Ok I did a search first but, I didn't find the info I needed.
I have noticed now that it is getting darker out sooner I am driving with my lights on coming home from work.
When I stop at red lights in traffic with my wipers, headlamps, radio, defroster on. The dash and head lamps seem to dim.
I know this is common on old cars as the alternator does not put out enough amperage at idle.
What is causing this? Is it just the way it is or do I have a problem?
Thanks

 

How far is your drive to/from work? It's possible that you're not driving the car far enough to allow the alternator to fully recharge the battery after the drain for cranking the engine. I have seen this in the motorcycle word many times so I can only assume it works the same way with cars.

I average about 150-200 highway miles a day on my Crossfire and the lights do not dim at idle. I will see a slight dip in brightness when the cooling fan kicks on but that only lasts for a second or so.

Bob.

 

This is a common Xfire problem reported many times on the board...as far as I know there is no fix for this from Chrysler. MB had recalls to manu model including SLK's, CLK's, etc to replace the voltage regulator. Apparently although we have the exact same hardware, we do not need a recall. :-) Go figure.

 

Welcome to the club... amperage fluctuations are common on this car... you can fix the problem with a $115 booster if you don't want to wait for DC to do a fix, which will probably be never... There are some good aftermarket boosters. You can find them on any of the big auto parts websites...

 

Ok what does a booster do? Does it act like a capacitor to store power till it is needed or what?
Thanks

 

Correct sir. If you really want to see how this electrical system deficiency is effecting your Crossfire... watch your RPM gauge when the event occurs. It will drop 200 +/- momentarily, then regain... I wouldn't worry about it, it's just another one of those annoying things...

It won't hurt the car, nor will it rob you of your HP since it only happens when the alternator spins down and you have an additional electrical load...

 

I've wondered about this as well. I wondered if the fan was kicking in and causing a momentary voltage drain. It happens at times when parking, just before turning off the ignition.