's your turn signal switch, the left stalk on the steering column.

www.acuraautomotiveparts.org > Acura Parts Store > [enter car info] > "Combination Switch (2)" in the drop down box > #15 "SWITCH, LIGHTING"

Actually, it's only $43.54

 

Are you going to give this a shot?

Thanks for the link -




#15

 

I was thinking more about this. Could it be the relay? The actual part that controls the blinking - to me this sounds like a better place to start since this is where any opening and closing of the circut would occur.

 

I believe it's the same flasher used for the hazards also, and it doesn't do it with them so I kinda ruled that out. But anything is possible...

The flasher should be a couple dollar part to swap and see. Maybe if I get some free time I'll play with that.

 

I wonder if its the same flasher from say a 94-97 accord (relay) I know i cant find the blinker relay at the local parts shack.....

 

i'm 99% sure it is

 

It's not just a relay, few extra parts thrown in.

I'd say most of the Honda flashers are the same. I'll try to look at ours tonight...but I don't think that's gonna be the problem.

I wouldn't worry about getting those used ones from dude, that's gonna cost you more than new ones and you might not find anything out if they are already fuxored.

 

The relays for the hazards and the blinkers are the same go buy that switch!

 

Did anyone try buying a new blinker switch? My '98 3.0 CL has also done this since I got it used in 2001 - and the dealer kept insisting it was normal.

 

I haven't - i dont think thats it since i dont seem to have the problem when my lights aren't on. I dont notice any blinking in the D4 light as i do at night.

 

Mines done it since I got it in 02. Had the dealer replace the batt and the alt when I first got it.

Still does it and I guess I've learned to deal with it. Cool if there was a fix though.

 

I just got my third alternator today - still has the problem. I replaced the battery a couple years ago as well (now a Die Hard Gold). Alternator #1 was the original - Died at about 93K miles. The Bosch replacement (#2) finally died Monday, at 165K miles. The one installed today (#3) was another Acura (Honda) part - 90 amps.

 

What's up mach? Long time...

Did you do your ground wires yet? I don't think that it has anything to do with your blinker switch. It is the current draw from when your blinkers are on, that makes everything else dim. It also dims on my car when the tranny shifts or if the cooling fan comes on. Sit in your car idling and you'll notice that when the fan comes on, the dash lights dim too. On these cars and a lot of older hondas, etc. the grounding is bad, as well as voltage regulation, but the voltage regulator is an internal part of the alternator, so it cannot be changed unless you change the alternator.

 

I noticed my lights dim too when i have my wipers on intermittent, every time they move the lights dim, it gets really annoying lol. other symptoms are similar.. my lights dim w/ the turn signals, but not hazards, sometimes when the car shifts, when the radiator fan comes on, if I use my windows, but they never dim if its above 2K rpm

 

Hey what's going on.

I agree with you about the current. I haven't yet done a new grounding kit on the car yet. The alt was replaced at acura this summer and the problem still insists. I'm all out of ideas if its not the relay or grounding. Its wierd, because it doesn't happen with the hazards are used, just the blinker (left or right)

 

Get ready to spend some $$

 

Did you replace the relay or the switch yet?

 

Nah , not yet - i've been spending most my time detailing cars. BTW have you tried the 4* polish patrick sent you yet? I *might* give it a try today on this thrashed civic. (although i really really like the optimum line)

 

Haven't tried it yet, just got it in the mail on thursday, but i plan to use it, free wax is alright in my book

 

Its not wax and provides NO protection, so make sure you know how to use it and what its purpose is.

 

I know it's polish, sorry typo

 

For those who are looking at replacing there ELD (Electric Load Detector) which might be the leading indicator as to why your headlights are flashing when your turn signal is engage, check out this post;

http://www.ephatch.com/forum/showthr...rt-%28P1298%29