93 Allante w/electrical flutter

[Rsrtelecom]

Proud new owner of a 93 Allante. The information center displays "No battery charge" and the dashboard warning displays says "check electrical system". The car runs fine, but the dashboard lights and headlights flutter if the compressor is not running. If the compressor is running, the lights do not flutter, but I still ocassionally get the IC and dashboard messages. Despite the IC message, the battery does charge and all other systems seem to work. My guess is a short somewhere. Any ideas? Thanks in advance for your help. This is a great source for information.

[Kcryan]

That is a strange one, a few thoughts.

1)check the belt.
2)Check for poor grounds
3)Check the battery
4)check the alternator

Best of luck,
KC Ryan

[G.A.R.Y.]

Originally Posted by Kcryan

That is a strange one, a few thoughts.

1)check the belt.
2)Check for poor grounds
3)Check the battery
4)check the alternator

Best of luck,
KC Ryan

In addition to the above are there any codes in history, please post and we can decipher them for you.

BTW KC welcome to one of my new sites.

G.A.R.Y.

[GlenCoombe]

I just solved my "flashing dash" problem by replacing the CPS. I replaced my alternator first as I had a spare new one. But the problem went away when I got my used CPS from Dick.
Of course you can check your codes as well as see the voltage output from the DIC.
Let us know what works.

[carnut]

If you enter diagnostics you can view charging rate while driven. I think you have a regulator problem. An alternator can produce voltage and still have an erratic amp output. I presume you have a digital cluster without a volt gauge?

[Stealth]

all the advice given above is good.

however, i tend to be cheap and avoid buying parts
so i do a few other things 1st.

statistically, what you described is electrical in nature and
electrics always have connectors that over time oxidize
or get loose, specially Allante electrics.

i be checking the harness and connectors dealing with
the battery charging system, cleaning the contacts as i went
along and applying dielectric grease in the process.

over my working life, i have found that close to 90%
of all problems are neither mechanical or electronics,
but they are wire/cable related. this applies to your car,
any car, computers, machinery, homes, etc..

also, the wires and connectors are the single biggest cause
of "electrical fires" in cars, equipment and homes.

if you find out that the connectors were not the problem
you will have lost NOTHING. doing what i suggested is great
maintenance that will reward you with many years of trouble
free operation.

often, people buy a replacement CPS or ECM and afterwards
everything works well. what they miss is that, often the
existing unit is fine and the process of R&R the parts, fixes
the bad connection problem that they never found or looked for,
giving a false impression of what was wrong.

my tool box always has contact cleaner, a large can of
dielectric grease, WD40 and various TIE WRAPS to secure
wires/connectors. if i pull a connector, it gets treated.


.

[92MYphase2]

I got an information control message indicating that my left rear tail light was out last week. After driving on a bouncy road, the message is gone and my left rear tail light works fine. I guess pulling and reattaching all the connections you can find and using some kind of moisture protectant might be a good idea. As Stealth states, WD-40, dielectric grease and contact cleaner sound like a preventative measure. Stealth, let me guess....begin with WD-40 to loosen the connection, then use contact cleaner on the actual connection, then apply dielectric grease as the final step?

[Stealth]

there you go. if bouncing the car over a bump changes things,
YOU KNOW it is a connector.

the sequence is accurate. WD40 also cleans, parts and hands.
dielectric grease is a awesome moisture protector. i use lots
of it on my 4x4 that likes to get exposed to running water.

dont forget the tie wraps if needed. they come in handy for securing
harnesses and cables but hide them from your date as she may get
the wrong idea.

Originally Posted by 92MYphase2

I got an information control message indicating that my left rear tail light was out last week. After driving on a bouncy road, the message is gone and my left rear tail light works fine. I guess pulling and reattaching all the connections you can find and using some kind of moisture protectant might be a good idea. As Stealth states, WD-40, dielectric grease and contact cleaner sound like a preventative measure. Stealth, let me guess....begin with WD-40 to loosen the connection, then use contact cleaner on the actual connection, then apply dielectric grease as the final step?

.

[Allantesource]

The two most common causes of charging system problems on the '93's: the thermistor or battery temperature sensor, and the pigtail that plugs into the voltage regulator on the alternator. The pigtail is available new. I think the Delco part number is PT1929. Unfortunately, the battery temperature sensor is not available new.