Voltage Guage

[JonnieBlue]

I have noticed that my voltage gauge responds to things like turn signal
etc. when the lights or heater are on, and I turn on the turn signal, the
lights or whatever will slightly dim, and the voltage gauge drops with the
flashing of the turn signal.. is this normal or the sign of an alternator
problem??

 

[ed]

It is normal to a certain extent, especially when switching on heavy
electrical users like the rear window defroster. Sometimes, alternators will
charge only enough to keep the light off or the gauge at or near zero,
especially at low speeds, and the battery will slowly discharge, to the
point that in traffic, you could end up stalling with a weak battery, but
would not notice it at normal speeds. Could also be a battery toward the end
of its service life. If you're worried, have the alt output and battery
tested, not an expensive job.
Ed B.

 

[Dominic Richens]

I noticed something similar last night. I was driving back and forth over
the snow that has fallen on my driveway to pack it down (easier than
shovelling it .

I noticed that everytime I let the clutch out to get the car moving over a
hump of packed snow the headlights would dim slightly?! This would seem to
imply that the transmission was "taking power away" from the alternator -
which doesn't make sense to me.

cheers!

 

[Gilles Gour]

Like you I have a voltage gauge (add on) and it's been doing the same
thing from day one. So i'm sure it's normal. It's a little strange
though cause the gauge's needle drops less when I put the rear defroster