at night when i come to a stop in my pickup, the headlights dim a little and return to normal when i take off.

Question

is this a sign of maybe an alternator going bad? battery holds a charge

Answer 1

It could be ur altinater or weak connection on ur battery go get it tested at autozone

Answer 2

Gary, Victor's secret, duck, Reggie Carter, 02Cavvy, go find out what a cap does, because the cap your thinking of does not exist here on earth. That would be a magical cap, oh yeah that's right, magic does not exist either. So neither does the cap your thinking of. Go get a clue then come back with answers that are correct. A cap is going to do nothing but add an extra strain on your electrical system that can not keep up with the demand. You need to do the Big 3 upgrade and get a HO Alternator, that is when you can add a cap to your system since all a cap will do is stiffen the voltage to your system and absolutely nothing more, anyone who says other wise has no clue to what they are talking about. The Big 3 and a higher grade battery will help big time, but will not stop the dimming totally. The HO alternator will stop the dimming.

Answer 3

Take it to an auto parts store to get the battery and alternator tested. I would say that your battery is losing its capacity to hold a charge or it has bad connections since when the engine slows down the alternator stops delivering as much power as it was at higher engine speeds. This means the battery is not providing constant power because it is weak or it cannot do so because the wires and connections are not able to relay its power to your car's needs.

Answer 4

If the battery is good, then check your fan belt on the alternator, make sure it is real tight, if it is and the lights still dim then the alternator might be going bad. Here is a quick test for your alternator. With the car running remove the positive battery terminal, if the car dies the alternator is bad, if it stays running then it is good. Good luck.

Answer 5

Well here I go. Your Alternator should take full responsibility of all your electric components when the your truck is running. Sounds to me that your battery is taking over the electronics when you stop and you engine is at an idle. Your alternator needs so many R.P.M's for it to work properly, basically your alternator needs to spin at a certain speed for it to continue to put out a charge. When your alternator stops spinning this minimum amount of speed it needs to charge, it will hand over this responsibility to the battery. The battery will not shine your lights as bright as the alternator will. My suggestion is to adjust your idle adjustment screw, to give the engine a little more higher idle at stops. I would like to add that an alternator will not go bad over time, it either works or it doesn't work. Kinda like a light bulb, it either works or it doesn't, I've never seen a light bulb going bad, have you?

Answer 6

Could be you alternator going bad, battery going bad, or a belt could be loose. I would start with the belt. If that's not it take it to an Advance Auto or other car parts store where they test starter, alternators or batteries for free.

Answer 7

Battery. Your lights work better as engine revs increase. This means that the battery is not doing its job. It might hold a charge, but it is not giving full power. Replace battery and see what happens then.

Answer 8

Batteries are only good for so many charges, after that they go also. Fix the problem, alternator, belt or both, while you are able to.

Answer 9

I drive Toyota Pickup (this is my second one.) Both trucks do/did just what your are saying. I replaced the battery and alternator on the new one and it didn't make any difference. Truck works fine, just dim lights when idling.....

Answer 10

check your alternator and your cables as well as your battery terminals sometimes its the little things that make a big diffrence i learned the hard way check the cables and terminals if nothing then take it to an auto parts store sometimes they can check alternator for free