Jumping needle

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Apr 10, 2004 | 01:07 AM

jme621

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Jumping needle

My volts meter will bounce back and forth, and headlights will flicker when i am sitting idle or am parked, but once on the gas needle stays at around 14 and lights quit flickering. is this an alternator issue? wasnt sure as it starts fine every day and battery always has a good chage on it. thanks for any help.

Apr 10, 2004 | 01:34 AM

2004supacrewlariat

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check out you ground.

Apr 10, 2004 | 01:52 AM

jme621

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lets pretend i am a cook and not a real mechanic, which ground? on the battery to frame(engine) or someting else?

Apr 10, 2004 | 02:58 AM

jclj2003

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it is the black wire and it is the - simble on the battery

red is +

Apr 11, 2004 | 02:28 AM

jme621

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i know what the ground is, just asking which one to check. where it connects to the engine, or elsewhere.

Apr 11, 2004 | 06:04 PM

golfboy17

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when this happends do you have your headlights on and the fan speed set to high, ussually with that kind of voltage will cause the your lights to dim a little at idle with any car

Apr 12, 2004 | 09:25 AM

jwirth

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My '94 does the same thing. At idle, drive, lights on, fan on. Changes with fan position.
Oh yeah, new battery, good connections.

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Apr 14, 2004 | 12:51 PM

King Triton

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From: Michigan

Ok,The first question I have to ask,hopefuly you have a tack,what is your idle rpm,alot of times the idle may be too low and that can cause this to happen,and by the way I am a mechanic and cant even pretend to cook.