I'll try not to write an essay:
One month ago=right headlight went out randomly=replaced it and everything I thought was good

Tonight=headlight goes out in the Same spot AGAIN= CANNOT be headlight=must be something wrong with car?

Lately car has been idleling (Is that how you spell it?) really weird. The headlights have been dimming in unison with the weird idle.

I have 53,000 miles on my car and my oil has been changed recently and I just did my fuel filter....Is this a sign of something as simple as needing to change my spark plugs? Or something much worse?
Thanks for any help...Going to bed now and will check this again tomorrow afternoon...Im gracious for any help,
Merry Christmas,
Brian

 

what headlight are you talking about?

edgar,

 

I'd have the voltage regulator and alternator checked out.

And it is quite possible that it is just the bulb (again- especially if you went for one of the "super white" or similar hot colored bulbs, a lot of them don't last for jack) although the symptoms you describe would have me look a little deeper.

Good luck

and Happy Festivus

 

i got super somethings from walmart...

and i get diming alot! even at idel my headlights dim, im my fogs are on its worse... bump the system and its even worse then that!

shoot if i bump my system on the freeway my lights dim... and my system isnt all crazy im thinking its my battery that cant hold a charge and is on its way to death

i think that might be your problem to brian-ator! but also your brain bulb might need some checking soon
edgar,

 

lol

+10 for Edgar

zoeb,

 

haha +10 for your +10 for me

edgar,

 

its saturday night LIVE time!

edgar,

 

Might be your battery, it might be that you just need a tune up (timming etc). Are you running an underdrive pulley?

 

When you start ur car... and ur lights are on... if you push the gas and the lights dim... it's ur battery... . If you are driving a pro-long distance and you notice that your car isn't holding charge, then it's ur alternator. This should be totally clear.
That light burning out might be a correlation rather than a causation. Putting an inconsistent charge through a bulb can cause issues. (but that's a matter of whether the lights are in parallel or not)

There is definitely not anything major that is going wrong. Those are all wiring issues. An alternator and batter is extremely easy to replace (relatively speaking). Take it into a reputable shop, and don't put up with any BS about there being major issues.

respekt,
dan

 

Slight dimming of your lights is normal at idle.

 

OK some answers to your questions-----sorry for the slow reply
Underdrive pulley----Nope, don't have one
Problem with the bulb----can't be as I replaced one in the SAME spot one month ago

As for pressing on the throttle, when I press on it the lights actually get brighter, which has led me to think like you guys that it's the alternator. When the car's idle goes up and down, the lights and the heater (if it's on) will fluctuate drastically in unison. If I run the car for a long time and, say, stop at a stop sign the lights will still fluctuate.
One Last sign: If I roll all four windows up or down at the same time: the power to the lights or heating unit will diminish a little.
As for the battery, it died on me about 6 months ago, but now I'm thinking that it's demise might have been the alternator?
Thank you for reading and I look forward to more of your guys excellent advice (except for Zoeb's that is : )
-Brian

 

maybe a dumb question, but do you touch the bulb itself when you are replacing it?

 

That is quite a valid question, Zeob. When human hands come in contact with certain types of light bulbs, they leave an oil residue on the bulbs surface. When the bulb lights up, the oils (imperfections) heat up and damage the bulb.

 

Every car I've ever owned does this. I believe it is because there is just a little more juice from the alternator which is the slop V/I from the regulator. I do NOT believe there is anything wrong with your alternator.


This is also NORMAL. If I roll down all 4 windows at the same time, the windows are slower than when I roll down 1 at a time, just shows a large current drag on the source. This is especially true when I'm at idle.

I am sorry you replaced your bulb 1 month ago and it's burned out again, but the most obvious thing that is wrong is the bulb. Replace it again and see if it blows. It is both the easiest and least expensive thing to replace.

I'm not saying that there isn't something wrong with either or both your regulator and alternator, but it seems to me that you have a symptom - burned out bulb. You are looking for some other problem. Replace the bulb again, if it burns out in less than 4 months, then maybe you do have something. I would also suggest you buy a bulb from any automotive supply place. This is because Walmart sometimes gets name brand products that are not QC'd. Just my 2 cents on that.

QC is not conducted on 100% of components but instead on a sample. Just because the MTBF is 5,000 hours, that doesn't mean that your bulb won't fail after 5 hours. It just means that the likelyhood that it will fail after 5 hours is smaller.

 

If you switch back to OEM bulbs and you keep burning them, check the contacts on the bulb socket...