If you use a batter tender come inside...or if you really know electrics - ZR-1 Net Registry Forums

USAFPILOT · 04-20-2009

I have recently had some trouble maintaining the charge in my battery, so I got a battery tender and left it on it all night etc. When I came out in the morning the battery charger said the battery was charged and it did crank right up with no problems. But I noticed that all the electrics in my car were flickering and the voltmeter in the DIC was cyling between 15.0 and 14.5. After driving it around for a while it settled down to about 14.2 which had been about normal, and at idle with the AC running it was 13.8 or so. After the drive the flickering had ceased.

To me the flickering is weird...anyone else? Any ideas? I am concerned about hooking the tender back up to the car.

I could get another battery I guess...but I dont think it is ruined...or is it? I guess I'll at least take it to autozone for a check.

Ohh...and I never had any flickering before the battery tender. Except for the time I tried to jump start it and in the process fried my BCM. But it only flickered once and then it was all dead.

GOLDCYLON · 04-20-2009

Is this both a side post and top post battery? If it is make sure the postive top post is not grounding out on the frame.

gbrtng · 04-21-2009

You've got a bad battery connection or a failing battery. Mary's 91 did this a few years
back and soon the battery failed completely - wouldn't crank the engine. A new battery fixed the problem. The tender probably didn't have a thing to do with it.

DaveK · 04-21-2009

Had this problem last year - battery was dead. New battery installed and she fired first time.

Paul Workman · 04-21-2009

Three things come to mind, and two of them are covered (the one's I would have put at the top of the list), but the battery tender is not one of them.

A cell may be shorting out - time for a new battery
The voltage regulator may be on the way out (but since it doesn't go over 14.7 or so...I'd consider "something else"...
"Something else" might be a grounding issue somewhere can cause a host of things going bad. The key there is all those devices sharing a common ground (that is going south) will all be affected where the rest of the gauges, radio, etc are not affected.

Sounds like an internal battery issue - or your shorting something out - would be my first guess. A VOM and the FSM will be key to running it down.

Good luck. Let us know what you find (and I'll bet it isn't the battery charger!).

P.

W i l l · 04-21-2009

Just drop the car off over at my house. I will keep the battery maintained for cheaper than it costs for a trickle charger

Quote:

Originally Posted by USAFPILOT

I have recently had some trouble maintaining the charge in my battery, so I got a battery tender and left it on it all night etc. When I came out in the morning the battery charger said the battery was charged and it did crank right up with no problems. But I noticed that all the electrics in my car were flickering and the voltmeter in the DIC was cyling between 15.0 and 14.5. After driving it around for a while it settled down to about 14.2 which had been about normal, and at idle with the AC running it was 13.8 or so. After the drive the flickering had ceased.

To me the flickering is weird...anyone else? Any ideas? I am concerned about hooking the tender back up to the car.

I could get another battery I guess...but I dont think it is ruined...or is it? I guess I'll at least take it to autozone for a check.

Ohh...and I never had any flickering before the battery tender. Except for the time I tried to jump start it and in the process fried my BCM. But it only flickered once and then it was all dead.

ZZZZZR1 · 04-21-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by W i l l

Just drop the car off over at my house. I will keep the battery maintained for cheaper than it costs for a trickle charger

IowaZR-1 · 04-21-2009

Was having the flicking lights also...and alternator was cycling...and at idle with the headlights on they would dim some then get bright....I had chaged alternators a few years back and it was a lifetime warrenty so I got another one and switch......what I found was the lower support bracket(item #3) in the sevice manual picture had alot of corrosion between where it mounts I cleaned up both surfaces and any other contact surface the alternator had with the engine and it has seemed to have fixed my problem. NOTE the bolt lengths when you take them out as one is longer than the other two. Hope this helps.

04-21-2009

For what it is worth, I had the battery tender on my AC Delco battery for 5 years while in storage until I got it back on the road a few weeks ago. No problems or issues with the battery tender and still using the same battery too.

Jason 91 · 04-22-2009

I had the exact same problem a couple of years ago with the flickering lights and it was very annoying! I used a battery tender in the past, but never considered a possible connection until reading this.

For me, replacing the alternator (which was original) fixed the problem with the flickering lights. Two batteries later and I still have not hooked up the battery tender mostly due to it being inconvenient.

My troubleshooting skills are not nearly as good as others on here so I can't really speak to cause and effect. I'm just sharing my experience based on the topic - hope you find your solution soon.

Jason

04-20-2009	#1
USAFPILOT Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Spring TX Posts: 1,348	If you use a batter tender come inside...or if you really know electrics I have recently had some trouble maintaining the charge in my battery, so I got a battery tender and left it on it all night etc. When I came out in the morning the battery charger said the battery was charged and it did crank right up with no problems. But I noticed that all the electrics in my car were flickering and the voltmeter in the DIC was cyling between 15.0 and 14.5. After driving it around for a while it settled down to about 14.2 which had been about normal, and at idle with the AC running it was 13.8 or so. After the drive the flickering had ceased. To me the flickering is weird...anyone else? Any ideas? I am concerned about hooking the tender back up to the car. I could get another battery I guess...but I dont think it is ruined...or is it? I guess I'll at least take it to autozone for a check. Ohh...and I never had any flickering before the battery tender. Except for the time I tried to jump start it and in the process fried my BCM. But it only flickered once and then it was all dead. Last edited by USAFPILOT; 04-20-2009 at 07:38 PM.

04-20-2009	#2
GOLDCYLON Join Date: May 2007 Location: Peoria, AZ Posts: 9,155	Re: If you use a batter tender come inside...or if you really know electrics Is this both a side post and top post battery? If it is make sure the postive top post is not grounding out on the frame. __________________ GOLDCYLON - 91 ZR-1 #2014 GOLDCYLON - 90 ZR-1 #2794, 4L60e (Formerly Schrade's) GOLDCYLON - 11 CTS-V Arizona State Director 91 WHITE/BLACK #2014. 380 P&P&PCed,Ported Heads, Jeal Long tubes, Corsa Exhaust/FIKSE FM-5s /LED TLs, LED Headlights, Front Wilwood 6 piston narrowlite calipers and rear Wilwood caliper street shop mod,CNCed Coolant Pipes,TPI Cvr,Filter cover,Stainless Bolts, DRM/DOM PROM /ZFDOC mod build #102,DRLs,BMAD with stainless Debris Screen,Coplan Air Blaster, Pioneer APP Radio 4,Brey-Krause HB,Sub Bar,Fire extinguisher seat mount,DRM Coilovers,LEDs everywhere,Compass mirror (orange),V1 DIC hidden display, Homelink sun visor, Carbon Fiber top x3 and APSIS Carbon Fiber interior, APSIS CF Steering Wheel/NAPA Leather, Banski trailing arms, Guldstrand front suspension,urethane bushings from Prothane (total suspension) ZFDoc drive shaft safety loop, raptor shift light (orange),AO engineering louver front plate, Console seat cushion, 96CE seats with black custom Sheepskins, ss billet catch can,Viper remote entry/alarm,Cragar Rear Louvers,LED side louver lights, Dewitts Radiator with SPAL fans and a Woods 160 T-Stat 90 RED/BLACK #2794. 4L60e Automatic Stage V by RPM Transmission, TCI Dedicated TCM, OBX Stainless Headers, Corsa Exhaust, SAN Secondaries and Haibeck PROM, Exotic Muscle Coil overs, LED Interior Lights, LED Tail Lights, LED Headlights, 94 Sport seats with black custom Sheepskins , Cragar rear louvers, GS Front calipers, Banski Trailing arms, APSIS Carbon Fiber steering wheel, Front and Rear Baer Eradispeeds, DRLs, Guldstrand front suspension,urethane bushings from Prothane (total suspension), Dewitt's Raditor with Dual SPAL fans and a Haibeck 170 T-Stat 11 RED/GREY CTS-V

04-21-2009	#4
DaveK Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sudbury, Ontario. Canada Posts: 1,538	Re: If you use a batter tender come inside...or if you really know electrics Had this problem last year - battery was dead. New battery installed and she fired first time. __________________ 1991 #1516 Black/Black davidmkelly.com "Speed is often confused with insight." - Johan Cruijff

04-21-2009	#5
Paul Workman Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Squires (near Ava MO in the Mark Twain N'tl Forest) - Missouri Posts: 6,493	Re: If you use a batter tender come inside...or if you really know electrics Three things come to mind, and two of them are covered (the one's I would have put at the top of the list), but the battery tender is not one of them. A cell may be shorting out - time for a new battery The voltage regulator may be on the way out (but since it doesn't go over 14.7 or so...I'd consider "something else"... "Something else" might be a grounding issue somewhere can cause a host of things going bad. The key there is all those devices sharing a common ground (that is going south) will all be affected where the rest of the gauges, radio, etc are not affected. Sounds like an internal battery issue - or your shorting something out - would be my first guess. A VOM and the FSM will be key to running it down. Good luck. Let us know what you find (and I'll bet it isn't the battery charger!). P.

04-21-2009	#8
IowaZR-1 Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Iowa aka "one big cornfield" Posts: 341	Re: If you use a batter tender come inside...or if you really know electrics Was having the flicking lights also...and alternator was cycling...and at idle with the headlights on they would dim some then get bright....I had chaged alternators a few years back and it was a lifetime warrenty so I got another one and switch......what I found was the lower support bracket(item #3) in the sevice manual picture had alot of corrosion between where it mounts I cleaned up both surfaces and any other contact surface the alternator had with the engine and it has seemed to have fixed my problem. NOTE the bolt lengths when you take them out as one is longer than the other two. Hope this helps. Last edited by IowaZR-1; 04-21-2009 at 10:39 PM.

04-21-2009	#3
gbrtng Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: San Antonio area Posts: 1,179	Re: If you use a batter tender come inside...or if you really know electrics You've got a bad battery connection or a failing battery. Mary's 91 did this a few years back and soon the battery failed completely - wouldn't crank the engine. A new battery fixed the problem. The tender probably didn't have a thing to do with it. __________________ “Buy the best example of what you want, and pay whatever it takes. That way, you cry only once.” ~ Bruce Meyer

04-21-2009	#9
HAWAIIZR-1 Guest Posts: n/a	Re: If you use a batter tender come inside...or if you really know electrics For what it is worth, I had the battery tender on my AC Delco battery for 5 years while in storage until I got it back on the road a few weeks ago. No problems or issues with the battery tender and still using the same battery too.

04-22-2009	#10
Jason 91 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 124	Re: If you use a batter tender come inside...or if you really know electrics I had the exact same problem a couple of years ago with the flickering lights and it was very annoying! I used a battery tender in the past, but never considered a possible connection until reading this. For me, replacing the alternator (which was original) fixed the problem with the flickering lights. Two batteries later and I still have not hooked up the battery tender mostly due to it being inconvenient. My troubleshooting skills are not nearly as good as others on here so I can't really speak to cause and effect. I'm just sharing my experience based on the topic - hope you find your solution soon. Jason __________________ 1991 Quasar Blue ZR-1