QbanCgar Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 does any1s caddy do this. i notice when i'm driving that my battery guage will range from 14.0 volts down to 10.7 volts @ any given time! Pimpin' In My Black 'Lac Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve6 Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 does any1s caddy do this. i notice when i'm driving that my battery guage will range from 14.0 volts down to 10.7 volts @ any given time! With accounting for your other post as well about the flickering dash lights.... I would consider getting your battery and alternator checked. Have the battery load tested... If you can afford it just replace it to be sure its not that. It should hold steady over 12 volts when charging. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QbanCgar Posted November 7, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 well i doubt it's the altenator b/c i had that replaced about a year ago $450+ (includin' labor), then again i'm not a mechanic so i will have it checkeed out. although i think it mayb b the battery so i will that checked out as well, thanks! i had 2 clean the connection of my amps & sub-woofer cables a few times b/c of corrosion. Pimpin' In My Black 'Lac Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadillac Jim Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 It sure sounds like you have a marginal battery cable or ground cable from the battery, or a bad engine ground strap. The most common problem is the battery cable at the positive post of the battery. There are three cables there, and they are stacked. It's a common problem. I solved my problem there by getting a new battery cable; they have improved the design. Others simply clean well between the three layers and use a good anti-corrosion compound. -- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data -- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QbanCgar Posted November 7, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 It sure sounds like you have a marginal battery cable or ground cable from the battery, or a bad engine ground strap. The most common problem is the battery cable at the positive post of the battery. There are three cables there, and they are stacked. It's a common problem. I solved my problem there by getting a new battery cable; they have improved the design. Others simply clean well between the three layers and use a good anti-corrosion compound. thanks Jim, when i cleaned the cable & screws last time i used good ol' Coke-a-Cola, i guess i will need a stronger agent next time! Pimpin' In My Black 'Lac Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epricedright Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 It sure sounds like you have a marginal battery cable or ground cable from the battery, or a bad engine ground strap. The most common problem is the battery cable at the positive post of the battery. There are three cables there, and they are stacked. It's a common problem. I solved my problem there by getting a new battery cable; they have improved the design. Others simply clean well between the three layers and use a good anti-corrosion compound. thanks Jim, when i cleaned the cable & screws last time i used good ol' Coke-a-Cola, i guess i will need a stronger agent next time! I use Arm & Hammer baking soda mixed with a little water, and scrub it w/ an old toothbrush, then rinse with water. Works great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarrenJ Posted November 8, 2006 Report Share Posted November 8, 2006 Here's some interesting basic info from Cadillac that I think might apply to folk with added amps/subwoofers like yourself: "Dimming lights at idle may be considered normal for two reasons: As the engine/generator speed changes, so will the current (amperage) output of the generator. As a vehicle slows, engine/generator RPM slows, and the current (amperage) output of the generator may not be sufficient to supply the loads, the vehicle system voltage will drop and the lights will dim. Dimming of the lights is an indication that current is being pulled from the battery. If the battery is in a low state-of-charge (discharged condition), the driver will notice a more pronounced dimming than a vehicle with a fully charged battery. When high current loads (blower, rear defogger, headlamps, cooling fan, heated seats, power seats, electric "AIR" pump, or power windows) are operating or cycled "ON", the generator's voltage regulator can delay the rise in output. This effect, usually at lower engine speeds, can take up to ten seconds to ramp up the generator output. This is done to avoid loading the engine severely. To increase current (amperage) output, additional torque is consumed by the generator. The engine computer (PCM) will ramp up engine/generator speed in small steps so engine speed variations are not noticeable to the driver." Note that the generator can take up to ten seconds to "ramp up" its charging current (and hence voltage). Also remember that "voltage" is only an indirect measurement of the charging current. The voltage is only meaningful if the battery is good. It's that current that is important. A bad battery will evidence a high charging voltage even though the charging current is insufficient. Also remember that, at idle, the generator is only capable of about 35% of its rated output. Its rated output is not achieved until upwards of 1000rpm. Assuming your battery cables are good, I'd wonder about the condition of your battery. How old is it? Regards, Warren There is no means of avoiding the final collapse of a boom brought about by credit expansion. The alternative is only whether the crisis should come sooner as the result of a voluntary abandonment of further credit expansion, or later as a final and total catastrophe of the currency system involved. - Ludwig von Mises Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QbanCgar Posted November 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2006 WarrenJ i'm not sure how old the battery is as i bought the car used from a private seller, but i have had the car 4 almost 2 years now. the battery that was n there is an Optima & supposedly 2 b 1 if not the best battery when u're runnin' additional electrical equipment ie audio & video. Pimpin' In My Black 'Lac Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarrenJ Posted November 9, 2006 Report Share Posted November 9, 2006 WarrenJ i'm not sure how old the battery is as i bought the car used from a private seller, but i have had the car 4 almost 2 years now. the battery that was n there is an Optima & supposedly 2 b 1 if not the best battery when u're runnin' additional electrical equipment ie audio & video. Well, your battery is at least two years old, possibly (much) more. And it is likely well exercised if your audio system is a current hog. You'll find plenty of discussion here related to Optima batteries. Some swear BY them and others AT them. Me, I don't know; I'm a traditionalist (stock equivalent under my hood). It sure sounds like a bad battery to me, but I'd try an experiment: pull your audio fuse(s) and run it for a day or two to see if things improve. If they do, it's battery time. Regards, Warren There is no means of avoiding the final collapse of a boom brought about by credit expansion. The alternative is only whether the crisis should come sooner as the result of a voluntary abandonment of further credit expansion, or later as a final and total catastrophe of the currency system involved. - Ludwig von Mises Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarrenJ Posted November 9, 2006 Report Share Posted November 9, 2006 It might help if you told us the wattage of your audio system. The reason I suggest that is because some are running around with 200 watt systems and others believe 2000 watts is more acceptable. If you're at the higher end of that spectrum, a battery "load test" will be meaningless to you. Pay no attention to the results. Battery "load tests" give results predicated on "normal" stress usage of about 40 amperes or so. Probably even less. If your accessories gobble up much larger amounts of current, the "normal" load doesn't apply to you and neither do the test results. Regards, Warren There is no means of avoiding the final collapse of a boom brought about by credit expansion. The alternative is only whether the crisis should come sooner as the result of a voluntary abandonment of further credit expansion, or later as a final and total catastrophe of the currency system involved. - Ludwig von Mises Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted November 29, 2006 Report Share Posted November 29, 2006 Regarding dimming lights and low charging voltage, I found this: Info - Low Voltage Display on IP Gauge, Lights Dim at Stop Lights, Battery Discharged, No Start, Slow Cranking, Dim Lights at Idle, Low Generator Output #02-06-03-008A - (Jul 28, 2004) Low Voltage Display on IP Gauge, Lights Dim at Stop Lights, Battery Discharged, No Start, Slow Cranking, Dim Lights at Idle, Low Generator Output 1990-2005 Passenger Cars and Light Duty Trucks 2003-2005 HUMMER H2 This bulletin is being revised to add the 2004 and 2005 model years. Please discard Corporate Bulletin Number 02-06-03-008 (Section 06 -- Engine). Any vehicle may have a low voltage display (if equipped with gauges), lights that dim at stop lights, slow cranking, no start, low generator output at idle or dim lights at idle when electrical loads are heavy at idle or under slow driving or infrequent usage conditions. These characteristics may be more noticeable with customer added electrical accessories, or with a discharged battery. These are normal operating characteristics of a vehicle electrical system and no repairs should be attempted unless a proven fault has been diagnosed. During normal driving conditions, when engine speed is above 1000 RPM, the generator is designed to do two things: 1) Supply the current necessary to operate the vehicle's originally equipped electrical devices (loads). 2) Recharge/ maintain the battery's state of charge. The following factors may affect generator and battery performance: Non-usage of the vehicle for extended periods of time. The vehicle's computers, clocks and the like will cause the battery state of charge to drop (For example; 30 days in a parking lot and the vehicle may not start because of a dead battery or a vehicle which is driven only a short distance once a week may end up with a discharged battery to the point where the vehicle may not start). This would be considered abnormal usage of the vehicle and the normally expected result for the vehicle battery, generator and electrical systems. At idle, vehicle electrical loads may exceed the low speed current (amperage) output of the generator and when this happens the shortfall comes from the battery. This will result in a drop in the electrical system voltage as the battery delivers the additional electrical current to meet the demand. This is equivalent to the brown outs experienced by homes and businesses when the electrical demand is more than the supply. See Figure 1. Extended periods of engine idling, with high electrical loads, may result in a discharged battery. Attempting to recharge a battery by letting the engine run at idle may not be beneficial unless all electrical loads are turned "OFF". Increased internal generator temperatures from extended idling can also contribute to lower electrical system voltage. As the generator's internal temperature rises, the generator's output capability is reduced due to increased electrical resistance. The following are some typical examples of electrical loads: System Amperage Load Rear Window defogger 25 Electric AIR Pump 25 Heated Seats 5 Amps per seat Headlamps (high) 20 Blower Motor (High) 20 Headlamps (low) 15 Brake Lights 6 Windshield Wipers 6 Ignition 6 Depending on the vehicle application, generator current (amperage) output at engine idle speeds of 600-700 RPM can be as low as 35 percent of the full rated output. With enough electrical loads "ON", it is easy to exceed the generator current (amperage) output when the engine is at an idle of 600-700 RPM. This is a normal condition. The battery supplements for short periods of time. Items that affect the vehicle's electrical system current and voltage at idle are the number of electrical loads being used, including add-on accessories, and extended idle times. When the vehicle speed is above approximately 24 km/h (15 mph), the engine/generator RPM is high enough and the generator current (amperage ) output is sufficient to supply the current (amperage) requirements of the vehicle as originally equipped and recharge the battery. Dimming lights at idle may be considered normal for two reasons: 1) As the engine/generator speed changes, so will the current (amperage) output of the generator. As a vehicle slows, engine/generator RPM slows, and the current (amperage) output of the generator may not be sufficient to supply the loads, the vehicle system voltage will drop and the lights will dim. Dimming of the lights is an indication that current is being pulled from the battery. If the battery is in a low state-of-charge (discharged condition), the driver will notice a more pronounced dimming than a vehicle with a fully charged battery. 2) When high current loads (blower, rear defogger, headlamps, cooling fan, heated seats, power seats, electric "AIR" pump, or power windows) are operating or cycled "ON", the generator's voltage regulator can delay the rise in output. This effect, usually at lower engine speeds, can take up to ten seconds to ramp up the generator output. This is done to avoid loading the engine severely. To increase current (amperage) output, additional torque is consumed by the generator. The engine computer (PCM) will ramp up engine/generator speed in small steps so engine speed variations are not noticeable to the driver. Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corkyd Posted December 12, 2006 Report Share Posted December 12, 2006 consider adding a ground from the alternator to the frame. Cheap insurance to maintain a solid ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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