Okay, some weird stuff happened this morning when I got to work. pull into parking space at my office and shut my car off. I have an aftermarket (Viper) alarm and typically when I shut the car off, the power door locks....unlock so I can exit the vehicle. This time, it did not happen. I manually unlock my door and open it and the alarm starts going off, but it was WAY more quiet than if it had been tripped normally and the alarm sound was inconsistent with how it normally is. Pressing the disable button on the alarm did nothing for about 10 seconds. Finally the module and the remote recognize each other and I manage to shut it off. close the doors and arm the alarm and it arms as if nothing happened. Also, just before I stepped out of the car, I tried to restart it and NOTHING. No fire, no starter turning over, nothing....I think that was the kill switch working since the alarm thought it was activated. Yesterday, as I was driving in the torrential downpour, I came to a stop and my RPMs dropped to almost zero as well as the interior lights dimmed to nothing, then came back. No other issues in driving (other than having bald tires and hydroplaning). Even this morning, no issues, car started right up. Thoughts? Is it my alternator? Is there a short in the wiring all of a sudden with my alarm? It's not making any sense.
doesn't sound like the alternator, when mine went out it was a slow process. Lights would be dimmer, and anything else kicking on would worsen the problem (like turning on the radio or turn signal, headlights would dim). What you have sounds like a possible grounding issue or something not connecting...hopefully a rat didn't eat yours as well :rofl:
:rofl: I was gonna pop the hood and check for chews. I've noticed lately and on occasion, when I put my turn signal on, the interior lights would dim/flicker with them, hence my original thoughts of being the alternator. Didn't think of the grounding, but with the rain yesterday, I know something got wet...
Might want to try cleaning your battery terminals. My lights dimmed today when I was stopped in traffic. When the light changed and I started moving, the lights brightened up instantly. I have to clean my battery terminals every couple of months to stop this from happening. This also cleans up the dirty signal on my touchscreen. Doesn't sound like your alternator. If it was your alternator, I think you would have more trouble starting your car as the alternator doesn't charge your battery when driving.
might be the alt senser...might be loose, that happened on my old ram truck...also had a viper alarm on it...weird....
definitely a ground or bad battery connection...check the chassis ground right next to the battery held on by a 10mm bolt. also you can check your alternator and grounds rather quickly with a multimeter..